man, that sucks! sorry to hear it. :frown:
Printable View
man, that sucks! sorry to hear it. :frown:
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfirios
What a bunch of f***s.
How much other damage besides the stolen grill? The A-hole must have known how the grille attaches to go through the trouble, Unless it was partially knocked loose by the Hit-N-RunQuote:
Originally Posted by jfirios
I've often thought about how easy it is to remove the grill. There must be some way to thief-proof it, maybe bolt it on from behind or something, so that you have to remove a headlight to get to it. It would be worth the hassle I think, as you're talking over 400 dollars for a new grille and badge.Quote:
Originally Posted by DMC5180
Not my car, but considering I've done more work on others' DeLoreans than I have my own for over a year, I figure it's worth posting.
A fellow D owner about an hour and a quarter's drive from me blew his head gasket, and then had them replaced. The mechanic gave the car back to him running very badly. Since it's his only car, he needs to have it running reliably, so an emergency get-together was scheduled for this morning. I arrived late -- they were installing new spark plugs as the ones installed were black with soot.
Although he could get the engine started with starting fluid, it wouldn't idle -- without his foot on the throttle, the engine would die. We verified fuel pump relay was good and no blockage in the fuel lines. After starting the engine, we listened to it and it sounded like the timing was WAY off. I could smell unburned gasoline within seconds.
Four DeLorean owners present, and I am the only one with a timing light...
... but NONE of us had an 11mm wrench! :lol:
So after a quick trip to pick up the appropriate tool, the timing was adjusted to roughly the top mark at idle. The timing is slightly above 10°, but he has other problems including a lack of rest/residual fuel pressure. An afternoon thundershower prevented us making any more progress, but at least he now has a car that he can drive anywhere, provided he has a can of starting fluid handy.
I am hoping that the "carma" I acquired from this sojourn will aid me in solving the "no start from key" problem on my own car, which I hope to tackle later this month.
I've run across one bolted on from behind. Very theftproof, but, yes, a hassle. Especially when we didn't know it was attached like that!Quote:
Originally Posted by MML
Latest progress is further along than planned - I've delayed my next works of installing new radiator, fans, and silicone hoses in favour of focussing on getting her onto the road and registered first. Then I'll take her apart again :)
So new booster/servo, master cylinder, various hoses and clips, etc fitted and the brake and clutch reservoirs cleaned and looking brand new (excluding yellowing obviously). Boy that booster was a difficult bugger to get out and in!
Have fired her up a few more times to run-in and more thoroughly bleed the coolant given I'll leave her running this way for a month or two.
Picked up some connectors and pigtails to convert my stock idle speed control to a modern idle air control valve setup, controlled by my Megasquirt ECU.
yeah i know it sucks. It was a little loos from the impact. He scrapped the front of my bumper and pushed the grill into the drivers side lights. Luckily the damage is just to the facia and the headlight buckets. Danny wrote me up an estimate over at DMC Cali, just the headlight replacements and buckets and R & R of the facia, 1800 bucks. Though I am thinking of taking this opportunity to custom make a new front grill. Possibly fiberglass or carbon fiber and have the DMC logo lit up to match the back lit delorean letters in the rear facia.
Had i been one inch behind he would have missed me all together, had i been an inch forward, he would have taken the bumper off and possibly bent the front frame.
So looking positive on it, It could have been a lot worse.
Cleaned the garage around it. Pretty sad that I still can't drive it, but trying to stay optimistic and look forward to how great it will be when I can again.
Removed the driver's side rear outer door seal. Removal of the rubber took 3 minutes, removal of the combination of 3M adhesive and 30 year old original glue took at least an hour. Thankfully only three more outer seals to go!
Only an hour? You must share your secret... lolQuote:
Originally Posted by DrJeff
Ya really, Took me half a day on one door set using 3M general Adhesive Remover. Soak, sit, scrap, take a break and repeat, repeat, repeat and repeat. Short sections at a time until clean. In fact Now that I spent all that time cleaning them up, I'm reluctant to put the New seals on for fear that, as soon as I do, i'll need to remove one again for some reason.
And in CA, we can't even get the good adhesive removers. I had to do the whole thing with Goo Gone and maybe a hundred razor blades, and that was just for one quarter panel. Took about 4 hours over the course of maybe 3 days.Quote:
Originally Posted by DMC5180
Strait lacquer thinner. Certainly you can get that stuff, right? I used that stuff for all my adhesive cleaning this spring. You need industrial gloves though as it seems to each through nitrile gloves annoyingly quickly. Its a mix of Acetone, mineral spirits, and a bunch of other good stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by jawn101
Yeah, that stuff we can get... how do you protect things like the plastic infill panels/fiberglass body/rub strips while you're applying it?Quote:
Originally Posted by dmc6960
I scrapped with a very sharp chisel (like a razor blade but with a sturdy handle), which got rid of most of the 3M black adhesive. I then used Mineral Spirits dabbed onto a cloth and then rubbed like mad into the adhesive. I did my best to avoid anything other than adhesive stuck to the stainless edging. I've used mineral spirits to clean up over-application of 3M before and it dissolves dried-in 3M pretty good. The old adhesive pretty much just succumbed to physical abuse. Last step was a rub down with a ScotchBrite pad (just on the cleaned edge).Quote:
Originally Posted by jawn101
Apply to a towel and rub. This stuff evaporates quickly so you'll need to do it often. It doesn't affect most plastics, but do NOT get it on anything painted. I actually used it directly on my door vapor barriers with no ill-affects this spring. Definitely use a scraper blade first to get rid of the bulk of the stuff first though.Quote:
Originally Posted by jawn101
Incorporated the adjustable link/belt tensioner mod for the alternator (reference: DMCTalk Post). Have had the parts for over a month, only found/made time today to install it, a quick install btw. This simplifies an alternator belt change greatly, especially as it will happen on the road when it does happen.
