New Braided Stainless Fuel Hoses

I wanted to update the engine’s fuel hoses to the more modern, safer braided stainless hoses.

Tools Used:
Inch Pounds Torque Wrench – I used this one: http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-24320-4-Inch-Torque-20-200-Inch/dp/B00C5ZL2EG/
Open-end metric wrenches
Metric socket set
Vice
Utility Light
Grease
Berryman B12 Chemtool or other solvent cleaner
Nitrile gloves
shop rags/paper towels

Here’s the steps I came up with:

  1. Work in a well ventilated area. If I’m working in my garage, I keep the door open, with a fan pushing air out the door.
  2. Take the fire extinguisher out of your Delorean (you should have one), and keep it nearby.
  3. Disconnect the battery.
  4. Remove the air cleaner.
  5. Remove any plug wires that are easily accessible, and label their cylinder number with tape. Take pictures or make notes on how they are routed.
  6. Lift up on the clips that hold the injectors in place. Be careful not to bend them. There are three prongs on each clip.
  7. Label all hoses you remove, and take pictures, or make notes on how they are routed.
  8. Remove the hoses:
    1. One at a time, remove the banjo bolts on the fuel distributer, warm up regulator, and cold start valve.
    2. Use paper towels or rags to soak up any gas. Dispose of the rags properly.
    3. Attempt to dump out any gas in the lines into a clean glass container. You can choose to re-use the gas if you like.
    4. Once the hose is off, screw the banjo bolt back in a few threads so it doesn’t get lost.
    5. Throw out the old copper washers, or put them in a container clearly marked “Used Washers.” We’ll find a use for them later.
    6. Clamp a 10 mm wrench in a vice, put the injector in the wrench, and use a socket to take the banjo bolt out of the injector.
    7. Set aside the injector banjo bolts.
    8. You will need to remove the “pipe of agony” to get to the #4 injector. I was determined to leave the pipe in place, and skip the agony, but after unsuccessfully trying to manipulate the injector out, I gave in. Here’s what I did:
      1. Disconnect the elbow from the idle speed motor.
      2. Slide out the pipe with the rubber elbow still attached
        FuelHose (7)
  9. Clean the injectors if desired (see below)
  10. Replace the old hoses and washers with the new hoses, and new washers. Don’t re-use the old washers!
  11. Leave the banjo bolts loose in case a hose needs to be re-routed. You can torque the banjo bolts later.
  12. Lay your plug wires in place.
  13. Check to make sure the pipe of agony will fit with your hoses and plug wires.
    1. My #4 Cylinder plug wire and fuel hose are routed under the pipe
    2. My #5 and #6 Cylinder plug wires are over the pipe
    3. My #6 Cylinder hose runs over the pipe, while my #5 Cylinder hose runs under the pipe
  14. Make sure the engine cover will close with the hoses coming off the fuel distributer, running to the warm up regulator.
  15. Now torque the banjo bolts. For this, I used my new inch-pound torque wrench:
    FuelHose (3)
    1. M8 Banjo bolts: 7-9 foot lbs., or 84-108 inch lbs.
    2. M10, Banjo bolts: 9-11 foot lbs., or 108-132 inch lbs.
    3. I first started with the bare minimum torque setting, then re-torqued them to a value approximately in the middle of the range.
  16. Reinstall the “Pipe of Agony” or in my case, the “Pipe of Ease.” Finding the spot to reinstall the pipe is tricky. For me, it slid right in with ease on the first try. Here’s how I did it:
    1. Grease up the end of the pipe. I used a pea size amount of synthetic brake grease, which will hold up to the engine’s heat very well.
    2. Bend over the engine compartment, with the top of your head near the firewall, and your left eye near the warm up regulator. You should be able to barely spot where the pipe goes into the air meter housing. There’s a brass ring, or keeper that the pipe slides into.
    3. Some people put a small flashlight in the air meter housing, which aides finding the spot to insert the pipe because light shines out the air meter housing hole. I didn’t need it.
    4. Shove it in. The rubber hose lined up with the idle speed motor, and I could see the end of the pipe in the air meter housing:
      FuelHose (8)
  17. Reinstall the air cleaner.
  18. Reconnect the battery.
  19. Attempt to start the car. You will need to let the pump prime for a bit, and give it some gas during startup.
  20. While the car is running, check for leaks.
  21. Put the fire extinguisher back in the car.

