I just purchased a Delorean. Tune Up Advice?

[patburton]

I just purchased a Delorean that hasn't been started in 2 years. The guy said the fuel system needs some help. I read online about replacing the fuel pump and such but I have no idea about the fuel distributor. Also I plan on changing the distributor cap and rotor, plug wires and plugs. Is there anything thing else I'm missing or any links to more info on getting these guys back on the road?

Thanks,
Pat

[Dangermouse]

Welcome to the club.

Most of what you need is in the "How To" section of the "General Discussion" sub-forum.

Working on the FD (fuel distributor) is usually not needed, assuming no-one has tried to start it in the past couple of years without cleaning it out.

If you add your VIN and location we could see if there are additional things (upgrades) that you should check for, as well as put you in touch with the local owners

[lorentbj]

I will let other members with more knowledge talk about fuel system.Caution=I hear the dist. cap can be put on 180 degrees off.You may need to remove certain parts to access dist. cap.It is in a difficult location.Removing and installing plugs needs to be done with care.To make sure of no thread damage. Good luck,bob

[David T]

Try to find some local owners and the local club. At the very least the fuel tank needs to be emptied and wiped out and any deteriorated parts replaced. It can be done with the tank in the car through the access panel in the trunk (bonnet) under the spare tire. I would not do a tune-up right away, it should start and run for now. More important is:
fuel system
cooling system
battery
tires
struts
David Teitelbaum

[LordFly]

More important is:
fuel system
cooling system
battery
tires
struts
David Teitelbaum

Do David Teitelbaum's come standard, or is that an upgrade? ;)

[Exolis]

Check anything that has rubber, such as the seals in the Clutch Cylinders(assuming it's a MT), check brakes, empty and clean fuel lines, replace fuel filter, probably good to flush radiator fluid. Essentially check every moving part to see what the condition is like.

[David T]

I am a very expensive option to buy but I can be rented for a reasonable price.
David Teitelbaum

[pgringo]

before you try to start it, please pressurize the oil system. this can be done with one of those pumps you hook up to a drill. go...oil bottle, hose, pump, hose, engine block (maybe to the oil pressure switch threaded hole). be sure to drain the same amount of oil out of the pan that you ad with the pump.

[LordFly]

Not sure of the difficulty level of this on a DeLorean, but any other engine that was left sitting for 2 years, I would turn the crank over manually to make sure nothing is seized before hitting it with the starter motor. After getting some oil pumped through the thing as mentioned above.

[Nicholas R]

Not sure of the difficulty level of this on a DeLorean, but any other engine that was left sitting for 2 years, I would turn the crank over manually to make sure nothing is seized before hitting it with the starter motor. After getting some oil pumped through the thing as mentioned above.

If you want you could simply unplug the rpm relay or pull the pin in the inertia switch, then turn the key. That would turn the engine over and pump some oil without the risk of sending fuel through the lines.

[pgringo]

If you want you could simply unplug the rpm relay or pull the pin in the inertia switch, then turn the key. That would turn the engine over and pump some oil without the risk of sending fuel through the lines.

i've heard of people scoring a crank from not building oil pressure before rotating the assembly...even without fuel. this is of course in an engine that had been sitting for years. you NEED to build pressure which will force a coat of oil on bearings and crank etc. cheap insurance. i've gotten away with not doing it many times, but i won't risk an engine these days.

[Jonathan]

I am a very expensive option to buy but I can be rented for a reasonable price.
David Teitelbaum

Buyer beware of potential hot start problem and neglected lubrication schedule. Hehe. Just kidding :)

[mluder]

Try to find some local owners and the local club. At the very least the fuel tank needs to be emptied and wiped out and any deteriorated parts replaced. It can be done with the tank in the car through the access panel in the trunk (bonnet) under the spare tire. I would not do a tune-up right away, it should start and run for now. More important is:
fuel system
cooling system
battery
tires
struts
David Teitelbaum

And brakes. David's list will get the car movig but if you can't stop it you may have trouble.

Cheers
Steven

[Dangermouse]

David has another list for that :)

[David T]

For a new owner there is more than enough joy just to hear the motor running! Of course once they get the motor running now they want more and will try to make it move. As we all know too well that will bring on another whole set of problems. Among the first things "new guy" will discover is the clutch won't disengage the transmission so he can't shift and if he keeps pumping the clutch and does manage to get it into gear the brakes either are frozen stuck or they don't work at all. If it really was sitting for only 2 years it may not be quite so bad but once you start driving the clutch and brakes will start leaking. As in many cases the car was parked and not used for a reason, usually because it wouldn't start or maybe it was overheated. During the revival you will figure out why. It always takes more than a newbie will figure, we all learned the hard way because we were newbies too. Now we share our experiences and the newbies know better. Eventually they will also learn, too bad it has to be the hard way! If I told him all the bad news up front I might discourage him, no one wants to do that! At least the vendors love this!!!!!!!!!! Another new customer. Better get your key order in, James is making up a batch as we speak!!!!!! As for pre-oiling, if you are that worried just crank the motor over with the fuel pump disabled till you see some oil pressure. At least make sure there is enough oil in the crankcase first!
David Teitelbaum

[patburton]

Thanks guys appreciate it. So to get it running you suggest just changing the fluids and pumping the oil through the system. Before starting is there a tutorial for cleaning out the fuel system? Or just what a read in wiping out the fuel tank, changing the fuel filter and blowing out the main supply line? Thanks guys

[David T]

Thanks guys appreciate it. So to get it running you suggest just changing the fluids and pumping the oil through the system. Before starting is there a tutorial for cleaning out the fuel system? Or just what a read in wiping out the fuel tank, changing the fuel filter and blowing out the main supply line? Thanks guys

That may be enough to get it to run but if the fuel system is really bad you may have to also:
Replace the fuel pump and any other parts in the gas tank that are deteriorated
Clean or replace the fuel injectors
Clean or replace the fuel distributor
Clean or replace the Control Pressure Regulator
(basically almost everything except the fuel lines)

Once you go inside the tank and see what kind of mess you have you will be better able to guess what else you will have to do. A lot depends on how long the car sat and how bad the gas is in it. Wipe it out with Acetone and get it as clean as you can. If the oil is very dirty you may want to drop the old stuff out and replace the oil filter before you try starting it. As for pre-oiling, you can remove the spark plugs and just crank it over till you see some pressure. Once you get it running for a while change the oil again. If you have a pump and can pre-oil that is great but IMHO not necessary. For coolant you can use water but once you get it going you should get anti-freeze in it. Make sure you have oil in the transmission.
David Teitelbaum

[patburton]

I have found a couple websites that have tune up kits and a bunch of other parts. Is there any company in specific I should go through? I live in Indianapolis, IN. The one i was looking at was specialtauto

[Ron]

IMHO- Right next door...DMCMW (815)459-6439 hands down.

[Patrick C]

I have found a couple websites that have tune up kits and a bunch of other parts. Is there any company in specific I should go through? I live in Indianapolis, IN. The one i was looking at was specialtauto

I would use DeLorean Midwest, DeLorean Northwest, Delorean.com, or pjgrady.com. DeLorean Performance Industries currently is undergoing website renovations.