RockAuto.com RockAuto July Newsletter :: Early Edition

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Another Happy Customer!

Just purchased struts for a 2004 GMC Envoy. Local O'Reilly store has them for $82.99 each, RockAuto has them for $57.99 each...same part number, Monroe Sensatrac. Unbelievable price difference!

All the orders I have placed have been like this. Customer service and return policy rocks too!

Kevin in North Dakota

 

Carlisle Events
RockAuto is the Official Auto Parts Store of Carlisle Events

Carlisle Events

2011 Schedule of Events:

Carlisle Chrysler Nationals
July 8-10

Carlisle Bike Fest
July 22-24

Carlisle Truck Nationals
August 5-7

Corvettes at Carlisle
August 26-28

Fall Carlisle & Auction
Sept. 28-Oct. 2

 

Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, email us with details.

14th Annual Cruise in on Broadway Car Show
7/13/2011
Fort Wayne, IN
e-mail

All British Day
7/16/2011
Manotick, ON
website

Dragstalgia & Other Events
7/16/2011
Wellingborough, UK
e-mail

25th Annual Street Festival & Car Show in Downtown Hollister
7/16/2011
Hollister, CA
e-mail

Clinton Lions Car Show
7/16/2011
Clinton, ME
e-mail

Cystic Fibrosis Showin' for a Cure Car Show
7/16/2011
Cave City, KY
e-mail

TNCC 3rd Annual Car Show
7/16/2011
Hampton, VA
e-mail

Del Rods Spring Kickoff Show
7/16/2011
Dover, DE
e-mail

Oldsmobile Rocket Round Up
7/16/2011
Sherwood Park AB, CA
website

Keep on Rollin Car Show 7/17/2011
Salt Lake City, UT
e-mail

26th British Car Day of Cincinnati
7/17/2011
Cincinnati, OH
website

All American Car Show Go
7/17/2011
Fountain, CO
e-mail

4th Annual Hot Rod Sunday
7/17/2011
La Farge, WI
e-mail

Razz & Shine Cruise In
7/17/2011
Lynden, WA
e-mail

The Schoharie Valley Region of the AACA Car Show
7/17/2011
Gloversville, NY
e-mail

Appleton Car Show
7/17/2011
Hortonville, WI
e-mail

24th Annual Z Car Club Association International Convention
7/18/2011
Savannah, GA
e-mail

Cruising for Christ Car Club Car Show
7/19/2011
Sidney, OH
e-mail

Hadji Shriners 18th Annual Car Show
7/23/2011
Pensacola, FL
e-mail

Pharoahs Street Rodders Cruise In
7/23/2011
Damscus, OR
e-mail

6th Annual Cruisin for Tunes
7/23/2011
Westerville, OH
e-mail

4th Annual K-9 Car Show & Fundraiser
7/23/2011
Burlington City, NJ
e-mail

Pine Grove Hampton's Off Road Fury
7/23/2011
Pine Grove, PA
website

Hudsonville Classic Car Show Motorcycle Show
7/23/2011
Hudsonville, MI
e-mail

Mecosta Days
7/23/2011
Mecosta, MI
e-mail

Mass Gash Bash
7/23/2011
East Templeton, MA
e-mail

Chicago Crossroads Corvette Club
7/23/2011
Chicago, IL
website

The Queen City Chevelle Club-6th Annual General Motors Car & Truck Show
7/23/2011
Springfield, MO
e-mail

