Farrar's car blog

[stevedmc]

I seriously wanna try the cigar thing.

It sounds like a really good idea, as long as you don't mind smoking.

I wonder if we could convince Scotty to buy a Delorean. It would be awesome having two "Bills" on DMCTalk.

[Farrar]

It sounds like a really good idea, as long as you don't mind smoking.

I used to smoke a pipe. I still have two pipes at home, but I haven't done anything with them in a while. They're probably no good anyway, but they do look pretty.

I bought a 99¢ cigar yesterday afternoon, so I am all set to do the test. I will remove the carburetor and seal the top of the intake manifold with duct tape, then cap off one of the manifold vacuum ports and stick a long hose on the other. After that I will be ready to do the test. All I need to do is find the time to do it, which is difficult this time of year.

I really do wish I could drive the car right now; when I walked out of the apartment this morning to go to work it was 68°F with low humidity -- perfect window-open driving weather, no need for air conditioning.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Bill would be proud. You better fix that car soon. Our little shin dig is this Saturday.

If it makes you feel any better I am currently without AC as well. I messed up my crankshaft pulley pretty bad when I was taking off the nut that holds it. Fortunately the part that runs the water pump and alternator is fine but the AC section is whop sided like the tire on my bike.

[Farrar]

You better fix that car soon. Our little shin dig is this Saturday.

Oh, man, I forgot all about that!

Well, if I do have a vacuum leak around the intake manifold there is little I can do about it -- I put fresh O-rings under the manifold and tightened down the intake manifold's bolts as tight as I dare (the heads started rounding off). And don't forget, my oil leak is back so every time I drive the car it collects oil in the engine valley.

I have a gig Friday night (see video) but it should be over with by 10pm, which means I may be able to get a decent amount of sleep before Saturday morning's shin-dig.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgXM6MSWMY

Farrar

[stevedmc]

And don't forget, my oil leak is back so every time I drive the car it collects oil in the engine valley.

We can easily fix your oil leak if is due to a bad valve cover gasket.

Part # VS26090 is available from Autozone. They may have to special order it but if you go in the store today they should be able to have it for you by Friday. I ordered my set from Rock Auto and it was about $12.

It shouldn't take more than an hour to do the work and it would make a nice tech session repair.

[Farrar]

We can easily fix your oil leak if is due to a bad valve cover gasket.

No, it's the timing cover gasket -- too low to be the valve cover gaskets.

I have all three gaskets but haven't installed them yet.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Shoot, it looks like I was wrong. A quick search of Autozone.com indicated it is no longer available. You could get the gaskets from Rock Auto though. They ship pretty dang quick.

Edit: I posted this too soon. Disregard what I said.


The timing cover gasket is a piece of cake once you get the crankshaft pulley off. We could do that for you Saturday as long as the nut easily comes off.

[Farrar]

The timing cover gasket is a piece of cake once you get the crankshaft pulley off.

In your case, yes... because you don't have a big muffler in the way like I do! On my car, I doubt I could get a wrench in there with sufficient torque to get the nut off. I was hoping I wouldn't have to get the timing cover off until I switched to dual exhaust...

Farrar

[stevedmc]

In your case, yes... because you don't have a big muffler in the way like I do! On my car, I doubt I could get a wrench in there with sufficient torque to get the nut off. I was hoping I wouldn't have to get the timing cover off until I switched to dual exhaust...

Farrar

Oh crap. I forgot about that. Well you better upgrade to Spec .01 by Saturday.

[Farrar]

Oh crap. I forgot about that. Well you better upgrade to Spec .01 by Saturday.

I am still not sure what I am going to do about my exhaust -- Houston's headers flow better so I would like to keep them, but they are beginning to rust, besides I am not sure they could be used for two mufflers because of their length. I will have to make some careful measurements the next time I have the car in the air. That work is a very long way off -- first vacuum leak, then air conditioning.

Farrar

[sean]

You guys should exchange phone numbers....

I am still not sure what I am going to do about my exhaust -- Houston's headers flow better so I would like to keep them, but they are beginning to rust, besides I am not sure they could be used for two mufflers because of their length. I will have to make some careful measurements the next time I have the car in the air. That work is a very long way off -- first vacuum leak, then air conditioning.

Farrar


Oh crap. I forgot about that. Well you better upgrade to Spec .01 by Saturday.


In your case, yes... because you don't have a big muffler in the way like I do! On my car, I doubt I could get a wrench in there with sufficient torque to get the nut off. I was hoping I wouldn't have to get the timing cover off until I switched to dual exhaust...

Farrar


Shoot, it looks like I was wrong. A quick search of Autozone.com indicated it is no longer available. You could get the gaskets from Rock Auto though. They ship pretty dang quick.

Edit: I posted this too soon. Disregard what I said.


The timing cover gasket is a piece of cake once you get the crankshaft pulley off. We could do that for you Saturday as long as the nut easily comes off.


No, it's the timing cover gasket -- too low to be the valve cover gaskets.

I have all three gaskets but haven't installed them yet.

Farrar


We can easily fix your oil leak if is due to a bad valve cover gasket.

Part # VS26090 is available from Autozone. They may have to special order it but if you go in the store today they should be able to have it for you by Friday. I ordered my set from Rock Auto and it was about $12.

It shouldn't take more than an hour to do the work and it would make a nice tech session repair.


Oh, man, I forgot all about that!

Well, if I do have a vacuum leak around the intake manifold there is little I can do about it -- I put fresh O-rings under the manifold and tightened down the intake manifold's bolts as tight as I dare (the heads started rounding off). And don't forget, my oil leak is back so every time I drive the car it collects oil in the engine valley.

I have a gig Friday night (see video) but it should be over with by 10pm, which means I may be able to get a decent amount of sleep before Saturday morning's shin-dig.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgXM6MSWMY

Farrar


Bill would be proud. You better fix that car soon. Our little shin dig is this Saturday.

If it makes you feel any better I am currently without AC as well. I messed up my crankshaft pulley pretty bad when I was taking off the nut that holds it. Fortunately the part that runs the water pump and alternator is fine but the AC section is whop sided like the tire on my bike.


I used to smoke a pipe. I still have two pipes at home, but I haven't done anything with them in a while. They're probably no good anyway, but they do look pretty.

I bought a 99¢ cigar yesterday afternoon, so I am all set to do the test. I will remove the carburetor and seal the top of the intake manifold with duct tape, then cap off one of the manifold vacuum ports and stick a long hose on the other. After that I will be ready to do the test. All I need to do is find the time to do it, which is difficult this time of year.

I really do wish I could drive the car right now; when I walked out of the apartment this morning to go to work it was 68°F with low humidity -- perfect window-open driving weather, no need for air conditioning.

Farrar

[Farrar]

You guys should exchange phone numbers....

This thread is public so that anyone can jump in with a comment at any time. (Case in point: your post above.) Just because there are only two people engaged in a discussion for a few minutes does not make it a private discussion.

Other people have said in the past that they read this thread while not necessarily posting in it, and I assume they were not lying to me, so I will continue to keep the discussion open since nothing of a sensitive nature has been thus herein discussed, nor is any such information likely to be disclosed in such a public forum.

Unless you were just trying to be funny, in which case :lol:

Farrar

[Ron]

Unless you were just trying to be funny, in which case :lol:
lol....let's not forget one learns quickly to be very careful when offering a room around Steve.

[sean]

lol....let's not forget one learns quickly to be very careful when offering a room around Steve.

Or asks him to remove a main pulley nut. :biggrin:

[stevedmc]

Would anyone be interested in sharing a room with me for DCS?

[sean]

Would anyone be interested in sharing a room with me for DCS?

If I didn't have the family coming with I'd do it.
5951

[Farrar]

Or asks him to remove a main pulley nut. :biggrin:

One has to be willing to overlook certain accidental double-entendres; for example, I once knew a young bass player who broke his nut while adjusting the G string. In the proper context, I was able to listen to his tale of woe with proper seriousness.

Farrar

[sean]

, I once knew a young bass player who broke his nut while adjusting the G string.

Farrar FTW!

[Ron]

I once knew a young bass player who broke his nut while adjusting the G string.Now wait a second!...I can see this the other way around, ie breaking a G string while adjusting a nut, in either sense, but...

[Farrar]

Now wait a second!...I can see this the other way around, ie breaking a G string while adjusting a nut, in either sense, but...

The nut on an instrument of the viol family is that small light-colored piece or plastic/ivory at the very top of the fingerboard. It has indentations in it to help hold the strings in place. If your instrument is cheap or badly-maintained (and his was) it is possible to break the nut at one of those indentations as they are naturally that piece's weak spots.

Back on topic: found out that the small cigar I bought at the gas station is grape-flavored. Ew! I am glad I don't need to smoke it for very long to do my test.

Farrar

[Ron]

The nut on an instrument of the viol family is that small light-colored piece or plastic/ivory at the very top of the fingerboard. It has indentations in it to help hold the strings in place. If your instrument is cheap or badly-maintained (and his was) it is possible to break the nut at one of those indentations as they are naturally that piece's weak spots.

Back on topic: found out that the small cigar I bought at the gas station is grape-flavored. Ew! I am glad I don't need to smoke it for very long to do my test.

FarrarWoosh....(never mind):rofl:
Sure, guitars and banjos (not part of the viola family, but a "vulgar" instrument) have them as well...On mine the 5th string has a brass nut...and 24 stainless steel nuts around the head. Beat that! (All puns intended.)


Also back on topic: +1 Cherry cigars are much better.

[Farrar]

Cherry cigars are much better.

If I ever have to do the smoke test again, I will be sure to ask for one!

Farrar

Okay, I conducted the smoke test tonight!

I had to improvise a bit, because I expected to be able to pull the carburetor off without the adapter plate intact. Unfortunately, this proved not to be the case -- the adapter plate is held fast to the carburetor by the giant gasket atop it.

So there went the two vacuum ports I thought I had available to me. After removing the carburetor/plate, I was staring at a bare intake manifold with just the two plenums available.

My first thought was back to a repair I once saw a guy do on his vacuum cleaner: where the hose adapter had broken off, he had simply duct taped the hose on. I tried this method: I stuck a bit of vacuum tubing into one of the intake plenum holes, and taped around the hose and the manifold to make a good seal. Well, the seal wasn't quite so good, and I used my 99-cent cigar up trying to make the thing air-tight. No good.

So I removed the tape/hose assembly and thought: One source of vacuum leaks on K-Jet cars is at the injector ports! On Sparky's engine, I have those plugged with silicone taper plugs but they're easy enough to remove. Fortunately for me I have bits of hose in various sizes, and one of them happened to be just the right girth to fit into the injector ports with a little force and make a good seal. So this is the method I decided to go with. I taped off the plenums and stuck the vacuum hose in an injector port on each side. I lit a small cigar and blew smoke into the hose -- or I tried to. Although I could see the tape over the plenum move under the pressure, I couldn't actually force any smoke to come out anywhere, and as soon as I took my mouth off the hose, a puff of smoke came out that end. This happened on both sides.

I have now verified that my intake manifold is leak-free.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

You would need to do that smoke test at night with a flash light to get really sensitive results.

[Farrar]

This was done at night.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEaVywxh62U

Farrar

[AdmiralSenn]

Question for you. When you did the smoke test, did you consider the valve positions of each cylinder? If your injector plugs are the source of the leak (unlikely, I know) they likely wouldn't show any smoke unless the relevant valve was open.

I'm leaning towards a spark problem, myself. Have you tried advancing the base timing to see if it helps any? When I was tuning my car at low RPMs I would sometimes have to bump the timing all the way up to get it to idle smoothly. Maybe it got bumped or something?

[Farrar]

I have assumed that my valves leak, since I've been finding dirty, smoky, congealed oil in the injector ports for a long time now. But you're right -- I hadn't taken that into account and I should probably have checked all three on each side instead of just one per bank. Well, fortunately I have plenty of small cigars handy (although I could swear I still stink from yesterday's test!) and will have a little time on my hands tomorrow evening. I suppose another way to do it would be to pull a vacuum from each of those ports.

At this point I am also thinking it's a spark problem. According to MSD, I can send full voltage into their ignition coil, but I have been using the stock resistor (bridged) anyway. I might bypass the resistor and see if it does anything to improve the situation. The timing has not been altered since 2008 -- the crud buildup on the adjustment screw by the distributor would seem to indicate that. :-\ Also I will reduce the gap in the spark plugs and see what that does.

Farrar

It just occurred to me that I still have no interior lights in my car. I was hoping to drive it this weekend, but that involves a Friday night excursion. Hmm. I guess I had better fix that problem before I get back to the rough idle problem.

Farrar

Something is definitely screwy with my courtesy lights: I unplugged the passenger side door switch and the lights stayed on. Plugged it back in and depressed the switch, and saw the lights dim but not shut off (even after the appropriate amount of delay). Unplugged the driver's side door switch and felt the leads to be warm to the touch! I pulled the fuse so now I have no lights at all, but at least the circuit isn't warm.

Note: I have no dome light or glove box light right now as both fixtures are missing.

Back when I had a dome light, it would only come on when the doors were open; I was unable to make it come on by tilting it like you're supposed to be able to.

Looks like I am going to have to simply start disassembling the courtesy light circuit. Maybe I will install an override switch while I am at it -- it would be nice to hit one of the rocker switches and have all of the interior lights come on like in a modern car. No doubt it will take me weeks to accomplish this... and I might as well start by removing the knee pads. (Easy enough to do, since the passenger side knee pad is falling off despite my many attempts to get it fixed.)

