Engine Cover Support Slide Block

Engine Cover Support Slide Block

When I ordered my shock tower brace from DeLorean Parts Northwest, I also ordered an Engine Cover Support Slide Block (#106356DP).  This is machined from Delrin, a tough plastic developed by DuPont and has a low coefficient of friction.  It replaces the original Part# 106356, which was made from 'regular' plastic.  DMC offers a metal replacement version, as an alternative, removal and installation process is still the same.

Stock sliding block

Unless you have the DMC Louvre Brace, this block supports all the weight of the engine cover when opened.  While I do have reinforcement strips, I do not have the brace.  I have a plan to replicate the bonus function of the brace...again, another day.

Removal of Engine Cover Stay Assembly

Replacing the sliding block is relatively simple.  Although, there is some 'extra' work involved as you cannot just remove the block and swap out.  First, you need to remove the pivot bracket and the entire engine cover stay assembly.  You will need really strong fingers or a ratchet and a 10mm socket...I recommend the latter.

This is a good time, or perhaps a little late, to remember to get some sort of stick to keep the engine cover up.  Once the assembly is out, there will be nothing keeping the engine cover from slamming onto your head.

Removal of sliding block

Removing the sliding block is a bit of a challenge.  There is no room to use a socket, you will need to use a traditional wrench, 7mm.  Even with the wrench, there is little room to crank. 

Assembly removed

I think this is the first time the assembly has not been a part of the car in 33 years.

Delrin slide block (top) vs stock slide block (bottom)

There extra holes in the Delrin slide block in case the holes in your engine cover have torn through.  Luckily, mine are undamaged.  It would also be very difficult to drill out these additional holes since there is no room for any drill to operate in such a tight space.  If sockets cannot fit, there is no way a drill would.

Installing the new block requires a little more coordination. The new bolts and nuts are 8mm, instead of 7mm.  So, getting the larger bolt into the smaller hole takes a little encouragement.  Also, the slot in the holes and the slot in the block is a snug fit.  I had to 'screw in' the bolt to get it in place, as it did not just slide in.  Again, slowly cranking the bolt with a wrench.

The nut and bolt towards the rear of the car is easier.  The one towards the front is a pain in the neck....literally.  When torquing that bolt, the support rod gets just gets in the way.  The only way to really do it is to rest the engine cover on my head so the rod is out of the way.  Only then, could I get the wrench in place to turn the nut and bolt.  You need two hands to torque the bolt and locking nut.  I am sure there is a better way to do this, having a partner help would put less pressure on your head and neck.

New sliding block installed

Hey, not that bad.  This was a relatively easy remove and replace project.  Total time was about ten minutes.  I doubt anyone can do it faster than five since you have to crank the nuts slowly by hand.  I wonder if there was a special tool they used at the factory to install these.  There must have been a better way than to slowly hand torque these nuts.

Besides the awkward assembling technique involved, the design of supporting a heavy metal lid at  the fulcrum is not the best.  Normal cars would have a support rod and/or some sort of spring or strut to help hold the cover up.  As mentioned before, if you get the DMC Louvre Brace, that has a hook that hooks the striker bar on the engine cover and takes the pressure off the engine cover stay assembly. 

FUCK YOU, STOP CALLING ME - August 2014

I know you came here because you Googled some fucking telemarketer that called you.  That is a shame on more than one account. The rest of my blog is somewhat interesting, but like life it is tainted by telemarketers.  This is why you are here.  Well, if you have time check out the other stuff I write about.  It may not be the best...not even close...but it is (slightly) better than my rants.

4 August 2014
   334-219-7703 AL, USA - Did not even have to Google this one.  Once I saw the origin was Alabama, I just knew it was some fucking telemarketer.  Not like I have friends there...I know for damn sure that I do not have any family there.  I also have no desire to go there, especially now that I know there are telemarketers there.  So, fuck you!