Nash Back at Ya Car Club
7/23/2011
Rogers, AR
e-mail

Osage Beach-Benefit Car Show
7/23/2011
Lake Ozark, MO
e-mail

Bongo Bash Bites Back Take 2
7/24/2011
Hailsham, East Sussex UK
e-mail

MOCGB Highclere Show
7/24/2011
Reading, Berkshire UK
e-mail

South Shore Street Rods Car Show
7/24/2011
Hingham, MA
e-mail

Vette Fest 2011
7/28/2011
Boise, ID
e-mail

11th Annual McGrew Trail Ride
7/29/2011
Central Point, OR
e-mail

Summer Night Cruise In
7/29/2011
Delaware, OH
e-mail

POWMIA Awarness Rally Auto Show
7/30/2011
Pocatello, ID
e-mail

Cold Spring Street Machine Car Show
7/30/2011
Cold Spring, MN
e-mail

Seneca Car Show
7/30/2011
Marysville, KS
e-mail

Crossroads Cruz-In Burnout Championship
7/30/2011
Johnson Creek, WI
website

2nd Annual Tyler Shipman Memorial Car Show
7/30/2011
Frazee, MN
e-mail

2nd Annual South Texas Stangs Benefit Car Show
7/30/2011
Seguin, TX
e-mail

Winder Barrow HS Band Benefit Car Truck Show
7/30/2011
Winder, GA
e-mail

Annual Cruise-In/Fly-In
7/31/2011
Tillamook, OR
e-mail

Team Sue's Poker Run/Cruise In
7/31/2011
Arcaida, IA
e-mail

Vintage Auto Club-Blast From the Past Car Show
7/31/2011
Delaware, OH
e-mail

Coast Guard Festival Charity Car Show
7/31/2011
Grand Haven, MI
e-mail

Classic Car Show
7/31/2011
New Lenox, IL
e-mail

6th Annual Chenango Car Show
7/31/2011
Aurora, CO
e-mail

Warbird Car Show
8/2/2011
Logansport, IN
e-mail

41st Yellowstone Rod Run
8/4/2011
West Yellowstone, MT
e-mail

Webster Monthly Swap Meet Car Bike Show
8/4/2011
Homosassa, FL
e-mail

7th Annual Marion Car Cruise
8/5/2011
Marion, MI
e-mail

Hot Nite In The City Show-n-Shine
8/5/2011
Kamloops, BC
e-mail

Backroad Cruisers
8/5/2011
Albany, MN
e-mail

Bay Side Mustangs-2nd Annual Mustang Mania
8/6/2011
Davidsonville, MD
e-mail

5th Annual Mark Twain Corvette Club All Corvette
8/6/2011
Qunicy, IL
e-mail

Flight 93 Memorial Cruise
8/6/2011
Columbia, MD
e-mail

8th Annual Purple Door Cruise In
8/6/2011
Grove City, OH
e-mail

3rd Annual Motorcycle Roundup
8/6/2011
Cumberland, BC
e-mail

10th Annual Classics at Lee Hall
8/6/2011
Newport News, VA
e-mail

KAARC 32nd Annual Car Show & Swap Meet
8/6/2011
Kalamazoo, MI
e-mail

Worth Days Annual Car Show
8/6/2011
Palos Heights, IL
e-mail

Stallions Gate Mustang & Ford Club Inc
8/6/2011
Maple Park, IL
e-mail

3rd Annual Great Escapes Off Road Car Show
8/6/2011
Adrian, MI
e-mail

Wheels for a Cause 2nd Annual Car & Bike Show
8/6/2011
Joliet, IL
e-mail

1st Annual Customs & Classics dreaMS of a CURE
8/6/2011
Dumas, TX
e-mail

5th Annual Fun! Car & Truck Show
8/7/2011
Milaca, MN
e-mail

Sweet Summer Nights Car Show
8/7/2011
Minneapolis, MN
e-mail

Mopar Magic 2011
8/7/2011
Bremerton, WA
e-mail

Sebago Brewing Company Cruise In
8/7/2011
Gorham, ME
e-mail

Second Annual SACK Benefit Car Show
8/7/2011
Denver, CO
e-mail

5th Annual Bash at the Lube
8/7/2011
Hampton, VA
e-mail

3rd Annual Cruise-In for Diabetes
8/7/2011
Terre Haute, IN
e-mail

Mason Dixon Chapter of the Falcon Club of America
8/12/2011
Annapolis, MD
e-mail

Midwest Thunder 10th Annual Benefit Car & Truck Show & Stereo Sound Off
8/12/2011
Pontiac, IL
e-mail

Cruise the Gorge
8/12/2011
Dallesport, WA
e-mail

Midwest National Mustang Show
8/12/2011
Des Moines, IA
e-mail

6th Annual South Eastern Shindig
8/12/2011
Youngstown, FL
e-mail

McMinnville Auto Club
8/13/2011
Dayton, OR
e-mail

Annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival
8/13/2011
Springsfield, MO
e-mail

Sunflower IH Show
8/13/2011
Halstead, KS
e-mail

Stanton Old Fashioned Days Car, Truck, & Bike Show
8/13/2011
Sheridan, MI
website