Farrar

[Farrar]

I have no dome light

...until next week. I figured out that the interior light fixture from a 1989 Porsche 911 is a cross-reference, so I ordered three online (free shipping on orders over $65 from this seller -- I ordered two more for some friends :))

Troubleshooting in earnest begins, I suppose, this weekend... if I have the time. I do have German and Biology mid-term exams next week, plus the fundraiser at the radio station which means 9am-7pm workdays, so I may or may not have any time at all to work on the car until after 21 October.

Farrar

[AdmiralSenn]

Let us know if the new unit is an improvement in any way on the old one. One of mine is flaky and the contacts are so flimsy that it's no wonder they don't work any more after 30 years.

[Farrar]

Let us know if the new unit is an improvement in any way on the old one.

Will do. They ship today.

FWIW, the new dome light fixture looks exactly like the ones DMC Houston sells. I will post comparison pictures if you like.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Let us know if the new unit is an improvement in any way on the old one. One of mine is flaky and the contacts are so flimsy that it's no wonder they don't work any more after 30 years.

I have one for my front dome light and YES it is a huge improvement. It isn't flakey, it is built solid, and it works every time. I love it.

Honestly I was thinking about ordering the cross reference a while back but the cheapest I could find was $31 as well. I think DMCMW sells it for $35. I was just going to wait and order another from DMCMW with my order but I've made several orders since then and keep forgetting about it.

Farrar is hooking me up with some free shipping though. Yippie.

[Farrar]

I have one for my front dome light and YES it is a huge improvement. It isn't flakey, it is built solid, and it works every time. I love it.

Well, now you can have one for the rear, as well (unless you still want me to do your rear parcel shelf lights like I did mine).

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Well, now you can have one for the rear, as well (unless you still want me to do your rear parcel shelf lights like I did mine).

Farrar

I thought your rear shelf mod was designed to supplement the existing light.

[Farrar]

I thought your rear shelf mod was designed to supplement the existing light.

No, I replaced it with the same LED strips I use elsewhere on the rear trim strip, except since the opening is bigger I used three LED strips instead of just one. However, I did this because I still had the original light fixture which was cracking and foggy with age; the lights can be done the way you suggest. I might even figure out a way to make the whole light string come on when you tilt the light... that would be pretty hip, now that I think of it. Let me see if I can figure this out on my car before we go messing about with yours. ;-)

Farrar

[stevedmc]

I might even figure out a way to make the whole light string come on when you tilt the light... that would be pretty hip, now that I think of it. Let me see if I can figure this out on my car before we go messing about with yours. ;-)r

Thats how I thought yours currently is. I'd like to still have a way to flip the rear lights on and off when I am driving.

[Farrar]

I just thought of something.

- rough-running engine
- courtesy/door lights won't turn off even with switches disconnected
- hot fuse block

Could ALL of these symptoms be from the same thing? What if I have lost a ganged ground somewhere?

I bought a floor jack not long ago to replace the one that was lost to a neighbor's five-finger discount plan. I think it's time for me to get up under the car and check those black wires!

Farrar

So... does my theory of a lost ground seem valid to anyone?

[AdmiralSenn]

Of course. On these cars it's ALWAYS valid. I think we're all just waiting to see what you find.

:popcorn:

(note that I'm not being mean - Christine is evil enough that my own troubles are similar in their duration and absurdity. I just choose to be entertained by them.)

[Ron]

So... does my theory of a lost ground seem valid to anyone?The bulbs for the doors are always powered 12v and are grounded to turn them on. Since you can't turn them off, the problem with them is that they 'found' ground rather than lost it...

What happens when you pull the delay module?

[Farrar]

Adam: Yay, I still have a few readers. :) Thanks! I like the fact that your car is Christine. My car is Sparky and sure enough, with most problems being electrical it seems appropriate...

Ron: Good point. For a second I forgot that they switch ground. (I don't know how I could forget this with the wiring diagram on my computer. Duh.) I will pull the module this weekend and see what happens.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Any luck with the relay work? Its gonna suck not seeing you tomorrow.

[Ron]

Its gonna suck not seeing you tomorrow.
You're not going???...I must of missed that (Sucky Mods?).
I was hoping you would hold Farrar's hand (literally) and pull a few plug wires to brave him up. :evilgrin:

[stevedmc]

You're not going???...I must of missed that (Sucky Mods?).
I was hoping you would hold Farrar's hand (literally) and pull a few plug wires to brave him up. :evilgrin:

I'm the host so yes, I'm not going anywhere until we leave for the cruise in.

Farrar is worried his car might catch fire so he is staying home. I told him that only happens at 88 mph but he won't believe me.

Yeah, I was looking forward to swapping carbs with him.

[Farrar]

Any luck with the relay work?

No; I spent this morning study for a German exam, and this afternoon taking it. (My score is somewhere between 77 and 95. So at least I know I passed.) After that I had to do laundry, spend some time with my girlfriend before she leaves tomorrow for a 13-day trip to New York, and start studying for Monday's Biology exam.

If I am lucky, I will be able to pull the delay module tomorrow and see what happens.

I still have the carburetor off the intake manifold and the intake plenums sealed up with tape. Also, the battery is disconnected. The car is not going anywhere any time soon...

Farrar

[Farrar]

I think Sparky's torsion bars need a tweak. I have PJ Grady door struts, which are supposed to be the best; they're less than two years old. Today it was 72°F and the dew on the passenger door caused it to be so heavy that it hit me in the back when I was getting in the car -- the door wouldn't hang open more than a few inches on its own. But I suppose just to be safe I will buy a new set of door struts, since cool weather is coming. Maybe I will go back to Hervey's "soft lift" struts to prevent the doors from bouncing when the torsion bars are adjusted up a notch.

Farrar

[sean]

I think Sparky's torsion bars need a tweak.


Pull the struts and let the doors hang, how much gap is left?

[Farrar]

Pull the struts and let the doors hang, how much gap is left?

I think I did this test two summers ago when it was very hot outside; the doors hung open maybe an inch or two. I know they're supposed to hang open a little more than that, but I put Grady struts on and the problem seemed to go away (except in cool or cold weather).

I will do the test again this weekend when it should be about 80°F outside. If the doors don't hang open, I guess there's a roof panel problem; if the doors hang open the same amount as 18 months ago, I guess it's time to up the torsion a notch?

Farrar

In an effort to help out someone who was having alternator troubles I looked up some wiring diagrams of charging circuits. I have always read that you can't put an LED bulb in your battery indicator socket because the circuit requires a certain amount of resistance to function and the bulb provides that whereas an LED unit would not; and also that if you lost the bulb the circuit would not charge because this would break the circuit.

Here's a thought: has anyone measured the resistance across a stock battery indicator bulb? Why not put a resistor of that strength in parallel with the bulb? That way your alternator would still charge if the bulb burned out. Would that also allow you to replace the bulb with an LED module? That would seem to kill two birds with one stone. I am no electrical engineer, so I'll need someone to explain to me why this will or won't work.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

In an effort to help out someone who was having alternator troubles I looked up some wiring diagrams of charging circuits. I have always read that you can't put an LED bulb in your battery indicator socket because the circuit requires a certain amount of resistance to function and the bulb provides that whereas an LED unit would not; and also that if you lost the bulb the circuit would not charge because this would break the circuit.

Here's a thought: has anyone measured the resistance across a stock battery indicator bulb? Why not put a resistor of that strength in parallel with the bulb? That way your alternator would still charge if the bulb burned out. Would that also allow you to replace the bulb with an LED module? That would seem to kill two birds with one stone. I am no electrical engineer, so I'll need someone to explain to me why this will or won't work.

Farrar

Yes, a resistor would probably work for both a burned out bulb or use of an LED. The bulb should really never burn out since it's not lighted unless the alternator is bad. Maybe when I start doing my binical LED changes I will look into that posibility.

[Farrar]

Well, now, this is totally weird.

As y'all know, I had trouble with the interior lights staying on even with both doors closed, so I removed the fuse from the circuit to stop the lights being on all the time.

Tonight, I needed to be inside the car with lights on to pick up a few lines of dialogue (picking up where the previous video left off), so I disconnected the battery, put the fuse back in its slot, and connected the battery again. The lights did not come on.

After a minute, I remembered that I had disconnected the door plunger switches, so I re-connected them, then disconnected the battery and connected it again. Still no lights. I pulled the fuse and checked that the terminals had not been pushed down, made sure the fuse was OK, and re-installed the fuse. Still no lights.

I did not have the time to get out my relay pliers and remove the module, but since I have Dave M's new dimming module I highly doubt it is at fault. So now I have to figure out what could cause my problem to reverse itself! This is all very odd indeed.

Ah, well. I suppose I will get to that another day.

Farrar

Random thought: is it bad that I am trying now to get my car ready for the trip to Orlando next year? I definitely need to get the air conditioning done by then. :lol:

Farrar

My new dome light fixtures arrived today! Brian and Steve, I will set yours aside in a safe place. They were so well-packed that even the bulbs they shipped with were 100% OK. :)

In other news, I hope this weekend to have a chance to put the carburetor back on top of the intake manifold with new gaskets and a spacer, then re-gap the plugs to .035", remove the ballast resistor, and see what happens.

Farrar

[Farrar]

Here are some pictures of the new dome light fixture. It looks like a perfect fit for the front; not sure about
the rear yet.

6162

6163

I took a lot more pictures, but only two have managed to upload, so for now this is all I can share.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

Can you check how they fit and stay put, mounted in the car?

I like the lens on those more so then the new ones I got.

[Farrar]

Can you check how they fit and stay put, mounted in the car?

I will do this when I get home tonight.

Here's a better view of the lens.

6164

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

Here are photos of my new lights. Note the clear center on the lens and also the lens is sunken below the black frame. Those may be good things or not but I will put these in and run them a while just to see.

[Farrar]

Here are photos of my new lights. Note the clear center on the lens and also the lens is sunken below the black frame.

Is that a plastic frame? Mine are metal, not that it matters electrically.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

Is that a plastic frame? Mine are metal, not that it matters electrically.

Farrar

Black plastic just like originals.

[Farrar]

Didn't get home until after 8pm, so not enough light to work with. If I'm not too wiped out from work tomorrow (so far I've put in 44 hours since 8am Monday) I will try to install it and get some pictures -- however, it's the exact same width and breadth as the old unit so if it's not too tall it should be a perfect fit.

If I can get power to the circuit, I should be able to see if it throws enough light, as well.

Farrar

[Farrar]

New dome light fixture fits like a glove -- you can hear the tabs snap into place. It's quite secure.

I was able to get Bill's LED combo into it, but without power to the circuit I cannot verify that it will work in both forward-facing and rear-facing positions.

6204

6205

6206

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

They look good. Where did you get them? Think I will get a pair.

[Farrar]

They look good. Where did you get them? Think I will get a pair.

I got them from Euro Port Parts (http://www.europortparts.com/). Use their drill-down to select a 1978 Porsche 911 and select the interior light, part # POR023201.

Farrar

[sean]

Looks sharp.

[Farrar]

Thanks, Sean.

Quick update: I forgot to mention earlier that I removed the diodes from the courtesy light circuit just in case one had failed and was causing the lights not to come on. No joy.

Since it's getting dark, I will troubleshoot the courtesy light circuit tomorrow. Now that I am inside for the night, I am going to be cutting sheets of cork into gaskets -- I am going to put a spacer under the carburetor when I re-install it tomorrow; this should make it easier for me to adjust the idle air screws with my big hammy hands.

Farrar

[Ron]

..this should make it easier for me to adjust the idle air screws with my big hammy hands.

FarrarMost auto parts have something similar to these pretty cheap. Flexible and with the right end, you can easily use it with one hand.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/275260973/Automotive_Specialty_Tools_Carburetor_Adjusting_To ol/showimage.html

[Farrar]

I have one of those exactly. It is too long and flexible. I would need something at a fixed angle, but I don't feel like buying a Skewdriver set right now.

Farrar

Something about the door pin switches kind of bugs me. On my car at least, the pin switches are held into place with a screw, and on the back side of the switch the screw is held on with a nut, and instead of a washer there's a 90-degree piece of metal which one one end is designed to have the screw go through it and on the other end is a male spade terminal. Although I don't doubt the design works, I am wondering why they didn't just use a ring terminal and get rid of that little 90-degree piece of metal. It would certainly make it easier to install, remove, and reinstall the switch. I have seen ring terminals small enough. I dunno, just a thought.

Farrar

[Farrar]

I guess I will have to stop making multiple posts in a row -- consolidation makes things look weird.

Oh, well, too late now...

Today, I decided to troubleshoot the courtesy light circuit. I'm dumbstruck -- current shows up on the driver's door switch when I put my volt meter between the two purple/blue wires, and also when I put my volt meter between the purple/blue wire and the black wire, but nothing happens when I put the volt meter between the purple/white wire and the black wire, or between the purple/white wire and purple/blue wire.

Thinking that something had gone wrong back in the relay/fuse compartment (who knows? something could have shaken loose...) I decided to go back there and have a look. I looked at the chaos back there and decided that I should simply pull everything up out of there and re-wire the whole damn mess.

First, I checked the fuse box. Surprisingly, all connections there were tight and clean. So I opted not to replace the fuse terminals.

Then I pulled up the bottom row of relays. What a rats' nest -- I saw ground terminals barely hanging on, bits of melted insulation stuck to other wires from who knows how many years ago, and a mixing and matching of relay sockets with some short and some long wires. I decided it was time to clean this up.

Three and a half hours later now, it's too dark for me to see outside, but I did make the following progress:

I have re-wired, and replaced, the following sockets:

- low-beam headlights
- high-beam headlights
- blower motor speed 4
- blower motor speed 3
- courtesy light delay module (Dave McKeen's new one installed)

All of the new sockets are labelled.

I have removed the original fan relay socket and replaced it with two fan relay sockets at the left end of the socket row. These have been partially wired -- terminal number 85, ground (black) -- and terminal number 87, current to fans (green/black) -- but my daylight ran out before I could finish these two sockets, and thus the row.

