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RockAuto May Newsletter | Early Edition
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Another Happy Customer!

If I go into a parts store, it takes forever to find the part I need for my car. But with RockAuto, I just look up the make, year, and model of my car, and it shows me the parts I need without fail.

Jason in California



Upcoming Events

Need goody bag items and a gift certificate for your show...RockAuto can help! Email marketing@rockauto.com with information about your event.

11 Great Smoky Mountain Trail Ride
Oliver Springs, TN Email
May
12 Waterloo Knights of Columbus
Kitchener, ON, Canada Email
May
12 Beeline Cruise-In Car Show
Payson, AZ Email
May
13 Old Mill Creek Car Festival
Antioch, IL Email
May
13 18th Annual Bentley Car Show
Bentley, KS Email
May
13 Strawberry Festival Car Show
Stilwell, OK Email
May
14 Dunsford Lions Wheels In Motion
Dunsford, ON Email
May
14 5th Annual Cruise For The Cure
Boonsboro, MD Email
May
15 1017 Idaho State 4x4 Association Ride & Rally
Meridian, ID Email
May
15 26th Annual Great Smoky Mountain Trail Ride
Manchester, TN Email
May
16 Knights of Columbus Car Show
West Mifflin, PA Email
May
17 5th Annual American Cancer Society Car Show
Kingsport , TN Email
May
18 Illini 4x4 Safari
Pittsfield, IL Email
May
18 Cruisin Cajun Country
New Iberia, LA Email
May
19 Lamb & Wool Fair Car Show
Scio, OR Email
May
19 Volvos at Carlisle
Carlisle, PA Email
May
20 Concrete Cruizers Charity Car Show
Des Moines, IA Email
May
20 Spring Willys Reunion
Columbus, IN Email
May
20 Habitat for Humanity Car Show
Effingham, IL Email
May
21 28th Annual Lone Star Corvette Classic
Carrollton, TX Email
May
21 Hot Rods at Heritage Park
Bethlehem Township, NJ Email
May
21 Down to Earth Days 2017
Brighton, CO Email
May
21 North Jersey Auto Show
Paramus, NJ Email
May
21 LAFD Memorial Show & Shine
Simi Valley , CA Email
May
21 Thunderbird Appreciation Day
Nationwide Email
May
WJB Wheel Hubs
See what we have from WJB

Hub-ba, Hub-ba! WJB is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% off instant rebate on WJB Wheel Hubs the entire month of May.

Established in California in 1992, WJB has focused on and excelled at making automotive and industrial bearing products. Their philosophy is to produce premium parts that are extremely competitively priced. WJB has been an OE supplier to car manufacturers since 2012. Their factories are certified to ISO/TS 16949.

WJB Wheel Hubs are precision engineered with high grade steel and tested to OE specifications to ensure they are built to last under the harshest driving conditions.

RockAuto has replacement WJB Wheel Hubs for everything from a 2005 BMW 325i to a 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser to a 1999 Honda Accord to a 2007 KIA Rio to a 2015 Toyota 4Runner... To see the Wheel Hub choices we have for your vehicle, go to the RockAuto catalog and click on the "Brake & Wheel Hub" category. Take advantage of the instant 10% rebate on WJB Wheel Hubs through May 31, 2017!

Exhaust System Kits
See what we have from Walker

See what we have from Walker/DynoMax

See what we have from Bosal

RockAuto now has direct replacement Exhaust System Kits for even more models including the 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1994 Toyota Camry, 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and many more!

Exhaust System Kits can save time/money because they bundle all necessary clamps, insulators and other parts needed to successfully replace the full exhaust system the first time the vehicle is lifted off the ground. Catalytic Converters, Exhaust Manifolds and other parts upstream can be purchased separately if needed. For some cars and trucks, there is a choice of exhaust kits to restore OE performance and sound or move to a high performance system.

See the kits we have for your specific vehicles under “Exhaust System Kit” in the "Exhaust & Emission" category of the RockAuto catalog. Diagrams of the exhaust system configuration and a full list of components included in each kit can be found on the "Info" page.

Forum of the Month
The Chicago Garage

The Chicago Garage (TCG) is more than an automotive message board. They are Illinois' largest and most active car enthusiast community! All makes, models and modes of transportation are welcome. Whether you have a minty numbers matching muscle car, a rusted out pickup for hauling your home project materials, a project car that has not run in 10 years, or are simply wanting to talk cars from the convenience of a keyboard, The Chicago Garage welcomes you.

 

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 megant@rockauto.com.

Repair Mistakes & Blunders
Repair  Mistakes & Blunders

One fine sunny day, many years ago, my older brother and I decided to change the oil in his 1976 Volvo 240. All went well (or so we thought) until his wife needed the car. Off she drove...leaving a trail of oil down the road! What we had not noticed was the huge puddle of oil under the car. Only then did my brother realize he had not replaced the drain plug on the oil pan! Those pesky details.

