Problems with Carbureted DeLorean

[DeLoreanGirl]

I purchased an automatic DeLorean about four months ago, from some Chad guy. It was supposedly restored on a TV show, but for "restored", the car didn't run right from day one. Just when I think I've figured it out, NOPE, car dies and refuses to move! Please, can anyone offer any suggestions? I've sunk a great deal of money into this car, and I had no idea it would have this many issues...

[David T]

The Delorean was originally delivered with a Bosch fuel injection system. If it was removed and replaced with a carburetor it may not have been done well. Too bad you spent a lot of money on it already and still have problems. Can you explain your problem in greater detail? Does it do it when it gets hot or it just dies all the time? It may not be a fuel problem, it is possible it is an electrical or ignition problem.

[DMC-81]

Hi, and welcome. Sure. There are a lot of helpful people here.

To get started, aside from describing in detail what the symptoms are, what kind of carb setup you have, and the things you have already done to the car? Any pictures of the engine etc would be great to see as well.

Cheers,

[DeLoreanGirl]

For starters, the manifold is hokey, it's a bunch of welded pieces. It has difficulty starting and cuts out when I step on the gas. Here is what I'm dealing with: 5360253603

[DeLoreanGirl]

It's a Motorcraft 2100 carb

Some things that I've already had fixed on the car:

About 50 hail dents removed
Dash was cracked, repaired that
Filters were shot, replaced them all
No antifreeze, refilled the tank
Oil was shot, changed it
Headlights replaced
Tie rod ends replaced
Steering boots replaced
Weatherstripping was missing/ half torn out of the car; had to replace it all
Front air deflector was shattered, ordered a new one
Rockscreen was missing, had to get one
Starter heatshield was in pieces, replaced it
Brakes were defective, needed repair
Frame rust had to be corrected
Horns were missing, had to buy both high and low notes
Hood latch broken, as well as trunk latch, had to fix both
Back of driver's seat was broke, had to fix
Side bolsters were falling out, reattached them
Fuses were popping out, causing the high beams to malfunction, had to fix that
Door trim pieces fell out, were held on by one fir tree, had to buy all new fir trees and reattach those too
Coolant leak, replaced hoses
Waterpump defective, installed new one
Stains all over the interior, as well as loaded with crumbs, had to completely clean the car
Cargo net was missing, bought one
Shifter was loaded with junk, had to fish out kiddie rocks, money, and a lighter (that was full)
The entire front fascia was cracked in two, had to replace:
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[81dmc]

Yup, that's Chad's old car all right. Complete with his "Redneck Fascia Repair." (http://www.dmctoday.com/showthread.php?1755-Redneck-Fascia-Repair&)

As for the issues, I'd first trace back the ignition system, starting with the plugs. Check for fowling, gap, etc. Work all the way back through the wires, distributor, and eventually the ignition ECU. My car had the very same symptoms and the ECU fried. And if all fails, try double checking the wiring between the coil, ECU, and distributor with a multimeter.

However, if all checks out with the ignition system, look at the carb. It may just need a cleaning.

[Lwanmtr]

Im not totally familiar with the carb setups on these..but would it be feasable to get a properly done manifold, i think there's one or two folks who make carb kits....

Or even put it back to the bosch k-jet injection?

[81dmc]

Im not totally familiar with the carb setups on these..but would it be feasable to get a properly done manifold, i think there's one or two folks who make carb kits....

Or even put it back to the bosch k-jet injection?

The cut and hacked manifold is part of Bill Robertson's carb kits, and IMO, it's not really worth it to downgrade to K-jet...


To be honest, I'm pretty fed up with K-jet after my past few experiences. Hell, I may just join the dark side and dump it altogether for a carb. :8ball:

[Lwanmtr]

Well a more expensive alternative would be EFI

[81dmc]

Well a more expensive alternative would be EFI

:rofl:
Thought of doing that, but after dealing with all the tables and data logging involved with my Cummins diesel, I'm not prepared to do that all over again on the DeLorean.


If you have the time and patience however, I'd say go for it.

[sdg3205]

Bill R (who made that set up) is on the DeLorean fanatics Facebook page. Best direct your questions to him.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I agree to start with the ignition checking. I see in your photo you are not using any ignition resistance. To run without the resistors you need an ignition coil with a primary resistance of 1.5 ohms or higher. Also you would want an ignition ECU with current limiting and smart dwell changing like the GM module provides. This is what I have done on my D.

What I would suggest is to go back to using the ignition resistors and see if that helps. You may have damaged the coil and or ignition ECU running without resistors but just try it with the resistor wired back into the circuit.

[DMC-81]

Thanks for the details. You have done a lot of work so far. I would definitely follow the electrical advice already mentioned. Plus, here are some troubleshooting thoughts:


- On the Motorcraft 2100, can you confirm that it has an electric choke? if so, I would check the wiring, and that it has power. My thought here is that a non-functioning choke on a carb can also cause hard cold starts and rough running until warm. A picture of the choke setup would be helpful.

