Ruh roh.....my first sheared stud

[alexwolf1216]

So I was making great progress in preparation for my new cooling fans. I got the sway bar off, then the passenger lower radiator mount, then I was down to the last nut on the drivers side. No effort at all, snap.....http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/16/b90b3eab557041b595f7ab733f24ab3e.jpg


Am I screwed here? Does this mean I need to do the radiator?

[DMCMW Dave]

So I was making great progress in preparation for my new cooling fans. I got the sway bar off, then the passenger lower radiator mount, then I was down to the last nut on the drivers side. No effort at all, snap.....[


Am I screwed here? Does this mean I need to do the radiator?

No. There are a couple of ways to deal with it. Just keep going. . .

[alexwolf1216]

No. There are a couple of ways to deal with it. Just keep going. . .

Great news. I called it for the night, I need to take off the upper radiator brackets, but they seem hard to reach. Some bolts from the lower ones were a !@#!% to get by the coolant pipes. Im wondering if taking off the wheels might be a good idea.

[DMCMW Dave]

Great news. I called it for the night, I need to take off the upper radiator brackets, but they seem hard to reach. Some bolts from the lower ones were a !@#!% to get by the coolant pipes. Im wondering if taking off the wheels might be a good idea.


Go back at it in a good mood. If you snapped 10mm bolt, wait until you get to the tiny ones on top.

[alexwolf1216]

Go back at it in a good mood. If you snapped 10mm bolt, wait until you get to the tiny ones on top.

I got the three off the bottom with no trouble. HA!

[DMC5180]

You should be using some kind of penetrant oil if you have rusty hardware. Spray it on and let it set overnight.

[alexwolf1216]

Fans came out uneventfully. I have a stack of bolts and whatnot I need to replace, so I am making a trip to lowes. I do think I will be replacing the upper radiator brackets, they are looking kinda dingy.

And er, I cant remember where those little bushings came from?


30091300923009330094

[djdogbone]

PM me. I love working on my D, I would love to help you with yours

[DMCMW Dave]

And er, I cant remember where those little bushings came from?




PS - the bushing is shown clearly in your first photo of this thread!!


http://store.delorean.com/c-331-1-3-1-radiatorpiping.aspx

Part ID 22. There are 4 of them two above the brackets and two below. The ones above are still there.

To replace the broken one you either:
--replace the radiator (overkill)
--cut the bracket, replace the bolt, weld it back up
--slot the bracket where the bolt goes and replace the bolt.

[alexwolf1216]

PS - the bushing is shown clearly in your first photo of this thread!!


http://store.delorean.com/c-331-1-3-1-radiatorpiping.aspx

Part ID 22. There are 4 of them two above the brackets and two below. The ones above are still there.

To replace the broken one you either:
--replace the radiator (overkill)
--cut the bracket, replace the bolt, weld it back up
--slot the bracket where the bolt goes and replace the bolt.
Weld scares me.......I've never done it.....what is the "slot" choice?

[DMCMW Dave]

Weld scares me.......I've never done it.....what is the "slot" choice?

Just what it sounds like. The bolt is in a bracket welded to the bottom of the radiator. The bracket is open on two sides. You will need to move the plastic shroud out of the way.

Slot one of the sides so that you can slide a bolt in to the postion where the broken one was. Use a small dremel cutter. Go slow, you obviously don't want to damage the radiator but the "wet" part is at least 3/4" from where you will be cutting.

Look at it carefully first, as ultimately it will be hard to hold the bolt such that it won't turn as you tighten the nut. Glue it in place.

This will take some care and effort but unless you were planning on replacing the radiator it's probably worth it.

[alexwolf1216]

One of my friends works at Toyota and has a welder/knowledge. I am guessing we cut along the arrows, remove the middle portion, and add a new bolt. What size bolt? Do I weld the bolt to the bracket, then the bracket back to the car?

