VIN 11596 Frame Swap - a rolling frame-off restoration

[82DMC12]

Day 7

Not a lot of progress on the car ITSELF today but I had to get some ducks in a row prior to Frame Drop Day. I had to work until noon and I'm on Daddy Duty as of 6:00 PM

Stopped by Harbor Freight to grab another furniture dolly and some orange hand cleaner. Menards for some Shop Towels (6 pack of course). Walmart for water, gatorade, and soda for the Frame Party. Picked up BBQ at Oklahoma Joes for dinner for the wife and I.

Actual car stuff done this afternoon:

• Removed the center console
• Removed the four body bolts along the center tunnel as well as the seat belt latches.
• Remove radiator fan shroud
• Removed lower speedo cable from angle drive and lambda counter and then pushed it up into the driver floor inside
• Drained engine oil and manual trans oil and dropped it off at Autozone

That's about it. I still need to get 15 more bricks and two 4x4 beams. Tomorrow gets serious as it's my first day of vacation and I should be able to get a ton done uninterrupted!

[82DMC12]

Day 8

This was a big day and about halfway through I knew I was at a point of no return. I printed off this checklist and put it in a clipboard:

https://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1...tion-Checklist

I intentionally followed it in order and made sure every move I made was already documented, and if not, I wrote it in the margin. I probably found a half dozen other disconnections or other warnings / recommendations as I went. I'll be updating that checklist with more detail and sharing it with everyone eventually.

The whole checklist went remarkably smooth, scary in fact, but not really surprising since virtually every point in the list I've already touched or worked on in my ownership so I knew that it will, indeed, come apart! And I had the tools needed to do it.

The only part I could not get was the smaller pipe that attaches to the evaporator simply because there was very limited access for wrenches. I can't remember how I did it before. Luckily I was able to disconnect the sight glass downstream and that avoided the issue for now.

I had silicone plugs and caps of various sizes from Amazon which came in real handy to plug off stuff I don't want to get dirty or moisture inside.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HFZLYYC...roduct_details
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GPJJRY5...roduct_details

I started at about 7 AM and was finished around 3AM. The only thing I did not do was removing the rear bumper and the engine cover since I wanted extra hands to assist me with it. Note that the engine cover doesn't have to come off but I'm going to have another owner in Kansas City help with refinishing it while I have the time.

Here's the sight glass junction I removed while the aluminum pipe above it stayed on the evaporator pipe. Debating if I should remove it to change the o-ring or just let it sit there undisturbed! I obviously had it off a few (maybe 7?) years ago so it's definitely not damaged or anything. Thoughts??

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[Helirich]

I’ve not seen a sight glass on a car before. It looks just like one on a walk-in freezer at my wife’s restaurant. Is that something you installed? I suppose the wet/dry indicator is toast. I still like them.

[82DMC12]

I’ve not seen a sight glass on a car before. It looks just like one on a walk-in freezer at my wife’s restaurant. Is that something you installed? I suppose the wet/dry indicator is toast. I still like them.

Good point, not sure if it's toast or not. It came from John Hervey because that is the air conditioning kit I installed a few years back. To be honest if it's toast I don't really care as long as the switch still works!

[82DMC12]

Day 9

FRAME PARTY DAY!!

First of all, I want to thank the following super cool owners and friends who helped make today happen - painterdave72 (David Hudgins), Matthew Mangels and his son Elijah, Alvin Erhart and his son Johnny, Joey, and my wife for baking the cookies!

Today went extremely well and the process was straight-forward and well-planned for mostly thanks to Andy Orton's excellent youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-AmAyELV8s

We basically did EXACTLY what is shown in this video and had zero issue lifting the body off and rolling out the chassis. We used EXACTLY 40 4x8x16 hollow concrete bricks ($1.27 each at Sutherlands) and two 4x4x8ft wood beams. I debated getting 10 ft beams for extra width but it turned out that 8 foot is very doable and what I would recommend if working in a home garage where you need to minimize lost floor space during the restoration.