- Check for vacuum leaks. The 6 fuel injector ports are blocked off. You can check for any leaky/ incomplete blocks. Although the manifold is home-made and reportedly tested, you can check for any obvious gaps in the welding (unlikely but worthy of mention during your troubleshooting).

- Since you mentioned addressing fuses popping out, did you replace the fusebox, or the ones that had the issue. A picture of the fuse area would be helpful.

- Although not likely to be causing your issues, I'd check the veracity of the connection that is zip tied near the passenger valve cover. Is that connected to a microswitch or something else?

[Rich_NYS]

For starters, the manifold is hokey, it's a bunch of welded pieces. It has difficulty starting and cuts out when I step on the gas. Here is what I'm dealing with: 5360253603

That's one of Bill's manifolds; appearances aside, it's a proven design so I'm guessing it's not part of the issue. Bill's carbed DeLorean is the fastest stock PRV I've driven.

There's some good advice here already. I'd only add that whenever I have an issue, I always "go back to basics" and confirm the usual stuff (spark, fuel, compression.) Something I also find helpful: is there something you can do to "keep it going?" That info is usually significant, i.e. can you keep it going if you pump the gas pedal, or hold it at high idle....etc? I haven't solved many issues without the help of others, so I've gotten pretty good at gathering intel....it's helps others to help solve the issue.

[DaraSue]

Does that setup still use the warm-up regulator and idle speed motor? When I was having starting problems it was a double-whammy of those two items that were responsible. (Mine is K-Jet though.)

[opethmike]

Does that setup still use the warm-up regulator and idle speed motor? When I was having starting problems it was a double-whammy of those two items that were responsible. (Mine is K-Jet though.)

No, neither would be used on a carb setup.

[louielouie2000]

That's one of Bill's manifolds; appearances aside, it's a proven design so I'm guessing it's not part of the issue. Bill's carbed DeLorean is the fastest stock PRV I've driven.

Bill's personal car has either a Renault or Peugeot cast manifold. DeloreanGirl's car has one of Bill's hand welded manifolds. I know a couple of his early hand made manifolds didn't seat properly, and he compensated for this with fatter o-rings. I'm pretty sure he ended up replacing Farrar Hudkins' manifold due to this. Point being, it's possible the manifold is the culprit, especially as the o-rings age.

[DeLoreanGirl]

The electric choke is working fine, and the fuses are new. However, there is phone wire, speaker wire, & extension cords in the wiring:

5363953640

[Lwanmtr]

Cool...I havent seen a redneck wiring harness since my friend's 70 challenger. His dad had used extension cords for the spark plug wires.....hehe

[Dangermouse]

That looks top notch.

[Nicholas R]

I found extension cord wiring in my Opel GT; couldn't replace it fast enough. The insulation was all dried and cracking; definitely a safety concern.

[mluder]

That definitely looks like a Chad Car.
(Shudder)

Cheers
Steve

[DeLoreanGirl]

That definitely looks like a Chad Car.
(Shudder)

Cheers
Steve

Wait, what exactly do you mean by that?

[Rich_NYS]

Bill's personal car has either a Renault or Peugeot cast manifold. DeloreanGirl's car has one of Bill's hand welded manifolds. I know a couple of his early hand made manifolds didn't seat properly, and he compensated for this with fatter o-rings. I'm pretty sure he ended up replacing Farrar Hudkins' manifold due to this. Point being, it's possible the manifold is the culprit, especially as the o-rings age.

I didn't realize....good catch.

[Josh]

Wait, what exactly do you mean by that?

hacked up, poorly put together, hastily modified, barely running... etc.

[DMC-81]

The electric choke is working fine, and the fuses are new. However, there is phone wire, speaker wire, & extension cords in the wiring:

5363953640

That's good news on the choke. As already mentioned above, I would address those wiring issues soon, especially underrated or improper wire (and connections).


Bill's personal car has either a Renault or Peugeot cast manifold. DeloreanGirl's car has one of Bill's hand welded manifolds. I know a couple of his early hand made manifolds didn't seat properly, and he compensated for this with fatter o-rings. I'm pretty sure he ended up replacing Farrar Hudkins' manifold due to this. Point being, it's possible the manifold is the culprit, especially as the o-rings age.

Interesting. In that case, in addition to the O-rings, I would also check the gasket between the carb and the manifold. To be clear, I'm not knocking the setup, you'll just want to be sure everything is air tight. Like K-Jet, Carbs don't like vacuum leaks.

[dn010]

Spray some starting fluid around where the manifold ports connect to the heads while the engine is running, you'll see if you have a vacuum leak quickly.

