The Delorean 40th Birthday Bash & DCS Lite & Delorean Midwest Open House was held August 12-15th in Crystal Lake Illinois. I attended several of the speaking events. I also got to meet John Delorean’s son.
I had to return home a few times during the show, so I unfortunately missed some speakers and events. On Saturday, I finally drove my Delorean to the show. My car, second from the left:
A crowd near my car:
Saturday night, my car with the blue-ish underglow:
I hadn’t driven my car much due to the ongoing pandemic, which started around March of 2020. My license plate renewal was up in April of 2020, which I let lapse. Ongoing maintenance was keeping the car off the road. This year, in March of 2021, I finally renewed:
| 3/4/2021 |
State of Illinois Renewal Fee : |
$164.00 |
| 3/4/2021 |
Payment Processor Fee : |
$3.69 |
| 3/4/2021 |
Total Fee : |
$167.69 |
That’s a $50 increase from previous years, but oh well. Anyway, I received my renewal sticker, and was horrified to see it renewed for the period of April 2020 to April 2021! I just paid $167 for about a month of driving! After some research, I concluded I would not be able to get a refund. The state also sent me brand new plates with newer styling. So I mounted them, and began driving the car again.
For my next renewal, I visited the Secretary of State office to attempt a renewal from July of 2021 to July of 2022. The office explained it wasn’t possible to renew for the desired period until it had lapsed over two years. I had the idea to switch from a standard license plate to an “Expanded-Use Antique License Plate.” The rules state:
“Vehicles displaying these plates during the months of January-March and November-December may only be driven to and from an antique auto show or exhibition, service station or demonstration.
Vehicles displaying these plates during the months of April-October may be driven on the highways without being subject to the restrictions of a standard antique vehicle plate.”
I don’t drive the car much between November and March, and a lower priced plate and renewal fee was appealing. I was also able to start a new renewal period. I chose to use off-the-shelf generic plates, instead of the vanity plates I’ve had since 2007. For the second time this year, I mounted my new plates.
| 7/1/2021 |
State of Illinois Expanded-Use Antique license plates: |
$51.00 |
| 7/1/2021 |
Fees : |
$1.15 |
| 7/1/2021 |
Total Fee : |
$52.15 |
For as long as I’ve owned the car, the automatic transmission leaks. A lot. I’ve previously tried a silicone gasket on the pan, which didn’t work because the pan wasn’t perfectly flat, or the bolts were over torqued. Either way, I decided to try my luck at fixing the leaks again.
The leaks are everywhere:
March 28th, 2021
Here’s how much it leaks in 20 hours:
I removed the pan, disconnected all the wiring connections, and started cleaning all the surfaces:
I bought some steel brackets and clamped them in a vice. This was used as a flat surface to hammer the pan as flat as possible.
I brought my used O rings to the hardware store, and after comparing new ones, I purchased an assortment:
After test fitting a few, I used the tightest fitting O rings. That should work, right?
The coolant pipes were in the way of the transmission pan. I drained the coolant and disconnected the pipes.
I scraped off the old RTV with plastic knives, and my fingernails to avoid gouging the transmission casing. I then cleaned the surfaces with lacquer thinner. I purchased Permatex Automatics Transmission RTV Gasket Maker. I resealed the dipstick tube with the new RTV. I used two beads of RTV around the pan, without a gasket. This should work, right?
April 27th:
It wasn’t easy, but I got the pan on, and torqued the bolts to spec with my inch-LB torque wrench. I gave the RTV several days to cure.
May 5th:
Before I even put any fluid in the trans, it’s leaking around the casing. I don’t understand this thing. I know the torque converter stores fluid, which would probably drip into the pan. But my transmission is sweating ATF. Not good…
Then it was time to fill and bleed the coolant and put the car on the ground.
May 14th:
I was now able to start the car, and warm it up. After checking the ATF fluid level several times, I finally found the correct level, and was able to get the car in gear. Time to drive! I haven’t driven in about a year or more!
My 5 mile test drive went great! The car shifted smoothly, and I didn’t see any fluid on the ground in my rearview mirror. I returned to my garage to inspect:
I’m glad I didn’t drive far. I was defeated. I considered trailering the car to DMC-MW. I solicited advice.