Here's my plan for tomorrow:

1. Finish wiring the fan relay sockets. This will consist of installing the two circuit breakers between the battery current (brown) and the two new relay sockets (terminal number 30); and wiring the remaining terminal in both sockets (number 86) with the trigger wire (black/orange, from the Otterstat and/or compressor).

2. Do the top row of sockets. This will include removing the sockets for the HVAC panel resistor, HVAC panel relay, Lambda relay, and Rear Defrost Timer. I will re-wire and replace every remaining socket with a new (and labelled!) one.

3. If time allows, install new sockets for the following:

- fan fail relay 1
- fan fail relay 2
- power window relay
- power window delay module

4. Watch the Saints game. :)

Farrar

[sean]

4. Watch the Saints game. :)


Might want to plan a 4B, Saints will end them in the first quarter then it probably won't be fun to watch.

[Farrar]

All done...

6263

The above photo was taken in total darkness -- I used a small flashlight to focus the camera, then turned the flashlight off and used the camera flash for the picture, so I apologize for the weird coloring.

What you can't see in the photo is that every single socket has now been labelled. It's not easily visible from a distance but as soon as you stick your head in there you can see what's what.

The two circuit breakers you see (where in a stock DeLorean the door lock module would be mounted) are for the new cooling fan setup. They lie in between constant voltage and pin 30 of the new cooling fan relays.

The two new cooling fan relays are at bottom left. Next to that is all stock stuff -- courtesy light module, blower speed relays, and headlight relays. Nothing new there.

The top row starts with the two "cooling fan fail" relays, and after that is the starter relay. That's it -- no Lambda, no Rear Defog Timer, no HVAC panel relay or resistor.

I tested the "cooling fan fail" function. When I pull one fan relay, one fan remains on and the bulb lights. Same with the other relay pulled. The light also comes on when both relays are pulled. The "cooling fan fail" light also comes on if one or both fan circuit breakers are removed. Of course, the light will NOT tell me if there is a problem forward of the electrical compartment (for example one of the fans loses its connection to current or ground), but at least it will let me know to check the relays and circuit breakers if the light comes on. (It's better than the previous setup, which did absolutely nothing in case of fan relay or circuit breaker failure -- the previous owner had disconnected the bulb's "hot" wire.)

I had a few wires left over, as you could imagine -- I taped up the "always hot" (brown) wires with red electrical tape so that they couldn't touch anything by accident. Just for good measure I also taped up the black ground wires I had left over (black tape) and all of the other stuff (from the lambda and rear defog timer sockets) I taped up with blue tape. This will make it easier to identify connections should I ever wire anything else up in the future.

As for the courtesy lights, I am damned if I know what to try next. I checked all of the black ground wires and they ring out fine. But there's no current at the fuse, and the fuse terminals have been double-checked for good contact. I have never had a problem like that before! I thought about simply hard-wiring the circuit with a switch, but I spent $75 on Dave's nice dimming/delay module and I want to get my money's worth out of it. I am open to suggestions on what to try next on this problem.

Now it's time for kickoff!

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

So your fuse does not have 12 volts (reading to ground)? It should be connected to a brown (always hot) group of brown wires.

[sean]

Might want to plan a 4B, Saints will end them in the first quarter then it probably won't be fun to watch.

Nailed it.:race:

[Farrar]

So your fuse does not have 12 volts (reading to ground)? It should be connected to a brown (always hot) group of brown wires.

I put the fuse box back into place for the picture and right now I can't remember what the color of the wire on the other terminal was. I may have a chance to check on Tuesday.



Nailed it.:race:

Good call. One of the commentators on the radio said he thinks some folks might end up watching "Real Housewives of New Jersey" after a little while. :lol:

Farrar

[Farrar]

I believe the French call it "l'esprit de la scale" -- the brilliant thought you have when you're halfway down the staircase:

It just occurred to me that while I was in the fuse/relay compartment I could have wired in another accessory circuit, perhaps for cruise control. I have two unused relay sockets and space to install them... I have an unused fuse terminal... I have two unused "always hot" wires... I have two unused "always ground" wires.

Oh, well. I will surely dive back into that area again as I find out why the courtesy light fuse has no voltage. I can always tidy things up again.

Farrar

[sean]

Did you ever sort out what appeared to be a leaking Carb? You posted a pic a month ago or so but I didnt see a resolution.

[Farrar]

Did you ever sort out what appeared to be a leaking Carb? You posted a pic a month ago or so but I didnt see a resolution.

Nope.

I haven't fixed the oil leak, either.

I figure I will just have a car that drools on itself. Seems appropriate.

Farrar

By the way, about that oil leak: at the moment the oil seems to be leaking into the engine valley, instead of in the other direction down on the belts, so at least that's something.

I have valve cover gaskets and timing cover gaskets standing by, but no chance to do the work any time soon. My best hope to be able to drive the car is to fix what electrical problems I can, and then just sop up the oil which leaks along the way...

Farrar

[Farrar]

This may be a dumb question, but at what point does the giant red cable from the battery become all of the smaller wires which go to the fuse box? Since I have a problem with no voltage at the fuse box on at least one of my circuits, I need to be able to trace the wires back from there.

Thanks in advance.

Farrar

[sean]

Take off the rear carpeted wall. You should see the bundle of "Hot" wires coming off a threaded stud on the passenger's side.

[Farrar]

Thanks, Sean! I will hit that with a test light on Saturday. I desperately need to see some more progress with this car.

Oh, by the way -- I thought I had a picture of this but I don't, so I will just type about it instead. I did find out last weekend that my car has the "starter relay mod" described in that TSB long ago. And THAT was definitely a "Dreaded Previous Owner" strike: somebody had lengthened one of the brown wires to the starter relay socket by taking a snippet of one of the red/white wires not used (presumably for hot start relay socket) and splicing it into one of the brown wires to the starter relay socket -- using WIRE NUTS. Then they took the end of the red-white wire they had snipped and put a wire nut on it to prevent it coming into contact with any current or ground back there. Seriously. Whoever it was couldn't be bothered to buy some wire, solder, or butt-crimp terminals?! Wire nuts, oy. No wonder I occasionally had problems starting the car -- for all I know one of those connections inside the wire nut was tenuous. Good grief.

By the way, I have not totally removed all of the wires back there I am not using -- the car COULD be returned to stock form if needed. (Of course, I'd like to think another owner would appreciate having a functioning "cooling fan fail" light and one relay/CB per cooling fan, but what do I know?) All of the unused wires are simply taped off and tucked away, including that red/white one left by the previous owner. I guess I could remove the hot start relay socket and wiring, but I didn't feel like unwrapping the harnesses back there. Perhaps I will get around to that eventually, but the area back there is not very crowded and it's not doing any harm just sitting there idle.

Farrar

[Farrar]

The cool weather is supposed to finally arrive this weekend. I have therefore decided to concentrate on getting the engine running properly before I dive into the courtesy light situation.

Question: which is better material for a gasket where carb meets manifold? I tore the black paper gasket that came with the carb rebuild kit. They sell sheets of that black paper stuff at AutoZone, but they also sell cork.

Farrar

[Ron]

Cork is not good there. Get the dark green-grey looking stuff they all carry. The counter monkey should be able to tell you.

[Farrar]

Thanks, Ron. You have to buy packs of the stuff and I didn't want to waste my money. :)

Farrar

OK, I managed to get to the auto parts store and buy the appropriate gasket material, but it's too dark for me to work now, besides which the last time I worked near sunset I got eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Tonight, I decided to make a "cheat sheet" to keep with me in the car for electrical reference. I noticed something interesting: the only things connected to Fuse #12 are the diagnostic plug and the courtesy lights, and it doesn't go through a relay. Since the diagnostic plug on my car has never been seen by me, I can only assume a previous owner of the car removed it. This should make troubleshooting the circuit much easier.

Here's hoping Saturday stays clear. It is supposed to get near 40°F the night before, so maybe the mosquitoes won't get me. :)

Farrar

[Farrar]

I had a thought this morning while driving my Chrysler to work: what if the DeLorean had a "compressor on/off" switch? My Chrysler, like many a late-model vehicle, has a little button marked with a snowflake which means "press this to turn the compressor on and off." This comes in handy when, for example, you want heat, but not WET heat -- especially when you're running the defroster.

Now I know there is a way of altering the DeLorean's mode switch to turn the compressor on with the defroster, but I was thinking a simple push-button like in my Chrysler would be nice, but I would have to use a rocker switch since that's what I have available and I don't know how to convert a momentary switch to a constant feed. :(

If memory serves, I would have to re-route the source of power for the orange/pink wire behind the HVAC Mode Switch: change the source of the current from the HVAC Mode Switch to the new rocker switch (marked with a snowflake of course!), and make sure the switch is rated high enough to pass current to the compressor.* Anyone know off hand how much the compressor draws, or the rating of Houston's blank rocker switches?

Also, what's a good reason I should NOT do this? I know there has to be one, since most of my ideas suck. :lol:

Farrar

*On second thought, current passes through the pressure switch, doesn't it? So it can't be THAT much, right?

[Bitsyncmaster]

Just measured the resistance of the clutch. It reads 3.4 ohms. So if your getting 12.0 volts at the clutch, it would draw 3.5 amps.

[Farrar]

Just measured the resistance of the clutch. It reads 3.4 ohms. So if your getting 12.0 volts at the clutch, it would draw 3.5 amps.

Thanks, Dave! I am sure that's good enough for Houston's rocker switches; they are after all defroster switches without the symbol on them.

Now the question is do I want to take the console out and do this before putting the car back on the road again now that the weather is cooler... of course, I will have to buy new door struts now that the weather is cooler so I suppose I might as well tear half of the interior out of my car again. :frantic:

Farrar

[Farrar]

Okay, so I am having my morning coffee... and I am thinking about the question I posed above: why would I not want to make the change so that one can engage and disengage the compressor circuit manually?

Also, suggestions for where to mount an indicator lamp would be helpful. At the moment I can't think of anywhere to put one that wouldn't require drilling into the radio bracket. I am not against this, since the bracket was already hacked at by a previous owner who must have done so before DIN-friendly units were available from DMCH; the bracket can be replaced -- I am just looking for other suggestions.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

This is how I toggle the compressor on and off in my Geo Metro.

6414

[Farrar]

This is how I toggle the compressor on and off in my Geo Metro.

Yeah, I want something that looks a little less "Scotty Kilmer."

Farrar

[Ron]

Okay, so I am having my morning coffee... and I am thinking about the question I posed above: why would I not want to make the change so that one can engage and disengage the compressor circuit manually?

Also, suggestions for where to mount an indicator lamp would be helpful. At the moment I can't think of anywhere to put one that wouldn't require drilling into the radio bracket. I am not against this, since the bracket was already hacked at by a previous owner who must have done so before DIN-friendly units were available from DMCH; the bracket can be replaced -- I am just looking for other suggestions.

Farrar
Just use Bi-Level mode with Temp control on warmer settings. (Read N:01:06-bottom of page).
If for some reason that isn't enough, a flush push button toggle switch with a built in blue LED might be the ticket...

[Farrar]

Happy Hallowe'en, everybody!

6452

Best wishes,
"The Doctor"

[Farrar]

I won't have any time to work on the car until Saturday, but I am prepared for when I do!

6539

Yeah, I'm a geek. :shrug"

Farrar

[Ron]

:headscratch: you OK General?

[Farrar]

:headscratch: you OK General?

Yeah, just busy. I haven't touched the car since I did the relay compartment several weeks ago. The carburetor's still in the trunk, the intake manifold is till taped shut, and the interior of the car is full of tools and parts. I guess that explains why I recently found one of those payday loan advertisements tucked underneath the windshield wiper. "NEED CASH?" it asked in huge, bright yellow type.

The same flyer was tucked underneath the windshield wiper of a nearby Mercedes of the same vintage. (It's abandoned, by the way -- no plates and the inspection sticker is years out of date. Anyone want a good restoration project?)

I guess whoever was putting the flyers out assumed that if you have an old car and it has been sitting in the same parking space for a while, you need cash.

I can't wait to drive the car again... I just don't know when that will be.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

I guess whoever was putting the flyers out assumed that if you have an old car and it has been sitting in the same parking space for a while, you need cash.

I'd offer to sell it to em for $35k and see what they say.

[Farrar]

I'd offer to sell it to em for $35k and see what they say.

I don't think payday loan sharks are in the business of buying and selling vehicles.

Farrar

[Farrar]

Add this one to the joke pile:

"You know you're a DeLorean owner if you turn Thanksgiving into an 8-day holiday so you can work on the car."

Yup, that's me... Although I will be traveling for the holiday, I took Monday off for "me time," and the same with the following Monday. So I will have two work-free days to get stuff done. Exciting stuff! :)

Farrar

[Farrar]

All right, I asked around about thick gasket material. The thickest anyone had that was not cork was 1/32". So I bought a sheet of it and cut a new gasket to go in between the intake manifold and the adapter plate. The carb is connected to the adapter plate with a 1/4"-thick gasket. I have no idea where Bill got gasket material that thick, but since it's stuck like glue I am not messing with it.

After I got everything put back together I went to re-connect the battery and realized I left it connected this whole time and the volt gauge shows 10v with the key on. Not enough to start the engine.

My little booster battery shows about 90% charge, so I have brought it inside and plugged it into the wall to give it the remaining 10% charge while I eat lunch.

Next, I will re-gap the spark plugs in an attempt to fix the problem of severe missing I experienced the last time I drove the car. Bill thinks it's a vacuum leak. I don't think so. But if it still misses with the plugs gapped at .035" then I guess my only alternative is to grab a can of highly-flammable liquid and spray it all over the top of a running engine like everyone says I should do. I haven't had an engine fire in a couple of years, so perhaps it's time.

