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Thread: How To: Body and Frame Separation - Checklist

  1. #1
    Senior Member DrJeff's Avatar
    Join Date:  Feb 2012

    Location:  Houston TX

    Posts:    601

    My VIN:    6313

    How To: Body and Frame Separation - Checklist

    I just completed the Body-Frame separation for the TesLorean project. I built up this checklist from multiple listings on old and existing DeLorean forums (thanks to all the contributors).

    As regards the lift itself, not to many issues...
    - The handbrake/emergency brake cables rubbed against the LHS rear trailing arm as the car was lifting (just enough room to get the bent out of the way)
    - Two plates mounted on the underside of the fiberglass and above the front shock towers came lose. I suspect they were at one point glued or adhered to the fiberglass, but fell off during the lift.

    Do note that there are some alternatives to the method listed below (e.g. battery positive lead disconnection).

    ================================================== =
    Tree: Body Frame Separation
    Disconnect
    ___Front
    ______Bracing
    _________Front radiator shroud
    ______AC
    _________Evaporator Lines @ passenger wheel well
    ______Coolant
    _________Heater Core lines @ front firewall
    ______Control
    _________Steering linkage @ firewall
    _________Speedo cable at Angle Drive
    _________Brake lines @ master cylinder (master cylinder goes with body)
    ______Electrical
    _________Radiator Fan lines @ front frame
    _________Horn lines @ front frame
    _________Fuel level sender wiring @ sender
    _________fuel pump wiring @ fuel pump
    _________Front lighting wiring/ground junction area @ front crumple tubes
    ______Fuel
    _________Fuel filler hose @ fuel tank
    ______Hydraulics
    _________Clutch line @ master clutch cylinder
    _________Brake lines @ master cylinder
    ___Cabin
    ______Shift boot and shifter @ console/shifter area
    ______Mode switch vacuum lines @ engine bay / driver's pontoon ?
    ___Engine Bay
    ______Control
    _________Throttle cable @ spool
    ____________disconnect cable from spool
    ______Electrical
    _________Engine wiring @ connector box
    ____________7 'church window' connectors
    _________O2 sensor @ sensor
    ____________driver's side at front of rear wheel well
    _________Distributor wire (tachometer?) on a sprung connector - runs into the rear firewall on the LHS
    _________Alternator Power @ alternator
    ____________or alternative - remove positive cable from battery and push cable & grommet through firberglass
    ____________remove positive cable from 'post bolt' aft of engine wiring connector box
    _________Starter Power @ starter
    _________Automatic Transmission computer lines (if applicable)
    _________Battery ground cable @ passenger lower control arm AND @ rear frame
    _________Frame/body grounds @ rear quarter stainless panels
    ______Emissions
    _________Carbon Canister lines @ drivers pontoon
    ______Air
    _________Air duct to filter box @ passenger's pontoon
    ___Rear
    ______Control
    _________Emergency Brakes @ each brake caliper / rear hub
    ______Electrical
    _________Reverse switch connector - can be unplugged from the transmission on LHS
    ___Rear Fascia
    ______Engine cover release cable @ release
    ______Rear tail lights (for access)
    ______Fascia wiring assembly @ inside rear fascia
    ______Bolts along bottom of fascia
    _________plus two bolts, one each attached to bottom molding at rear quarter panel
    ______Rear fascia assembly (whole)
    _________common to see fender washers between rear fascia and end of pontoons, need to get inside pontoon to remove bolts/nuts
    _________Small ground wires run from the rear quarter panel to the rear frame rail, disconnect at rear frame rail
    ______Rear side marker lights
    _________pull wiring back into the rear fascia, remove the side marker housing to release the bulbs
    Bolts Removed
    ___2 bolts in the front trunk bolting to top of shock towers
    ___bolts inside cabin along center tunnel bolting sideways into the frame
    ______2 bolts towards the front (either side of the gear stick)
    ______2 bolts toward the rear just behind the seat belt (to frame) bolts
    ___2 seat belt bolts @ inner side of each seat
    ___2 above the rear shock towers (also holds on the rear brace that spans across the front of the rear engine bay)
    ___2 in rear pontoons @ pontoon inside, after rear fascia removed
    Jeff
    #6313 (lic: DMC-EV Texas), 25k miles, 100% leather, touchpad, 100% LED, dimmable LED dash, remote door lock & Elvis mod, all A/C vents in kneepads, wedgectomy, escutcheon velcro fix, GM door chimer, custom arm rest/storage/controls...

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  May 2019

    Location:  Ellensburg, WA

    Posts:    190

    My VIN:    5510

    I just used this list this past weekend on my DeLorean and it was SUPER HELPFUL. Thank you SO MUCH! It saved me hours of time, for sure. We only had a few snagged things once we started jacking the car up.

    I wanted to make some suggestions for other items that people should disconnect or know about before they jump into the process. Here they are:

    • AC system has to be discharged and recovered, since it will be disconnected. [Did not apply to me, my AC system was not connected]
    • Coolant needs to be drained out of the system. Recommend jacking up the rear of the car while doing it to get as much as possible.
    • Even after draining the coolant, the heater core had a lot left inside - so when disconnecting it, prepare yourself with a bucket. When you jack the car up in the rear, more will come out here, too.
    • There is no 'Reverse switch connector' on the automatic transmission.
    • There is a thin black tube that goes from the left of the engine bay to the front of the engine, to the 'vacuum advance unit'. The tube pulls right off.
    • Both of the "air deflector plates", if you have them, need to come off. There are 3 screws that hold them to the body, and then little slide clips that attach to the frame.
    • The automatic has a connector for the computer that's mounted on the firewall (as noted in the original list), mine actually had a large L-shaped stainless connector, and I disconnected the whole thing together.
    • Ignition coil needs to be disconnected or maybe loosened and removed. We disconnected the wiring, but left the ignition coil attached to the body.
    • Coolant reservoir on the right side of the engine bay needs to be disconnected from the body.


    I think many of these are obvious to anyone with some experience fixing cars... but that isn't me. I'm very happy I had someone with a lot more experience helping me out. Again, thank you a hundred times over for the list!!

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  May 2019

    Location:  Ellensburg, WA

    Posts:    190

    My VIN:    5510

    I forgot another one!

    • Drain or pump out the brake fluid in the master cylinder. I used a cheap pump to get as much as I could out through the top, then removed the brake lines and let it drain the last little bit out.

  4. #4
    Senior Member SupercoolBill's Avatar
    Join Date:  Oct 2021

    Posts:    869

    Pulling the body off my frame. This info will come in useful.

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Senior Member 82DMC12's Avatar
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Olathe, KS

    Posts:    1,654

    My VIN:    11596

    Big Thanks to DrJeff for the original post in this thread. I used it when I did my own body-frame separation last year. I also made notes on anything that was missing or unclear. I have now put it into a google sheets file so it can be edited as needed. Here is an export PDF of my version of the checklist. I'd like to think it's complete but if anyone uses it and has feedback for me, please do share it and I will update the PDF.



    DeLorean Body - Frame Separation Checklist.pdf
    Andy Lien

    VIN 11596 Jan 1982 build - owned since Nov. 2000!
    Total frame-off restoration completed 2021-2023

    Photography and Backpacking is life.

    Was Fargo, ND
    Now Kansas City

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