Known for having a huge temper, he was furious. He commenced to yell at the top of his lungs for his wife to stop. This fell upon deaf ears as she drove around the corner. By now, the neighbors were calling in their kids and closing the windows. Dejected and enraged, he decided to take out his anger on an innocent oil can lying on the grass. Taking a huge step, bringing his leg back, he delivered the biggest rage infused kick he could muster. He missed the can, kicked the grass instead, removed a divot any golfer would been proud of, and injured his big toe. I was laughing so hard, I could not see straight, but he was not able to catch me because of his toe.

By this time, his wife noticed the oil light had come on, and immediately drove back home with no oil in the engine. Either through good luck or Volvo’s enduring engine, there was no apparent damage to the engine. To this day, I still remind him of this incident. Being the younger brother, I feel it is my duty.

Alex 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 email 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

Who built the Firedome, FireFlite and Firesweep models in the late 1950s?

A. Chrysler's DeSoto division
B. Ford's Edsel division
C. GM's Pontiac division

Answer below

Our Vehicles Appreciate the Work We Do
Tom's Story

Friends encouraged romance by giving my wife and me tickets to an out-of-town show in April. Our '93 Ford Tempo is mostly used for low speed commuting. I thought the drive on the freeway was an opportunity to limber up the Ford and like my dad says, "Blow the gunk out."

The car seemed to enjoy the high speed drive to the show, but after the show, the romance was momentarily dimmed when the Tempo would not start. There was no sound from the fuel pump. The fuel pump briefly groaned with the ninth turn of the ignition key, and with the tenth turn, it whirred to life and the engine started. We took low speed roads home.

The problem did not reoccur while driving around town on subsequent days, but I decided to go ahead and replace the fuel pump. Seizing up after a drive on the freeway is often how electric fuel pumps demonstrate they are failing. At high speeds, the pump is moving the most fuel and getting hot. The problem typically occurs more frequently until the fuel pump eventually dies completely.

I hunted online for any tips on replacing a Tempo's fuel pump. I did not find any new tips, but what was striking was how hard some people tried to avoid changing a fuel pump because they dreaded taking off the fuel tank. I found a video of a guy digging through a Tempo's floor with tin snips to access the fuel pump. I read a forum where a Tempo owner describes fruitlessly replacing every part but the fuel pump before finally caving in and replacing the pump (as other forum members had been suggesting).

Gasoline is smelly and fuel tanks are cumbersome, but if you can replace a starter without difficulty, then you can probably replace the fuel pump on most vehicles. Siphoning ten gallons of gasoline out of the Tempo's gas tank took about as long as removing and reinstalling the tank (find inexpensive siphons in the "Garage Equipment" category of the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab or click here).

Like most modern vehicles, the Tempo's fuel tank is strapped under the floor below the backseat. Once the fuel is removed, fuel tanks are surprisingly light. I used a jack and scrap of wood as a third hand to support the fuel tank just because it was unwieldy. After removing one rear wheel, five hoses, two screws and two nuts, the fuel tank was sitting in my driveway.

RockAuto offered the choice of replacing just the electric Fuel Pump, a complete Fuel Pump & Housing Assembly (fuel gauge sender, strainer, etc.) or the entire Fuel Tank & Pump Assembly. The Tempo's fuel tank was in good shape, so I went with a new Fuel Pump & Housing assembly. (There was a choice of six brands for this 25 year old car!)


Fuel Pump & Housing assembly / Tempo's fuel tank

I was happy with how relatively painless the fuel tank removal/installation was, but I was even happier when I closely looked at the photos I took during the repair. I have never seen divine images on my burnt breakfast toast, but I definitely see a heart on that gas tank. Our vehicles appreciate the work we do!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

Matt's 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI
Matt's 1984 Volkswagen GTI

I bought my 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI from my brother after graduating from college. The car looked decent and ran (but not well). I thought it would be a relatively easy project. Fast forward three years...and I can say that it was a challenge!

The MK1 GTI was an exciting car when it came out in the US. Americans were finally able to affordably get a taste of the German driving experience. Compared to a standard Rabbit, the GTI had a front sway bar, thicker rear sway bar, stiffer and slightly lowered springs, and an upsized 1.8 liter fuel-injected engine. Visually the only differences are a front spoiler, black stripes along the bottom of the doors, black around the rear window and an interior with extra instrumentation exclusive to the GTI. This all added up to an exciting little car that performed better than most of its peers.

The car had rust issues. All of the fuel and brake hard lines were rotted and needed to be replaced. I bought those and all new calipers, rotors, brake pads, wheel cylinders and a master cylinder from RockAuto. I even scored an OEM GTI clutch and pressure plate on wholesaler closeout for under $40. I eventually realized I would have to replace or overhaul virtually every component in the engine, so my solution was to swap in a 2 liter engine from a 1997 Jetta. There were countless other components that also needed to be replaced, and RockAuto really came to my rescue (while saving me money)!

Matt in Pennsylvania

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets or RockAuto social media. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

Automotive Trivia Answer
Automotive Trivia

Who built the Firedome, FireFlite and Firesweep models in the late 1950s?

Answer: A. Chrysler's DeSoto division
B. Ford's Edsel division
C. GM's Pontiac division


Tim's 1957 Desoto Firesweep Sportsman Built with RockAuto Parts

Back up to trivia question