Uh oh ....

[NightFlyer]

Just wanted to check in with everyone. It seems we have fixed the problem. It was either a bad cap or rotor. We changed both, and the car idles and drives great.

First off, glad that you finally have the problem identified and rectified.
Second, didn't I tell you to try changing the cap and rotor from the get go?

What you describe in terms of engine behavior sounds like an ignition problem. I'd start by checking or changing the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor.

(emphasis added)

Yep, I sure did!

Always do the simple cheap stuff FIRST. Honestly, you could have saved all that time, effort, and money you spent fooling around with the fuel injectors!

Oh well, live and learn!

[DeLorean03]

Awesome, glad to see you resolved it. That was a lot of work for a cheap and semi-easy part to replace. You must be a fuel distributor removal expert now.

I'm decent when it comes to removing the fuel mixture unit - no doubt o_O ....

First off, glad that you finally have the problem identified and rectified.
Second, didn't I tell you to try changing the cap and rotor from the get go?

(emphasis added)

Yep, I sure did!

Always do the simple cheap stuff FIRST. Honestly, you could have saved all that time, effort, and money you spent fooling around with the fuel injectors!

Oh well, live and learn!

Yes you did. I'll say this - to me -removing the injectors was a bit easier than taking the mixture unit off . But yes, credit to where it's due. I sure did learn a HECK of a lot through this last 8 days. I never even opened my new digital timing light. That's $100 I think I'll get back at Sears tomorrow .

THEN again.......this would be an excellent time to now see how the timing light/tach works on a properly running DeLorean.

[Nicholas R]

Yes you did. I'll say this - to me -removing the injectors was a bit easier than taking the mixture unit off .

I agree. Injectors can be out in 5 minutes with new ones in in another 5. 20 minute round trip job at the most.

Cap and rotor is a commitment; lots more involved in order to gain access.

[David T]

If you do the cap and rotor you typically also do the spark plugs and wires. A bad cap (or rotor) would have been found by pulling a wire, one at a time, from each spark plug and watching for a drop in RPM. Or possibly a blue glow or the sound of arcing. You "shotgunned" it and got lucky.
David Teitelbaum

[DeLorean03]

If you do the cap and rotor you typically also do the spark plugs and wires. A bad cap (or rotor) would have been found by pulling a wire, one at a time, from each spark plug and watching for a drop in RPM. Or possibly a blue glow or the sound of arcing. You "shotgunned" it and got lucky.
David Teitelbaum

Based on the things I did, I respectfully disagree. Compression was good, fuel pressures were good, injectors were changed, and plugs and plug wires were good. Only thing left (in my mind) was the cap and rotor.

Bottom line, I sure hope this thread benefits the community and that anyone with the issue I was having will stumble upon it. Thank you everyone for your help!

[NightFlyer]

If you do the cap and rotor you typically also do the spark plugs and wires. A bad cap (or rotor) would have been found by pulling a wire, one at a time, from each spark plug and watching for a drop in RPM. Or possibly a blue glow or the sound of arcing. You "shotgunned" it and got lucky.
David Teitelbaum

Not really shotgunning it - based on the problem described, and the checks / trouble-shooting already performed, nearly everyone had initially diagnosed the issue as being ignition related. Easiest way to troubleshoot ignition related problems is to start at the plugs and work your way back, as most of the system is made-up of wear items requiring regular part changes anyway.

The cap and rotor are regular maintenance items, requiring a regular change to keep the engine functioning at its optimal performance. Obviously, DeLorean03's cap and rotor were definitely overdue for a change.

But if you're still convinced that it was a shotgun approach, I'd personally rather shotgun it on a regular maintenance item such as the cap and rotor as opposed to a non-regular maintenance item such as the fuel injectors.