Farrar

Instead of trying to find a vacuum leak I decided, while the car was running, to check the courtesy light circuit again. Here's a mystery: the last time I put my voltmeter in Fuse #12's socket, it showed nothing. Today I put a fuse in it just for fun and it popped immediately. That's a good sign, right?

So I went about removing, in turn, each jumper I had installed on the courtesy light switches and bulb locations and tested the fuse for popping. As it turns out, the problem was some sort of confusion (either mine or a previous owner's -- I don't know at this point) at the passenger door switch, where there are only two connections at the switch but four wires to choose from: solid purple, purple with white stripe, purple with pink stripe, and solid black. The black wire is actuially TWO black wires in a single female terminal. I am simply leaving the passenger door switch unconnected for now. Any help regarding where those four wires go would be greatly appreciated!

Farrar

[Ron]

The passenger door normally takes the black and the purple-pink. Purple-white in that area could be the glove box (working?)

[Farrar]

Thanks, Ron.

My car has never had a glove box light. Switch, yes, but no light.

I will have to get back to this a week from today. I am off tomorrow morning for a Thanksgiving trip to New York. Just when I felt I was making some progress... :(

Farrar

Another mystery: Now when the key is on, so are the parking lights. Could my Lights Main Switch have gone funky while sitting, or did I screw something up when re-wiring the HVAC panel light circuit? Either way, I think it's kind of cool to have "daytime running lights" now, unintentional though they may be. Now I can replace the LMS with a (much cheaper) Hazard switch -- my LMS was getting flaky anyway.

Farrar

[Farrar]

The engine still idles like crap, but I think tomorrow I will be bold and take the car off to get a safety inspection. I have the day off of work with no plans, so if I get stranded along the way, then at least I will have no time lost.

Farrar

[dvonk]

godspeed, Farrar. :driving1:

[Farrar]

Thanks, dvonk!

Of course I haven't managed to get anything done -- such is life. I got hit with a bunch of work when I got back, plus a bunch of school-related stuff and a cold. :lol: I am feeling better, though, and hope to get the car inspected tomorrow if I can leave work early enough. (I am willing to risk driving the car to and from work, assuming I can have a successful test drive this evening.) Unfortunately I seem to have lost the screws required for the door switches (DOH!) so my courtesy lights will not work. Looks like I will drive during the day until I can get to the hardware store and buy some replacements!

Farrar

In other news, I was inspired by a post on another thread to buy an assortment of Weatherpak connectors and start replacing the old, brittle, and not-water-tight connectors around my car as I come to them. Fortunately, I already bought the proper crimp tool.

I also bought three pin switches which look like nice sturdy replacements for the door switches. We shall see when they arrive.

Farrar

[Farrar]

Louisiana is a strange place.

In North Carolina, I have registered vehicles, and renewed the registration by mail. The renewal sticker comes, I put it on the plate, and go about my business. An annual safety/emissions inspection results in the sticker on the inside of the windshield being replaced with a new one; a driver's license and insurance card are necessary for this procedure.

In Louisiana, I have registered vehicles, and renewed the registration by mail. The renewal sticker comes, I put it on the plate, and go about my business. An annual safety inspection results in the sticker on the inside of the windshield being replaced with a new one; a driver's license, insurance card, and fresh registration papers are necessary for this procedure.

Unfortunately, no one told me that I needed to apply for new registration papers every two years in addition to putting the renewal sticker on my car. So my car didn't fail its safety inspection today; the guy simply refused to inspect it because all I had was a driver's license, proof of insurance, and registration papers which I received in 2007 when I bought the car.

I'm confused. Oh, well. At least the car didn't die during a solid half-hour of driving.

[Farrar]

Okay, so I started troubleshooting the courtesy light circuit AGAIN today. Now that I've run out of light I have to stop for the day, but I am no further along than I was before.

I found out that only the passenger door switch is bad. Cool -- so I removed the buzzer switch (known to be good) and put it on the passenger side. (Three brand new switches are on order.)

Note: the following items are disconnected:

- glove box light (fuse blows when I jumper it)
- glove box switch (can't find it)
- trunk light
- buzzer switch

Note: I have Dave McKeen's new Interior Light Delay Module installed.

The engine compartment light has been removed entirely, and I have removed my footwell lights. So we are dealing ONLY with the door lights and the courtesy lights here.

Let me make sure I have the wires in their proper positions.

Glove box light: Purple/White & Solid Purple.
Glove box switch: Purple/White and Solid Black.
Passenger Door Switch: Purple/Pink and Solid Black.
Driver Door Switch: Purple/Blue and Solid Black.
Buzzer Switch (disconnected): Purple/Blue and Purple/White.

Here's what happens:

When both doors are closed, the driver's door lights BLINK.
When the passenger door is open and the driver's door is closed, ALL of the lights BLINK -- the driver's door lights, the passenger door lights, AND the interior lights.
When the passenger door is closed and the driver's door is open, the interior lights do NOT come on, and the driver's door lights BLINK.

So... WTF.

When the doors are closed, the module thinks that the doors are closed.
Except that it doesn't, because the door lights are blinking.
But only one door.
When you open that door, nothing happens.
When you open the other door, its lights blink.
But so do the interior lights.

Help!

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

Sounds like your unit got reprogrammed to parade mode.

Door lights can never come on if that door switch is closed. If they do, you have something wired wrong.

You can reprogram it. Leave the dome lights set to auto mode. Close all the doors until the dome lights go out. Then turn on a light (glove box or hood light or engine light). Then turn that light off within 5 seconds. The dome lights will flash a code three times. To change the code, turn that light on again before the third time the code has flashed.

My instructions suggest using the glove box because that is easy but you can do it with the engine or trunk switches also.

[Farrar]

Sounds like your unit got reprogrammed to parade mode.

Yes, probably when I was diagnosing which switches worked and which didn't (I had all of them disconnected and tried them out one by one).


Door lights can never come on if that door switch is closed. If they do, you have something wired wrong.

So what would be the wiring scheme for the driver's door lights to blink without the dome light on regardless of whether the driver's door is open, but for the dome light to come on and blink all the lights when the passenger door is open? Not knowing how your module works, this is where I hit a dead end.

Thanks,
Farrar

[Farrar]

Side note: if I ever get a garage, I am throwing a garage-warming party. I can't wait to be able to work on my car when it's dark outside. This "a few hours a week, or every few weeks, before the sun sets" crap is just old.

Farrar

Another thought: the Hella dome light does not work in "Manual" mode (i.e. flipped forward, the light should come on regardless of whether the doors are open; mine does not have this function). I forgot about this because it has never worked in my car, but with a new dome light fixture I should have this function. I checked today and it's still not there. So evidently there's more wrong with that circuit than I thought.

Good grief. All I want is the dome light to come on when I open a door, and turn off when the doors are shut. It should not be this difficult. I think the courtesy light circuit is Dunmurry's revenge.

[DMCTek]

Side note: if I ever get a garage, I am throwing a garage-warming party. I can't wait to be able to work on my car when it's dark outside. This "a few hours a week, or every few weeks, before the sun sets" crap is just old.

Farrar

Another thought: the Hella dome light does not work in "Manual" mode (i.e. flipped forward, the light should come on regardless of whether the doors are open; mine does not have this function). I forgot about this because it has never worked in my car, but with a new dome light fixture I should have this function. I checked today and it's still not there. So evidently there's more wrong with that circuit than I thought.

Good grief. All I want is the dome light to come on when I open a door, and turn off when the doors are shut. It should not be this difficult. I think the courtesy light circuit is Dunmurry's revenge.

As far as the dome light not working in Manual mode. I think you have it wired incorrectly. There are three wires connected to the light one B+ (purple) and 2 ground (purple/white and black). The locations change depending on which light you have, but all use one power wire and two grounds.

[Farrar]

As far as the dome light not working in Manual mode. I think you have it wired incorrectly. There are three wires connected to the light one B+ (purple) and 2 ground (purple/white and black). The locations change depending on which light you have, but all use one power wire and two grounds.

I connected the wires according to a photograph I saw here on DMCTalk, but it's worth double-checking. Thanks!

Farrar

[Farrar]

Working on the car has become much more painful recently... time for new door struts. :lol:

Also on order: LED units to replace front and rear directional indicator bulbs and all side marker bulbs.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Working on the car has become much more painful recently... time for new door struts. :lol:

Also on order: LED units to replace front and rear directional indicator bulbs and all side marker bulbs.

Farrar

Ron mentioned to me that you can get cheap door struts at Advance Auto if you walk in there with a part number. The downside is they will have to special order them.

I got my door struts from Amazon.com

Door Struts $24.35 each (Free shipping) StrongArm 4107

[Farrar]

Too late -- I ordered Hervey's "Soft Lift" struts already. I got Grady's last time and saw no improvement on pushing power -- and at least these will stop the doors from bouncing in summertime.

Edit: Even with new struts, my doors still sag badly in cool weather. I'd like to get together with you and Fred and do a torsion bar adjustment some time.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Edit: Even with new struts, my doors still sag badly in cool weather. I'd like to get together with you and Fred and do a torsion bar adjustment some time.

Mine sag a little bit in the winter too yet work perfectly in the summer. I've decided to leave it alone since it isn't that bad.

Drew expressed interest in having a torsion bar adjustment done on his car. Perhaps we could plan something in the near future. I wouldn't mind riding out to Fred's, even if my doors won't be getting adjusted.

[Farrar]

Mine sag a little bit in the winter too yet work perfectly in the summer. I've decided to leave it alone since it isn't that bad.

Mine sag way more than "a little bit." If I were in your shoes I'd probably leave the torsion where it is, too. But my car's open-door position suffers a lot in cold weather. I don't think the previous owners ever drove it in cold weather!

Farrar

[stevedmc]

I just thought of something. How about bringing me that dome light on Sunday and I'll bring $31.

[Farrar]

I am bringing yours and Brian's; he got one, too.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

By the way on the dome lights. The rear mounting material is a little to thick for the end latches to pull the dome light tight. You can thin the material a little with an exacto and it helps. I ended up using a few drops off hot glue anyway. You pull the rear panel off and you can get at the inside enough to see whats going on. Now the front dome light holds tight with no modification.

[Farrar]

Thanks for that tip, Dave! I don't have a rear dome light fixture (the holes in the trim piece have LED strips in them) so I was unable to test this.

Farrar

I now have manually-controlled courtesy lights. I just got tired of fooling with the circuit and figured: I've got an on/off switch so I might as well use it.

Farrar

Oh, and by the way: I found out that the reason I had "daytime running lights" was because in the waning daylight one late afternoon I couldn't distinguish between red/orange and red/brown wires, so I connected them both to a green/white wire. Red/brown was correct for the HVAC panel lights, which is what I intended to go on with the key (the "HVAC panel light mod" without the need for a relay socket; simply connect and tuck the wires underneath), but red/orange went to the dash and parking lights, rendering the first stop on the headlight switch redundant. However, this was a happy accident since my headlight switch is beginning to be a problem -- I have to wiggle it to get it to turn off all the way and I figure it's only a matter of time before I have to replace it. I'd rather replace it with a hazard light switch than a new Houston switch because of cost. At that time, I will likely wire up the parking lights to come on with the key as I had previously done by accident.

No more car work until my new door struts arrive. I don't feel like dodging doors...

Farrar

My new door struts arrived today! Huzzah!

Also arrived: my new LED units for my turn signals and side markers. Now all of my exterior lights (except headlights, obviously) will be LEDs. I just have to go to AutoZone and buy the proper flasher unit. :cool1:

Farrar

Speaking of LEDs, I think now that all of my courtesy lights are LEDs I will reduce the amperage of the fuse. I have an oddball 3-amp fuse lying around; I will put that in and see what happens.

Also, stay tuned for comparison pictures of original door switches and a replacement I found online.

Farrar

[Farrar]

As it happens, when I pulled the flasher unit that I bought at AutoZone a few years ago, I saw that it already had "LED" stamped on it. So I put in my LEDs and here's the result:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhwLUmKlNj4

The 1156 and 1157 amber bulbs have been replaced with forward-facing two-watt units from SuperBrightLEDs.com. The side marker lights were replaced with small BA9s which have six side-facing LEDs. I put the short (1 LED) sides facing up and down and the long (2 LED) side facing front and back. The part number for the amber unit is BA9s-AHP6, and the part number for the red unit is BA9s-RHP6. Since the blinker mod for the front side lights switches ground and these bulbs are not polarity-sensitive, they will still blink with the hazard switch or turn signal switch engaged just like they did when they were incandescent.

Also: Just for fun, I have dubbed my courtesy light modification the "Stealth Mode Mod" -- here's a look.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYBy67lZiSs

If I am lucky it will make me invisible to moths...

Farrar

[Farrar]

I put the new "Soft Lift" struts on the car today when it was about 60°F outside and noticed that the very slight resistance toward the top of the lift piston's travel causes the doors to stop moving upward completely, requiring me to push the doors the rest of the way open with my hand. Considering that these are brand-new pistons and it's only mildly cool outside, I'd say it's time to up the torsion bars' tension on both doors up one notch. That should allow my doors to open all the way when it is actually cold outside, and in the summer the "Soft Lift" struts should prevent the doors from bouncing at the top of their travel.

Farrar

P.S.: I can NOT, for the life of me, figure out how I am supposed to get the little clip on the bottom of the passenger-side strut. There simply isn't enough room to get the clip in there without bending it, at least not using my fingers. Why hasn't anyone come up with a strut mounting ball [I dunno what the official term is] in a mirror image of that which the driver's side uses? That is friggin' annoying. Oh, well...