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[DMCMW Dave]

One of my friends works at Toyota and has a welder/knowledge. I am guessing we cut along the arrows, remove the middle portion, and add a new bolt. What size bolt? Do I weld the bolt to the bracket, then the bracket back to the car?
30095

Have him look at it and do what he's comfortable with. The original bolt is welded in place, it's possible you could just drill through it and tap it for a stud. Main thing would be to not go deep! You could make one cut where your line is, bend the steel out, replace the broken bolt and weld it back up. But that's all on your garage floor working upside down. . . .

I believe it's 10mm. Look at the other one.

[alexwolf1216]

Have him look at it and do what he's comfortable with. The original bolt is welded in place, it's possible you could just drill through it and tap it for a stud. Main thing would be to not go deep! You could make one cut where your line is, bend the steel out, replace the broken bolt and weld it back up. But that's all on your garage floor working upside down. . . .

I believe it's 10mm. Look at the other one.

Can anyone recommend which Dremel to get? There are a TON of choices.

[alexwolf1216]

Well, that sucked. My welder friend didnt want to do it.

Is the new DMC radiator improved? Would it be wise to upgrade while I have all this junk off or is it more trouble than its worth?

[NightFlyer]

Well, that sucked. My welder friend didnt want to do it.

Is the new DMC radiator improved? Would it be wise to upgrade while I have all this junk off or is it more trouble than its worth?

DMCH radiator is a black painted aluminum two row/core with metal side tanks that's a direct drop in replacement.

Hervey sells a brass three row/core with metal sides tanks that is a bit thicker than stock/OEM and isn't as easy to install as the DMCH drop in replacement.

DMC-Europe/Ed Uding sells an unpainted aluminum three row/core with metal side tanks that's a pretty good fit from what I understand.

Not sure what other vendors offer, but there are a few other options/choices available as well.

And of course, you could also commission a custom one-off from any decent radiator shop.

[David T]

DMCH radiator is a black painted aluminum two row/core with metal side tanks that's a direct drop in replacement.

Hervey sells a brass three row/core with metal sides tanks that is a bit thicker than stock/OEM and isn't as easy to install as the DMCH drop in replacement.

DMC-Europe/Ed Uding sells an unpainted aluminum three row/core with metal side tanks that's a pretty good fit from what I understand.

Not sure what other vendors offer, but there are a few other options/choices available as well.

And of course, you could also commission a custom one-off from any decent radiator shop.

If you still have the original radiator with the plastic tanks, it is a "No Brainer", replace the radiator.

[alexwolf1216]

If you still have the original radiator with the plastic tanks, it is a "No Brainer", replace the radiator.

I do. Do I have to mess with the AC lines to replace it? Am I going to have to recharge the system?

[DMCMW Dave]

Another case of "while I'm in there " ......:-)


Sent from phone

[alexwolf1216]

Another case of "while I'm in there " ......:-)


Sent from phone

Yeah kinda what I want to avoid!

Speaking of which, what should be done "while I am in there"

[Mark D]

No need to disconnect any of the A/C lines to remove the condenser. It's bolted on to the radiator and you can just zip tie it up into place if you're planning on pulling the radiator out. You just need to loosen up the radiator and pull it part way down to get at the condensor mounting bolts if I'm remembering correctly.

I agree that if you've gone this far you might be better off just replacing the radiator than welding on new mounting studs. The side tanks are plastic and if they aren't leaking now may start leaking soon where they are crimped to the metal radiator core if you've disturbed them in any way by pushing or pulling on them (or the attached coolant hoses.) I went with a DMCH all aluminum reproduction and it's great. It's advertized as a direct bolt on replacement, but you may need to trim the fiberglass fan shroud very slightly in the corners to get it to sit nice and flat.

[alexwolf1216]

No need to disconnect any of the A/C lines to remove the condenser. It's bolted on to the radiator and you can just zip tie it up into place if you're planning on pulling the radiator out. You just need to loosen up the radiator and pull it part way down to get at the condensor mounting bolts if I'm remembering correctly.

