Novice needs manuals

[Hokie]

As some of you know, I just purchased 16882, but I'm a total novice when it comes to maintenance. For example, I thought about checking the air filter today but I'm too afraid of breaking something to touch anything, lol. So, I think my first post - purchase step should be to find an owners manual and a shop manual. Anyone know where I can obtain these items? Thanks.

[sdg3205]

As some of you know, I just purchased 16882, but I'm a total novice when it comes to maintenance. For example, I thought about checking the air filter today but I'm too afraid of breaking something to touch anything, lol. So, I think my first post - purchase step should be to find an owners manual and a shop manual. Anyone know where I can obtain these items? Thanks.

Owners manuals are out there and totally obtainable, but quite expensive. There are a few on eBay right now. That's pretty much the only way to find them.

Shop manuals are available here in the resources section for free in PDF format. Make sure you have a lot of ink if you print them out ;)

[Hokie]

Thanks! I located an owners manual for 1981. Is there such a thing as a 1982 or 1983 manual?

[sdg3205]

Thanks! I located an owners manual for 1981. Is there such a thing as a 1982 or 1983 manual?

I heard of such things but I've never actually seen them!

[Chris Burns]

Manuals work for all model years Hokie.:devil:

[DeLorean03]

Service Bulletins, technical manual, workshop manual, and other goodies here for you:

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?2866-Searchable-Workshop-Technical-Bulletins-and-Volvo-Engine-Manuals&highlight=technical+manual

Hardcopies can be purchased from any of the DMC vendors of your choice. Enjoy! Welcome to the world of new swear words and stainless steel!

[Jonathan]

...I thought about checking the air filter today but I'm too afraid of breaking something to touch anything...


Owners manuals are out there and totally obtainable, but quite expensive...

If your first statement holds true, owners manuals are going be the last thing you'll worry about being expensive during DeLorean ownership.

Checking the air filter is a great place to start. It is very staright forward and a decent job to get your feet wet. If you do intend on doing some of the relatively easier jobs yourself, this would be a good one to learn on. There's also nothing wrong with owning the car and having someone else on the payroll to take care of it. That can just get somewhat pricey.

In your engine bay, you'll see the air filter housing on top of the engine itself. It likely has a DMC sticker and is black plastic (it's upside down in this photo).

http://store.delorean.com/p-6352-air-filter-assembly.aspx

The top drawing on this link shows you most everything you need:

http://store.delorean.com/c-333-1-4-0-air-inlet-systemair-cleaner-assembly.aspx

If nothing is missing on your car, it will have four of these clamps holding the two halves together:

http://store.delorean.com/p-6385-clip-filter-assy-case.aspx

And it will have up to four bolts/screws holding the entire piece down to the top of the engine.

http://store.delorean.com/p-6355-screw-m6.aspx

The link to the screw/bolt is what you might see for three of them (around the edges) and if you have a fourth, it will be longer and right down the centre of the housing. As I understand it, the 4th middle one isn't really necessary (my car happened to have one).

When you get the screws and clamps off, you can loosen this hose off at the housing connection to give some more room to work.

http://store.delorean.com/p-6357-hose.aspx

You'll want to pull up the left side more than the right to get it off the rounded surface of the top of this thing (it is only snugged on there, not fastened down).

http://store.delorean.com/p-6386-mixture-control-unit.aspx

Once you have the housing more or less free in your hands, the lower right side can stay connected to this (and the other things after it):

http://store.delorean.com/p-6358-adaptor-air-cleaner.aspx

You'll be able to open it up and see and remove the filter. Nothing wrong with replacing it at a regular interval or even early, cause hey, it's only 7 bucks!!

http://store.delorean.com/p-6353-air-filter-element.aspx

Let us know how you do :)

[beernpizzalover]

Owners manuals are out there and totally obtainable, but quite expensive. There are a few on eBay right now. That's pretty much the only way to find them.

I actually found a parts and service manual on Ebay at a great price recently: $10 (plus $22 shipping). This is probably because it was spelled as 'Delorian' in the auction.
The seller lived in Florida, so I figured it was from a widow selling-off stuff that her dearly-departed husband had left in the garage. But I didn't ask...

[Rich]

So, I think my first post - purchase step should be to find an owners manual and a shop manual.