[OverlandMan]

In addition to what others have mentioned, check and see if you're getting fuel to the bowl. Is the bowl on the carb full? If not, prime it manually and then run the car for a bit. Then recheck and see if its still full. If it is, then you should be able to rule out the fuel pump.

If you can't make it run with fuel in the bowl, then you have an air or spark issue.

[louielouie2000]

In addition to what others have mentioned, check and see if you're getting fuel to the bowl. Is the bowl on the carb full? If not, prime it manually and then run the car for a bit. Then recheck and see if its still full. If it is, then you should be able to rule out the fuel pump.

A number of years ago I rode with Bill Robertson to visit Farrar Hudkins in New Orleans. Oddly enough, both Bill & Farrar's (carb-specific) fuel pumps died that week. Neither pump was more than a year or two old, either. So this is a definite possibility.

[SamHill]

A number of years ago I rode with Bill Robertson to visit Farrar Hudkins in New Orleans. Oddly enough, both Bill & Farrar's (carb-specific) fuel pumps died that week. Neither pump was more than a year or two old, either. So this is a definite possibility.

The in-the-tank airtex fuel pumps Bill was utilizing absolutely did not work for very long. In my opinion, it was simply underpowered for the job.

I went my own way and mounted a beefy electrical pump in the engine bay and it has been doing the job for 7 years or more.

[DMC5180]

Spray some starting fluid around where the manifold ports connect to the heads while the engine is running, you'll see if you have a vacuum leak quickly.

and watch it possibly catch fire.[emoji91] by spraying it on a running engine

Starting fliud (Ether) is highly flammable.

Use Carb and choke cleaner instead. It’s more stable and less likely to flash fire but will still burn when drawn into into the engine via a vacuum leak.

Some folks even use WD-40 for this.

If you can get in touch with Bill, he would be the best source for info. Bill will tell you that the whole intake w/ carb attached can be removed in 5 minutes.
Ship it back to him and he will install it on his car to verify proper operation.

[DeLoreanGirl]

Thank you! I do appreciate everyone's help. And, if possible, yes, I'd like to contact Mr. Robertson about the issue.

[Farrar]

Thank you! I do appreciate everyone's help. And, if possible, yes, I'd like to contact Mr. Robertson about the issue.

Hi, I just found out about this thread. I will send you Bill's e-mail address in a private message.

[Farrar]

I'm pretty sure he ended up replacing Farrar Hudkins' manifold due to this.

Incorrect; I changed the O-rings to a cloverleaf profile, but #2613 has been running the same intake manifold since 2008.

[Farrar]

Spray some starting fluid around where the manifold ports connect to the heads while the engine is running, you'll see if you have a vacuum leak quickly.

I suggest using a spray bottle of water instead.

[Farrar]

OK, I finished reading the thread so I'm up to speed now.

I suggest you pull the engine-compartment end of the fuel line and stick it in a mason jar, then turn on the fuel pump for a few seconds. If it's one of those Airtex electric low-pressure fuel pumps, it put out at max. 9 PSI. Fuel won't spray everywhere.

However, if it is an Airtex fuel pump, then it's probably failed. Those Airtex pumps are absolutely awful, in my opinion. I suggest rather than replace it with another failure-prone pump, you replicate what Sam Hill did.

Or install a mechanical fuel pump:
53789

[dmcjohn]

The in-the-tank airtex fuel pumps Bill was utilizing absolutely did not work for very long. In my opinion, it was simply underpowered for the job.

I went my own way and mounted a beefy electrical pump in the engine bay and it has been doing the job for 7 years or more.

I'm running a carb in my car, and the 2nd fuel pump (Airtex) has just died again. I have another new Airtex which I can swap in, but I don't want to be doing this job every few months, which seems to be as long as those pumps can be expected to last!

Sam - sorry if I missed it in another thread, but what make of pump did you install - can you share details of this please?

Thanks,
John

[SamHill]

Sam - sorry if I missed it in another thread, but what make of pump did you install - can you share details of this please?

Thanks,
John

Had to search a few minutes on this forum to find it. I also exagerrated the time it has been in use, sorry. It's an Airtex E84070 and I have been running it since 2013. You could mount it wherever you want, I guess, but mine is mounted on the left side engine bay. Foggy memory: I don't remember the wiring but I can take a picture. If the ignition is on, the pump comes on. It is noisy, but that lets you know it's on and working when you turn the key. You don't hear it over the engine.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/atx-e84070?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-airtex&gclid=Cj0KCQjwx8fOBRD7ARIsAPVq-NlfexPMwTx4SoI6YEkaUa-ZoVNmo_2mWKl7pn-aFoa1x9bspCzBmlIaApNhEALw_wcB (Or you can pay $10 more to get it off Amazon.)

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[dn010]

What tips... Bot?


Thank you @ DeLoreanGirl for these useful tips

[Farrar]

If the fuel pump is small enough, you can also mount it nearer the fuel tank.
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