I agree that if you've gone this far you might be better off just replacing the radiator than welding on new mounting studs. The side tanks are plastic and if they aren't leaking now may start leaking soon where they are crimped to the metal radiator core if you've disturbed them in any way by pushing or pulling on them (or the attached coolant hoses.) I went with a DMCH all aluminum reproduction and it's great. It's advertized as a direct bolt on replacement, but you may need to trim the fiberglass fan shroud very slightly in the corners to get it to sit nice and flat.

Yeah my fans are out and awaiting replacements. The radiator is kinda hanging there.

[alexwolf1216]

No need to disconnect any of the A/C lines to remove the condenser. It's bolted on to the radiator and you can just zip tie it up into place if you're planning on pulling the radiator out. You just need to loosen up the radiator and pull it part way down to get at the condensor mounting bolts if I'm remembering correctly.

I agree that if you've gone this far you might be better off just replacing the radiator than welding on new mounting studs. The side tanks are plastic and if they aren't leaking now may start leaking soon where they are crimped to the metal radiator core if you've disturbed them in any way by pushing or pulling on them (or the attached coolant hoses.) I went with a DMCH all aluminum reproduction and it's great. It's advertized as a direct bolt on replacement, but you may need to trim the fiberglass fan shroud very slightly in the corners to get it to sit nice and flat.

http://store.delorean.com/p-10208-complete-hose-kit-w-radiator.aspx

Good gracious! $700!

[alexwolf1216]

http://store.delorean.com/p-10208-complete-hose-kit-w-radiator.aspx

Good gracious! $700!

Oh, I guess I dont need all that stuff.

[NightFlyer]

Only you will know for sure if the radiator should be replaced - all depends on the current condition and how gently you treated it during your bleed and fan removal. If it's still good, I'd personally reuse it, as the stock/OEM unit is a high quality unit that will cool the car just fine. If you have your doubts though, or if the condition is poor, then I'd replace it with new.

IMHO, the worst thing you can do is bunch of unnecessary 'while you're in there work,' as several things can occur: 1) in taking things apart to gain access, you'll either wreck and have to replace other components that were otherwise good before you wrecked them in trying to take things apart, 2) you'll fail to completely put things back together 100% as they should be, no matter how hard you try to do the job perfectly, which will cause future issues that will be difficult to trouble shoot, and/or 3) you'll bleed your wallet dry on parts that you really didn't need and waste your time on work that really didn't need to be performed.

http://www.thefundraisingresource.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Choose-Wisely.jpg

[alexwolf1216]

Only you will know for sure if the radiator should be replaced - all depends on the current condition and how gently you treated it during your bleed and fan removal. If it's still good, I'd personally reuse it, as the stock/OEM unit is a high quality unit that will cool the car just fine. If you have your doubts though, or if the condition is poor, then I'd replace it with new.

IMHO, the worst thing you can do is bunch of unnecessary 'while you're in there work,' as several things can occur: 1) in taking things apart to gain access, you'll either wreck and have to replace other components that were otherwise good before you wrecked them in trying to take things apart, 2) you'll fail to completely put things back together 100% as they should be, no matter how hard you try to do the job perfectly, which will cause future issues that will be difficult to trouble shoot, and/or 3) you'll bleed your wallet dry on parts that you really didn't need and waste your time on work that really didn't need to be performed.

http://www.thefundraisingresource.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Choose-Wisely.jpg

I ordered a new one from Dave & Julee. The plastic on this one is super brittle, and I feel better knowing its been done, and I dont have to do it again. Peace of mind amigo :)

Plus, I ordered Toby's bleeder, and now I can install it with less mess. Score.

[DMCMW Dave]

http://store.delorean.com/p-10208-complete-hose-kit-w-radiator.aspx
Good gracious! $700!

