3.0L engine swap

[DMC-81]

Forgot to mention that I pulled out of a steep driveway when leaving the parking lot. I think I hit the sway bar brackets again. I will look at them in the morning. They've been scraped and painted a number of times over the years. But somewhere I have a set of brackets and bushings for the sway bar. I wonder: is it possible to do those one at a time? I know the bar is under pressure and likely to spring away from me if I try to do both at once. Hmm.

Congrats on getting the car's cooling system to this point.

One thing I always do in a "low slung car" is enter and leave steep grade driveways/ramps at an angle, sometimes at 45 degrees.... almost to the point where it is one tire at a time going over the gutter. Speaking of those, because of the pronounced gutters in Florida, I also take them slow to minimize suspension movement. It works well with the DeLorean..... I figure the less stress on the relatively weak front end, the better.... Mechanical Empathy if you will.

I recently drove a Diablo and that car seems to measure the ground clearance in millimeters.

[opethmike]

It also helps to hug the car.

[Farrar]

Congrats on getting the car's cooling system to this point.

Thanks! Slow progress is still progress, right? I did another drain/fill yesterday after driving about 90 minutes, then a five hour break, then another 90 minutes. Coolant was again slightly brown, but the cooling system is definitely struggling less. I am optimistic about the radiator duct, especially since I have already cut it on one side to clearance the A/C hoses better.

(Side note: I noticed that the radiator duct no longer has a manufacturer stamp on it. Makes me wonder if the initial run was done by a third party, and then Houston bought the mold and started making their own.)

(Another side note: I initially ground material away using my Dremel, but it's actually thin enough to cut with sharp scissors. I recommend scissors. It's faster and less dusty. Wear safety glasses and a respirator.)

One thing I always do in a "low slung car" is enter and leave steep grade driveways/ramps at an angle, sometimes at 45 degrees.... almost to the point where it is one tire at a time going over the gutter. Speaking of those, because of the pronounced gutters in Florida, I also take them slow to minimize suspension movement. It works well with the DeLorean..... I figure the less stress on the relatively weak front end, the better.... Mechanical Empathy if you will.

I recently drove a Diablo and that car seems to measure the ground clearance in millimeters.

I've seen a few Diablos here in south Florida. I live in the Fort Lauderdale area, but whenever I am in Miami I see a lot more "exotic imports." Mostly around here the "exotics" are Teslas. LOL

The previous owner of my car lowered the front end by over four inches. (!!!) The sway bar brackets took a hell of a beating. I raised the front by installing half of a set of Eibach springs from Houston. Although the springs don't "match" front to rear, I do like the stance. (Note: photo taken a few years ago -- before side stripes were installed, and before roof cage was tightened down.)

eibachsprings.jpg

It also helps to hug the car.

The car hugs the road quite well. I like my Mickey Thompson tires.

I turned 40 yesterday, and today I am giving #2613 a present: some new bushings and brackets. I'll start with the new radiator brackets with new polyurethane bushings. Then I'll move on to the sway bar bracket/bushing kit that I got from DPNW (ages ago before I started having engine trouble), which also includes polyurethane bushings. I know some owners prefer the stock feel of the rubber bushings, but as an experiment I upgraded some bushings on my daily driver with poly and I like the stiffness and longevity. I have ramps and plenty of silicone grease, so I should be OK. But I am really hoping that I can get that radiator duct on soon.

[Farrar]

I think before I got this car it was in a front-end collision. I noticed a few things today.

I removed the LH lower radiator bracket and noticed it is twisted. As a result, the new bracket will not fit in its place.

The metal pieces holding the studs to the bottom of the radiator also are not straight.

While looking up from underneath, I noticed the upper brackets are bent - bowed out slightly rearward.

The fan shroud's point of damage is evident with the lower radiator bracket removed: the shroud impacted the front frame extension. There is almost no clearance to remove & replace the lower radiator bracket on the LH side. When I pushed up on the radiator with my hand, that's when I saw the point of impact -- a chunk of the shroud missing there, with a crack following from the point of impact.

I didn't notice all of this at once, of course ... first I loosened the LH bracket and tried raising the radiator slightly with a piece of wood and small floor jack.

I also noticed that the new transmission cooler is leaking at one of the fittings. Not the end of the world, but makes working under the front end a bit messy.

More good news: when pushing and pulling on the radiator, I gripped it with my hand from the lower left. Now the side tank is leaking. I thought these brass radiators were supposed to be indestructible?

I think I'm going to have to just shotgun the front end. Might as well replace the condenser while I'm at it. If I remove it, it'll break.

Question: how many bushings are supposed to be used on the lower radiator brackets? The schematic shows one per side for a total of two, but the parts manual and the DMC website say four are needed.

Edit: I guess photos would be useful.

IMG_0329.jpg

IMG_0330.jpg

[DMC5180]

The support bushings 2 pieces per side with backing washers.

Order of assembly

Radiator (item 5)
Rubber bushing mount (item 22)
Support bracket (item 19) LH or RH
Rubber bushing mount (item 22)
Large washer (item 15)
Nyloc nut M10 (item 16)


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[Farrar]

Thanks, Dennis! The schematic in my parts manual is wrong ... And it's wrong on the DMC website, too!

Okeydokey, so ... before I try installing the radiator duct again, I need to do some more work.

Here's my parts list:

- radiator upper brackets, stainless steel (already purchased)
- radiator, aluminum
- fan shroud, stainless steel
- cooling fans
- radiator lower brackets (already purchased)
- lower bushings, polyurethane (have two, will order two more)
- 10mm (I.D.) x 30mm (O.D.) washers (2), stainless steel [for lower brackets]
- M10 x 17mm lock nuts (2), stainless steel [for lower brackets]
- M6 x 10mm hex bolts (2), stainless steel [for upper brackets]
- M6 spring washers (2), stainless steel [for upper brackets]

I'm planning to buy the radiator, fan shroud, and fans from DPI; I believe they come assembled as a unit.

I am also seriously considering swapping out the a/c condenser at the same time. If so, what hardware should I buy? I am trying to use stainless wherever possible. South Florida is a high humidity environment, and my garage is not climate-controlled.

[DMC5180]

There are small M5 bolts w/ nyloc nuts that hold the condenser to the radiator. However, I wouldn’t use stainless. The potential for galvanic corrosion to occur between the hardware and aluminum radiator/condenser would be rather high in your environment. Stick with clear zinc and assemble with anti-seize. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about down the road.


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[Farrar]

There are small M5 bolts w/ nyloc nuts that hold the condenser to the radiator. However, I wouldn’t use stainless. The potential for galvanic corrosion to occur between the hardware and aluminum radiator/condenser would be rather high in your environment. Stick with clear zinc and assemble with anti-seize. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about down the road.

Good point! I had forgotten that stainless and aluminum don't get along. Thanks for reminding me!

[Farrar]

I'm going all out: the new radiator brackets will be installed with stainless washers and lock nuts.

IMG_0332.jpg

(Also arrived today, but not pictured: new a/c condenser, O-rings, and accumulator.)

[opethmike]

Yes, you should always lock your nuts.