Advice needed; newbie owner of a 3 door 1988 Pajero

[jean pajero]

Hello guys, nice to have found this forum although I live in lebanon not australia, i seek out some advice and pointers on a couple of stuff, i recently purchased a 1988 3 door pajero (for 1500 USD)
First question what size engine do I have,its a petrol engine (dont laugh i am not a motorhead to guess it)

below is pic of car and engine

https://ibb.co/nMWp0c0

https://ibb.co/X3YXtmk

second question, it came without a spare tire from the previous owner so i am in need of a 6 bolt 15 inch rim and they are hard to find, pajero MK2 rims are more available do they fit mine? we have tacomas and fj cxruiser and other 6 bolt rim cars, do any of them fit mine??

third question engine and all mechanical parts are in good condition, except for the steering box(written on it is 'koyo japan') it leaks steering fluid , not much a couple of drops depending on the driving time, i have added maybe a quarter of a litre in a month, the part which is leaking is the bottom side of it where you can see the a vertical axle that comes out of it and rotates on its self, the steering wheel at first like there was a gap on both sides before you feel the wheel, we adjusted a sort of regulator screw located on the top of the steering box setting it to max and now the gap is barely noticeable and the steering became very live and communicative, I have heard that the pajero MK1 usually exhibits problems in the steering box, this part is very hard to find and will cost probably upwords of 100 USD for a second hand. Should I ignore the problem and just keep adding steering fluid as long as it drives ok ?

Thank you in advance.

[Ratbago]

The engine you have is a 2.6 litre Astron 4G54 (G54B in some markets including the US) The steering box leak is probably the pit man arm seal , pretty common mine is currently leaking but i cant be bothered to fix it yet . You can get a seal kit to put through it unsure on price or availability in your country though. If sourcing parts from the US is easier for you , the cars were sold as "monteros" or dodge "raiders". The majority of 6 stud wheels will fit these cars , a set of gen 2 wheels will fit nicely . Be careful playing around with the adjustment nut on top of the steering box , too tight and you will start to wear the internals inside the box quickly . Jack the front wheels of the ground and make sure the steering doesn't bind in any spot.

[Ratbago]

If you dont have the time or money to overhaul the steering box try adding some stop leak to it . You can buy normal fluid that already has the stop leak added to it

[jean pajero]

The engine you have is a 2.6 litre Astron 4G54 (G54B in some markets including the US) The steering box leak is probably the pit man arm seal , pretty common mine is currently leaking but i cant be bothered to fix it yet . You can get a seal kit to put through it unsure on price or availability in your country though. If sourcing parts from the US is easier for you , the cars were sold as "monteros" or dodge "raiders". The majority of 6 stud wheels will fit these cars , a set of gen 2 wheels will fit nicely . Be careful playing around with the adjustment nut on top of the steering box , too tight and you will start to wear the internals inside the box quickly . Jack the front wheels of the ground and make sure the steering doesn't bind in any spot.

Hello, thank you for your reply, I asked about a rebuild for the steering box and it shouldnt cost no more than 100 USD(probably around 50) if it can be fixed and not too worn out, labor is cheap here, and its not inthe intrest of the guy to charge you more than the price of a working steering box.
I actually found on this forrum this thread : https://www2.pajeroclub.com.au/forum...ad.php?t=54025 which is exactly whats happening with me, and pajero GEN 2 parts are very available here so I have 2 options either a rebuild or a second hand GEN 2 steering box which shouldnt cost more than 150-200 usd, what do yo suggest?(keep in mind i dont know if it can be rebuilt i have to take it to the shop).
I actually got a spare rim with a tire for free from a friend of my dad who has a 4 door GEN 1, he had four rims with tires (be it very old tires) laying around.
Regarding the seal kit i have no idea I'll have to ask around.
last question what do you mean by 'make sure the steering doesn't bind in any spot'?
Again thank you for your input appreciate it

[jean pajero]

If you dont have the time or money to overhaul the steering box try adding some stop leak to it . You can buy normal fluid that already has the stop leak added to it

Thanks for your input mate but i think the gap is too big for a seal fluid to stop it, plus this wont fix the gap you feel in the wheel, it was reduced by 90% after we adjusted the bolt on top of the steering box, its ok now handling wise but you still feel like it should be better

[eyeballgummy]

Did you also check the steershaft linkages for wear? there are two. You shouldnt have any slack in the steering. You back the steering box nut off to its not binding and tighten. BUT having some play in the steering wheel 10-20mm is standard. You gotta remember its an old vehicle compared to new car steering advancements, so dont expect perfection.

[Ratbago]

Hello, thank you for your reply, I asked about a rebuild for the steering box and it shouldnt cost no more than 100 USD(probably around 50) if it can be fixed and not too worn out, labor is cheap here, and its not inthe intrest of the guy to charge you more than the price of a working steering box.
I actually found on this forrum this thread : https://www2.pajeroclub.com.au/forum...ad.php?t=54025 which is exactly whats happening with me, and pajero GEN 2 parts are very available here so I have 2 options either a rebuild or a second hand GEN 2 steering box which shouldnt cost more than 150-200 usd, what do yo suggest?(keep in mind i dont know if it can be rebuilt i have to take it to the shop).
I actually got a spare rim with a tire for free from a friend of my dad who has a 4 door GEN 1, he had four rims with tires (be it very old tires) laying around.
Regarding the seal kit i have no idea I'll have to ask around.
last question what do you mean by 'make sure the steering doesn't bind in any spot'?
Again thank you for your input appreciate it

If you feel a "tight" spot or it becomes hard to steer at a certain point in the entire revolution of the steering wheel with the front wheels jacked up off the ground . Then the adjustments nut on the top of the box is too tight , having this adjustment too tight puts alot of pressure of the internal components and can easily quickly wear the steering box out.