Re: [DML] Re: TA Bolt questions

["DMC Joe" <dmcjoe@xxxx>]

John said:
> The testing you do or the factory did was for a short time. I'm talking
about
> fatigue over time and weather conditions. Constant pulling, stretching,
and
> jerking, not just popping the clutch a few times and I pronounce you good,
> lets talk about it over years and maybe one, or two clutches later.

It's unfortunate that I have to spend time on the DML defending the
credibility of myself and the developers of the DeLorean automobile. John, I
respond to your comments with the following facts.

>From Stainless Steel Illusion page 73 paragraph 6:

"The third and largest task Lotus had with the DeLorean was the detailed
development of the car. This meant establishing absolutely the length,
width, breadth, shape, weight and strength of everything that would go into
the DeLorean from the large sheet metal panels to the smallest screw on the
instrument panel. Eighteen prototype DeLoreans were built for development of
the body and chassis. Of these, 10-11 spent hundreds of thousands of miles
on the roads branching out from Hethel. A further 22 prototypes were
constructed for various safety and crash tests, including air bag tests.
Test rigs were built to check the durability of individual parts, from some
that carried out multi-million cycles on torsion bars, to vibration rigs
that gave the chassis and suspension such a pounding that they did 100,000
miles standing still in a few days"

>From DMC Joe:
A. I have one of the most extensive and detailed databases on DeLorean part
failure rates in the world.
B. I have been servicing DeLoreans full time since 1984.
C. My personal DeLorean Vin 3370 has over 260,000 miles plus with much of it
hard driving. (3 clutches)
D. I have personal experience with TA bolt failures.
E. We have never experienced a TA bolt failure after our routine TA bolt
safety inspection and adjustment on any DeLorean serviced at our facility
numbering over 2500 to date.

Happy Thanksgiving
DMC Joe
DeLorean Help dmchelp@xxxx
www.dmc.tv
----- Original Message -----
From: <dherv10@xxxx>
To: <dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2001 11:57 PM
Subject: Re: [DML] Re: TA Bolt questions


> Joe, With due respect you most of the time disagree with me. So what's
new.
> The testing you do or the factory did was for a short time. I'm talking
about
> fatigue over time and weather conditions. Constant pulling, stretching,
and
> jerking, not just popping the clutch a few times and I pronounce you good,
> lets talk about it over years and maybe one, or two clutches later. Come
on,
> You can go have a heart check up tomorrow and every doctor says your OK,
then
> drop dead tomorrow. Everybody knows someone this has happened to. I agree,
> with you and relinquish to your time of working on the De Lorean that the
> trailing arm bolt it probably a mute point, But, I think to the folks up
> north who have to worry about salt spray and rusting it's more of a
> pronounced problem. I hope Toby can come up with a reasonable priced bolt
to
> help ease the mind of some. But I to have worked on cars all my life also
and
> do know a little. The Delorean is a car not a God and a bolt is a bolt.
You
> can't test something for a short period of time and pronounce it good. Why
do
> you think the military went to a salt spray test and most mechanical parts
> failed in the late 70's and eighty's, they found the conventional testing
> wasn't sufficient? Race car drivers spend $1000.00's and still have a bolt
> failure. Thanks for your comments, I always enjoy the exchange. By the
way,
> have you shipped my parts yet.
> John hervey