[opethmike]

I slipped mine in a tiny bit before putting the strut on. Then I fiddled a bit and was able to get it in. (giggity)

[Farrar]

Mike, thanks for that tip. (Giggity. Er, on second thought, no giggity.) I will try that tomorrow after work.

Farrar

[opethmike]

Drove me nuts for quite a while before I realized I could do that; you're certainly not alone.

[DMCMW Dave]

Drove me nuts for quite a while before I realized I could do that; you're certainly not alone.

Put the strut on the bottom stud, pull the top of the strut toward you and put the clip on. Then rotate the strut into position and attach it to the top stud, then put the clip on that one.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Put the strut on the bottom stud, pull the top of the strut toward you and put the clip on. Then rotate the strut into position and attach it to the top stud, then put the clip on that one.

I will need to check mine but I had no problem installing the clip. Not sure if the soft lift struts will only work one way to keep the "slow down" at the top.

[Farrar]

Put the strut on the bottom stud, pull the top of the strut toward you and put the clip on. Then rotate the strut into position and attach it to the top stud, then put the clip on that one.

Best method I've heard of yet! So easy it should have been obvious... I feel silly now. Thanks, Dave!

Farrar

[Farrar]

Speaking of things I should know how to do, every time I work in the electrical compartment I end up un-hooking the passenger's seat back, then I have to undo the screws at the bottom and spend the next half-hour finagling everything back together. Is there a shortcut to this method? Can I just outfit the rear panel with really strong magnets and have it stick on that way? Those damn metal tabs are a royal pain in the ass, at least for me. Please tell me there's a trick to this -- I've poked so many holes in the seat material with those screws at the bottom now it's ridiculous. And they're not even on the same parallel.

Farrar

[robvanderveer]

I do not understand what you mean by removing the seat back, but isn't it easier just to take the entire seat out?

[Farrar]

I generally do not remove the seat to work in the electrical compartment. When I am working back there, occasionally my elbow will hit the back of the seat, causing the panel on the back of the seat to come unfixed on the sides. It is then held in place only by the clips at the top and the screws at the bottom.

Does that make more sense?

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Speaking of things I should know how to do, every time I work in the electrical compartment I end up un-hooking the passenger's seat back, then I have to undo the screws at the bottom and spend the next half-hour finagling everything back together. Is there a shortcut to this method?

Maybe I am wrong, but the seat back has no real purpose. I removed mine a long time ago because I got tired of it coming loose from the seat.

In my opinion, a car with no seat back looks better than a car with an old bent seat back that keeps coming loose. No one has ever noticed my missing seat back. Ditching the seat back, Lockzilla, and K-Jet just help to reinforce that I am in fact white trash.

[Ron]

Maybe I am wrong, but the seat back has no real purpose.I thought it was to keep the seat from catching on fire...

[Farrar]

The seat back also prevents your fingers from getting cut when you tilt the seat forward to access the parcel shelf. :)

Farrar

[stevedmc]

The seat back also prevents your fingers from getting cut when you tilt the seat forward to access the parcel shelf. :)

Farrar

I've never been cut.

[Farrar]

I've never been cut.

That's because you're not a klutz.

I am prone to accidents involving my fingers. I know my own weaknesses and have to work around them.

Farrar

[qwerk]

What about velcro?

[qwerk]

To clarify, I mean for the seat back, not your fingers.

[Farrar]

What about velcro?


To clarify, I mean for the seat back, not your fingers.

:lol: Thanks for the clarification. :)

I thought about Velcro, but I would worry that the adhesive would give up when it gets hot inside the car. (And it does get hot -- over 160°F in summer.)

Farrar

[Farrar]

Apropos of nothing, I just thought I'd mention that my PT Turbo, which gets less than 17 MPG in city driving, stunned me by getting almost 24 MPG at highway speeds on my trip from La. to NC. I set the cruise control at 64 MPH and saw the "Avg. MPG" readout on the dashboard climb and climb and climb until I had to stop to get gas. I got from Peachtree City, Ga. to Charlotte, NC on less than half a tank -- which means less than 7.5 gallons. Nice!

I hope everyone is having a happy Christmahannukwanzaayule :)

Farrar

[Farrar]

Now that it's 2012 I mentioned to my girlfriend yesterday that I am very pleased that the only things I need to fix on #2613 between now and DCS Orlando are the air conditioning and cruise control.

So naturally, last night I had a dream where I was driving the DeLorean and everything went wrong, from the defroster to the windows, and fluids started spewing from underneath the car like a gag from a silent film.

We're off to a good start, at least mentally...

Happy New Year, everybody!

Farrar

[Farrar]

Since I unexpectedly had a free day from work yesterday and my college classes for this semester don't start until tomorrow, I had some car time yesterday afternoon. :-) Result: I double-checked the connection at the inertia switch. When I put my multimeter between the terminals on the plug, I get higher voltage than I do when I put the + terminal on the plug and the nearest body bolt, so I think the problem I had with the fuel pump dying last summer was a problem with connectivity but rather the result of a quality control issue with the manufacturer of the fuel pump. I had lost the little plastic cap that sits on top of the plunger -- it had fallen between the body tub and the carpet. I found it yesterday and put it back on. Confirmed function of the inertia switch by lifting the plunger. So all is well there.

I decided to install the new cigarette lighter, but was unable to because I could not separate the green plastic ring from the cylinder it's snapped onto. Scraped one of my knuckles pretty badly in the process as the little screwdriver I was trying to use to push the tab back slipped and tried to draw blood in revenge. So I just put the hole plug back in.

One thing I noticed while underneath the dashboard: evidently, a previous owner of my car "fixed" the kneepads from coming loose by putting thread inserts in them. These inserts are themselves beginning to come out and the kneepads are rattly and shaky. Unfortunately the material of the kneepads themselves was split by the insertion of the thread inserts (probably the P.O. did not drill the appropriate-sized hole). It looks like I will have to replace all of my kneepads before June when my girlfriend rides in the car with me and puts her feet all over them. I am currently thinking of options for replacing the kneepads -- I will probably make them out of stiff foam and wire them for footwell lighting. I have lots of black vinyl to make kneepad covers if necessary.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

I decided to install the new cigarette lighter, but was unable to because I could not separate the green plastic ring from the cylinder it's snapped onto. Scraped one of my knuckles pretty badly in the process as the little screwdriver I was trying to use to push the tab back slipped and tried to draw blood in revenge. So I just put the hole plug back in.
Farrar

I found the same problem but luckly I found it before I put it in the car. So I cut the little tabs off the green plastic. But that change required me to hot glue the metal part to the plastic or it would pull out when I used it.

[AdmiralSenn]

One thing I noticed while underneath the dashboard: evidently, a previous owner of my car "fixed" the kneepads from coming loose by putting thread inserts in them. These inserts are themselves beginning to come out and the kneepads are rattly and shaky. Unfortunately the material of the kneepads themselves was split by the insertion of the thread inserts (probably the P.O. did not drill the appropriate-sized hole). It looks like I will have to replace all of my kneepads before June when my girlfriend rides in the car with me and puts her feet all over them. I am currently thinking of options for replacing the kneepads -- I will probably make them out of stiff foam and wire them for footwell lighting. I have lots of black vinyl to make kneepad covers if necessary.

Farrar

3416 is like this too. I tried JB Welding a proper threaded bolt shank in there but the JB weld didn't stick - it all came out in a plug. I'm exploring other repair options; I'll let you know if I figure out a workable solution.

[Farrar]

I tried JB Welding a proper threaded bolt shank in there but the JB weld didn't stick - it all came out in a plug.

Same thing happened to me. The material the kneepad is made out of seems to be slightly slippery, not to the touch but to any adhesive or epoxy I try to throw at it.

I am thinking of carefully removing the kneepads' vinyl covers and crafting new kneepads out of hard foam from the craft store. But then I will have the same problem of how to affix the kneepads to the car. Perhaps a wooden back with thread inserts in it? Perhaps neodymium magnets on the back of the kneepads and a strip of steel on the fiberglass? My mind is wandering at this point; haven't settled on any one solution yet.

Farrar

[stevedmc]

Same thing happened to me. The material the kneepad is made out of seems to be slightly slippery, not to the touch but to any adhesive or epoxy I try to throw at it.

I appologize if I missed something but if all you need is to recover your knee pads, I've got a guy in Hammond that does excellent work.

He recovered my passenger kneepad for just $50.

Auto Image - Joel Oliver - (985) 215-1302 www.myautoimage.com

[Farrar]

I appologize if I missed something but if all you need is to recover your knee pads, I've got a guy in Hammond that does excellent work.

Thanks, but I have the opposite problem -- the vinyl is OK, but the kneepads themselves are falling off because the studs are coming out the back.

Farrar

[Ron]

If the holes are too big, can't you just get different anchors?
(I'm not familiar with what you are doing.)

[Farrar]

If the holes are too big, can't you just get different anchors?
(I'm not familiar with what you are doing.)

In some cases, the material where the stud was mounted has been split. Have you ever seen a sausage that has burst its casing? It's kind of like that. There's some material at the edge of the kneepad for the stud to sit in, but apart from that the kneepad is hollow (to accommodate the HVAC duct) and the material will not stick to anything. This is why making a new kneepad might actually be less trouble than repairing the original.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

If the holes are too big, can't you just get different anchors?
(I'm not familiar with what you are doing.)

The plastic splits (on my car). I used epoxy and glued the original bolt back in with the crack clamped shut. So far it is holding fine.

[Farrar]

The plastic splits (on my car). I used epoxy and glued the original bolt back in with the crack clamped shut. So far it is holding fine.

Dave, you are more skilled than I am. I couldn't figure out a way to clamp shut the cracks in the corners of my kneepads.

One thing I have thought about: making a single-piece kneepad for the driver's side. Since I am the only person who drives my car and I have the steering column adjusted all the way to the top, I think it would look nice to have a single kneepad that goes all the way across with a U-shape cut out to cradle the steering column, like Proto-1's interior has.

Farrar

[jawn101]

A great way to clamp corners is with a ratcheting tie-down strap. Not sure if that will address your specific situation but thought I would mention it :) Just wrap the strap around the circumference of the part and ratchet down gently.

Edit: if you mean just the round stud where the bolt is mounted, the same principle applies - just use a cable tie instead and cut it off when you're done.

[Farrar]

Thanks, Jon.

The inside is where the material is split. In theory I guess I could remove the vinyl, drill two holes one on either side of the corner of the kneepad, and then push the zip-tie through the holes. But that is too much work for me, I think.

I will have to see about making new kneepads. I have some more ideas percolating, but will have to put them on the back burner until after Feb. 3 when I am finished with all of my Carnival season work. In the meantime, the evaporator has to come out, so I might as well remove the kneepads and set them aside for the time being.

Farrar

[jawn101]

Ah, crap. Oh well, worth a shot. What were you thinking of making the replacements out of? I saw you mention the hard craft store foam - if you mean the green crap it is just that... Lol. It will flake everywhere and if your girlfriend puts her feet on the kneepads, they will crush and deform permanently :)

Might be a cool exercise to have some sheet metal bent into the right shape and put some padding on, then the vinyl. I don't know if that would be prohibitively expensive, especially with the need to weld in studs. Good luck!

[Farrar]

If the green foam they make ottomans out of really is that bad, then I will probably order some high-density polyurethane foam from McMaster-Carr.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

Dave, you are more skilled than I am. I couldn't figure out a way to clamp shut the cracks in the corners of my kneepads.

One thing I have thought about: making a single-piece kneepad for the driver's side. Since I am the only person who drives my car and I have the steering column adjusted all the way to the top, I think it would look nice to have a single kneepad that goes all the way across with a U-shape cut out to cradle the steering column, like Proto-1's interior has.

Farrar

One of those wood working clamps with two jaws made from maple and has two closing screws with handles. Those clamps work wonders doing weird stuff like that.

[jawn101]

If the green foam they make ottomans out of really is that bad, then I will probably order some high-density polyurethane foam from McMaster-Carr.

Farrar

Ohh. I was thinking of that hard foam for flowers and such. I used it to carve a form for something years ago and it was such an awful material. Hard and brittle and flaky. Upholstery foam would probably be fine, maybe even too soft to hold a form reliably?

[Farrar]

18.Jan.2012

Ohh. I was thinking of that hard foam for flowers and such. I used it to carve a form for something years ago and it was such an awful material. Hard and brittle and flaky. Upholstery foam would probably be fine, maybe even too soft to hold a form reliably?

Oh, no -- now I know what you're talking about and you're correct. The stuff I am talking about is a lighter shade of green and is the same type of foam they use in seat cushions, except firmer. All told, it would probably be a little softer than the stock polyurethane knee pads, but it holds its shape very well. I have some scrap pieces of vinyl I could use for testing purposes to see how the material would stand up to constant bumping and deforming over a period of time.

Alternately, I could order some maximum-rigidity polyurethane foam online. This would be comparable to the compressability of the stock knee pads, only slightly less firm. Two 18"x6" cylinders (which I would then cut to shape) would cost me around $12 each. Only problem is if it doesn't work I can't send it back for a refund and then I am stuck with a bunch of foam and nothing to do with it. :lol:

Farrar

I have too many irons in the fire right now -- my latest order from SuperBrightLEDs arrived today, so the kneepads can wait! :D

Farrar

Problem with my glorious enormous trunk lights: they're too heavy.

Although I was able to get the light bars to stick to the Velcro with weatherstrip adhesive, the weight of the light bars was starting to dislodge the carpet. So I have elected to go a different route. This will involve some soldering, but I may be able to get to it tomorrow and get pictures of it if it doesn't rain. It should still throw a lot of light nonetheless.