Pictures
Before:
FuelHose (1)
FuelHose (2)FuelHose (9)
After:
FuelHose (10)

Cleaning the injectors
I wouldn’t recommend my injector cleaning process to anyone, since there are much more professional setups available. Still, I wanted to clean the injectors as best I could. The Delorean’s CIS injectors don’t have any plastic parts, and can be safely cleaned with solvents. I got a can of Berryman’s B12 Chemtool, and soaked the injectors in a jar for a few days, occasionally swishing them around, and trying to dump out any crud. I brought the pressure in my air compressor down to 80 psi, butted them up to a blow gun, and verified the injectors open and close with air pressure. In the future, I might build a hose attachment that’s screws into the injector and attaches to a compressor, so solvent can be blown through the injector for cleaning and testing. For this I might utilize some old, re-used copper washers.
FuelHose (5)FuelHose (4)FuelHose (6)

I ripped apart an injector seal, and broke an injector clip when trying to bend it back into shape. I thought about trying to source them from a Volvo dealer, but ended getting them shipped from DMC Midwest.

I only dropped one copper washer… however it fell near some spent copper washers, and I couldn’t tell the new one from the old ones. I opted to just replace it with some spares I had.

Costs:

Item Vendor

Quantity

Unit Cost

Cost

Shipping

Tax

Total

Fuel Injection Lines Braided SS (9 pcs), Black DMC Midwest

1

$ 229.83

$ 229.83

$ –

$ 17.81

$ 247.64

Injector Clip DMC Midwest

1

$ 4.99

$ 4.99

$ –

$ 0.39

$ 5.38

Injector Seal DMC Midwest

1

$ 3.13

$ 3.13

$ –

$ 0.24

$ 3.37

Inch Pound Torque Wrench Amazon.com

1

$ 36.72

$ 36.72

$ –

$ –

$ 36.72

$ 293.11

Auto Shifter Plate

I purchased this new in 2012, and only just now installed it. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, it helps keep everything in place. My plastic shifter plate was warped after many years in the sun, and this metal plate reinforces the plastic, keeping it flat.

Before:

IMAG0583

After:

DSC_0271

I think it works well with the new steering wheel:

DSC_0269

 Costs:

Item Vendor

Quantity

Unit Cost

Cost

Shipping

Tax

Total

Auto Trans Plate DMOCO.com

1

$ 59.95 $ 59.95 $ 7.50 $ – $ 67.45
Trim Screws with finish washers Ace Hardware

2

$ 0.57 $ 1.23 $ – $ 0.09 $ 1.23

Total:

$ 68.68

Stereo Upgrade

I’ve always thought my stereo sounded way to thin, and needed an upgrade. There was practically no bass in the system at all. The previous owner installed a pretty basic head unit and speakers:

20131228_182454  DSC_0242
DSC_0240 DSC_0241 (2)

While my side panels were off, I decided to replace the speakers:
DSC_0221DSC_0222

These speakers got good reviews with the other Delorean owners, and fit the rear location, albeit with better hose clamps and some persuasion:
DSC_0224DSC_0223

I also took the time to upgrade the front dash speakers. I’m glad I did since the speakers the previous owner installed were very low quality. I found some Pioneer speakers that fit the location perfectly:
DSC_0230

After some searching, I decided to upgrade the head unit as well. The new one features Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming, wired external microphone, voice recognition, Pandora, USB direct control for iPod/iPhone, Android Media access, a remote control, and more.
20140425_185241 

DSC_0212 

It’s been said the stock wiring might not handle a modern stereo’s electrical needs. I took the time to run a new 12 Gauge yellow wire from the positive post behind the rear wall. A fuse holder is spliced into the wiring. Sorry, I didn’t get any pictures of that.

My upgraded negative battery cable features a smaller wire that was currently being unused. I found a new use for it: dedicated ground for my stereo.
20140425_145755

Upgrading the wiring meant I got to remove all the glass fuses behind the dash:

DSC_0241

While my A pillar trim is removed, I ran the cable for the microphone up the A pillar:
 DSC_0242 (2)

The result: The new features of the head unit are great!
DSC_0247
I still think the sound quality isn’t great. It needs more bass. I’m going to have to investigate a subwoofer.

Costs:

Item Vendor

Quantity

Unit Cost

Cost

Shipping

Tax

Total

Infinity 529I 165W (Peak) 5-1/4 -Inch Two-Way Speakers (Pair) Amazon.com

1

$73.49

$73.49

$0.00

$0.00

$73.49

Pioneer TS-A878 3 1/2 Inch 2-Way Speakers Amazon.com

1

$33.27

$33.27

$0.00

$0.00

$33.27

Pioneer Bluetooth USB SIRI Mixtrax MVHX360BT Amazon.com

1

$85.00

$85.00

$0.00

$0.00

$85.00

Hose Clamps Ace Hardware

2

?