11 August 2014
   571-364-0138  VA, USA - Why is there a West Virginia and no East Virginia?  That has bugged me for a long time, but not as much as fucknugget telemarketers.  Fuck you Virginia, you should be East Virginia.

15 August 2014
   562-988-7793  Long Beach, CA - Well, this could be a wrong number.  But, since I got another call a few minutes later...upon further review...I am classifying this as a telemarketer call.  I could be wrong, and this is a simple miss dialed number.  Just to be safe, fuck you!

   518-568-8458  NY, USA - A ha!  Hunting high and low on Google, I found that this is a telemarketer.  Which leads me to believe the previous call is also.  I call your name and your name is 'telemarketer'.  The sun always shines on TV, but a storm of douche baggery hits the phone lines.  You try to take on me, fuck you!

27 August 2014
   724-490-6234  PA, USA - Hmm...Pennsylvania.  Could it be?  I was hanging out with Sidney Crosby on his birthday, and I told him to call me if he needed any hockey tips.  So, he called me.  Oh wait, that was a total lie and I wasted your time...exactly what telemarketers do...they lie to you and waste your time.  They also no know nothing about hockey.  

Patching That Hole in the Tub

Missing chunk of fiberglass

Remember that hole and crack I found while installing the Shock Tower Brace?  Seriously, it was last week, just scroll down to previous post.  Anyway, it looks a small child bit a piece off of my tub.  This hole explains why that last screw was not screwing into anything.  I have no idea how long it has been like this, the break looks old.  Time to fix this, even though no one will really see it.

First step is to sand and clean the area.  I used 80 grit sandpaper to give the fiberglass some bite, making sure I got both sides roughed up.

Mesh gives it some backing

I got a sheet of self adhesive mesh to provide backing for the Bondo.  This is great stuff, the mesh holds it shape and it stays in place.   Genius!

Bondo with fiberglass strands

My buddy Jun...yes, that Jun...hooked me up with some Bondo Glass.  It is Bondo with fiberglass strands mixed in.  Perfect for fiberglass repair.  If the fumes do not get to you, the fiberglass should.  You can see that the mesh is in place and ready for the Bondo Glass

Spreading the Bondo Glass

Working with Bondo Glass is quite different from regular Bondo.  The strands of fiberglass make it a challenge just to scoop on to your mixing pallet.  It is a lot like trying to scoop wet noodles with a spoon, most of it gets pulled back into the container.  I mixed a few batches to make sure I do not waste too much of Jun's supply.  Multiple batches also helps with work time as it sets up pretty fast.

I made a small batch to spread on the underside, where the mesh is exposed.  This should help 'lock' down the mesh should the adhesive fail over time.  After a 15-20 minute wait for curing, it is time to sand.

Sanding, sanding, and some more sanding

Pro tip from Jun:  Wet sand the Bondo so the just does not get air born.

Good tip.  I wet sanded the Bondo, working my way from 80 grit, 120 grit, and 320 grit.  This step took a while.  Luckily, I had my laptop in the trunk, just above these images, and I was streaming Netflix while working on this project.

Looks like an orca

I spent about half an hour sanding it down.  A better way to do it would be to shape the Bondo before it totally hardens.  Who says I do things the right way or the easy way?  Still needs a little more sanding before I can paint.

Good old SEM Trim Black

I masked off  and covered some areas and sprayed away.  A few light coats of SEM Trim Black finishes the job. 

Oh wait, I need drill a hole for that final screw.  Since I do not have the threaded insert, the lazy thing to do is to attach a corresponding nut to the hole.  I used some JB Weld to 'weld' a nut on the underside of the repaired hole. There is not much stress in this area.  Heck, for years, there was nothing for the screw to screw into.  So, a glued nut works fine...until it fails.

The access plate goes back in with all the screws holding down the plate.  The shock tower brace goes back on, and we are done.

Total project time was about two hours.  This includes mixing and curing time for the filling compounds.  Oh, and a lot of sanding.