Spectra Premium Fuel Tank & Pump Assemblies

RockAuto now offers Spectra Premium Fuel Tank & Pump Assemblies. Spectra Premium, founded in Canada, has been making replacement and OE (Pontiac GTO, Chevy Volt...) fuel tanks for a quarter century. They know replacing the fuel tank and fuel pump as one complete unit is the best way to avoid damaging a new fuel pump by installing it in a contaminated (dirt, rust, oil, water...) fuel tank. A complete assembly reduces the installation labor and makes it very unlikely that the work will ever need to be repeated. These kits are designed to ensure each component works together to match OE fit and function. You can see the parts included in each assembly by following the “Info” link in our catalog.

The fuel tanks are made from OE-approved Ni Terne steel to provide enhanced corrosion resistance. The fuel pumps are tested for voltage, amperage, resistance, pressure, and volume to ensure optimal performance and are covered by one of the best manufacturer warranties available. In addition, all necessary strainers, lock rings, o-rings and other pieces are included to ensure you will have all the components necessary to get the job done efficiently and successfully.

Spectra Premium Fuel Tank & Pump Assembly

Look for “Fuel Tank & Pump Assembly” in the “Fuel/Air” category in the RockAuto catalog. These complete assemblies are available for a variety of vehicles ranging from the 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle to the 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe.

A Perfect Gift

RockAuto gift certificates are a perfect gift for the car enthusiast in your life. They are easy to buy and even easier to use.

Gift Certificate
Purchase gift certificates with a choice of currencies and amounts. Have a paper certificate shipped to you or directly to the recipient or choose E-Gift.

E-Gift
Need a Christmas gift in a hurry? E-Gift delivery is immediate and free. Simply select Email as the shipping option and your friends and family will conveniently receive the gift in their Inbox.

Forum of the Month

GM Full Size is a place for Chevy Truck and GMC Truck enthusiasts to share helpful tips and technical advice with one another. There are discussions dedicated to general talk, tech talk modifications as well as a place to share photos! Join today and start asking questions, talking, and forming new friendships with your fellow Chevy and GMC Truck Enthusiasts.

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

My first truck was a ’59 Chevy with a little 283 V8 in it. I was 14 years old when I bought the truck in 1976 for $400. I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to start working on it.

Anyway, for the first two years that I owned it, I worked at the local market and did odd jobs around town to not only keep the truck in gas, but to afford things like brakes, a generator, battery, plugs, wires, etc. as I slowly fixed the truck up.

Finally, I had saved enough money and went out and bought a new performance intake manifold and 4-barrel carburetor for it. So, the next day after school, I came zipping into the driveway and got right to work. I had been dreaming of this moment for months.

There is a fair amount of work involved in changing out an intake manifold and carburetor. I mean, first you’ve got to drain down the coolant. Then, you’ve got to remove some hoses, the distributor, the carburetor and the old intake manifold. Plus, remove gaskets, clean the surfaces, etc., and then you can start installing the new manifold, carburetor and the rest of the stuff in the reverse order. It took me about 2-1/2 hours. Having double-checked that all was right (fluids up, tools removed from the engine compartment, etc.), it was time to start it.

This was it! The moment that I was waiting for! After months and months of working, saving and anticipating how great my truck was going to be, I slipped the key into the ignition and turned it; RRRRrrrr…Again; RRRrrr…..It must be just taking a little bit for the gas to get into that big carburetor, right? So, I pumped the throttle a couple of times; RRRrrr. …Hmm…RRRrrr. Nothing!

I spent the next ½ hour trying to figure out what was wrong. Everything I tried couldn’t get that truck to even sputter.

As I lived in the country and there were no buses, I depended on my truck to get me to school and back each day. I had no choice but to take out the new manifold and carburetor and put the old set-up back in it! After all, it was running when I pulled in the driveway, right?

So, after another 2-1/2 hours of swapping the new equipment for the old, I once again found myself in the driver’s seat praying that the truck would start. So, with crossed fingers, I turned the key….RRRrrr. .. Again…RRRrrr… It’s just going to take a couple of times for the gas to get to the carburetor, right? RRRRRRRRrrrrrrrr…Nothing! Then I looked at the gas gauge. It was on empty. AAAAHHHHH!

I must have had just enough gas to get back home and no more. The next day, I did it all over again. This time successfully.

It’s amazing what gas in the tank can do.

Matt in California

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please e-mail your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

Automotive Trivia

What do Airtex, Autolite, Fram and Prestone all have in common?
A. All have ties to New Zealand
B. All were founded more than 75 years ago
C. All are owned by the same parent company
D. All of the above


Answer below

Fixing Oil Leaks

It is easier to put off fixing oil leaks when your family has a fleet of vehicles all sharing the same parking spaces. When I see a drop of oil on the ground I think, “it must be from one of the other cars” and then I am slow to hunt for that mysterious “other car.”

Some oil leaks require standalone repairs such as replacing valve cover gaskets, but some leaks can be fixed during a regular oil change with little additional effort. Here are a few ways to fix or prevent oil leaks during an oil change.

I used to routinely wrap the threads on oil drain plugs with Teflon thread sealing tape. However, I found that engine oil tends to soften the tape before the next oil change. I tried using a lot more tape, but that just meant more tape to get mushy and an even looser oil drain plug to potentially start dripping. Oil drain plug gaskets made of nylon, copper, etc. are inexpensive and seal a lot better than tape. RockAuto has them for specific engines, and gasket assortments are available under the Tools & Universal Parts tab in the catalog.

Oil drain plug gasket

A gasket will not help if the threads in the oil pan are damaged. Dorman has a bunch of different oil drain plug options (listed both for specific engines and under Tools & Universal Parts). One example is the “piggyback” oil drain plug that permanently seals the original damaged drain hole with a new smaller hole and plug. One of RockAuto’s best sellers is Dorman’s EZ Drain. It does not fit every motor, but it fits the oil pans in my old American brand cars. It is only threaded in once, so it protects the threads in the oil pan from wear, cross-threading and over-tightening. Simply turn a knob to drain the oil. Close the knob to seal it back up. It costs a lot more than a conventional oil drain plug but less than a typical quart of synthetic motor oil.

Piggyback & EZ Drain Plugs

Many late-model cars (and antique cars) use an oil filter cartridge inside a permanent housing rather than a completely disposable oil filter/housing. The plastic or metal oil filter cover for those filters is usually sealed with an o-ring or rings. That o-ring might be able to last through multiple oil changes, but take the time to install any new o-ring(s) included in the box with the new oil filter cartridge. Lubricate o-rings with oil just like you would lubricate the gasket on a conventional disposable oil filter. Avoid cross-threading the oil filter cover by rotating it in the wrong direction (usually counter-clockwise) for a few turns so it is seated properly before turning it the correct direction for tightening.

Oil filter cover

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

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