Delorean auto parts/ John Hervey hot air dam - How is it held into place?

[Mike C.]

Attachment 8734Zip ties. Drill two holes in the hot air dam(heat shield) about six inches apart and 3/4 inch up from the bottom. Run two industrial strength zip ties through them and around the frame. This way there is no need to penetrate the frame with screw holes.

Rod
10921

Excellent idea, Rod. Thank you. I happen to also have long industrial tie straps at my disposal. Supposed to get rain tomorrow, so I will be doing this on Thursday.

[SIMid]

Mine didn't have one, so I made one out of Dynomat, cut to shape and stuck on.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I tested the fuel temp that made my pump start to buzz and it was about 125 deg.F

So it would make sense to prevent air from the radiator that is above that temp from blowing over the tank. But then, your trapping any heat from the cooling pipes. So does the hot air dam help? I don't know.

I installed mine with wire ties. Just make a cut where you want to install a tie.

[lazabby]

I got some foam insulation used in wrapping pipes to keep them from freezing and put it on the coolant hoses that run next to the fuel tank. This keeps the heat from the hoses from heating up the fuel tank. You may want to try it.

[Nicholas R]

A place near me sells sheets of rubber in any thickness you want so I ended up just making my own hot air damn. I supported it the John Hervey way. I took 3 strips of aluminum plate, I believe ~1/16" and made hooks shaped like this:

[jawn101]

This may be a silly question, but how is the top of it supported?

[outatym2001]

This may be a silly question, but how is the top of it supported?

Those are some great alternatives for providing support from underneath the Hot Air Dam.
The top is not supported at all since there is nothing to connect it to. The Dam is just crammed into place against the fiberglass body and those clips on the bottom. The rubber is so thick and so big that I hope it doesn’t decide to fall out. If either of those clips on the bottom falls off then with every bounce the Dam will certainly slide down until it hits the road.
I like the idea of using zip ties the best since they won’t rust and the aluminum hanger is good too.

[jawn101]

Those are some great alternatives for providing support from underneath the Hot Air Dam.
The top is not supported at all since there is nothing to connect it to. The Dam is just crammed into place against the fiberglass body and those clips on the bottom. The rubber is so thick and so big that I hope it doesn’t decide to fall out. If either of those clips on the bottom falls off then with every bounce the Dam will certainly slide down until it hits the road.
I like the idea of using zip ties the best since they won’t rust and the aluminum hanger is good too.

That's what I figured. Those S-hooks made from hose clamp seem like they could bend under the weight of the dam, which would let it drop down. I'd want to find a way to attach it from the top somehow, but never having seen the part in person or how it fits in I don't know how you'd accomplish that.

[Bitsyncmaster]

My best guess as to what heats up the fuel is the return fuel line. The returned fuel is heated by engine heat. I measured it and the return line temp is 2 deg. F warmer than the supply line.

[whocruiser]

Had one on 1662 for 7 or 8 years held on by 2 hose clamps on the frame. Moved it over to 1150 when I bought it 18 months ago and punched holes for zip ties to be kinder to the frame. Either method will keep it securely attached. Before installing it 1662 had frequent fuel pump buzzing and ran through a new pump every year or two, after installing the air dam no more problems of that sort, and 1150 is still running well on the same pump it had when I got it (presumably installed by DMC Florida during the previous owner's frame-off restoration a couple of years prior.) For a daily driver in hot weather this is a must-do upgrade or you're just asking for trouble.