That kit includes the radiator AND every hose and clamp in the system. You actually do need it (and probably a few other bits not included) as all your hoses are 33 years old, but you can get by for now. Since you are doing this yourself, your cost of waiting is relatively low. Installing the complete hose kit is lots of work as doing the complete job involves pulling the intake and breaking more bolts under there. And you get to decide if the water pump is now a while-I'm-in there project as well. And break a few more bolts on that.

When you find yourself replacing a leaky hose every few months (and then re-bleeding the system etc.) you'll know it's time. Might be weeks from now, might be years. Unlike nightflyer's apparently freeze-dried-time-capsule perfectly-stored car, yours does show a lot of age/environmental related deterioration (i.e. rusty bits) and things will go wrong. Just keep an eye on your garage floor.

The hose kit is available without the radiator so there's not much financial harm in waiting. Other than buying antifreeze a few extra times.

So you can wait . . . . .

[NightFlyer]

Unlike nightflyer's apparently freeze-dried-time-capsule perfectly-stored car

Don't forget dipping it in yogurt (that's my biggest secret) :biggrin:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3rB_qx0wRM

[alexwolf1216]

OK, so I got the radiator out. the little top port broke, and I managed to break 3 of 4 bolts from the brackets holding it to the condenser. I realize that buying a new condenser isnt really in the cards, so I am forced to fix this one.

First thing I did was drill out the old rivets holding the brackets to the condenser. I think I used a 3/16 bit and they popped right out.

30173

I took a 1/4" drill bit and drilled through the bolt welded to the bracket

30174
30175

Here is where I got scared. I used my new Dremel with the grinder bit to grind it as flat as I could. Dang that thing sparks.

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30176
30177

I wasnt able to get it completely flat, but it was close. I made a little trip to Lowes and found the bolts closest to the side that matched the ones on the bracket. The ones I found were a touch shorter, but they should work

30178

This is what the final product looks like. I will JB Weld them on once I get the new radiator, and hopefully be back in business!

30179

[David T]

That kit includes the radiator AND every hose and clamp in the system. You actually do need it (and probably a few other bits not included) as all your hoses are 33 years old, but you can get by for now. Since you are doing this yourself, your cost of waiting is relatively low. Installing the complete hose kit is lots of work as doing the complete job involves pulling the intake and breaking more bolts under there. And you get to decide if the water pump is now a while-I'm-in there project as well. And break a few more bolts on that.

When you find yourself replacing a leaky hose every few months (and then re-bleeding the system etc.) you'll know it's time. Might be weeks from now, might be years. Unlike nightflyer's apparently freeze-dried-time-capsule perfectly-stored car, yours does show a lot of age/environmental related deterioration (i.e. rusty bits) and things will go wrong. Just keep an eye on your garage floor.

The hose kit is available without the radiator so there's not much financial harm in waiting. Other than buying antifreeze a few extra times.

So you can wait . . . . .

I respectfully disagree. The rad is over 30 years old and so are the hoses if they are original. None of this stuff was EVER intended to last this long. If ANY hose or part blows you can overheat the motor and that is a MUCH bigger job. The cooling system is one of the Delorean's biggest weak points and because of the age of the parts and the usual lack of maintenance it has a high rate of failure. I recommend doing whatever it takes to be proactive and make the cooling system as bulletproof as possible. That includes replacing the header bottle, water pump, ALL of the hoses, water pump, thermostat, seals, gaskets, belts, coolant, and idler bearings. As expensive as this job may be, add up what a top job will cost. Years ago I was behind a Delorean in Providence RI in traffic when his rad blew the left plastic tank right off the crimps. All of the coolant immediately flashed into steam in a BIG white cloud. It was impressive! That was it for him. No way to patch it and limp home. He had to get towed, wait in a hotel till Rob G got home and could ship him a new rad (he was with us that weekend on the cruise) and then get a local garage to put it in. THAT was an expensive rad job! As for Nightflyer, his advice is of limited use for the majority of Deloreans that have not aged as gracefully as his appears to have aged.