May 29th:
After a several days, I went back into the garage to inspect. After a little bit of prying, the pan came off with most of the RTV. Barely any RTV stuck to the transmission:
In the past year I’ve spent more on ATF than on gas for the Delorean.
I decided to try again. I purchased a nitrile bonded cork gasket – i.e. a modern version of the original cork type and much more flexible. It’s supposed to seal very well. I also a high-tack sealant to help the gasket stick to the pan, but opted not to use it. Then I waited too long to return the sealant, so it’s mine now!
Someone suggested using Permatex Anerobic Sealant. After searching stores, I ended up with two different sized tubes. Once again, I waited too long to return one. Anyway, I used the sealant around the heads of the pan bolts.
I caught some of the transmission fluid in a clean container, filtered it with a shop towel, and reused it:
Torqued the pan bolts. Check the fluid level. Time to drive! This should work, right?
June 3rd:
The test drive went fine. Except I still had a decent leak:
June 12th:
After a few more days, I once again raised the car, shimmied underneath, and inspected. In my tight working space, I’d mistakenly caught a zip tie between the pan and transmission:
June 16th:
After loosening a few bolts, I pulled the zip tie out, and retorqued the bolts.
I’m done trying to fix the leak for this year. I’ll try again someday. Until then, I’ll keep emptying my drain pan on the floor of my garage.
Costs:
| Item | Purchase Date | Vendor |
Quantity |
Cost |
Shipping |
Tax |
Total |
| Valvoline Automatic Transmission Fluid – 1 Gallon |
1/27/1900 |
Meijer |
1 |
27.96 |
0.00 |
$2.38 |
$30.34 |
| Permatex ATF RTV 3oz |
4/2/2021 |
Advance Auto Parts |
1 |
9.49 |
0.00 |
$0.76 |
$10.25 |
| Miscellanious O rings |
4/2/2021 |
Ace Hardware |
7? |
10.00 |
|
|
$10.00 |
| Automatic Transmission Pan Gasket |
5/22/2021 |
DeloreanGo.com |
1 |
22.99 |
24.99 |
$0.00 |
$47.98 |
| Permatex Anerobix Sealant .20oz |
5/30/2021 |
O’reily Auto Parts |
|
6.99 |
|
$0.56 |
$7.55 |
| Permatex Anerobix Sealant 1.69oz |
5/31/2021 |
Advance Auto Parts |
|
16.49 |
|
$1.03 |
$17.05 |
| Permatex High Tack Sealant 4oz |
6/1/2021 |
Advance Auto Parts |
1 |
10.49 |
|
$0.84 |
$11.33 |
| Valvoline Automatic Transmission Fluid – 1 Quart |
? |
Meijer |
1 |
6.19 |
0.00 |
$0.53 |
$6.72 |
| Prestone Predilluted Coolant |
? |
Meijer |
1 |
10.19 |
0.00 |
$0.87 |
$11.06 |
| Steel Brackets |
? |
Menards |
2 |
? |
? |
? |
$7.00 |
|
Total: |
$159.27 |
The car was experiencing some electrical problems, and the battery appeared to need charging often. The battery was also eight years old, so I finally replaced it. I opted for another Interstate battery:
Costs:
|
Item |
Vendor |
Cost |
Tax |
Total |
|
Interstate Group 78 Battery |
Costco |
$89.99 |
$ 7.65 |
$97.64 |
|
Total |
$ 97.64 |
I installed the K&N air filter in 2007, and I can’t remember ever cleaning it. It has only been a few thousand miles, but after 14 years, I figured it was time. I had bought the cleaning kit around the same time, and never included it in the blog.
Following all the instructions, a lot of crud did get cleaned out of the filter!
Costs:
K&N Air Filter Recharger and Cleaning Kit – 16.99
After suffering another cooling fan failure 2018 due to a bad relay (see my previous post) I decided to buy some new relays, genuine Bosch relays. And, they’re purple!
