Re: Exhaust Manifolds (who do you trust?)

[deloreanernst@xxxx]

In a message dated 11/30/01 9:42:14 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
dmc_delorean_2000@xxxx writes:



> my pass side exhaust manifold is cracked so i bought a used one in good 
> shape (new is too expensive), but when PJ Grady had my car in 
> january, he told me it was a big job (he wanted $800 to do it). now 
> as some of you know i've had a lot of problems with mechanics so im 
> taking some of your advice to do the work myself. my question is how 
> shold i go about this? is it that big of a job that i should just let 
> 




There are a lot of things that reasonably capable owners can do by 
themselves, but a manifold job apparently isn't usually one of them. 
I must point out that when you read of complaints about "trouble with 
mechanics," you're not hearing complaints about the work done by Rob or any 
of the other DeLorean specialists. 
The main problem with the manifold repair is the bolts. Steel bolts torqued 
gut-busting tight into an aluminum engine, untouched for twenty years of 
humidity, high heat, expansion, contraction, etc., even on a low-mileage 
engine will almost certainly freeze the bolts in place. Your chances of 
backing them all out without cracking any heads off is pretty slim. Then 
after they crack, you have to drill them out and install new threads in the 
engine block... definitely not a job for an amateur. Get the drill angle a 
little off, and you breach one of the engine coolant channels. The fix for 
that? Probably a new engine block. And you'll need a 90 degree angle drill 
to be able to reach them all. Plus you'll have to heat the bolt heads with a 
torch. Do you know how to do that without damaging your engine? I sure don't! 
The machined faces need to be resurfaced too, before you reassemble it. By 
the way, if you get it half off, or partially off, can you give up and drive 
it up to Rob or anyone else to repair? No, not without damaging the engine. 
You'll have to flatbed it or trailer it there. And wait for the 40 cars 
scheduled ahead of you, if you take it to a real live DeLorean expert... Rob 
or one of the few others in the country. 
Personally, I do some work on my D myself, some things I troubleshoot over 
the phone with Rob, buy parts from him, then take the parts with instructions 
to my local Volvo expert, who has done pretty well for me. But if he drills 
my manifold bolts out wrong, he's not going to replace the block for free 
just to be nice. For a no-margin-of- error job like this, I'd rather drive 
the 5 hours (in my case) to Long Island and let Rob do it. Which is why my D 
is up there right now for MY noisy manifold to be fixed. As for repair costs- 
the original local mechanic I used, "Bruno," a "foreign car specialist" who 
used to own a DeLorean, replaced my brake hoses and flushed the system. (I 
supplied the brake hoses.) He also flushed the coolant and replaced some 
straight coolant hose under the car. I figured he'd charge $150 or so. Maybe 
$200. He billed me six hundred plus, and one of my brake hoses he installed 
twisted. I gulped and paid but haven't returned. I'm sure you can find 
somebody who swears they can do manifolds cheaper, but you'll probably be the 
one swearing when they're done. You can trust ANY of the DeLorean-only 
specialists to do the job right. If you don't think you can, you might as 
well park the car and not drive it. As to what you should pay, ask the price 
in advance and be frank about your budget, whoever you go to. Take any twenty 
year old car in for repairs anywhere and say "do whatever it needs and call 
me when you're done" without asking the price and you're going to have 
sticker shock, regardless of the make or model. Trust Rob with this repair... 
or any other.

Wayne A. Ernst
DMCTech Group
lonesome for vin 11174


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