Project DeLorean

TECH/HINTS

In this section, I'll post "real world" solutions to problems you may encounter while restoring or working on your DeLorean. If it's covered in the workshop manual, I won't cover it here. However the manual was written assuming ideal conditions that frequently won't exist on a real, 19 year old car. So I will try to pickup where the manual doesn't help or just address the problem. Also, if you've had a probem that I haven't covered here, feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help in any way I can.

Fuel Distributor: DON'T TAKE THEM APART! This bit of wisdom comes from experience. I figured I'd take it apart to clean it. Well I cleaned it, reassembled it and tried it. IT LEAKED! I cleaned it again. (with alcohol while wearing surgical gloves) IT LEAKED AGAIN! I tried using a permatex-type sealant on the metal gasket. IT STILL LEAKED. I dissassembled it again, removed all the sealant and tried a spray-on sealant. IT STILL F**KING LEAKED! So, my advice to anyone considering disassembling the fuel distributor; DON'T. They truly are "non-servicable" (and GOD I hate to admit that!)

Trailing Arm Pivot Bolts Seized: Trying to remove the trailing arms, but after removing the nuts, find that the bolt is seized into the bushing sleeve and you have no room to try to free it while working up there in the transmission tunnel? On either side of the trailing arm bushings, on the outside of the frame, you'll find two bolts going into a bracket welded to the frame. (Check to make sure that the rear bolt is not double-nutted. Mine were and I broke one of the bolts because of it.) Remove these bolts and you can remove the trailing arm with the bushing still attached. Once out, you can place the bolt over a large socket and , using either a soft hammer or a block of wood over the threads, drive the bolt out of the bushing.

Spinning Riv-Nuts: Ever tried to loosen a bolt in the firewall around the engine, but it just spun and wouldn't seem to loosen? The threaded insert ("riv-nut") is seized to the bolt or screw and is just spinning in the fiberglass. No real easly solution here. You can try drilling out the entire bolt or screw, or you 'll need to get to the back side of the panel (This may require removing some panels) and clamp a pair of vice grips to the insert, then loosen the bolt or screw. Once you get it out, it's best to drill out the riv-nut and replace it with a new one. this time, put an anti-seize compound on the threads. : )

More to come....

	TECH/HINTS
	In this section, I'll post "real world" solutions to problems you may encounter while restoring or working on your DeLorean. If it's covered in the workshop manual, I won't cover it here. However the manual was written assuming ideal conditions that frequently won't exist on a real, 19 year old car. So I will try to pickup where the manual doesn't help or just address the problem. Also, if you've had a probem that I haven't covered here, feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help in any way I can.
	Fuel Distributor: DON'T TAKE THEM APART! This bit of wisdom comes from experience. I figured I'd take it apart to clean it. Well I cleaned it, reassembled it and tried it. IT LEAKED! I cleaned it again. (with alcohol while wearing surgical gloves) IT LEAKED AGAIN! I tried using a permatex-type sealant on the metal gasket. IT STILL LEAKED. I dissassembled it again, removed all the sealant and tried a spray-on sealant. IT STILL F**KING LEAKED! So, my advice to anyone considering disassembling the fuel distributor; DON'T. They truly are "non-servicable" (and GOD I hate to admit that!)

	Trailing Arm Pivot Bolts Seized: Trying to remove the trailing arms, but after removing the nuts, find that the bolt is seized into the bushing sleeve and you have no room to try to free it while working up there in the transmission tunnel? On either side of the trailing arm bushings, on the outside of the frame, you'll find two bolts going into a bracket welded to the frame. (Check to make sure that the rear bolt is not double-nutted. Mine were and I broke one of the bolts because of it.) Remove these bolts and you can remove the trailing arm with the bushing still attached. Once out, you can place the bolt over a large socket and , using either a soft hammer or a block of wood over the threads, drive the bolt out of the bushing.

	Spinning Riv-Nuts: Ever tried to loosen a bolt in the firewall around the engine, but it just spun and wouldn't seem to loosen? The threaded insert ("riv-nut") is seized to the bolt or screw and is just spinning in the fiberglass. No real easly solution here. You can try drilling out the entire bolt or screw, or you 'll need to get to the back side of the panel (This may require removing some panels) and clamp a pair of vice grips to the insert, then loosen the bolt or screw. Once you get it out, it's best to drill out the riv-nut and replace it with a new one. this time, put an anti-seize compound on the threads. : )

	More to come....