Thanks to Matt for the mod tip, and Josh Q. for the part number (March Performance #655-RA-1.625).
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?at...4&d=1341855679
Looks good Ozzie. I was a bit paranoid when I did mine, and bought a longer bolt for the alternator connection. I've got a nut securing it. Did you use a lock washer or something?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzie
Had a minor revelation today. A few months ago, when the driver's door was opened up to replace the window regulator, a small black plastic piece with a circular indentation fell out from inside. I had no idea what it was, until someone posted a photo of their mirror switch... it was the top part of the little "joystick" that adjusts the mirrors. I had no idea there was anything like that on it. Snapped it back into place, job done.
Thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris 16409
Yup, have a lock washer on both actually.
I did think the same thing but that bolt is more than halfway into the alternator.
...maybe I'll change it as well, was easy enough to get in there.
Discovered my clutch master cylinder is stuffed - is responsible for the pedal being stiff as crap, it's full of horrid brown crap, the hoses deteriorating, and it was borderline to leaking (was sitting at the seal but not actually dripping out yet).
Ripped it all out and have replacement master, slave, and hoses on their way international priority so I can (hopefully) still conduct bleeding and commence first shakedown cruise this weekend as planned...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris 16409
Done. (Thanks for the keen eye and motivation Chris.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzie
Replaced previously pictured short bolt into alternator with a longer bolt, essentially sandwiching the alternator bracket, with nut/lock washer/washer on the other other end (also put some anti-seize on threads). Ten minute job (including looking for tools)...looks more robust(?)/reliable this way.
This mod really makes belt maintenance a breeze.
Removed my steering rack and tightened up the passenger side inner tie rod. I hope that it works and stays tight
Think that will help with the pulling?Quote:
Originally Posted by vwdmc16
No that must be something bent, I need to see if I have too much castor on one side of the front. This tightening should stop that banging noise that occurs when I stomp the brakes.
I finished wireing up all the relays for the new window switches and installed the center console. That light at the end of the tunnel is getting really bright. Just hope it isnt a train. :)
Thank you all so much for your help and input on the forum and especially Dave over at DMC Midwest. He designed the new relay system for the push button window switches. They Look Awesome and work like a charm. Hope to have the rest of the interior finished by this weekend.
Then it is custom front grill. :)
Washed and detailed it for the big local car show tomorrow. Had a man and his three kids bike by and go crazy over it....Handed out three hotwheels to the kids and explained to the man that John is dead...not in jail ;)
Replaced clutch master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder (holy heck what a job!!!), stainless braided hose (because I'm anal), reservoir hose, and my thoroughly cleaned reservoir.
Bled clutch, bled brakes, and conducted basic testing within garage.
Many thanks to Julee @ DMC MidWest and FedEx for getting the clutch parts to me just in time for today's work - from U.S. to Australia in three days flat!
With fuel, brake, and clutch systems now completely overhauled #6679 is (weather permitting) ready for her first shakedown cruise tomorrow! :wiggle:
Replaced old 5 piece cowl under windshield, with a shiny new 1 piece cowl. Replaced door lamps and courtesy lamps, with DMCH's LED kit.
Drove it home for the first time, and parked it in my own garage!
Just curious, did you remove the intake manifold when you did it or just climb over everything? I'm about to do mine - well I keep putting it off - so I'm curious if you were able to do it without major disassembly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tillsy
Cheers,
Steve
I found that it was very easy to remove/replace the slave cylinder after removing the engine and transmission from the car. :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by mluder
Replaced all stock shocks to Spax from DPI. Installed front lowering springs and cleaned and repainted the the rear springs. Also installed new poly sway bar bushings. Now the stance is were it should have been. LOVE IT. Got done with the job, grabbed a beer and a chair just to sit and look.:thumbup:
Congrats Stephen! How does it drive?Quote:
Originally Posted by dmc3130
Like a champ. Going up to Placerville today. Get to feel her out a little bit better. I'm running about 10 clicks on the shocks right now, may need to go up some more. When I get my camera uploaded I'll post some pics. How's your project going?Quote:
Originally Posted by jawn101
Depending the road condition you may want to the lower the fronts to almost zero clicks. I've found 8-10 to be about right in the back and 0-4 up front. Primary reason is the Weight bias. You want the front to absorb high speed bumps. Of coarse if you are driving hard on smooth twisting road, then crank'em up :-)
Didn't remove a thing - not the intake, hoses, or even the engine cover. The most difficult part was getting the pin out of the slave, but I came up with a trick for manoeuvring/forcing that. I have posted a list of our (successful) steps on pages 2 and 3 of the Replacing clutch slave thread - hope it helps as, ignoring the full day we spent on the job, those were ultimately all it took to get the job done! Now that I've done it I would definitely not put it off if I needed to do it again some day.Quote:
Originally Posted by mluder
LOL!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by jawn101
Finished a few odds and ends yesterday, such as clamping down the new hose runs, and then took #6679 on her first two shakedown cruises. Both were meant to be quick 2 minute laps around the block but I was having such a ball that I continued navigating through my neighbourhood streets for 45 minutes both times.
She ran an absolute treat with only three issues:
1. Little to no vacuum to the booster (made for very tough 45 minute drives!)
2. Third gear crunches/grinds into place - all other gears are perfectly fine (ultimately skipped third in favour of continuing the drives ;))
3. Passenger door lock solenoid does not activate in sequence with the driver's lock anymore