In case it was not already covered in other posts DMCH is a source for the shop manual:

WORKSHOP MANUAL
P3113096

LINK: http://store.delorean.com/p-9201-workshop-manual.aspx (http://store.delorean.com/p-9201-workshop-manual.aspx)

Also the Tech Service Bulletins in a binder:
LINK: http://store.delorean.com/p-9200-service-tech-bulletins.aspx (http://store.delorean.com/p-9200-service-tech-bulletins.aspx)

[Iznodmad]

Mark,

I have both versions of the owners manuals, and a binder containing the service manuals. The owners manuals have some good basic info, but I can teach you everything you need to know about the car in regards to basic operation. Do yourself a favor and never lock the doors in the "open and up" position and try to close them like you would a "normal" car. You are more than welcome to photo-copy my 83 owners manual I got when I purchased 16128 if you really want it to "thumb through" it sometime. The service manuals are written with extensive DeLorean training in mind, they were written to supplement the training each DeLorean service tech went through when the cars were new. I honestly can't say they would be very useful for you or any local mechanics not intimately familiar with DeLoreans already. Not to mention, some things in the service manual are just plain wrong. An example would be the tear down and reassembly of the manual transmission. The book has it literally backwards, and if you follow the book, you will have 1 forward gear and 5 reverse gears when you complete the job! Have you already purchased an air filter element? I can help you replace it sometime, it is super easy to do. Probably would be a good idea to change the oil as well, since we have no idea how old it is. Buy the oil and filter and I will help you do that as well. Make sure you get the proper oil filter with the anti drain back valve. I already have the tool to remove the original oil drain plug. We will eventually get to changing the other fluids to be on the safe side, but we have to start somewhere. Then the fun begins when you "un-balance" the delicate "balance of crud". I'll explain what that means at a later date! Hope you are enjoying your new ride!

[jawn101]

...the fun begins when you "un-balance" the delicate "balance of crud".

Too true. All too often the cars are held together by the crud!

Congrats on the new ride. Take nice easy steps and you'll be just fine. I had never changed my own oil before I got my D 2 years ago...

[Hokie]

"Balance of crud?" I have an idea what that means, but not certain. Maybe I don't want to know, lol. Thanks for the offer of assistance Darren. Might take you up on that. I haven't gotten an air filter yet, I'm going to check out the old first, once I get up the nerve to lift the clamps which are so tight I'm just certain something's going to break! BTW, where do you get your oil filters, what brand, etc.? I've read the thread, just not sure if I can purchase locally or not. Thanks.

[TTait]

Hokie,

Welcome to the club. Don't worry, you can do this.

You are getting the manuals - good.

Now, get some decent tools and keep them organized. Start probably with a good set from sears, Harbor Freight tools are for lending out or using once, not for long term use.

Get a place to keep your receipts etc.

When its time to do serious work on the car get a good floor jack and real jack stands. Wheel ramps are handy too. Working under a car can at first be intimidating - you will learn quickly that's its fine as long as you are safe and using proper tools.

Go to the local pick a part junkyards until you find a volvo with the same engine - it takes some looking, but its worth it, Now use your new tools to slowly tear the engine all the way down till you remove the heads. Some bolts may snap, you may struggle, but you are doing it on a donor engine, not your own - much less stress that way. Then take the Delorean common parts and buy as many of them as you can to have on the shelf as possible emergency spares.

Get to know some of the local owners - you will find them to be immensely supportive and helpful.

Learn to start searching the forum to find similar posts when you have a problem, but don't be afraid to ask if the solutions are unclear, or your situation seems unique. There are no stupid questions. You will break things and have to fix your mistakes more than once - its okay.

Have fun and enjoy the car.

Come back often and let us know how its going.

Tom

[Jonathan]

"Balance of crud?" I have an idea what that means, but not certain. Maybe I don't want to know, lol. Thanks for the offer of assistance Darren. Might take you up on that. I haven't gotten an air filter yet, I'm going to check out the old first, once I get up the nerve to lift the clamps which are so tight I'm just certain something's going to break! BTW, where do you get your oil filters, what brand, etc.? I've read the thread, just not sure if I can purchase locally or not. Thanks.

Mostly just joking that sometimes after cleaning off or out your car from all the debris, gunk, crud, ... it might have been that stuff holding it together. Same goes for piping often where once you start cleaning out things on the inside, it may start to leak.

A nuclear urban legend was that it stood for something from Chalk River's facility. Not so sure about that though :)

It is claimed that the term "crud" originally stood for "Chalk River Unidentified Deposit", used to describe the radioactive scaling that builds up on internal reactor components, first observed in the NRX facility.[5] However, crud can also stand for "Corrosion Related Unidentified Deposit" and similar expressions and is commonly used with no relation to the Chalk River plant.

Here, under "History": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRX

[Dangermouse]

"Balance of crud?" I have an idea what that means, but not certain. Maybe I don't want to know, lol. .

Think of it as Internal Duct-Tape


" BTW, where do you get your oil filters, what brand, etc.? I've read the thread, just not sure if I can purchase locally or not. Thanks.

Do yourself a favor and just order your first set of maintenance items from delorean.com (or Herveys or DPI). That way you will be sure that the part you have ordered will actually fit. They are no more expensive than Autozone, or where-ever. Next year you can get one locally if you like.


Hokie,
Go to the local pick a part junkyards until you find a volvo with the same engine - it takes some looking, but its worth it, Now use your new tools to slowly tear the engine all the way down till you remove the heads. Some bolts may snap, you may struggle, but you are doing it on a donor engine, not your own - much less stress that way. Then take the Delorean common parts and buy as many of them as you can to have on the shelf as possible emergency spares.


Now this is an excellent suggestion.