[DML] Rebuilding a Blown Motor.

["therealdmcvegas" <dmcvegas@xxxxxxx>]

Well, it finally happened. My engine has failed. Starts ok, runs fine,
exhaust is clean. However, she is drinking coolant like a fish. She
was running hot, and needed to be topped off last Friday with a half
gallon of water. Drove her Saturday & Sunday, and her coolant bottle
is empty again. 2 months ago, her oil was "chunky", and the breather
cap is clogged with what looks like turkey gravy. Now, the dip stick
is covered in crap, and looks to have water on it. Most fun of all,
there are NO puddles under the car. I don't know how accurate a
pressure test would be, since I can already see coolant on the top of
the block, behind the water pump.

Worse yet, I suspect that this motor has blown a headgasket at some
point in it's life. I only have 3 bolts per side holding the exhaust
manifolds onto the heads. And I'm even missing studs from the heads as
well. Not broken off from what I can see. Just missing.

So, it looks like a rebuild is nessisary, and I do have some
questions. My local junkyard has an Z7W PRV from an '88 Premier, and
I've been thinking about using it to swap out my motor. What I'd like
to do is take the Premier short block, and mount the DeLorean
crankcase, oil pan, and heads to it, so that I can retain the stock
motor mounts, and the K-Jetronic fuel injection system. Add to that,
the Premier's timing chain cover, and I can utilize the conventional
distributor, and not have to customize anything. And the exhaust as
well, until I can change it out.

Now, here are my questions.
1. Is there any reason that the Premier's distributor wouldn't work
with the stock DeLo engine computer? All it should care about is
reading pulses to fire the ignition coil. But, the pattern in which
they are delivered has changed, along with the firing order.

2. Same question as above, but as it pertains to the tachometer.

3. Would I use the DeLorean, or the Premier water pump for this
application?

4. Are there any other PRV heads that are interchangable with this
block, that will also accept K-Jetronic incase mine are damaged?

5. Are the timing chains interchangable?

6. Will the A/C compressor accept the serpentine pulley if I decided
to utilize the Premier's serpentine drive belt?

7. Is there any possible reason that this wouldn't work?

As usual, thanks in advance to everyone. If I needed to retain the
odd-fire crank and cams, I have no problem doing so (but I don't know
just how far the engine components are interchangable). And I'm trying
to keep this job as easy, and as inexpensive as possible, which is why
I would rather bolt things together, than rebuild them. As equally
important as money, I need to get my car back out onto the road as
soon as possible. But if possible, I'd also like to try and plan ahead
to have a motor with a little punch to it, for possible performance
upgrades that I'm looking at, for down the road.

Thanks again!

-Robert
vin 6585 "X"




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