[alexwolf1216]

I respectfully disagree. The rad is over 30 years old and so are the hoses if they are original. None of this stuff was EVER intended to last this long. If ANY hose or part blows you can overheat the motor and that is a MUCH bigger job. The cooling system is one of the Delorean's biggest weak points and because of the age of the parts and the usual lack of maintenance it has a high rate of failure. I recommend doing whatever it takes to be proactive and make the cooling system as bulletproof as possible. That includes replacing the header bottle, water pump, ALL of the hoses, water pump, thermostat, seals, gaskets, belts, coolant, and idler bearings. As expensive as this job may be, add up what a top job will cost. Years ago I was behind a Delorean in Providence RI in traffic when his rad blew the left plastic tank right off the crimps. All of the coolant immediately flashed into steam in a BIG white cloud. It was impressive! That was it for him. No way to patch it and limp home. He had to get towed, wait in a hotel till Rob G got home and could ship him a new rad (he was with us that weekend on the cruise) and then get a local garage to put it in. THAT was an expensive rad job! As for Nightflyer, his advice is of limited use for the majority of Deloreans that have not aged as gracefully as his appears to have aged.

Thanks for your input David. I did order a new radiator, both front end hoses, and I will be adding all new clamps. The metal pipes look to be in good shape, and the hoses on the back look like they have been replaced or are in exceptionally good condition. I also recently replaced the coolant bottle with a new stainless one, drained/filled with new coolant, and checked the thermostat. I really have no reason to tear into the water pump at this point, especially with my aprehension due to the bolts on the front end. It will get done at some point, but I really just want to drive and enjoy my new car for a bit. I havent been able to take it out more than a few minutes each time :rollin:

I do know how to look for coolant on my garage floor, and I also know that if it gets hot, to stop immediately. I have no problem getting towed if it saves my cars life.

[alexwolf1216]

Got 3/4 drilled out and ground down. I wasnt able to get them 100% flat due to some of the old bolt head way in the back, so I hope that doesnt mess anything up. Now I just need the radiator to come in and I will get it all put back in. Tonight I am going to glue down the bolts and rivet the brackets back on.

I left the one that came off complete, it looks to be in good enough shape, and if this ever happens again im going to replace the condenser.

30216

[alexwolf1216]

Got my new fans, and got them mounted to the radiator. I cant seem to remember how the heck I put the radiator back in though. Is it:

Radiator bolt
bushing
shroud
busher
washer
lower radiator brace

Or does the shroud go at the bottom?

[alexwolf1216]

Well its done. It was an uber pain in the ass to get the new one installed, mainly because the metal cooling pipes had to nearly touch to even remotely make it fit. Silly us had it bolted to the brackets first, and there was 0 chance of getting it back together. We took it all apart, barely got the hoses on, bolted it up, and off we went.


Also installed Toby's bleeder kit, and it is SO nice......bled with no issues the first time. Driving it to work for the first time today. This will be fun!

[Beachdrifter]

DMCH radiator is a black painted aluminum two row/core with metal side tanks that's a direct drop in replacement.

Hervey sells a brass three row/core with metal sides tanks that is a bit thicker than stock/OEM and isn't as easy to install as the DMCH drop in replacement.

DMC-Europe/Ed Uding sells an unpainted aluminum three row/core with metal side tanks that's a pretty good fit from what I understand.

Not sure what other vendors offer, but there are a few other options/choices available as well.

And of course, you could also commission a custom one-off from any decent radiator shop.


Good description of the radiators,

I did this job about 6 yrs ago, first time, and it is a fun job; just take your time.

I ended up getting Hervey's radiator. Worked great, but after the warranty expired, I noticed I must have a pin size hole leak, where coolant dribbles down to the floor and forms like a quarter size puddle. I rarely drive my car, very low mileage, so I was very disappointed at this. I assumed because it was bigger and metal everything it would be more sturdy. It has stayed the same since then, and haven't bothered to mess with it; thankfully it hasn't gotten worse. Anyone else experience this?

-Randy