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Monday, 8 July 1996 Volume 02 : Number 138
In this issue:
Your gullwing doors are open........
Caravan to expo 96
Delorean World Magazine?
License Plate Light Assemblies
Air Circulation
Tail lights
Fuel Pump
Re: Plastic Wiper Caps
DeLorean in a commercial
engine type, headliners, license plate lite, DW, knee-board
Re: fuel pump
delorean soon to be sold
Re: Fuel Pump
Headliners
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wolfie??? Wolfie!!!, awolf(AT)pacific.telebyte.net
Date: Sat, 6 Jul 1996 04:50:10 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Your gullwing doors are open........
I recall, while flipping through an old "DeGullWing" leaflet, something
about a warning assembly that talked to you. This informed you of
critical
fuel, oil pressure, temperature, levels, we well as door open, key in
ignition,
etc. This was said to have interchangable cartridges for different
voices/personalities, I believe it came with what they called "tiffini"
If I also remember correctly, there was word on the same page about a
special cartridge specifically for the DeLorean.
This seemed like a good idea, but I dismissed it, due to the fact that
the "ad" was several years old.
Anyone have any information on this, I'd love to give my DeLorean the
voice it deserves. hmmmmm, I think a beautiful, 5'4" brunette with a
light
innocent, yet...how do I put it....Naughty, voice?...
Well well well, I'm sure I sound pretty psychotic now, don't I?...heheh.
At any rate, as I said, if anyone has information on this product or a
similar one, I'd really appreciate it.
hmmmmm, at the sound of risking any flakier then I already am...What
type of person do your cars remind you of?
Wolfie
------------------------------
From: MGintis(AT)aol.com
Date: Sat, 6 Jul 1996 08:40:13 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Caravan to expo 96
Is anyone going to Nashville from NE. I would like to caravan
------------------------------
From: Scott Tester, testersd(AT)appstate.campus.mci.net
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 09:51:05 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Delorean World Magazine?
Does anybody know how I can get a subscription to Delorean World
Magazine?
Thanks
Scott Tester testersd(AT)appstate.mci.net
------------------------------
From: Chase Clark, stormrider(AT)socketis.net
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 09:51:16 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: License Plate Light Assemblies
Anyone know of a close replacement or cross-reference to another car for
the license plate lights assemblies? I remove mine to rewire them (Yes, I
know how to do that now), and discovered that the left side one had melted
on one side and is unusable. I suppose that if worse comes to worse, I can
call KAPAC, but I was hoping they matched ones from an old MG, Jaguar or
something I could find at a local salvage yard.
~ Chase
------------------------------
From: Chase Clark, stormrider(AT)socketis.net
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 09:51:22 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Air Circulation
OK, I did some checking on my A/C and ventilation system yesterday. For
those who have little to no airflow, I also recommend checking the air
inlet vent above the blower motor. If it doesn't open up, I suspect you
would get little to no air. Mine apparently isn't working and it looks
like the vacuum actuator is inside the main assembly, which means it will
take a bit longer to check if it's a loose or bad vacuum connection or
broken actuator.
Also, the only circulation I get at all from ANY mode is through the floor
vents. These are not suppose to be open in the A/C mode at all, so I am
thinking the control for them has them stuck open somehow. Looks like I
may
be taking most of the system apart to check out these two problems.
Oh well, life goes on.
~ Chase
------------------------------
From: Delornut(AT)aol.com
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 10:01:19 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Tail lights
The person that came up with the idea to insert the small nuts & bolts,
from
Radio Shack, through the rivets in the tail light circuit boards has my
thanks for a really innovative idea. It really provides a low cost,
permanent
fix.
Those looking for brighter tail lights should forget halogen bulbs. I
belive
they require more than simply plugging into the existing system. Try a
T1156
standard tail light bulb. It's significantly brighter and causes no ill
effects.
DeLornut
------------------------------
From: David Hutchinson/SSI1
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 10:01:20 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Fuel Pump
David_Hutchinson/SSI1.SSI1(AT)notes-gw.tus.ssi1
To: dmcnews, dmcnews(AT)world.std.com
Sender: dmcnews-approval(AT)world.std.com
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: dmcnews(AT)world.std.com
My Delorean stops running properly when the tank is only about 1/4 down
from full. If I drive beyond that, the car hesitates as if lacking fuel
(especially
when accelerating). Is this an indication of a defective fuel pump? And
if so,
what is the easiest way to get access to the pump?
On a less important note, does anybody out there know how many automatic
DMCs were made compared to 5-speeds? Just curious.
Thanks, David.
------------------------------
From: deneb(AT)denebcorp.com
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 10:01:31 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Plastic Wiper Caps
In issue 134 James writes:
>Just in the past two weeks, both of the plastic caps covering the wriper
>arm nuts have popped off. I found them rolling around inteh front luggage
>compartment, but for the life of me I can't get them to stay on. They
>APPEAR to be just a press-on fit, but now I'm not so sure. Anyone know
>the trick?
