RockAuto.com RockAuto February Newsletter :: Early Edition

RockAuto Home

Parts Catalog

Customer Service

Privacy Policy

Newsletter Archive

E-mail Subscription

RSS Feed

 

Another Happy Customer!

I've been buying parts from RockAuto for several years now, and after comparing the prices at national "big box stores", and other national on-line firms, there is no comparison in "The Rock's" parts availability, quality of name brand items and customer service.

In addition I've yet to find overall prices (even including shipping costs in the bottom line) cheaper from anyone else!

Mark in Ohio

 

Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, e-mail us with details.

Wedgefield Firewise Community Annual Car Show
2/9/2013
Orlando, FL
e-mail

Bainsdale Motor Expo
2/9/2013
Victoria, AU
e-mail

9th Annual Cars for the Cure
2/9/2013
Orlando, FL
e-mail

Dr. George Car Show 2013
2/9/2013
La Quinton, CA
website

2nd Annual Classic Car Cruise
2/11/2013
Lithia, FL
e-mail

Hot Rodding for Heros
2/15/2013
Gainesville, FL
e-mail

South West Florida Mopar Club
2/15/2013
Punta Gorda, FL
e-mail

Hare Scrambles
2/16/2013
Phoenix, AZ
e-mail

Hearts a Fire Car Show
2/16/2013
Gonzales, LA
e-mail

Corvettes of Charlotte County; Open Car & Truck Show
2/17/2013
Port Charlotte, FL
e-mail

All Ford Day - AU
2/18/2013
Victoria, Australia
e-mail

Susquehanna Speedway Park
2/22/2013
Dover, PA
e-mail

APD Cops Rodders Car Motorcycle Show
2/23/2013
Acworth, GA
e-mail

2013 SRCHS Car Show
2/23/2013
Loxahatchee, FL
website

GPAX Annual Show
2/23/2013
Toms River, NJ
e-mail

Burlington Area Car Club
2/23/2013
Union Grove, WI
e-mail

2013 Le Bellezze d'Italia
2/23/2013
Phoenix, AZ
e-mail

Frostbite 2013
2/23/2013
Lenexa, KS
e-mail

Bay County Car Club 4th Annual Car Show
2/23/2013
Youngstown, FL
e-mail

Benefit for Remi Roussels
2/23/2013
Denham Springs, LA
e-mail

BSA Troop 132 4th Annual Car Show
2/23/2013
West Palm Beach, FL
e-mail

Winter Swap Meet
2/24/2013
Norwood, MA
e-mail

Summer City Rumble
2/24/2013
New South Wales, Australia
e-mail

Buick Car Show for New Hopes Charity
2/24/2013
Orlando, FL
e-mail


Revving up for Valentine’s Day

RockAuto.com

Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching. Get your Valentine a gift that is sure to put a smile on his or her face. Here are a few gift ideas that are sure to please!

ACC Floor Mats – Have you noticed that dingy old floor mats are making your Valentine's ride look old and run down? Besides protecting the carpet, new floor mats will enhance the overall appearance of any car's interior. New ACC Floor Mats are custom made to fit each vehicle perfectly and are a relatively inexpensive way to bring a car's interior back to life. Your Valentine is sure to enjoy that "new car" look and smell again! Choose the original equipment color and materials or pick from the fun custom options. Look up ACC Floor Mats in the “Body-Interior” category of the RockAuto catalog.

ACC Floor Mats



Dorman Part # 628040 – Give the gift of warmth this Valentine’s Day! Dorman has a Universal Seat Heater Kit available that is sure to keep your special someone warm on his or her next commute! Find the Dorman Universal Seat Heater Kits and an installation video under the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab in the "Body-Interior" category.

Dorman Seat Heater Kit



K TOOL Part # 72101 – Every do-it-yourselfer should have a torque wrench in his or her tool box. K Tool Part # 72101 is a ratcheting style torque wrench that "clicks" when proper torque is achieved. A torque wrench will allow your special someone to torque fasteners to manufacturer specifications, rather than just "until it’s tight.” With a capacity of 10 to 150 ft. lb. (15 to 200 Nm) this is the right torque wrench for a wide range of repairs. You will find the K Tool Torque Wrenches in the RockAuto catalog under the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab in the "Garage Tools" category.