?

$0.00

?

$5.37

Black Primary Wire O’Reily Auto Parts

1

$6.99

$6.99

$0.00

$0.58

$7.57

Yellow Primary Wire Advance Auto Parts

1

$6.99

$6.99

$0.00

$0.58

$7.57

Fuse Holder Advance Auto Parts

1

$3.29

$3.29

$0.00

$0.27

$3.56

heat shrink tubing (assorted box) Advance Auto Parts

1

$10.99

$10.99

$0.00

$0.91

$11.90

Butt connections Advance Auto Parts

1

$2.99

$2.99

$0.00

$0.25

$3.24

Ring Terminals Advance Auto Parts

1

$3.49

$3.49

$0.00

$0.29

$3.78

Assorted disconnect terminals On Hand

 

 

 

 

 

 

Split Cable Wrap On Hand

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

$234.74

 

 

New Power Outlets

My cigarette lighter was broken, and the power outlet’s green plastic was cracked. I found an excellent replacement on ebay for $5.29 shipped: http://www.ebay.com/itm/360678268535
attachment DSC_0209

I knew that even if it didn’t fit, for that price I would make it fit. But yes, it fits perfectly. It’s a little more modern looking, and it’s blue! I measured the lighter drawing under 7.5 amps, and the lamp under 0.8 amps. I don’t know what the stock lighter draws since mine is broke. The only drawbacks I found were the light requires a separate ground, and it’s a little dim. I didn’t check, but I think the bulb is incandescent. I cut my wiring harness and added another female disconnect connector for the lamp’s ground.
DSC_0215
The power outlet I bought through ebay comes in other colors, even green.

I also wanted to add some power outlets behind the dash for electronics:
10242
Fuse 17 is rated at 20 amps. My cell phone and dash cam combined draw less that 1 amp, and my ’83 also doesn’t have a clock on Fuse 17. Adding two more outlets wasn’t a problem. Since Fuse 17 is live all the time, I decided on another mod:


After some fast shipping with DMC-MW, I cut the wiring harness and put a switch in the middle of the circuit. So now all my power outlets are controlled by the switch. This allows me to stop and start my dash cam whenever I want without touching the cam or the power connector.

My A Pillar trim is off the car right now, so I’ll be running the power for the dash cam behind the trim, then above the headliner.

Costs:

Item  

Quantity

Unit Cost

Cost

Shipping

Tax

Total

Blue Auto Power Outlet/Lighter ebay

1

5.29

5.29

5.29

Double Power Outlet O’Reily Auto Parts

1

6.69

6.69

0.45

7.14

Purple Primary Wire 14 Gauge 1 Foot O’Reily Auto Parts

4

0.31

1.24

0.08

1.32

On/Off Switch, Console (Pair) DMC Midwest

1

69.95

69.95

12.99

5.42

88.36

Electrical Disconnects On Hand

 

 

 

 

 

Heat Shrink Tubing On Hand

Total

$ 102.11

New Custom Mirror Switch

I liked the look of the new Mirror Switch available from DMC-Houston, however the price was a little high for an unneeded upgrade. I know it’s made from a mirror switch used in a Saturn, so decided to try and make my own. I went to a salvage yard, and found one. Next I made a plastic plate to hold the switch:
DSC_0331     DSC_0350

I found the wiring connector online at britishwiring.com. I also found wiring diagrams online to help me figure out all the connections.
DSC_0530

I didn’t like how the DMC-Houston switch looked upside-down:
DSC_0527
I could see the polarity of the mirror motors was opposite of what the switch was. Up was down, Right was left, and so on. The options I had were:

  1. Do what DMC-Houston did: flip the switch upside–down, and swap the right and left mirror wires
  2. Reverse the wiring in my cars wiring harness.

I choose option 2. I pried the wire connections out of the mirror connectors, and reversed them. If the cars next owner ever tries to install an original switch, they’re going to hate what I did!
DSC_0528
Original mirror switches have been going for a good price on ebay, so I decided to sell mine.
DSC_0510 auction

Since I bought my car in 2007, my passenger mirror hasn’t had up and down functionality. I was happy to find out during testing that it was a dirty/bad connection.

I actually finished the switch in mid-2013, however I wasn’t able to finally install it until now due to my door panels being removed. Here it is, finally installed:
DSC_0220DSC_0219

From the pictures, it looks like the interior is still kind of dusty. Time for a complete detailing.

Costs:
(It’s not too often I make money!)

