[DML] Practical Delorean Valve Adjusting Procedures for the Novice

[mike <cambpd@xxxxxxxxx>]

I
would like to share my experience and what I recently learned about adjusting
Delorean engine valves. My valves were tapping so it was time to go in for some
adjustments.  My patient mentor and advisor
was David Teitelbaum.

 

Please
post any technical corrections needed to this write-up.  

 

To be
done most efficiently, this procedure requires a helper.  

 



Start
with a cold engine.  Disconnect the ignition
coil wire.  The procedure should be done
one side at a time.  I started with the
right (passenger) side first because the valve cover is easiest to access on
this side.  Since the valve cover bolts
are of different sizes, I numbered each bolt I took out with a piece of tape to
correspond to a drawing I made of the valve cover.  The valve cover bolts are probably the most
?civilized? fastener on the car to remove, because of the low torque required
to tighten them and their proximity to the
engine oil.  The workshop manual does
have a fairly good diagram of the inlet valves and their corresponding exhaust
valves, in the engine section.

 

With
the valve cover off, locate the valve adjusting screws and locknuts for each
valve.  Each valve has an inlet and an
exhaust valve, for a right side total of  3 inlet valves and 3 exhaust valves.  The workshop manual has a complicated
procedure to follow to adjust valves.  But
the genius of David T.?s method is far better, which I will now describe. 

 

Make
sure that you have pulled your ignition coil wire, and that your battery is connected.  You will need two feeler gages:  .004? for the inlet valves, and a  .010? for the exhaust valves, and probably
some new valve cover gaskets, I got mine from Special T Auto.   It is
best to draw a diagram of the valves to keep track of and to mark off the inlet
and exhaust valves as you adjust them.  

 

 Have your helper sit in the driver?s seat with
the key in the ignition.  Now with you at
the engine observing the valves, have your helper turn the ignition key on and
off in one to two second intervals, while you watch the valves opening and
closing.  Pick an inlet valve to adjust
and with your helper turning the key on and off, watch this valve go through an
opening and closing cycle.  When that
inlet valve has come back to it?s opening cycle, use your .004? feeler gage to
check the clearance.  Loosen the lock nut
to adjust the clearance.  Now use your
.010? inch feeler gage to check the clearance of any open exhaust valves.  On your diagram, mark off the inlet valve and
exhaust valve(s) you have just adjusted and move on to the next inlet valve
using the same procedure, until you have adjusted/marked off all inlet and
exhaust valves.  And you?re done with
this side!   

 

Before
reinstalling the valve cover, make sure all traces of the old valve cover
gasket have been removed from the cover and engine.  David T. suggested using some ?sensor-safe?
silicon adhesive to attach the gasket to the valve cover.  I did this on the right side and it worked
great.


The
left (driver?s) side valve cover is a little more difficult to access.  You have to remove the warm up regulator, and
the A/C compressor from the cover before you can remove the cover itself.  For the A/C compressor, you do not have to
disconnect its hoses, just move it out of the way far enough to allow removal
of the valve cover; I set up a bed out of 2x4 pieces on the frame to rest the
compressor, and one piece of wood to keep it propped up.

 

Now
repeat the same adjusting procedure for the left side valves.  There are no torque specs in the workshop
manual for the valve cover bolts.  I  used a small ¼ ratchet wench so I couldn?t
tighten too much and crush the gasket. 
For me, I found it easier because of the limited space, to not use an
adhesive for the left side valve cover, which allowed me to gently adjust the
gasket into position before tightening. 
To be honest, I skewed the first gasket I installed with adhesive and
had a oil leak, so opted a second try without adhesive.  And yes, I am slowly learning Delorean auto mechanics
bolt by rusted frozen bolt, leak by leak, and by the great Delorean support
network, thanks!

 

Thanks
to John Hervey for great gaskets.   And thank you David T. for your generous guidance
and patience!


Mike 

VIN #5781


      

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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