23.Jan.2012

Last night's attempt at installing the new trunk lighting was successful but for the fact that I dropped, and then could not locate again, one of the connectors I was planning on using -- and it was the last one! Unfortunately, it was too late for me to go to the auto parts store because it would have been dark by the time I got back. However, I did manage to fasten the new LED units to the trunk with black weatherstrip adhesive and confirm (by touching the bare wire to the other connector) that the light thrown will be enough to illuminate the area properly, and -- most important -- shed way more light than the stock fixture while using less current than the old incandescent bulb.

***

26.Jan.2012

OK, time for a little audience participation:

Since I will be driving #2613 to Orlando next year, I have the following things to take care of:

1. air conditioning
2. cruise control
3. reducing the amount of road noise

Are those in the right order, or do you think I should do road noise reduction before cruise control? Either way, it involves taking the interior out of the car.

GO!

Also, I am 33 today if anyone was wondering. Cookies will be welcome. :)

[stevedmc]

1. air conditioning

My offer still stands for fixing the AC. Come by my house after I get back from Europe and we will try to fix it in a day. If it takes longer than a day you can leave it at my house and I'll work on it myself until its done.

[sean]

http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo27/STC_24/Holliday/HappyBirthdayBacktotheFuturefont3.gif

[jawn101]

26.Jan.2012

OK, time for a little audience participation:

Since I will be driving #2613 to Orlando next year, I have the following things to take care of:

1. air conditioning
2. cruise control
3. reducing the amount of road noise

Are those in the right order, or do you think I should do road noise reduction before cruise control? Either way, it involves taking the interior out of the car.

GO!

Also, I am 33 today if anyone was wondering. Cookies will be welcome. :)

Happy birthday man!

A/C is not that bad a repair provided your condensor and evaporator aren't at fault - we did my whole system from stem to stern, including all new hoses, new compressor, accumulator, etc in only a couple of hours. But my condensor and evaporator were fine and didn't have to come out. Hopefully yours don't either.

What's the constraint that causes the order of operations here? Time, money, or both? I'd do the A/C first, then rip out the interior and do the sound insulation while roughing in what you need for the cruise control at the same time. Then you can finalize the installation later. But that's assuming time is the major factor and not money, as you'd need to have all the parts for both jobs up front.

Edit: "a couple" of hours for the a/c job was really more like 6, with 2 of us working.

[Farrar]

:happyd: Thanks, Sean! That's gotta be the geekiest birthday present I've got yet. :lol:

Steve -- thanks! I still think it can be done in a day with two people working. Houston says it's a ten-hour job, and I can do a lot of the prep work myself (e.g. removing kneepads) before I take it to wherever we do the work. Knowing you have the proper tools, plus there is a covered area to work, makes me feel better. (Not sure if Brian has his other projects out of his garage yet -- I guess we will find out on Sunday!)

Edit: Hey, where is the "happy dance" emoticon? :[

[stevedmc]

Oh yeah, happy birthday too.

[Farrar]

A/C is not that bad a repair provided your condensor and evaporator aren't at fault -

Well, guess what -- the evaporator needs to be replaced. (I have already done the hoses and narrowed down the leak to the evaporator itself.)

The main problem here is my lack of expertise, tools, and covered work space. If I don't have someone with me who knows what s/he is doing and has the proper equipment, then I am likely to damage something -- in fact, the evaporator did *not* leak until I wrenched on one of the hose connections too hard and damaged the aluminum pipe.

After the evaporator is replaced, the only component in the system not new will be the condensor.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, gang! I come here when my workday sucks, so that makes it even better. :)

[jawn101]

Well, guess what -- the evaporator needs to be replaced. (I have already done the hoses and narrowed down the leak to the evaporator itself.)

The main problem here is my lack of expertise, tools, and covered work space. If I don't have someone with me who knows what s/he is doing and has the proper equipment, then I am likely to damage something -- in fact, the evaporator did *not* leak until I wrenched on one of the hose connections too hard and damaged the aluminum pipe.

After the evaporator is replaced, the only component in the system not new will be the condensor.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, gang! I come here when my workday sucks, so that makes it even better. :)

Aw, crap. Sorry to hear that then! But hey, it will make it that much easier to put sound insulation up on the forward bulkhead! Sounds like you need to gut the whole car and insulate, then do A/C, then do cruise control to me :)

33, eh? You know, if you take the current year (2012), subtract 1985 (for an arbitrary reason), then subtract the number of cylinders in the PRV (6) divided by 2, and divide by 2 again, you get (DMC)12. Coincidence?

Yeah, probably.... lol. I tried to make it work somehow with 1979 but ran out of steam and creativity. :)

Edit: this is the worst birthday math trick ever because it doesn't even involve your birthday. I feel so lame ;-)

[Farrar]

Sounds like you need to gut the whole car and insulate, then do A/C, then do cruise control

If I were to gut the entire interior, I would replace it with something wholly redesigned:

... a one-piece dashboard (better "flow" into the kneepads).
... HVAC ducts in the kneepads (like Houston's 2004 interior).
... a glovebox that opens from the front and hinges downward (so you can see!).
... finishing pieces for under the dashboard (hiding electronics, ducts, etc.).
... a three-piece console with an integrated 7" touchscreen carputer interface.
... a storage compartment inside the console.

I know how I would do it, but I haven't the time, tools, or garage space. (I absolutely will NOT fabricate fiberglass pieces inside my apartment. It's too dangerous.) So the overall makeover of my car's interior is a long-term goal. (I can make some sketches if you like.) For right now, I think I will start by taking out the seats and carpets and putting down some sort of sound insulation. Fortunately I work with an audio engineer who can make some good recommendations for what material to use. :) And it would be easier to replace the evaporator with the carpets and seats removed anyway ... right?

[jawn101]

If I were to gut the entire interior, I would replace it with something wholly redesigned:

... a one-piece dashboard (better "flow" into the kneepads).
... HVAC ducts in the kneepads (like Houston's 2004 interior).
... a glovebox that opens from the front and hinges downward (so you can see!).
... finishing pieces for under the dashboard (hiding electronics, ducts, etc.).
... a three-piece console with an integrated 7" touchscreen carputer interface.
... a storage compartment inside the console.

I know how I would do it, but I haven't the time, tools, or garage space. (I absolutely will NOT fabricate fiberglass pieces inside my apartment. It's too dangerous.) So the overall makeover of my car's interior is a long-term goal. (I can make some sketches if you like.) For right now, I think I will start by taking out the seats and carpets and putting down some sort of sound insulation. Fortunately I work with an audio engineer who can make some good recommendations for what material to use. :) And it would be easier to replace the evaporator with the carpets and seats removed anyway ... right?


Wow, big plans :) I didn't mean gut as in remove and destroy... :) I just thought that the evap box was done with the dash out, which would make it a lot easier to dynamat the footwells, etc. I've heard that it's possible but difficult to do with the dash still in place. Either way, best of luck! Take lots of pics for an evap how-to. :)

[Farrar]

I've heard that it's possible but difficult to do with the dash still in place.

I think I have heard the same thing -- "possible but more difficult." I thought about removing the dashboard and adding some sound dampening material to the backside of it, but I am not sure that is feasible. The good news is Steve has removed and installed a dashboard before, so I can draw on his experience in this area. My greatest concern is that, in the process of removing or reinstalling a 31-year-old part, I will damage or destroy it. This is what happened when I took out the kneepads -- when I tried to put them back in, the studs came out. And it's happened in other instances as well. So in the long run, instead of "leaving well-enough alone," I might as well make some changes that I consider to be improvements. It is, after all, my car to do with as I please, right? :)

[jawn101]

I think I have heard the same thing -- "possible but more difficult." I thought about removing the dashboard and adding some sound dampening material to the backside of it, but I am not sure that is feasible. The good news is Steve has removed and installed a dashboard before, so I can draw on his experience in this area. My greatest concern is that, in the process of removing or reinstalling a 31-year-old part, I will damage or destroy it. This is what happened when I took out the kneepads -- when I tried to put them back in, the studs came out. And it's happened in other instances as well. So in the long run, instead of "leaving well-enough alone," I might as well make some changes that I consider to be improvements. It is, after all, my car to do with as I please, right? :)

Definitely. Plus it's your birthday for at least a few more minutes.

[dvonk]

happy birthday, Farrar! :partyhat:

[Farrar]

28.Jan.2012

Thanks, all, for the birthday wishes. I hope 33 is a good year for me. (And I hope 31 is a good year for #2613!)

This morning's projects, if my girlfriend will allow them, are to finish the trunk lighting modification I started the other day and finishing wiring up the blinking security light. Then I have to go to a parade... which will pretty much kill the rest of my day. :lol:

Trunk lighting modification is complete and verified functional -- huzzah! I am now waiting for the security light's adhesive to set and will install it later today if there's enough ambient light left after this afternoon's activities. Oh, and I will get pictures/video of new trunk lighting for y'all to see, too.

Fingers crossed.....

Two small SMD panels. Much better than my first attempt at improving the trunk lighting.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BY6jxLkNh4

7953
Photo was taken with no flash.

[dvonk]

Photo was taken with no flash.

badass. :headbang:

could you post a photo of the mounted SMD panels while they are off? id like to see your setup.

[Farrar]

could you post a photo of the mounted SMD panels while they are off?

Do you mean "turned off" or "off the car"?

Technically I cannot take a photo of them off the car since I mounted them with a bunch of black weatherstrip adhesive (I coated the back of each PCB liberally not only to adhere but also to protect the circuitry from moisture). However, here is a picture of the unit from SuperBrightLEDs.com (http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=%2Fspecs%2Fupcbbase_specs.htm) (link is to product page):

http://www.superbrightleds.com/images/products/universal/upcb/upcbfront.jpg

Superbright does specify that some SMD panels cannot have their plugs removed and still work; I bought ones which can have their plugs removed, for obvious reasons. ;)

If you need a photo of the units in situ with the power switched off, I can get a daylight photo for you tomorrow.

Thanks for the compliment! :)

[dvonk]

apologies for the lack of clarity in my previous post; i was curious as to how you mounted the setup on the bonnet lid.

i can wait for a daylight picture. :smile:

[Farrar]

Here's a picture taken in daylight with the power off.

7987

Strangely, my car behaved quite well to and from today's tech session (about 30 miles each way). Then when I got home, I noticed the same bad idle that I had noticed before. When I went outside just a few minutes ago to move the car, it absolutely refused to idle -- unless it was on the fast-idle cam turning at 1500 RPM, it wouldn't move.

Do I have a vacuum leak to track down? Is one of the symptoms of a vacuum leak running better when hot and running like crap when cold? Because that is what I experienced today -- hot engine, decent idle; cool engine, crappy idle; cold engine, no idle. I will find out Saturday, I guess.

Farrar

[DMC5180]

Looks like one SMD board would fit the Original opening pretty closely. I might try something like that and create a finishing bezel for it.

[dvonk]

Here's a picture taken in daylight with the power off.

thanks for the daylight picture. all those SMDs really throw out the light. 8)


Looks like one SMD board would fit the Original opening pretty closely. I might try something like that and create a finishing bezel for it.

sounds like a neat project; id definitely like to see the finished product.

[sean]

Do I have a vacuum leak to track down? Is one of the symptoms of a vacuum leak running better when hot and running like crap when cold? Because that is what I experienced today -- hot engine, decent idle; cool engine, crappy idle; cold engine, no idle. I will find out Saturday, I guess.


Time to call the CarbHotline

[Farrar]

Time to call the CarbHotline

I think it's time to replace all of my rubber vacuum hoses with silicone vacuum hoses.

Farrar

[sean]

I think it's time to replace all of my rubber vacuum hoses with silicone vacuum hoses.

Farrar

Did you not replace your vacuum lines when you converted?

[Farrar]

Did you not replace your vacuum lines when you converted?

Yup, with rubber hose. But it's been almost four years since then.

Farrar

[sean]

Yup, with rubber hose. But it's been almost four years since then.

Farrar

Well I would expect the vacuum lines would last longer than that but if it helps you sleep at night replace them again. Still, I'd contact the crabmaster. It might be a simple adjustment.

[Farrar]

I'd contact the crabmaster. It might be a simple adjustment.

I have got in touch with him. He told me to spray brake cleaner all over the intake manifold with the engine running. I hesitate to do this for two reasons: 1. my car still has catalytic convertors on it and 2. I do not want my car to catch fire again.

On second thought, maybe I should try it. If I set the car on fire using Bill's technique, he will have to come down here and help me repair the damage. :lol:

[sean]

I have got in touch with him. He told me to spray brake cleaner all over the intake manifold with the engine running.

Ask him if propane is acceptable. When I look for leaks I use one of these:
http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/e3/e3c7938b-62ba-4af0-8e88-2774a6bd1114_300.jpg

I just open the valve enough to allow the propane to trickle out and when a leak sucks it in the idle jumps. I've had success with this without engine bay ignition.

[Farrar]

I will be occupied with the mundane task of killing the misfire for quite some time. Nonetheless, I have had this idea kicking around in my head for quite some time, and I finally got to the point where I am not absolutely horrible at drawing and was able to sketch it on Friday. This is what I would eventually like to have as #2613's dashboard/kneepad/console assembly:

8041

Like Steve's ProtoDeLorean, the height of the console will be raised in order to accommodate the 7" carputer touchscreen. The dashboard itself will be in one piece. Instead of two centrally-located HVAC outputs and two door-located HVAC outputs, there will be one pair for each passenger. The glove compartment will be underneath the passenger's kneepad and will open down/frontward so that the contents will be visible when it is opened.

On the driver's side, you will notice the kneepad is a single piece. I am only five foot seven inches tall, so the steering wheel is always at its tallest. Therefore, a one-piece kneepad with an opening in the center for the steering column to pass through will be fine for me.

When I get my own garage, I will be dangerous.....