K TOOL Part # 72101



See the RockAuto.com catalog for more helpful gift ideas. If you are still not sure what to get your Valentine, a RockAuto Gift Certificate will let your car enthusiast choose his or her own gift. They are available for any amount, are easy to purchase, and even easier to use.

 

 

Forum of the Month

TahoeForum.com

TahoeForum.com is a place for Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade Enthusiasts to share helpful tips and technical advice with one another. There are discussions dedicated to 1994–1999, 2000-2006, and 2007+ Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade year models. Each of these discussion areas includes a place to discuss technical information, audio and video, general information, and more. Join today and start talking, asking questions, and forming new friendships with your fellow enthusiasts.

 

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact cynthia@rockauto.com.

 

 

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Ouch!

The year was 1971. I had been married two years and my wife’s car was a red on red, four on the floor, 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396. She brought the car to the marriage and it now needed a tune up. The tune up was one of the types I had done many times before on my own cars, so even though it was late in the afternoon I launched undaunted into the project. I replaced the spark plugs, removed the distributor, replaced points and condenser, and reinstalled the distributor. I started the car and timed the engine. It ran great! Because it was late in the evening and the light was diminishing, I hurriedly wrapped up the work as dark was closing in.

Late the following week my wife complained that her prized SS seemed to be running a little rough. So a couple days after that, I took her car out and after about two miles at highway speed, the engine suddenly misfired. Amidst the clatter of internal engine parts failing…the oil pressure dropped to zero and the engine stopped. The engine seemed to have frozen up. I quickly pushed the clutch in and drifted to a stop. I had the SS towed to my driveway and was fortunate enough to quickly find a used Chevy 396 engine in the newspaper which I purchased and brought home. After convincing a buddy to help me out with the engine swap, I set aside a whole Saturday for the task. By 11:00 a.m. we had the engine disconnected from the car and were slowly lifting it from its mounts. As the rear of the engine came into view, and the distributor assembly passed my line of sight, I froze! I could clearly see the mistake I had made. After an awkward silence, I announced to my associate, “Stop the hoist, we are putting the engine back in!" Needless to say he was stunned.

What I saw was that in my hurry to finish the tune up after setting the engine timing, I had neglected to completely tighten the yoke that held the distributor in place. So when I was driving at highway speeds, the distributor yoke bolt loosened and the distributor rose, twisting out of the block. The plugs immediately started misfiring, then the oil pump disengaged from the drive at the distributor and failed, causing the hydraulic lifters to collapse with a noise I interpreted as that of an engine being torn apart.

Following my discovery that Saturday, everything was reassembled and by late afternoon we were off to watch the stock car races in Manassas, Virginia.

Bruce in Virginia

 

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

Automotive Trivia

The Yugo was the cheapest car sold in the US, UK and other parts of the world for much of the '80s and early '90s. The Yugo shared some parts with cars that have better reputations for reliability and longevity. For example, the Yugo proudly used the same crankshaft seal as the Honda Accord, Mitsubishi 3000GT, and Volvo 940. Which car was the Yugo originally based upon?

A. Fiat 127
B. Ford Fiesta
C. Opel Kadett
D. Volkswagen Joker

Answer below

 

 

Yes, It Really Does Cost That Much

RockAuto

I can only imagine how hard it must be for professional mechanics to explain the cost of some repairs to their customers. Exhaust crossover pipes for certain engines are a good example. “Yes sir, this piece of exhaust pipe for your 2000 Dodge Caravan 3.3L is not even as long as your arm. Yes sir, it really does cost $499 at the Dodge dealer. No sir, the $499 is just for the pipe, it does not include the gaskets or labor…”

A crossover pipe does not connect the two sides of a dual exhaust system to equalize exhaust pressure. The crossover pipe runs between the exhaust manifolds. It is most common on transversely mounted V6 engines installed in the tight engine compartments of front wheel drive vehicles. The crossover pipe carries the exhaust from the exhaust manifold on the front bank of cylinders to the exhaust manifold on the rear cylinder bank. All the exhaust then leaves the rear manifold and eventually exits through the tailpipe. Multi-piece crossover pipes can also be found linking the exhaust manifolds on other engines such as the Ford 7.3L turbo diesel.

