[DML] Re: Advice, Opinions, & Assistance Greatly Appreciated!

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The aluminum between those casting spars is very thin. Crap
accumulates in the Valley of Death and eventually eats its way
through. I lost my Renault block about 2 weeks before Pigeon Forge due
to rot/break through in that same general area (mine was specifically
on the passenger side, along the oil galley because it hemorrhaged oil
under pressure like a geyser). Met another owner in Pigeon Forge with
exactly the same problem, in exactly the same place. Rob Grady told me
at FFT'07 he's run into rot/break through as well. I think it's
endemic to PRV's that sit.

If the remainder of your replacement PRV is healthy (bearings,
camshafts, etc), I'd simply replace all the seals and run with it.
Very likely your hole is pin sized, not the entire area between the
casting spar (it's not as though a couple square inches of JB Weld is
going to drop into your engine). You may want to ensure that the epoxy
is still tight against the 4 sides of the casting spar -- 80 PSI of
oil will find a crack to slip through.

If you're dead set against that particular engine, look for a used
Volvo 260/760. If it's good enough to drive home, it's good enough to
donate an engine. One of the owners at Louie Golden's previous tech
sessions (the one at Jeff Friday's apartment) was running a Volvo
transplant. You could even look for a Bertone or post-1988 760 to get
a B280 -- even fire and slightly higher compression (you'll need to
transfer the EFI computer as well). 

Bare PRV's also come up on eBay with surprising frequency. I've got a
B27 that I purchased for $50. My current B28 was new on a pallet for
$500. Both were purchased within 6 months of each other. Haven't
checked eBay since, but I'm sure several dozen have been auctioned.

Bill Robertson
#5939
>--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Denise and Michael Luckey"
<luckeys71@...> wrote:
>
> After selling my first DeLorean early last year due to financial
concerns I purchased a couple of different lower priced vehicles and
worked on them to pass the time but couldn't shake the DeLorean bug. 
I attended the Chicago show last year which really stoked my interest
again so I decided to try again this year and purchased VIN #2816 in
August.  From the start I knew it would need some work but my
confidence was higher after talking to folks and working on my former
car (VIN #3760)so I figured I was ready for the challenge.  The owner
had removed the PRV motor and swapped in a Ford 302 from a 1973
Mercury Comet which was interesting but I always intended to put the
original engine back in.  After ordering $600 worth of replacement
parts I began the process of preparing the old engine only to discover
that a dreaded epoxy repair had been made in the Valley Of Death. 
With no signs of a coolant leak my thoughts were that perhaps the
motor threw a rod and compromised the block.  At any rate, the engine
could not be reinstalled in that shape so I decided I should try and
sell the car rather then get in to a financial sandtrap again.  I
listed the car at less than what I paid for it but it did not sell on
eBay(check out item #180176184557 for more details and photos) which
is not surprising due to the time of year but I thought I would try
anyway.  So now I'm back where I started except that the only way I
can see making my goal happen of getting the car back to specs is to
find a replacement engine.  DeLorean Houston wants $5200 for their
motors which is WAY out of my league and I'm not sure how readily
available used PRV motors are.  I've gotten myself in a bit of a
pickle as I truly wanted to make this car original again but a
compromised engine block is standing in my way.  The car itself is
better than my first one with a nice straight body, a clean frame, and
many new parts already installed and I think it has enormous
potential.  I have all of the original components which the previous
owner kept in case the engine swap was to be reversed.  So here is
where I turn to the DeLorean experts to give my their thoughts-what
should I do with this vehicle?  Does anyone know a source for a used
PRV engine less than $5200?  Am I a complete idiot for loving
DeLoreans so much?  Any advice or suggestions would be greatly
appreciated as I try and sort this situation out.
> Thanks everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!
> Mike
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>




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