Re: A Few Quickies ... Clutch, Brakes, Springs and Lights

["David Teitelbaum <jtrealty@xxxx>" <jtrealty@xxxx>]

To quiet the brakes there are several things to try. Replace the 
anti-squeal shims. Go over the surfaces of the rotors with a 3" 36 
grit disc mounted in an electric drill to roughen up the srface of the 
rotors. Don't remove any metal so much as to scratch the surface in an 
overlapping circular motion. Put a liquid or spray on the back of the 
brake pads to reduce the noise. If all else fails then replace the 
pads as they might not be correct for the Delorean. Cross drilling 
usually causes the brakes to make more noise not less. It is done to 
reduce brake fade by moving more air over the surfaces. The best place 
to get pads if you do need them is from a Delorean dealer so you know 
you are getting the proper pads for the car. 
For the lights check that the rubber caps are on the ends of the door 
switches and that the doors are in fact closing all the way (sounds 
like the anchor pins need to be adjusted). 
Before you buy these expensive items, like a clutch, call one of the 
dealers and they will help you pick things for your driving style and 
budget. You may not need a new flywheel, just a light grind of your 
old one but it is impossible to tell until you get the clutch out.
Lowering the car will require an alignment and could cause problems 
with curb cuts, raised manholes, steep driveways, floor lifts, jacks, 
and parking bumpers. Also adjust the headlights. It also reduces the 
suspension travel so the car could bottom out on rough roads. It does 
improve the "look" of the car but be aware of the trade-offs.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757 


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "the_great_gazoo.rm <delorean@xxxx>" 
<delorean@xxxx> wrote:
> Well... spring is around the corner (in my mind) and I am getting 
> ready to take my baby out of storage. Then comes the prep work of 
> fixing up all that stuff you say you will next season!
> 
> At the top of my list is the clutch.. she is pooched.. i can try to 
> move the car starting in 5th without stalling, and she slips in 
every 
> gear.... almost undrivable! Now the question, which clutch kit 
> should i look into? What experiences have other owners had? I 
noticed 
> the major parts dealers having either OEM or Centrefoce. Upon 
> further investigation I noticed centerforce has 2 models for the D. 
> Single Grip and Double Grip, since the stock engine is not all that 
> powerful, i have ruled out the dual grip. But what is better? the 
> OEM clutch kit or the Centerfoce clutch kit or something else all 
> together? As well, is the only way to tell if you need a new 
> flywheel is inspection upon removing it?
> 
> 
> The brakes... mine have lots of pad left, but squeal like a truck 
> whenever I use them... ALL THE TIME! its very embarassing, and would 
> like any suggestions to fixing this,... so far I have figured the 
> best way is probably replacing them, but then I worry about what 
kind 
> of pads I should use... I see carbon fibre ones on ebay, but I am 
not 
> sure what would be best! Carbon fibre, semi-metallic, full metallic? 
> organic? SUGGESTIONs!? As well, I was given the option to cross 
drill 
> my rotors on the car from a local shop, would this help, not only 
> with the squealing but also with the brake dust problem on the rear 
> wheels especially?
> 
> As for the springs,... My car is still at the factory height and 
sits 
> nose high... i saw the 2 major spring kits, the one from Housten and 
> Grady's... does the kit from Housten come with ONLY the springs, and 
> Grady's comes with springs AND shocks??? Which ones make the car 
look 
> better? I would like to improve the way the suspension handles and 
> also at the same time have the car sit lower to make it appear more 
> aggressive! I dont want it to look stupidly low, I would just want 
> to have it be as low as possible without sacraficing anything!
> 
> 
> The last question is about the interior lights... I know that they 
> are supposed to dim and then turn off when you close the door, mine 
> are kind of screwy... they will turn off right away sometimes, or 
> other times stay on, other times they dim, Then sometime they turn 
> off and turn on while driving! I figure the white relay in the back 
> of the passenger seat section is shot. I remember reading here 
> before somebody that offered a COMPLETELY new redone kit to replace 
> the factory light switches? I searched the archives with no luck... 
> anybody? 
> 
> As well the door ajar light in the instrument cluster stays on ALL 
> THE TIME!
> 
> I appreciate all the suggestions, opinions and views i can get !
> 
> So thank you in advance for all your help!
> 
> If you have anything to suggest, please feel free to email me 
> privately off the list at ken@xxxx 
> 
> -Ken
> 5541
> 
> Be sure to visit the Ontario DeLorean Owners Club at www.odoc.ca