I also decided I’d had enough of the sloppy-looking fused jumpers in place of the fan fail relay. They’ve previously come loose, and left me without fans. I purchased the Fused Fan Fail relay from DM-eng, which restores the fan fail light functionality, adds fuses, and removes the need for the circuit breaker in the fan circuit. The fan circuit breaker has given me problems before. The aesthetic value is also great!
I also purchased the ground bus from DM-eng, which sends a separate ground wire to the relays. The stock wiring has the relays daisy-chained with questionable wire connections.
Costs:
| Item | Purchase Date | Vendor | Quantity | Cost | Shipping | Tax | Total |
| Fused Fan Fail relay | 8/11/2019 | dm-eng.weebly.com | 1 | $10.00 | $ – | $ – | $ 10.00 |
| Front relay bank ground buss | 8/11/2019 | dm-eng.weebly.com | 1 | $84.00 | $ – | $ – | $ 84.00 |
| Bosch Mini Changeover Relay | 8/11/2019 | amazon.com | 2 | $9.09 | $ – | $ 1.14 | $ 19.32 |
| Total | $ 113.32 |
My cooling fans failed on me while driving in a parade last year. Luckily I was able to exit the parade before the engine got too hot.
After troubleshooting the circuit with my test light and the wiring diagram (found here) I found the culprit – a bad changeover relay.
Luckily I have a few on hand, and was able to update it to a 30/40.
Costs:
None!
My blower motor was horrendously loud and didn’t always work on the low speed. It also has lots of corrosion in it. I bought a replacement, and finally found time to install it. I’m happy to report the new motor is quieter and works on all speeds.
Tools used:
Removing the old fan:
found a stray locking nut:
Corrosion:
New, installed:
Costs:
| Item | Purchase Date | Vendor |
Unit Cost |
Cost |
Shipping |
Tax |
Total |
| Four Seasons/Trumark 35582 Blower Motor without Wheel |
10/24/2018 |
Amazon.com | $ 33.64 | $ 33.64 | $ – | $ 2.10 | $ 35.74 |
Getting ready for the 2019 driving season. I have some maintenance to do, but first I’m making the car legal.
Illinois Secretary of State fees for this transaction:
|
Renewal Fee: |
$114.00 |
|
Payment Processor Fee: |
$2.68 |
|
Total Fee: |
$116.68 |
Two years ago, a fellow Delorean owner had one of the original brake hoses fail. The hose was acting as a check valve, so when the brakes were applied, the caliper would not retract. I helped the owner replace his front hoses to fix this issue. I had also read about other problems with the original brake hoses. Looking to avoid any problems, and desiring the firmest brake pedal possible, I decided to replace my original brake hoses.
My car club’s spring tech session was hosted at a local repair shop, where we had a car lift available. This was my best opportunity to get all four of hoses replaced.
Disconnecting and re-connecting the hoses on an automatic transmission car for the back wheels is a major PITA. The transmission being in the way makes access very difficult. Being at a repair shop, I could borrow the metric crowfoot flare nut wrenches and extensions needed.
I didn’t get many pictures because I was focused finishing before we had to leave the shop.
New Hoses:
Installed:
Old hoses:
After getting everything installed, and bleeding the brakes, I found brake pedal was still soft. At home, I made sure all the connections were tight, bought some more brake fluid, and bled them again. This time the brake pedal is the firmest it’s ever been!
Costs:
| Item | Purchase Date | Vendor |
Quantity |
Unit Cost |
Cost |
Shipping |
Tax |
Total |
| Castrol 12614 Dot 4 Synthetic Brake Fluid |
5/17/2018 |
Sparomobile |
1 |
$ 15.95 |
$ 15.95 |
$ – |
$ 1.27 |
$ 17.22 |
| Flexible Brake Line Kit Stainless |
3/4/2018 |
DeloreanIndustries.com |
1 |
$ 129.95 |
$ 129.95 |
$ – |
$ – |
$ 129.95 |
| Castrol 12614 Dot 4 Synthetic Brake Fluid |
5/21/2018 |
Amazon.com |
1 |
$ 13.95 |
$ 13.95 |
$ – |
$ – |
$ 13.95 |
|
Total |
$ 161.12 |