Charles E. Lewis Days & Northwestern WI Car Club Show
8/13/2011
Fredric, WI
e-mail

Old Dominion Corvette Club-22nd Annual All Corvette Cruise In
8/13/2011
Ashburn, VA
e-mail

American Legion 170 Classic Car & Bike Show
8/13/2011
Centerville, MI
e-mail

Ole Car Club 33rd Annual Car Show
8/13/2011
Gallipolis, OH
e-mail

Mopar Club
8/13/2011
Rio Ranch, NM
e-mail

The Ladies Auxiliary to the Unexcelled Fire Co
8/13/2011
Ocean Grove, NJ
e-mail

Uptown Rutland Business Association-2nd Annual Classic Car Show
8/13/2011
Kelowna, BC
e-mail

Car Show & 50's Dance Party
8/13/2011
Ridgewood, NJ
e-mail

24th Annual Gravette Day Car Show
8/14/2011
Gravette, AR
e-mail

Teamsters Local 455 9th Annual Car Show
8/14/2011
Denver, CO
e-mail

22nd Annual Yellow Rose Car Show
8/13-8/14/2011
Fort Worth, TX
e-mail

Sizzling Summer Car & Hot Rod Show
8/14/2011
Tualatin, OR
e-mail

8th Annual Meadowood Car truck Show
8/14/2011
Millersville, MD
e-mail

Wheels & Wine '11 Charity Car Show
8/14/2011
Milford, DE
e-mail

Isabella's Fight Car Show & Benefit
8/14/2011
Prince Frederick, TN
e-mail

Show Off All Car Auto Show
8/14/2011
St. Louis, MO
e-mail

American Iron Car Show
8/14/2011
Pleasant Hill, CA
e-mail

Focus Fanatics & Fiesta Fly Car Show
8/15/2011
Austin, TX
e-mail

Rolling Rods Classic Car Club
8/15/2011
Fountain, KY
e-mail

2011 Big Saturday Show
8/15/2011
Lewes, DE
e-mail

 

Dorman Instrument Clusters

See what we have from Dorman

Thanks to Dorman, a broken instrument cluster may not require an expensive trip to the dealer. Dorman has instrument clusters available for many Dodge, Jeep, Ford, and GM trucks and are steadily adding instrument clusters for cars like the Chevy Impala and Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Instrument clusters come pre-programmed from Dorman, ready to install. They feature all new stepper motors using the latest, upgraded design and new OE style backlight bulbs with holders, which prevent failure from recurring. Find instrument clusters under ‘Body-Interior’ in the RockAuto.com catalog.

Dorman instrument clusters

Watch how easy it is to change an instrument cluster!

 

 

Forum of the Month
The 301 Garage

The 301 Garage forum is dedicated to the Pontiac 301 V-8 engine. It was the last Pontiac V-8 made and originally not designed for performance. But, that all changed when Pontiac turbocharged it in 1980.

The turbocharged version was widely misunderstood, until 301 Garage came online in 2007. You will find extensive coverage of maintenance, repair and improving the performance of this engine.

The forum has a strong group of very knowledgeable members, several of whom are automotive professionals by day. The level of assistance to 301 owners is exceptional, and we have helped put many cars back on the road.

So if you have a 301, or know someone who does, come join us!

 

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!

My buddy and I were replacing an engine in his Nissan wagon. We squeezed the engine in, and I bolted and snugged the flex plate to the torque converter. Wanting my buddy to have additional “hands on” experience, especially since it was his car, I got the transmission-to-bell housing bolts on my side in finger tight and told him to finish off his side and then come around and torque my side.

A week later I get a phone call from him. The engine was running, but the car would not move!

I drove out and discovered the flex plate was now plainly visible through a one-inch gap between the engine and transmission housings! Since the flex plate had never been designed to keep the engine and transmission together, it finally popped apart. Both of us were rather sheepish when we realized what had happened. Apparently he misunderstood when we were bolting the bell housing and thought I meant to tell him to only tighten all the bolts just over finger tight. Thankfully, flex plates are not too expensive. Since we were both now familiar with pulling the engine, at least we were able to complete the repair quickly.

Since then, I’ve taught my son and daughter to work on their vehicles and always mind the maxim, “Trust, but verify” when it comes to checking work. :-)

Steve 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 awhile!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and shirt size (large or extra large) and we will mail you a RockAuto "Do it yourself?" t-shirt if we publish your story (see the t-shirts under Extras 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

What do the Citation, Pacer, and Ranger all have in common?

