Up and running

["Matthew P. Olans" <mpolans@xxxx>]

Well,
A while back on my way to work in traffic my D gave the smoke-screen
to all behind me. I knew I was losing coolant-hey, I'm not completely
stupid....:). I was fortunate enough to find a U-turn (something Jersey is
good for) and get headed back home. Had the heat on full blast and was
moving around 40 MPH so the car stayed between 220 and 260 until I came to
my complex. As I came to the stop sign I watched the temp gauge climb fast.
I got moving and shut the car down to avoid any damage (thanks to reading
this list and knowing the fail-safe temperatures). I coasted back into my
parking spot and that's where she sat for about three weeks.
When it was cool I popped the engine cover and sure enough the
coolant system was bone dry. A leak, but where? I haven't had time to
check until yesterday. Dan (DanRC30) from New Jersey came over and helped
me get it running. He put in a self-bleeder kit that he made from under $10
worth of parts from any local car parts store. We started filling the
system and the coolant came rushing out from the bottom of the car just
forward and to the right of the left rear wheel. There was a 3" section of
2" diameter hose that was the culprit. We removed it to see it had outlived
it's usefulness. A quick trip to Pep Boys and $8 later (because the only 2"
diameter hose they had was a GM preformed radiator hose-nothing a razorblade
couldn't handle) we were filling the system without any hazmat on the
ground.
The self bleeding system worked great! All the air is out of the
system and it's running normal. She made the trip back to Dan's house
where's she awaiting TLC. Dan is a great teacher and definitely a good
friend to come out and get me running and on the road again. I know my car
is in good hands. The problem is we both work and it's going to take a
while. So since I have your ears....after reading the post I was wondering
what you would recommend I check/replace?

1. I plan to have all the hoses done now. Is the cost of braided steel
worth it, i.e. will they be more durable for the cooling system and should
they last any longer?
2. Should I replace the otterstat?
3. My fans work fine and come on at the right time. Should I invest in a
relay update kit? (No fanzilla installed)--age old adage: if it ain't broke,
don't fix it.
4. How tough is it to replace the thermostat?
5. My right side exhaust manifold gasket is going, starting to hear the
telltale "tick". Can I do any damage by driving it now, maybe 2,000 miles,
before getting it to a qualified DeLorean mechanic?
6. My A/C blows cold, heater blows hot, but the climate control only works
with the fan speed in 4 and the defroster selection does not blow out the
defroster vents. I know others have had these issues. Are they all related
to one event or could it be a multitude of issues?

Thanks. I think that should do it. One final thank you to Dan for
really going above and beyond. I've read a lot of posts where he's helped
people out and I tell you they are all 100% true. It's nice to know we have
people like this in our community.
The digital dash is almost ready. Dakota Digital is finishing up
the final phases and they have told me they have created a really nice
looking dash. I'll get pictures and hopefully video as soon as I receive it
and get it installed....probably another 90 days or so.

Thanks!
Matthew
VIN #10365