Item Vendor Cost
Mirror Switch Sale Ebay

$ 105.00

Ebay fees Ebay

$ (14.50)

Paypal fee Paypal

$ (3.50)

Shipping FedEx

$ (12.96)

9-Way 3mm Pin & Socket Connector BritishWiring.com

$ (16.50)

Saturn Mirror Switch Salvage Yard

$ (6.00)

Black Plastic On Hand

$ –

SEM Black Landau Color Coat On Hand

$ –

Profit

$ 51.54

Front, Rear and Trunk LEDs!

By now, the basics of LEDs are well known: longer life, faster light up time, and reduced power consumption. Many Delorean owners are converting their incandescent bulbs to LEDs for all of these benefits. One really well written blog entry on Delorean LED conversion and benefits can be found here:

http://delorean2109.blogspot.com/2011/07/going-100-leds-on-your-car-is-good-idea.html

I saw someone else used these 48 LED SMD Panels as a trunk light. I liked the look, and had a few panels left over. This is a big improvement in brightness over the incandescent festoon bulb, and my later LED festoon bulb:
DSC_0626DSC_0622

I should have probably bought bigger brake lights, but after testing, these 42 LED bulbs were deemed just as bright as the incandescent brake lights. I purchased amber colored LEDs for the turn signals, however I was disappointed that the turn signals were dim. I decided to replace them with some bigger white LEDs.
DSC_047720131227_144234

I added a 48 LED SMD Panel to the engine bay light as well:
DSC_0621

I reclaimed the LED festoon bulbs from the trunk, engine bay, and interior lights. I used two of them in the rear license plate lights. I like the white color they produce, compared to the dim, yellow-ish light.
DSC_0139DSC_0140

The flasher relay I purchased wasn’t set up correctly for what the Delorean needed. Swapping some relay pins with some jumper wires was a quick and easy fix. New flasher (left), old flasher (right):
DSC_0517

Using the same 12 volt battery for my testing, I measured the amperage of the lights I removed, and the new LED lights. Here’s the breakdown:

Light Application Quantity Used Incandescent Amps LED Amps Amperage Savings
Back Turn

2

2

0.26

3.58

Back Running

2

0.57

0.25

0.64

Back Brake

4

2

0.16

7.36

Back Reverse

2

2

0.31

3.38

Front Running/Turn 1st Contact

2

0.46

0.1

0.72

Front Running/Turn 2nd Contact

2

1.71

0.29

2.84

License plate

2

0.42

0.03

0.78

Trunk Light

1

0.73

0.21

0.52

Engine Bay Light

1

0.73

0.21

0.52

Rear Dome

1

0.42

0.42

0

Front Dome

1

0.42

0.1

0.32

Total:

20.56

Now all these lights aren’t lit at the same time, so the savings isn’t always over 20 amps. However, I have significantly reduced the load on the electrical system. Maybe my alternator will live a little longer.

Costs:

Item Location Qty Vendor

Cost

Shipping

Total

Flasher Relay Under Dash, drivers side

1

Ebay

$ 2.79

$ 1.70

$ 4.49

1156 BA15S 68 SMD Amber / Yellow Tail Fog Turn Signal 68 LED Car Light Bulb Lamp Rear Turn Signal

2

Ebay

$ 6.92

$ –

$ 6.92

1157 BAY15D 102 SMD Pure White Brake Tail Turn Signal 102 LED Light Lamp Bulb S Front Indicator, turn signal

2

Ebay

$ 8.92

$ –

$ 8.92

1156 BA15S 102 SMD Pure White Tail Signal Turn 102 LED Car Light Lamp Bulb 12V Reverse

2

Ebay

$ 9.92

$ –

$ 9.92

1156 BA15S P21W 3528 SMD 44 LED Bulbs Light Lamp CANBUS Anti Sans S0BZ Rear Running

2

Ebay

$ 9.92

$ 1.55

$ 11.47

1156 Tail Brake White 42 SMD LED Light Bulb Lamp Brake Lights

4

Ebay

$ 2.00

$ 7.38

$ 9.38

48 SMD LED White Panel Light Trunk Light

1

Ebay

$ 3.03

$ 0.40

$ 3.43

48 SMD LED White Panel Light Engine Compartment

1

Ebay

$ 3.03

$ 0.40

$ 3.43

LED Festoon bulb License Plate Lights

2

On Hand

$ –

Total:

$ 57.96

 

Unused:
Item Location Quantity Vendor

Cost

Shipping

Total

1156 BA15S 68 SMD Amber / Yellow Tail Fog Turn Signal 68 LED Car Light Bulb Lamp Rear Turn Signal

2

Ebay

$ 6.92

$ –

$ 6.92

Door Lock Wedgectomy

I came across instructions on the internet for performing a “wedgectomy” on the locks, which involves grinding off a plastic wedge from the door latches. With the wedge in place, the doors can’t be locked while open. Trying to lock them while open will put force on the linkages, possibly throwing them out of adjustment. A latch without a wedge can be safely locked while they’re open.