>
>James
I had this same problem with my wiper arms as well. The trick for me was
to first clean the inside of the cap and the nut. Second, put some heavy
grease on the inside of the caps. Third, push the caps onto the nuts on
the wiper arm. The grease will hold the caps on nicely. Mine have not
come off for about two years now.
Bryan Pearce
------------------------------
From: Martin Jellema, m.p.jellema(AT)student.utwente.nl
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 10:21:44 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: DeLorean in a commercial
A couple of months ago I saw a television commercial about recycling. A
DeLorean was being constructed from recycled material ( I know this must
hurt you all, but I thought I'd share this with you ). Some machines were
shown bending steel pipes and sheets of metal with on the background a
DeLorean. Further on you can see an assembly line with 3 DeLoreans and at
the end of the commercial the doors of a Delorean are closing and it
drives away. In the whole commercial the D is only a short time in the
picture and only faintly so not many people would recognise it.
So I decided to write a letter to the recycling department and see if
they would have some more information on the D and the commercial. I just
received their letter in which they gave only very general (partly
incorrect) information on the D. They wrote that they used 2 D's for the
commercial and had used a filming technique to get 3 D's on the assembly
line. The choice for the D was, they wanted a futuristic car whithout it
being recognised or paying to much attention to the D.
They estimated that only 5 D's are to be found in Holland. I saw my
first
D in April this year. Considering that there are about 5,5 million cars
in
Holland and only 5 D's, the chances of seeing one is less than 1 in a
million so I've been quite lucky.
Martin
------------------------------
From: Mike Substelny, SUBSTEM(AT)cesmtp.ccf.org
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 10:51:07 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: engine type, headliners, license plate lite, DW, knee-board
DELORNUT SAID:
>Many DeLorean engine problems are related to the ignition
>and Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. I doubt a Chrysler
>mechanic would have any expertise in those areas.
I agree that a Chrysler mechanic would be challenged by
either of these systems, however the K-Jetronic is used in
Porsches, et.al. and it is actually a great system that is
durable and reliable. I would obviously seek a specialist for
serious engine work, but 100% of the engine problems I have
experienced in my 20,000 miles of DeLorean driving have
been minor (I fixed them myself). I would not want potential
DeLorean buyers frightened away thinking the engine had the
horsepower of a V6 and the repair headache of a V12. The
DeLorean engine is a pleasure to work on, even if the oil pan
is a funny size.
Also note that an Eagle oil filter won't quite fit (I tried).
CHASE SAID:
>I will very much appreciate information on how to remove
>the center headliners so I can try to get them reglued before
>the DOA convention next month.
I just removed mine myself for the exact same reason. The
door liners are obvious and self-contained. For the center
pieces the body of the cloth was glued to the fiber board and
the edges to the stainless. You need to pull your door
gaskets loose to get at this (not as bad as it sounds). A
razor knife can help remove the cloth, but I did it with no
tools. Once the cloth on either unit is seperated from the
stainless PULL FORWARD NOT DOWN. Both units are
"hooked" to the roof of the car instead of anchored with
x-mas tree clips.
I took mine to an upholstery shop Friday and found an exact
match for the cloth already laminated to foam, however they
refused to work with me (they don't do automobiles). At a
car interior shop I found the same stuff and they cooperated.
Apparently the adhesive is ordinary contact cement. It
should be all done by the time my new clutch is installed
next week.
THEN CHASE ASKED:
>Anyone know of a close replacement or cross-reference to
>another car for the license plate lights assemblies?
Sad to say the rear license plate bezel was ERM molded, a
DeLorean propriatary process. I am 99.99% certain that no
other car ever used it. If you are just looking for the twin tiny
plastic light fixtures above the plate, they look very VW to
me.
SCOTT TESTER ASKED:
>Does anybody know how I can get a subscription to
>Delorean World Magazine?
DeLorean World is the DeLorean Owners Association
quarterly newsletter. You must join DOA to get it.
KNEE BOARD:
I also disassembled my passenger side knee-board.
Someone a few months back mentioned a stain on top of
this piece exactly like I have. I removed the vinyl and found
the discoloration caused by the adhesive (contact cement
again) not the vinyl itself. The car interior expert I consulted
said it is normal when glued vinyl is exposed to the sun. I
asked him to repair it with a different adhesive that would not
discolor my vinyl and he said there was no good alternative.
Darn.
So be warned: sooner or later sun on the knee board will
cause a very ugly brown stain to appear. Actually I don't
think it is a stain. I used to work in plastics, and I think the
hot contact cement actually breaks down the pigment within
the vinyl, so it probably looks worst on black interiors.
Armor-all will not help, since the problem comes from
underneath the material. I Armor-alled my interior religiously,
resulting in a knee board that is smooth, soft, pliable, and
discolored. The only thing you can do is keep your interior
out of the sun. Keep it garaged, use a windshield device that
blocks the sun, or just expect to replace it every ten years.
Hmmm . . . maybe I should have tried black shoe polish . . .
- -Mike Substelny
------------------------------
From: Mike Substelny, SUBSTEM(AT)cesmtp.ccf.org
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 11:31:29 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: fuel pump
DAVID HUTCHINSON SAID:
>My Delorean stops running properly when the tank is only
>about 1/4 down from full.