[sean]

If you want to keep your existing knee pads, "just in case", you can contact DMCH for some of their off the car knee pads. I purchased a set a while back, at a very fair price, because I have similar plans and didn't want to ruin a good set of knee pads. They wont be perfect, i.e. torn and or faded and stained covers but the frames are good. This way you can modify a poor set and recover with whatever you want while keeping a good set on the shelf.

[Farrar]

If you want to keep your existing knee pads, "just in case", you can contact DMCH for some of their off the car knee pads.

That's good thinking. Actually, however, my kneepads will be shaped differently anyway, and will need to be made from scratch. Bear in mind we're talking years in the future -- I have no garage, and therefore no way to make anything out of fiberglass, right now, and we probably won't be living in a place with a garage for some time yet. I just wanted to put the sketch up so I wouldn't forget about it, and also see what other folks thought of it.

Thanks! :)

[Farrar]

I guess no one thought much of the sketch. :lol:

I have not driven the car in a couple of weeks. The humidity has taken its toll already: look at how corroded the intake manifold bolts are! Those are zinc-plated 8.8 steel bolts, but the intake manifold is, of course, aluminum.

I will need to fire up this car soon and get rid of some of this corrosion!!!

8239
8240
8241
8242

[Farrar]

This photo was posted on the DML by "Matt" (I don't know his last name) as a replacement for the alternator tensioning bracket. It looks to me like two rod ends (or "Heim joints" as people insist upon calling them), two lock nuts, and a threaded sleeve. Anyone else have this on their car? I am thinking of making such a linkage up for my car. It looks easy enough, and tensioning the alternator belt would be a snap.

8442

McMaster-Carr has all the available parts in stainless steel.

Any potential drawbacks to this setup?

[Ron]

The only thing that comes to mind is that, depending on the length of the ear on your particular alternator, the arm might hit the fan...being why the stock unit(s) use a "J" shaped one...

[Farrar]

The only thing that comes to mind is that, depending on the length of the ear on your particular alternator, the arm might hit the fan...being why the stock unit(s) use a "J" shaped one...

I have Houston's alternator. To my knowledge, the fan blades don't come near the bolt head, but I will probably measure anyway the next time I get a chance to touch the car, which will probably be in a month or two at this rate. :lol:

[Spittybug]

I have got in touch with him. He told me to spray brake cleaner all over the intake manifold with the engine running. I hesitate to do this for two reasons: 1. my car still has catalytic convertors on it and 2. I do not want my car to catch fire again.

On second thought, maybe I should try it. If I set the car on fire using Bill's technique, he will have to come down here and help me repair the damage. :lol:

A blind mechanic I knew in college many years ago taught me to hunt for leaks using just a simple can of ether or carb cleaner. Just spray it around suspected leaky areas and listen for RPM change. Won't hurt cats, evaporates very quickly so it won't puddle....

[Farrar]

I got my "antique" license plate in the mail yesterday! Woo hoo! :D

[aludden]

[...] carb cleaner. [...]

You mean K-Jet cleaner? :hihi2:

[Farrar]

You mean K-Jet cleaner? :hihi2:

No, this is K-Jet cleaner...

8468

;)

[stevedmc]

No, this is K-Jet cleaner...

8468

;)

Amen

[aludden]

Amen

Now, now ... no religious talk on the group ... :deviltail:

[Farrar]

Sooooooo what's the typical lifespan of those stainless steel speedi-sleeves and seals for the output flanges? Because it looks like I am leaking gear oil.

8561
First I saw the puddle.....

8562
... and this location and the color of the liquid seem very familiar.

I checked all of the other fluids -- I am not leaking oil, coolant, or transmission fluid.

[sean]

I've seen some seals just fail but did you replace #3 when you did this job?
http://store.delorean.com/c-391-4-5-7-final-drive.aspx

be nice if you could get under thee and see where exactly the leak is flowing from.

[Farrar]

I've seen some seals just fail but did you replace #3 when you did this job?

Yeah, Grady's kit comes with the O-ring, the lip seals, and the sleeves.

It's sprinkling a little bit now but if it doesn't turn into a rain shower, I am going to take a break from doing homework and use my new floor jack to investigate.

[Ryan King]

Any word on that Alternator tensioner? I hate...hate...hate...having to tension mine. Its a brutal pain in the @$$

[Farrar]

be nice if you could get under thee and see where exactly the leak is flowing from.

I got under there, but driving for a while with an oil leak, plus the torn boot I discovered on the driver's side half-shaft, has made almost the entire underside of the car a black and sandy mess.

For all I know, rainwater + grease under the car = appearance of a leak. So I got a roll of papertowels and a bottle of Simple Green and went to work.

I got a chance to use my new floor jack that I bought to replace the one that walked away a few months ago. More on that later. Here are some pics of the cleaning I did. Not spotless, but much better.

8591
8592
8593
8594

Now I wait -- for two reasons.

Reason one: if rainwater + grease under the car = appearance of a leak, then I need more rainwater.

Reason two: the new jack I bought doesn't go straight up like the old one did -- when I put it back under the frame to remove the jack-stands, I found that I couldn't do so because the jack-stands had been tilted onto two corners, and were still lodged beneath the car.

I was able to use the left jack plate to get one side of the car high enough to remove the jack-stand, but I was unable to get the right side of the car high enough to remove the other jack-stand. Evidently, my new jack, which has a two-ton capacity, also does not go as high into the air as my old jack. (The old floor jack I had was a beast. My grandfather got it to jack up his old Willys cab -- it had an eight-ton capacity. My jack-stands are also a bequest from Grandad -- they have a nine-ton capacity!)

So now I have to buy a new floor jack -- evidently, the one that I bought is only good for changing tires. In the meantime, the car is on jack-stands with ramps under the rear tires for insurance.


Any word on that Alternator tensioner? I hate...hate...hate...having to tension mine. Its a brutal pain in the @$$

Not at the moment, but while the car is in the air I guess now would be a good time to measure for the parts I will need to buy from McMaster-Carr (in addition to new O-rings for underneath the intake manifold, where I am still suspected of having a leak).

Edit: SuperMatt got in touch with me on Facebook and sent me a list of the parts needed to make that tensioner. Brilliant! I have added them to my order and they will ship tomorrow with my new intake manifold O-rings. Now all I have to do is get the car back on the ground..... :P

[sean]

Yeah, you gotta let that cat dry off.

[Farrar]

Yeah, you gotta let that cat dry off.

30% chance of rain today, 20% chance of rain tomorrow, 70% chance of rain Friday.....

[stevedmc]

For what its worth, I repalced the same seals on my car a few months before we did your car.

I used seals from Grady, which I believe he gets from DMCH. Well, a few months back I noticed a tiny leak coming from the driver side seal.

Budget permitting, I plan to eventualyl replace the driver side seal with one of Hervey's double lipped seals.

[Ryan King]

Farrar...Im really ecstatic for your response on this mod. Let me know how it works out and what all I would need to order.

8601

[Farrar]

For what its worth, I repalced the same seals on my car a few months before we did your car.

So this is a regular maintenance item? I have put fewer than ten thousand miles on my car since we did those seals on mine. I wonder how often you're supposed to replace them. I will have to check my Workshop Manual and see. I really hope that my output shaft seals are not leaking already -- this means that I will have to change them every year no matter how much or how little I drive the car.

Of course, I have a torn boot anyway so I need to order a rebuilt half-shaft from Hervey.

[sean]

So this is a regular maintenance item?

I wouldnt say that but the seals can be pretty finicky.

[Bitsyncmaster]

By the way.....I always thought a "half shaft" was on a car that had two shafts to drive the wheel. There were a lot of cars that one side had the half shaft and the other side did not.

[Farrar]

By the way.....I always thought a "half shaft" was on a car that had two shafts to drive the wheel. There were a lot of cars that one side had the half shaft and the other side did not.

Yeah, sorry -- now that I've had my coffee I realize I should have said "axle" not "half shaft." DOH!

[sean]

Yeah, sorry -- now that I've had my coffee I realize I should have said "axle" not "half shaft." DOH!

I figured as much, I've come to chalk up confusing Farrar posts to "Pre-coffee" posts.

[stevedmc]

So this is a regular maintenance item? I have put fewer than ten thousand miles on my car since we did those seals on mine.

I have a feeling I might have installed it crooked. Regardless, I heard from someone in Georgia that Hervey's double lip seals are the best.

When I get around to it, budget permitting, I will order a new seal from Hervey.


Farrar...Im really ecstatic for your response on this mod. Let me know how it works out and what all I would need to order.

8601

That bracket idea looks awesome. I want one! (budget permitting)

[Farrar]

That bracket idea looks awesome. I want one! (budget permitting)

If you want it in stainless steel, the threaded rod joint ends and coupler from McMaster will cost you about $40. You will also need two hex nuts to lock the coupler into place -- one right-hand-threaded and one left-hand-threaded.

[Farrar]

In other news, I am tired of futzing with steering column bushings. It looks like in this climate those things simply don't last very long. If I am going to replace it every few months, then I want an easier way of changing it out. I have another mounting plan in mind but will have to wait until I have a bushing in hand to take precise measurements of it, so I am adding that to my DeLorean Shopping List. :)

[stevedmc]

In other news, I am tired of futzing with steering column bushings. It looks like in this climate those things simply don't last very long. If I am going to replace it every few months, then I want an easier way of changing it out. I have another mounting plan in mind but will have to wait until I have a bushing in hand to take precise measurements of it, so I am adding that to my DeLorean Shopping List. :)

So far my bushing is holding up fine with the RTV. Maybe you should take the steering column out and install it like I did.

[Bitsyncmaster]

If you want it in stainless steel, the threaded rod joint ends and coupler from McMaster will cost you about $40. You will also need two hex nuts to lock the coupler into place -- one right-hand-threaded and one left-hand-threaded.

I've been thinking about that. You could just have one rod end bearing not threaded. So drill out the threads on the shaft. Then it would just be bottomed out.

Just say this because I know I have some rod end bearing from my airplane building days.

[jawn101]

In other news, I am tired of futzing with steering column bushings. It looks like in this climate those things simply don't last very long. If I am going to replace it every few months, then I want an easier way of changing it out. I have another mounting plan in mind but will have to wait until I have a bushing in hand to take precise measurements of it, so I am adding that to my DeLorean Shopping List. :)

Get the Delrin one from DPNW, it will outlast the rest of the car :) I was on the fence about it but after having installed it I can say it's an excellent quality part and there really aren't any drawbacks besides being somewhat difficult to install. You'll have to take the column out and use some mechanical force to snap it in (I used a threaded rod, 24mm deepwell socket, 2 nuts, some fender washers and vice grips) but after that you'll never fiddle with another bushing.

[Farrar]

Get the Delrin one from DPNW, it will outlast the rest of the car :)

I was told that Houston's would last a year, but after two months it was in pieces. I think the climate and roads here are very hard on that bushing.

[jawn101]

I was told that Houston's would last a year, but after two months it was in pieces. I think the climate and roads here are very hard on that bushing.

Yeah, it's thin and made of flimsy material. Not Houston's fault but rather just a period design with period materials. No point in screwing with it when there's something so vastly superior readily available, IMHO. Especially when it's only 6 extra bucks.

http://delorean-parts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=DPNW&Product_Code=101994DP

EDIT: Just noticed that the Houston bushing is listed as "improved" - so not period materials after all? No way a hunk of Delrin is going to fall apart on you though.

[Farrar]

Just noticed that the Houston bushing is listed as "improved" - so not period materials after all? No way a hunk of Delrin is going to fall apart on you though.

Correct: the Houston bushings are made of new material.

I am not familiar with Delrin. If it is so stiff, then would I not still have a clicking, vibrating steering wheel? I like the soft bushing because it's the next best thing you can get to a rag joint. The roads where I live are very rough and I don't like my steering wheel vibrating all the time. I just want an easier way of replacing the bushing every six months.

Here's my theory so y'all can shoot it down and/or make holes in it and/or dissuade me as appropriate: I think if I get a plastic square, make a hole in it the same size as the smallest edge of the bushing, then cut that plastic square in half. I can mount one half of the plastic square permanently to the car and make the other half removable. This would move the bushing toward the driver slightly, but would make R&R of the bushing a ten-minute job. (It would also not require removing the steering column, an operation during which I am almost guaranteed to break something or screw something up.)

Or maybe it's a bad idea. I trust y'all's judgment.

[jawn101]

Correct: the Houston bushings are made of new material.

I am not familiar with Delrin. If it is so stiff, then would I not still have a clicking, vibrating steering wheel? I like the soft bushing because it's the next best thing you can get to a rag joint. The roads where I live are very rough and I don't like my steering wheel vibrating all the time. I just want an easier way of replacing the bushing every six months.

Here's my theory so y'all can shoot it down and/or make holes in it and/or dissuade me as appropriate: I think if I get a plastic square, make a hole in it the same size as the smallest edge of the bushing, then cut that plastic square in half. I can mount one half of the plastic square permanently to the car and make the other half removable. This would move the bushing toward the driver slightly, but would make R&R of the bushing a ten-minute job. (It would also not require removing the steering column, an operation during which I am almost guaranteed to break something or screw something up.)

Or maybe it's a bad idea. I trust y'all's judgment.

It sounds like a reasonable enough idea, but it is really reinventing the wheel in more ways than one. Delrin is an advanced polymer characterized by its high strength, hardness and rigidity with a very low coefficient of friction (from Wikipedia) - this means that it provides a very soft feel when turning the column through it, but is exceedingly durable. The tolerances are so tight on both the outer and inner diameters that there is absolutely no rattle whatsoever. Pop the bushing into the firewall dry and smear a thin layer of lithium grease on the inner hole. The column end fits precisely through it with a tolerance I would measure in micrometers.