Since I have remote lock/unlock, there’s always a chance I might bump the lock button while the doors are open. My door panels were currently off due to maintenance and repair. My latch and lock linkages also needed adjusting, so I decided to perform the wedgectomy.

20130809_221538 20130809_235419 20130809_22523120130809_235937 20130809_230506

Removing each latch is not easy! I spent a few hours reorienting and finally removing them from the doors. I took many pictures of the linkages so I could put everything back together correctly. Once the latches are out, performing the wedgectomy is fairly easy with a rotary tool and a burr grinding bit. I also got the chance to clean all the latches, and lube them up with lithium grease. Sorry, I didn’t get any pictures of the actual wedge, or it’s removal. Reinstallation is even more difficult due to adjusting the linkages.

After I reinstalled all the cleaned and updated latches, testing was successful!

Costs:
Lithium Grease: $3.99

Replace, Aim Headlights

Since I lowered my car in 2007, my headlights were never re-aimed. As far as I know, they are the stock lights, and very dim. Sylvania Silverstar headlights are the cheap improvement of choice for many Delorean owners. I finally was able to purchase and replace them:
DSC_0356

While replacing these headlights, I found out just how warped my fascia really is. To make matters worse, pulling and prying on the urethane fascia is causing micro-cracks in the paint.

DSC_0358DSC_0359DSC_0362

It’s advised to use a plastic drinking straw to cover your screwdrivers to avoid scratching the fascia. I also utilized some painters tape. This however didn’t stop me from scratching it. Its ok, my fascia is in fair/poor condition to begin with. Maybe the new reproduction fiberglass fascia is in my future…

DSC_0363

I replaced some screws for the headlight buckets with some M6 cap screws. I wanted stainless, but Ace Hardware didn’t have them in the length I needed. I settled for black anodized, and cut a groove into them with a dremel:

DSC_0366DSC_0370

I also got some stainless screws for the headlight bezels. I lost a few inside the fascia, and a few were corroded. The slotted hex headscrews fit perfectly into the nut driver, without a bit:
DSC_0373DSC_0376
Someday I’ll paint the exposed bezel screws black:

DSC_0378DSC_0377

Supplies used:
Painters tape
Magnetic screwdrivers
Plastic Drinking Straws:

I was able to get Autozone to nearly match the Amazon.com price.
Costs:

Item Vendor Cost

Tax

Total
Sylvania SilverStar Headlights H4656ST AutoZone

$ 17.99

$ 1.48

$ 19.47

Sylvania SilverStar Headlights H4656ST AutoZone

$ 17.99

$ 1.48

$ 19.47

Sylvania SilverStar Headlights H4651 ST Amazon.com

$ 15.95

$ –

$ 15.95

Sylvania SilverStar Headlights H4651 ST Amazon.com

$ 15.95

$ –

$ 15.95

#6 Stainless Sheet Metal Screws for Headlight Bezels (Qty: 8) Ace Hardware

$ 3.20

$ 0.63

$ 8.71

M6 Cap Screws (Qty: 2)

$ 3.78

M6 Allen Wrench

$ 1.10

$ 79.56

Tinted Windows!

I removed the headliners for recovering, and I also removed the upper door panels to repair them. Some of the window trim was also removed when I removed the side mirrors before I had the car re-brushed. With everything removed, the whole window glass was exposed. I figured this was the best time to tint the windows.

 

I’ve seen another Delorean with tinted windows, and liked the look. The tint also helps keep the car cooler in the hot sun. One local shop was advertising a winter special on tinting, so I headed out. In February. Ever since buying the car in 2007, this is the first time I’ve driven it in winter. Kind of scary with the snow and salt…

 

About to head out; before the tint:


 

After:





When I got home, I got out the hose and rinsed any salt off the frame.

I went with a medium %35 tint on the side windows, and light %50 on the windshield. The rear side windows were done simply for aesthetics, and the rear window didn’t need tinting since it already has a shade over it. I got charged a little more for the side windows since they are a little more complicated than the average car.

I think the tinting really enhances the appearance, and it should help keep the car cooler in the summer. The tinting is still drying, and left some bubbles. The car is dirty, and the sun was hiding, so the pictures aren’t that great. I can’t wait to see what it looks like in better conditions.

Window Tinting by Riggs Bros costs:
Side Door Windows: $160
Side Rear windows: $100
Front Windshield: $125
Total: $385.00