the PRV is the Achilles heel...what's the easiest/cheapest engine swap out there?

[btrottie]

OK, I know who you are now. You're on the ODOC FB page. We've talked there a bit.

Let's start here: what are these engine issues, specifically?

The chances of you being able to swap an engine for less than taking the time to actually make what you have work is unlikely, unless your engine problem is "it's missing" Dave up above had what is considered to be the simplest and cheapest advice out there if your issues are fuel related. Even still, there are things you'll be doing to make it work, and you'll be fabricating and spending over $1000 Cdn on it.

Most of ODOC is in the GTA, but there are Ottawa/Montreal owners, with varying degrees of mechanical aptitude. Maybe a shout out to them can get you some second opinions?

Yeah, the guy I bought it from spent months on this board troubleshooting the problem and he replaced nearly everything fuel-related and it still runs as crappy as ever..

I'm going to run it by a few local Volvo mechanics to see if anything obvious pops up but I don't want spend a wad of cash trying to figure out what the issue is...I'd rather spend my money on a reasonable engine-swap if there is one out there..

/Blair

[Cory W]

Yeah, the guy I bought it from spent months on this board troubleshooting the problem and he replaced nearly everything fuel-related and it still runs as crappy as ever..

Based on the accounts from the couple of people I've spoken with who went to talk with him and look at the car, he was not exactly mechanically inclined. It's nice there's a lot of new parts, but unless he could get them all to dance together, there will be trouble.

If you do wind up pulling it and replacing, let's talk about buying your old engine and components.

I'm going to run it by a few local Volvo mechanics to see if anything obvious pops up but I don't want spend a wad of cash trying to figure out what the issue is...I'd rather spend my money on a reasonable engine-swap if there is one out there..

Your proximity to Quebec (and people who may be aware and familiar with) Peugeot and Renault cars can't hurt. Also see VW, Mercedes, and Porsche dealers...KJet was common on them for a while here.

[TheSmokingMan]

Sorry, but I have to disagree with the premise of the thread. The PRV is actually one of the more reliable parts of the car as long as it gets regular service, doesn't overheat, or is left to sit. I don't know the history of your car, but I would wager that at some point your car has had one or more of those things happen to it. You need to have someone who knows DeLorean PRV's diagnose it before you rush out to do an engine swap out of desperation.

[btrottie]

Sorry, but I have to disagree with the premise of the thread. The PRV is actually one of the more reliable parts of the car as long as it gets regular service, doesn't overheat, or is left to sit. I don't know the history of your car, but I would wager that at some point your car has had one or more of those things happen to it. You need to have someone who knows DeLorean PRV's diagnose it before you rush out to do an engine swap out of desperation.

Every Volvo mechanic I've talked to cringes at the mention of the PRV engine. If you Google the InterWeb you won't find any positive reviews on it so I think the consensus is that it's a crappy under-powered engine that ended up in a nice car...

/Blair

[sdg3205]

Blair,

If your budget is $5,000, why not trailer it down to Dave at DMC Midwest and be done with it?

It would be a day of driving each way but you'd have the right people look at it for the first and last time in a very long time.

Sometimes where there is a problem I can't solve I go to Toby and John at Dmc northwest and be done with it.

[btrottie]

Blair,

If your budget is $5,000, why not trailer it down to Dave at DMC Midwest and be done with it?

It would be a day of driving each way but you'd have the right people look at it for the first and last time in a very long time.

Sometimes where there is a problem I can't solve I go to Toby and John at Dmc northwest and be done with it.

I just might do that....now if they can "guarantee" to fix the problem I'd be set...

/Blair

[sdg3205]

Every Volvo mechanic I've talked to cringes at the mention of the PRV engine. If you Google the InterWeb you won't find any positive reviews on it so I think the consensus is that it's a crappy under-powered engine that ended up in a nice car...

/Blair

The interweb is full of misinformation Blair. A lot of mainstream media and uniformed people propagate this information daily. I was talking to a guy last week that asked if I still had the terrible original engine. He asked because Rick Harrison from pawn stars made the comment on TV. Rick knows nothing about Deloreans. Even video bob was correcting him over and over again. Want the truth about PRVs? Call a franchise and talk to a pro.

You have to remember our PRV was choked for emissions along with all the other early 80's cars. Is it a powerful engine? Not even close, but that doesn't make it crap. I've worked on 4 Deloreans now, 3 of which sat for a long time. They all run fine now. There were some headaches yes, but I'm a stickler for originality!

[sdg3205]

I just might do that....now if they can "guarantee" to fix the problem I'd be set...

/Blair

I'm just guessing but if the system is now made up entirely of new components, there is something holding it back that should be relatively straightforward to fix like timing, misrouted k-jet lines, a clog, who knows, but if the parts are all brand new the problem must be in adjustment or improper installation.

Sometimes something simple can cause real headaches.

Hopefully there isn't internal engine issues.

[TheSmokingMan]

Every Volvo mechanic I've talked to cringes at the mention of the PRV engine. If you Google the InterWeb you won't find any positive reviews on it so I think the consensus is that it's a crappy under-powered engine that ended up in a nice car...

/Blair

The DeLorean variant is different than the PRV's most volvo mechanics are familiar with, so it's not surprising what they are saying about it. You're probably not going to get much help from them, unless what you're looking for is someone to validate what you think you already know about the PRV.

[louielouie2000]

The funny thing about K-Jet is that I've dealt with a whole lot of cars with that system, but I've only ever seen it be problematic on DeLoreans. Wonder why that is. *shrugs*

I will never forget- several years back I was out walking & stopped in to say hello to a neighbor of mine who was working on his late 70s/early 80s vintage Porsche in his driveway. I asked what he was doing, and it turns out he was ripping out K-Jet in favor of carbs. He said it's something many folks do who own that vintage of Porsches. Apparently K-Jet isn't just fussy in DeLoreans.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with the premise of the thread. The PRV is actually one of the more reliable parts of the car as long as it gets regular service, doesn't overheat, or is left to sit. I don't know the history of your car, but I would wager that at some point your car has had one or more of those things happen to it. You need to have someone who knows DeLorean PRV's diagnose it before you rush out to do an engine swap out of desperation.

This is exactly why it's a problematic engine for many DeLorean owners. Most DeLoreans have sat for extended periods, weren't serviced regularly or correctly, and have experienced some sort of overheating issues due to extensive coolant routing, inherent cooling system flaws (bubbles in the system, failing otterstat, failing coolant bottles, faulty fan modules, etc), & poor maintenance. If properly tended to the PRV certainly can last several hundred thousand miles. But the same could be said of any engine, really.