No rattle, scout's honor.

[Farrar]

No rattle, scout's honor.

Well, then, I guess it's time for me to investigate removal and replacement of the steering column! If I start spraying penetrating oil now, maybe I will be able to do the job some time in April. :lol:

[jawn101]

Well, then, I guess it's time for me to investigate removal and replacement of the steering column! If I start spraying penetrating oil now, maybe I will be able to do the job some time in April. :lol:

LOL, yeah :) If you feel at all like your shaft might need replacing, now or in the near future - this is 100% the time to do it as the column will have to come out for that too. Also a great time to do any binnacle work you might have on the radar.

Don't forget that the bolts on the steering shaft have to be *removed*, not just loosened for the column to come free. I didn't realize that when I did mine and worked way too hard as a result. Otherwise it's just 2 nyloc nuts and 3 wire connectors to remove. Not too bad, you can do it! :)

[Bitsyncmaster]

There were some problems with the "hard" bushing not adding drag on the column. I think the soft rubber will hold up if you prevent it from turning and cutting where it mounts. I locked mine in with RTV so it can not move. Time will tell if that makes it last.

[Farrar]

There were some problems with the "hard" bushing not adding drag on the column.

Is that Hervey's hard bushing (white) or DPNW's hard bushing (black)?

[jawn101]

There were some problems with the "hard" bushing not adding drag on the column.

Interesting perspective. I never thought of it being *too* smooth. I personally don't feel like there's an issue with this in my car but my original bushing was so worn out that as long as it didn't feel like metal on metal it was an improvement.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Is that Hervey's hard bushing (white) or DPNW's hard bushing (black)?

Don't remember. But I do remember many had to take a file to it to get the thing to work.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Interesting perspective. I never thought of it being *too* smooth. I personally don't feel like there's an issue with this in my car but my original bushing was so worn out that as long as it didn't feel like metal on metal it was an improvement.

I may have miss worded my statment. It would bind on the column and make it hard to turn.

[jawn101]

I may have miss worded my statment. It would bind on the column and make it hard to turn.

Ah. Absolutely not the case with the DPNW part. No comment on if one could then infer that it was the other, competing hard plastic bushing that would need modification to work properly. ;)

[Farrar]

Thanks to Steve Rice, Sparky is back on the ground now. His floor jack is superior to mine in two ways: it is shorter, and it raises higher. I was unaware that there was such a thing as a "low profile jack" until now -- so I am going to buy one since I am tired of crawling under the car and lifting it with my shoulder to get the jack underneath. The Duralast jack that I bought will live in the PT Cruiser in case I ever need to change a tire.

I have confirmed that the drip I found is gear oil from the final drive, leaking out around the passenger-side output flange. Looks like the Grady seals I got were either installed incorrectly or not up to the task. (And yes, we also installed the O-rings and sleeves when we did the job a year or so ago.) Those seals felt good to me so I doubt they were NOS but rather newly manufactured. Nonetheless, I have heard good things about John Hervey's double-lip seals. Since I am going to buy one of his rebuilt axles anyway, I might as well add those to the list.

[sean]

Those seals felt good to me so I doubt they were NOS but rather newly manufactured.

You'd probably know if they were NOS right away. NOS units have a wonderful metal band on the outside that show of a fine layer of oxidation from just sitting on the shelf, plus a nice old ring of felt on the inner lip.

[Farrar]

You'd probably know if they were NOS right away. NOS units have a wonderful metal band on the outside that show of a fine layer of oxidation from just sitting on the shelf, plus a nice old ring of felt on the inner lip.

In that case, they were definitely new. Either I installed them incorrectly or they're not quite as good as the originals.

[jawn101]

I *have* John's double-lip seals but have not installed them yet. They look to be really top quality stuff. I actually have them for the output shafts as well as the front and rear main engine seals. I did install the front (crank pulley) seal and it seated nicely and fixed that leak instantly. No felt to wear out.

[Farrar]

Strangely, the O'Reilly Auto Parts store website says that they have the output shaft seals in stock, but only for the automatic transmission. Since I remember quite clearly what the seals look like, I may go and have a look at what they have. I can't believe they would be correct, so if nothing else I can report to them that they need to change the listing on their website.

[DMCMW Dave]

That would be interesting, because the seals are the same for manual/auto.

[Farrar]

That would be interesting, because the seals are the same for manual/auto.

I think it must be a website error and they have some other seal incorrectly cross-referenced. Nonetheless, this cat is curious -- so I will stop by on my way home from work and see what it is.

[Farrar]

I had to go somewhere else instead, so I will check O'Reilly tomorrow. In the meantime, my vacuum hose has come in. I got 1/8" thick blue silicone hose from McMaster to redo all of my vacuum lines -- and I mean ALL of them, including the ones inside the car. The firm silicone grips very well, and I have had a problem with some of the old hose letting go. I also plan on replacing the hard plastic line that goes through the car with a contiguous silicone run. Although black hose is available, I got blue to make it different from all of the other black hoses in my engine compartment. (I would like to eventually get another color for the coolant hoses -- preferably green. But that's a long way off.) The only drawback with the blue McMaster hose is that it's translucent, which means that eventually parts of it will look ugly with oily residue inside. But now that I think of it, translucent air hose would also be diagnostically useful -- easy to see if I have a block or kink somewhere, or if the engine is sucking oil badly. Anyway, it doesn't matter since I am the only one who will ever look at it. :)

Tomorrow will be a big day -- I plan on taking out the driver's seat to fix the stud, and replacing the vacuum hoses and intake manifold O-rings. Then if I am lucky I can fire up the engine and see if I have a vacuum leak.

[opethmike]

I had to go somewhere else instead, so I will check O'Reilly tomorrow. In the meantime, my vacuum hose has come in. I got 1/8" thick blue silicone hose from McMaster to redo all of my vacuum lines -- and I mean ALL of them, including the ones inside the car. The firm silicone grips very well, and I have had a problem with some of the old hose letting go. I also plan on replacing the hard plastic line that goes through the car with a contiguous silicone run. Although black hose is available, I got blue to make it different from all of the other black hoses in my engine compartment. (I would like to eventually get another color for the coolant hoses -- preferably green. But that's a long way off.) The only drawback with the blue McMaster hose is that it's translucent, which means that eventually parts of it will look ugly with oily residue inside. But now that I think of it, translucent air hose would also be diagnostically useful -- easy to see if I have a block or kink somewhere, or if the engine is sucking oil badly. Anyway, it doesn't matter since I am the only one who will ever look at it. :)

Tomorrow will be a big day -- I plan on taking out the driver's seat to fix the stud, and replacing the vacuum hoses and intake manifold O-rings. Then if I am lucky I can fire up the engine and see if I have a vacuum leak.

Gotta love Mcmaster. I am using a bunch of their silicone hose for the new vacuum lines my EFI conversion needed.

[Farrar]

I did not get around to installing all of the silicone hose today, but I did get to install the new O-rings under the intake manifold. I saw evidence of a vacuum leak in the form of stains where I took the old O-rings out -- the edge where the O-rings push in is very sharp and the O-rings had been cut by it. So this time I oiled the O-rings generously before putting them in. Although I didn't get a chance to start the engine, I was also able to install my security system, so I accomplished two things today! :D

[stevedmc]

I was also able to install my security system

Security system?

[Farrar]

Security system?

Yup. It's only mostly done, actually -- I didn't have time to install the remote control yesterday. I hope to get around to that today, but I have tons of other non-car stuff to do first.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Yup. It's only mostly done, actually -- I didn't have time to install the remote control yesterday. I hope to get around to that today, but I have tons of other non-car stuff to do first.

Set your priorities.:tongue_stick:

[jawn101]

Yup. It's only mostly done, actually -- I didn't have time to install the remote control yesterday. I hope to get around to that today, but I have tons of other non-car stuff to do first.

Damn, I was hoping it would be one of these...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBI0hmwISdA

[Farrar]

Set your priorities.:tongue_stick:

1. English paper (just finished)
2. Lunch
3. Grocery store
4. Math homework
5. Song transcription for one of the two bands I'm in
6. DeLorean

Those are my priorities of the moment. Supper may get in there somewhere, but I hope to get to the car before it's dark. Fingers crossed!

[Farrar]

1. English paper (just finished)
2. Lunch
3. Grocery store
4. Math homework
5. Song transcription for one of the two bands I'm in
6. DeLorean

I only got as far as #4. :( Good night.

In other news, I think I found out what a strange and occasional "thump" coming from the left rear of my car was coming from: a loose body/frame bolt. The bolt which screws into the captive nut in the end of the frame on the left side (17mm hex head, so presumably a M10x1.5 bolt) was so loose that I could turn it with my fingers. When I looked on the other side, I found that nut and bolt to both be missing entirely! I tightened the bolt and hope it solves the "thump," but now I realize the proper course of action would have been to remove both the nut and bolt, then take them both to the hardware store and get stainless steel replacements. Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain all week.

[Farrar]

Finally got a chance to get the pictures off of my camera from Saturday.

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That brown "stain" at the top of the recess for the O-ring looks like a possible vacuum leak to me. Perhaps the O-ring was damaged by the sharp edges of the recess in the block and created a leak. The edges of the chambers inside the intake manifold are also sharp, so I have to be careful how I put it on.

I lubricated the new O-rings before installing them.

My battery evidently was not very well-charged by the short drive I made with the car a few weeks ago -- just four days after installing a blinking red light, it had stopped blinking. :lol: Fortunately, I have a good battery in the daily driver and a long set of jumper cables.

[Farrar]

From the "One Thing Led To Another" department:

I decided to replace my vacuum lines today and this is what happened.

I knew this seat stud was broken...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa7HFNpOroo

...but I didn't know about this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MgGNt-tEEM

Water caused bunches of rust and for the wood to completely separate on the passenger side...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlrMXJcwNio

...but the driver's side wood is mostly attached.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNjyisa4X7M
HEY, WHERE'S MY STEERING COLUMN BUSHING? Oh, well -- least of my worries at this point.

Sparky's previous owner evidently skimped on fasteners:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbo8QVEPuGw


Here is where I stand now:
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I may not make it to Orlando in June.

[sean]

I may not make it to Orlando in June.
Lots of time to finish.

[stevedmc]

I may not make it to Orlando in June.

You will make it. Bill is talking about coming down for a tech day before DCS. We will get your car ready.

[Farrar]

Lots of time to finish.

Not at the rate I am working... :(


You will make it. Bill is talking about coming down for a tech day before DCS. We will get your car ready.

This is the first I have heard of Bill threatening, um I mean offering to come down. ;D

Bear in mind that on top of the damage I found to the interior, I still have no a/c -- it was 87 degrees during winter here so you can guarantee we will be driving to Orlando in record heat. I also haven't figured out why the cruise control doesn't work. A ten-hour drive with no cruise control is murder on my right leg. And I haven't even fixed the vacuum leak yet.

I think my car might scare Bill away...

Now I have to save up money for new carpet. I can survive on ham sandwiches and lemonade, but my girlfriend is used to a higher gustatory standard... saving that kind of money between now and June will be difficult... or I could just drive without carpets. :lol:

[sean]

I think my car might scare Bill away...


Nonsense!



:cool1:

[stevedmc]

Now I have to save up money for new carpet.

With all the vendors selling new sets of carpet, it should be fairly easy to pickup a set of used carpet in good condition at a low price. I wouldn't be surprised if someone would send you carpet for just the shipping cost if you asked nicely.

[Farrar]

With all the vendors selling new sets of carpet, it should be fairly easy to pickup a set of used carpet in good condition at a low price. I wouldn't be surprised if someone would send you carpet for just the shipping cost if you asked nicely.

That's a good idea. I will ask nicely.

In other news, further proof that my girlfriend is "a keeper" -- she bought me a lightweight, low-profile floor jack for my birthday! :D

[stevedmc]

In other news, further proof that my girlfriend is "a keeper" -- she bought me a lightweight, low-profile floor jack for my birthday! :D

She is awesome.

[Farrar]

Okay, so this is interesting...

When I took the seats out, I noticed that there appear to be thick washers adhered to the driver seats but not the passenger seat.

Lo and behold -- someone installed all eight washers on one seat.

8773

And of course they're all stuck together.

This car just gets more and more interesting!

One more question: these are body bolts, right? Can I assume that they connect with the frame?

8774

If so, then they are ground points. I may not be running a ground bus like Bill, but if these are good grounds, then I think I may have found a place to ground my inertia switch!

[sean]

Okay, so this is
One more question: these are body bolts, right? Can I assume that they connect with the frame?

Body bolts, yes, good ground points, no. Those bolts don't thread into the frame but rather into captive nuts. The seat belt anchors, however, do thread directly into the frame.

[Farrar]

Body bolts, yes, good ground points, no. Those bolts don't thread into the frame but rather into captive nuts. The seat belt anchors, however, do thread directly into the frame.

Thanks. That reminds me, I need to order some M10x1.5 bolts and square washers to replace the body bolts in the engine compartment. I am adding them to my McMaster order...

Oh, and I checked out what O'Reilly had listed as an output flange seal. National Part #1962. $4.06 including tax.

8795
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Looks like OEM to me.

[Farrar]

McMaster order placed:

- Black #6 sheet metal screws and finishing washers to replace all of the oddball, "make it fit" ones in the interior of the car.

- Stainless M8 lock-nuts to replace the rusted original lock-nuts under the seats.

- Nylon M8 washers for the lock-nuts above.

- ¼"-20 jack-nuts, enough to replace all of the ones in my rear fascia (installation tool included).

- Stainless hardware for the license plate surround and taillight lenses.

- New large washers for the seats.

- New M10x1.5 body bolts and captive nuts for the engine compartment.

Time for a ham sandwich and glass of lemonade.