What to do with the bricks and beams when I'm done? Not sure. This like 1,400 lbs of brick which took 4 trips in my SUV to pick up so I'd rather someone just come get them when I'm done. I'm sure I can get rid of them fast-ish on Marketplace.

Anyway everyone arrived around 9:30 AM and we pretty quickly went to work removing the fascia and then disconnecting the shift linkage and crossgate from the transmission so we wouldn't have to monkey with it topside later on. By 11 AM we were ready to lift the body up. I shared the Andy Orton video with everyone on our facebook chat a few days prior so they had an idea of we will do. We had one man on each corner manning a scissor jack and about three people walking around and spotting to make sure nothing is getting caught. Generally we lifted up together as a team, turning the jack three revolutions before stopping to confirm all is good. As soon as we could add a new brick to the support stack we did so. We had to let the body back down to the support stack four times so we could add another brick under the jack to get more vertical lift. And back and forth we went until we had the beams under the body (making sure not to hit the M6 studs sticking down to secure the trailing arm shields) and then lifted high enough to get the shift lever and radiator rolling underneath and out. I think we had the chassis out by 12:30 PM.

After a pizza break the next task was to lift out the engine and transmission from the old frame. We had to do that in the driveway and thankfully there was cloud cover most of the time or it would have been a hot, sweaty ordeal. It took a couple hours to remove the exhaust from the engine (DMCH Stage 1 installed about 15 years ago) and then a bit longer to remove the transmission mounts from the transmission and frame. After that, the engine came out fairly easily but at an odd angle because I didn't have a load leveler for the hoist.

At that point it was mid afternoon and about time for most to get back home. We pushed the hoist and drivetrain into the garage and then pushed the old frame back under the body after removing the radiator and shifter.

Only casualties that I can see so far is a scratch on my water pump pulley and the little finger on the throttle that hits the full throttle switch came off of the spool but I think I can solder that back on no problem. I'd call that a success!

https://youtu.be/7pbMs8lQfrs

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[82DMC12]

Day 10

Might not look like I got a ton done today but I really did. First, I got the garage organized again and my tools and cleaned and put away where they belong.

Then I took apart the radiator/fans/condenser so I could assess my leaking radiator. It's a DMCH radiator only about 7 years old but there's a very tiny seep somewhere near the petcock but behind the fan shroud. I took it apart but didn't see any obvious leak besides coolant exactly where I thought I'd find it. However I did see the mounting stud and square captivating thing on the same side is bent quite a bit. Looking at the radiator bracket, that's also bent. I know I didn't strike anything but maybe it was already bent and I tightened the radiator down to match the bent bracket. And that put stress somewhere in the radiator in that spot. Anyway, I'm bringing it in to a radiator shop tomorrow for an assessment.

Next, I tried to find a transmission jack for rental - no one open today on Labor Day. Also the muffler shop I wanted to go to to get my Stage 1 exhaust separated from the muffler was also closed (we couldn't get it apart even with a torch but I know those exhaust guys know exactly what to do). That will be first thing tomorrow.

Then, I decided to chase all the threaded holes in the new frame. I made a list as I went so I'll make a google doc to share with everyone. The only threads I didn't get to was the two SAE holes - the seatbelt mounting hole and the rear upper control arm hole. I don't have standard taps so I'll have to grab them tomorrow.

After that, I rolled the old frame out halfway from under the
car and removed all the rest of the internal parts - the accumulator, shift linkage, and crossgate cable. No big surprises there but the shift linkage needs to be powder coated badly.

Finally, I started to actually DRESS THE NEW FRAME. I put all the frame clips I had into the frame but have some questions... The driver side pair of vacuum pipes are different sizes and it doesn't seem like the white twin clips I bought will work for them, so I need to check with the vendors on that. I attached the heater cores pipes (new NOS) so that was pretty cool. I also have some new NOS fuel pipes so I set them down on my old frame to double check and make sure they are correct. I have new olives and swivel nuts so everything on the fuel side will be new but I'm re-using the vacuum pipes because they don't really go bad. Also very big and expensive to ship.