A. They are all Edsel models. The Ranger was price leader followed by the Pacer. Both used the Ford Fairlane wheelbase. The Citation was built on a longer wheelbase Mercury chassis.
B. Their original bodies were all designed by students at the l'institut Automoteur de Conception in Chicoutimi Canada.
C. They are the only mass production vehicles built since 1945 to use rigid motor mounts. The engine was bolted directly to a front chassis cross member. Engine vibration and noise was dissipated at the the mounting points for the cross member. The Citation and Pacer cross member used viscous couplings while the Ranger used urethane bushings.

Answer below

 

 

Expensive Sounding Clunks

RockAuto

A severely loose or broken mount will cause the engine to rock back and forth especially under acceleration.

Motor mounts secure the engine to the vehicle structure. Most use rubber and/or hydraulic fluid to allow some engine movement. This slight movement helps reduce transmitting engine noise and vibration into the body. It also helps protect drive shafts, chassis parts, and exhaust parts designed to be part of flexible rather than rigidly mounted systems.

Motor mounts go bad when the rubber material deteriorates, the hydraulic fluid leaks out, or the metal parts bend or rust away. When motor mounts fail completely, engine movement can become so excessive that the exhaust and drivetrain are pulled apart and the engine compartment is damaged. Most of us have heard stories about the muscle car that sent its engine through the hood or into the radiator during a stint of heavy acceleration.

Motor mounts are more likely to gradually deteriorate. Some motor mounts may last the life of the vehicle and some may be used up in just five years. Older vehicles often just had left and right motor mounts and a transmission mount. If one mount failed then the other mounts were usually also replaced. Newer vehicles may have five or six mounts. Some of them might be very hard to reach. Routinely replacing all mounts on a five-year-old vehicle might not be realistic or cost effective. Now often only the problem mount or mounts are replaced.

It is hard for an owner to predict if their vehicle model will have any problem prone motor mounts. Know how much your engine normally moves when it is shifted in and out of gear and idling so you can better recognize if engine movement or vibration increases. If accessible, then inspect the motor mounts and transmission mounts for visible signs of deterioration. Think of the motor mounts first whenever expensive sounding clunks are heard from the drivetrain (CV half shafts, transmission, clutch, etc) or from the engine compartment. Be suspicious if rust free exhaust joints start leaking, a newer radiator hose tears, or new wear marks suddenly show up on a surface under the hood.

The inventory of mounts in the RockAuto.com catalog also provides clues. Famous motor and transmission mount manufacturer, Anchor Industries, studies OE motor mounts and collects failure data. They want to have new motor mounts ready to replace problem OE mounts. They also do not want to fill shelves with unneeded mounts meant to replace very long lasting OE designs. Especially for newer vehicle models, if there is an Anchor Industries motor mount listed in the RockAuto.com catalog then that is likely a motor mount prone to early failure which owners should keep an eye on.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

 

 

Keenan's 2001 Lincoln Continental

Keenan's 2001 Lincoln Continental

RockAuto has been great to me! Great low prices, quality parts, and extremely fast shipping. You guys keep my 2001 Lincoln Continental running like new. The high performance brake parts (pads, rotors, and calipers) I purchased from RockAuto are fantastic. I also rely on your parts for regular vehicle service. Transmission filters, fuel filters, air filters, and cabin filters! Also the exhaust parts I purchased from you have aided in making my car sound, and even seem more powerful.

My car is 2001 Lincoln Continental with a motor swapped from a 2001 Mustang Cobra. The car is quite the sleeper.

Thanks again for the awesome service; I'll continue recommending your site to friends and I'll definitely continue to use it for myself for years to come.

Keenan in Indiana

 


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, 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, and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

 

 

Let RockAuto Help

Are you organizing a car show or other auto related event?

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 email with information about your show.

 

 

Automotive Trivia Answer

Automotive Trivia

What do the Citation, Pacer, and Ranger all have in common?

Answer: A They are all Edsel models. The Ranger was price leader followed by the Pacer. Both used the Ford Fairlane wheelbase. The Citation was built on a longer wheelbase Mercury chassis.

Back up to trivia question

 

 

 

© 1999-2011 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.