Crossover pipes are sometimes surprisingly expensive because they are much more complex than they look. Crossover pipes link two extremely hot exhaust manifolds that heat up at different rates. Metallurgy, thermodynamics and other engineering skills are needed to pick the correct materials and design for a pipe and fittings that will not crack, split or leak. Crossover pipes often include a bellows constructed of metal to allow for thermal expansion. The most skilled exhaust shop technician cannot use his pipe bender and other tools to make these crossover pipes out of standard exhaust pipe stock. Even many exhaust manufacturers do not make replacement crossover pipes.

Dorman is a RockAuto manufacturer that designs and builds replacement crossover pipes for some of the most popular V6 engines by GM (3.8, 3.5, 3.4, 3.1L...) and Chrysler as well as the Ford 7.3L diesel. Dorman crossover pipes can cost hundreds less than crossover pipes from car dealers and they are often more of a complete repair solution with all the bolts, gaskets, heat shields and other necessary hardware included.

Up to 2000 3.3L Dodge Dorman crossover pipe    Ford 7.3L diesel Dorman crossover pipe

Look under "Exhaust" in the RockAuto catalog if you hear or smell exhaust leaks coming from the engine compartment and suspect a failed crossover pipe. And don’t panic, not all crossover pipes are super costly. Chrysler redesigned their minivan 3.3L in 2001 so that it needed a less complex crossover pipe that currently costs less than $80 at RockAuto. That hypothetical professional mechanic can tell his hypothetical customer, “You should have waited and bought a 2001 Caravan!”

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

 

 

Franck's 1960 Imperial Crown
Franck's 1960 Imperial Crown

This is my customized 1960 Imperial Crown coupe. After purchasing the car online from someone in Idaho, I had it shipped to me in France. I've now spent seven years restoring it and making a few customizations to really make it mine. In addition to this coupe, I own and work on many cars, including a 1960 Imperial convertible and a 1960 Custom Imperial sedan. The list of parts I've purchased from RockAuto is quite extensive, including everything from the starter switch to the torque converter seal. I've put my heart and soul into working on these cars and, thanks to RockAuto, I'm now able to enjoy driving my beautiful Imperial Crown coupe down the highways of France.

Thank you for supplying so many parts and making all of my vehicle restorations possible!

Franck in France

 

Share Your Hard Work

Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to feature you & your car or truck in our monthly newsletter. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please e-mail flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images, and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

 

 

Let RockAuto Help

Let RockAuto Help

Are you organizing a car show or other auto related event? From goody bag stuffers to gift certificates...we can help. We can even publicize your event in our newsletter.

Just send us an e-mail with information about your show.

 

 

Automotive Trivia Answer

Automotive Trivia

The Yugo was the cheapest car sold in the US, UK and other parts of the world for much of the '80s and early '90s. The Yugo shared some parts with cars that have better reputations for reliability and longevity. For example, the Yugo proudly used the same crankshaft seal as the Honda Accord, Mitsubishi 3000GT, and Volvo 940. Which car was the Yugo originally based upon?

Answer: A. Fiat 127
B. Ford Fiesta
C. Opel Kadett
D. Volkswagen Joker

Yugo & Fiat

Back up to trivia question

 

 

 

 

© 1999-2013 RockAuto, LLC - Madison, Wisconsin USA. RockAuto name and logo are registered trademarks of RockAuto, LLC. Manufacturer names and logos in the RockAuto catalog are trademarks of their respective companies and are used only to identify their products. All rights reserved.