I have a big order on the way from DeLorean Industries but until then, I still have PLENTY to do.... stay tuned tomorrow. Need to drop off exhaust, parts for powder coating, get a transmission jack, drop off radiator, and then probably drop the fuel tank out and start assembling fuel pipes.

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[Helirich]

Good point, not sure if it's toast or not. It came from John Hervey because that is the air conditioning kit I installed a few years back. To be honest if it's toast I don't really care as long as the switch still works!

The sight glass is still useful even if the wet/dry part doesn’t work. When operating, it should not have any bubbles.

On you blocks, technically you should have not stack them that way. You would probably done better (safer) to get ordinary 8x8x16 blocks and stack them with holes vertical. But I’m sure your fine with the weight of the body.

Great work so far! Very exciting!

[82DMC12]

The sight glass is still useful even if the wet/dry part doesn’t work. When operating, it should not have any bubbles.

On you blocks, technically you should have not stack them that way. You would probably done better (safer) to get ordinary 8x8x16 blocks and stack them with holes vertical. But I’m sure your fine with the weight of the body.

Great work so far! Very exciting!

Yeah, I don't know. I was at the lumber yard looking at them and trying to decide if I should get the solid blocks or the hollow blocks. The hollow blocks sure are a lot easier to maneuver. I tried to Google it and it looked like they could hold something like 1300 PSI. I'm sure it's technically not correct but it seems to be ok.... So far!

[Helirich]

I’ve heard the best way to stack blocks is vertical holes with a piece of 3/4” plywood between each block. But again, you don’t really have much weight on your blocks.

Are you going to make the back cross tube removable? I understand a lot of people do it and it makes remove/install the engine much easier. I’ve not seen pics, but I think they just have it bolt on with a couple pieces of angle iron. Seems like it would be easy for you to do it now. I don’t think the “non stock” issue would bother most people. You could probably do it somewhat “stealth”.

[82DMC12]

Day 11

Today was a good day. I started out by rounding up all the parts I want to get powder coated so they can head on off to David Hudgins and he can get working on them. Parts to refinish include:

• Both shift levers that go inside the frame (black)
• Bracket that holds the crossgate cable to the transmission (cadmium yellow)
• Both front radiator lower supports (cadmium)
• Both front extension recall brackets (black)
• Both rear fascia mounting brackets (black)
• Three brackets that attach to the rear of the transmission and hold shift linkage / crossgate stuff as well as the little one on top that holds the clutch line to the transmission case (cadmium)
• Mounting plate for the starter (black)
• Two water pipe support brackets (cadmium)
• The NLA "transmission cooler bracket" that goes onto the passenger side of the frame - now that was a bitch to take apart but I saved it (cadmium)

That's about it. There are no other brackets or small metal parts suitable for coating in this project that I haven't already done.

Next I took the radiator to a local shop to get an assessment on repairing it. They will get it to by next week.

Then I rented a transmission jack and in about 30 minutes I had the transmission separated from the engine and lowered to the floor level. Easy job with the right tools. I then used my new air impact gun to remove the bellhousing and end cap from the transmission (saving the 5th gear detent spring and ball of course).

The bellhousing has to go to a machine shop to get the clutch slave M7 mounting bolts removed - the heads snapped off. Also I found my clutch fork retaining piece is broken, so I'm on the hunt for a new clutch fork.

Does the ball come off of the bellhousing? I didn't mess with it too much.

Then I finished chasing the seatbelt bolt threads (SAE 7/16-20!) and then got about halfway through the SAE 1/2-20 rear upper link threads before I realized I need a much longer tap to do it, and a bottom tap would be best. So maybe I'll find it at Grainger or if not I'll order it online. But then I'll have every thread on the whole frame chased.

Tomorrow I will split the transmission open and give it an inspection. The casing is going to go to a vapor honing service to get refinished. Tomorrow I'll also remove the clutch and replace the rear main seal (leaking).

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