Mine used to do the same thing, but at 1/4 from empty. This
was caused by a poorly anchored fuel inlet deep in the tank.
It wandered around as I drove and sometimes tried to drink
from the top of the tank. You must remove the fuel pump to
fix it, which is not as bad as it sounds, but you do not need a
new fuel pump yet :-) If you don't fix it soon and you let
your pump suck air for very long then eventually you WILL
need a new fuel pump :-(
Someone else may help you with the specifics of the
operation, which should involve bolting the inlet to the bottom
of the tank. I created a custom setup for myself which is not
as sturdy but easier to remove and it has been working fine
for two years.
Of course, your problem might also be a badly callibrated
fuel gauge sender unit. This happens a lot with the delicate
unit DeLoreans use. How far does that first 1/4 tank take
you? There have been a few times when the gas in my tank
was all in my head, so to speak.
- -Mike Substelny
------------------------------
From: J W Hodgson, hodgson(AT)utkux.utcc.utk.edu
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 11:31:33 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: delorean soon to be sold
I am one of the "lurkers" and thought I would come out of the closet!
Actually, I am a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of
Tennessee and became interested in Deloreans when a benefactor of the
university gave us a 1981 D (VIN 3939). It has very few miles on it
(less than 1500 -- yes, fifteen hundred) and needless to say had been
sitting for a long time. Since there is very little that we can do with
the car to support our program here (we have extensive experience with
alternative fuels, but I wouldn't dream of butchering the D for that), we
will sell the car and use the proceeds to support our automotive
program. Since the car now belongs to the university, we will have to go
through a formal process (advertising for bids, etc) when the time comes
to sell it. If any of you would be interested in receiving an invitation
to bid, I will be posting a formal announcement at the appropriate time.
BTW, a really good source of information on the Bosch K-jetronic system
is the book "How to Understand, Service, and Modify Bosch Fuel Injection
and Engine Management" by Charles O. Probst and published by Robert
Bentley, Inc. (1-800-423-4595). While this book covers more than the
K-Jetronic system, it has a very good description of the system used on
the D.
------------------------------
From: Curtis C.Ballard, curtisb(AT)gr.hp.com
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 11:33:39 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Fuel Pump
> My Delorean stops running properly when the tank is only about 1/4 down
> from full. If I drive beyond that, the car hesitates as if lacking fuel
> (especially when accelerating). Is this an indication of a defective fuel
pump? And
> if so, what is the easiest way to get access to the pump?
>
> On a less important note, does anybody out there know how many automatic
> DMCs were made compared to 5-speeds? Just curious.
>
> Thanks, David.
>
This sounds like your pickup tube on the bottom of the pump has a hole in
it. This is a "rubber" hose that can deteriorate over time and appears to
be soluable in MTBE which was recently added to our gas. Mine has a hole
about 2/3 the way down and I ran out of gas last week at the 1/3 tank mark
because it started sucking air.
This really isn't too hard too replace, haven't got a new one yet though
so
don't know how hard they are to get. Am looking into alternatives to this
tube as I would like one that is more resilient to additives.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Curtis C. Ballard (970)
350-4014
Hewlett Packard
curtisb(AT)gr.hp.com
Storage Systems Operation R&D Lab Greeley,
CO
------------------------------
From: ausmith(AT)pdx.oneworld.com
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 11:50:45 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Headliners
Front Headliner, Removal
1. Remove both left and right headliners.
2. Working along the roof panel area, partially remove the left and
right inner door seals.
3. Using an x-acto knife, or something similar, cut front headliner
material along edge secured to roof panel with adhesive.
4. Pull headliner forward disengaging it from the roof panel
retaining clips, lower headliner, disconnect courtesy lamp assembly
and remove headliner.
5. Peel back and remove excess headliner material from roof panel.
6. Clean adhesive from roof panel with a general purpose adhesive
cleaner.
Rear Headliner, Removal
1. See #1 above.
2. See #2 above.
3. Pull headliner forward, disengage from roof panel retaining clip
and remove.
4. See #5 above.
5. See #6 above.
Front Headliner, Installation
1. Position and secure courtesy lamp assembly to headliner.
2. Position and secure front headliner into roof panel retaining
clips.
3. Position and secure the sunvisors.
4. Spread an even coat of specified adhesive along roof panel where
headliner material will be secured.
5. Pull headliner material tight, position over roof panel and apply
a firm pressure to secure material to adhesive.
NOTE: Be very careful not to create any wrinkles in headliner
material.
6. Position and secure left and right inner door seals.
Rear Headliner, Installation
1. Position leading edge of rear headliner between trailing edge of
front headliner and roof panel, push rear headliner rearward to
engage with roof panel retaining clip.
2. See #4, front install.
3. See #5, front install.
4. See #6, front install.
I took this out of an old Tech Manual and the usual disclaimers
apply.
Chase,
I decided to do it this way as I'm sure it's faster than the P.O.. I
need to do this myself, oh joy. Good luck.
Chris
------------------------------
End of dmcnews-digest V2 #138
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