Re: Engine Swaps (my Buick Turbo car is Alive!)

["d_rex_2002" <rich@xxxx>]

It's ALIVE !!

A big, big thanks to Dave Swingle for getting this beast all
buttoned up by Sunday, May 4, 2003 (05/04/03). He even had
it fired up, running and back from the first series of test
drives about 20 minutes before I had got there on Sunday.

Even after months of not being started, Dave hooked up the
battery we charged last month and it fired up on first try.

However, there is still some good news and bad news details.

The good news is that the drive-train is running very well
and getting better with each break-in test run. Still a very
little clutch chatter, but that may go away in time. A little
tappet or lifter noise upon initial startup, but that is also
quieting down, the more the engine is run. After one shifter
adjustment, the transmission is shifting crisp and smooth.
There is a considerable amount of HP on tap and it is very
tempting to forget about "breaking in" the car gradually.

The bad news includes a few melted wires in the cooling
system wiring, so we had to keep the test runs short and
allow cool down between runs (glad it was only 49 degrees)
but the custom wiring needs to be checked and re-worked.
Looks like the angle drive may not be working (no speedo)
so I cannot tell you how fast Dave and I have had it going.
Brakes have more pedal travel than we would like, but it did
get better as the surface rust wore off the rotors. We may
swap out the brake master with a new or rebuilt unit before
we get to the high speed testing phase. So .....

With plenty of details to work out yet and only 4 days left,
this beast will not be making the trip down to Texas this
weekend for the DMCH open house and the dragstrip shootout.
I will, however, bring some digital video of two test runs.

So when will it be out in public for the first time? 
Looks like it will be "ready enough" to be at the Tech Day
on Saturday, May 17th with the Delorean Midwest Connection.
I may trailer it there, but I can do parking lot test runs.

Later,
Rich W.


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Dave Swingle" <swingle@xxxx> wrote:
> The stock shaft is long enough if the pilot bearing is mounted in 
the outer
> recess of the crank.
>
> <SNIP>