RockAuto.com RockAuto October Newsletter :: Early Edition

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Another Happy Customer!

Just ordered a Heater Control for our 2007 Saturn Vue, dealership price was $731.82 and RockAuto was $508.86, including shipping! I saved about $225.00 for the same part! Besides saving money, I love shopping at a family owned business.

Christine in Illinois



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

Harvest Moon Festival 5k Run, Car Show & Craft Fair
10/4/2014
Forsyth, MO
e-mail

Wings Wheels Festival
10/4/2014
East Wenatchee, WA
e-mail

Hot Rods & Harley's Lions Club Car Truck Bike & Rat Rod Show
10/5/2014
Hopkinton, IA
e-mail

NJZCC 16th Annual Z-Car Show
10/5/2014
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
e-mail

Cars for the Cure - Drive to End Diabetes
10/5/2014
Great Falls, VA
e-mail

Laguna Beach Rotary Classic Car Show
10/5/2014
Laguna Beach, CA
e-mail

Hot Rods & Harleys Lions Club Car, Truck, Bike & Rot Rod Show
10/5/2014
Hopkinton, IA
e-mail

The LIVC's Annual All-VW Show
10/5/2014
Sayville, NY
e-mail

2014 FCA Pacific Regional Meet
10/10/2014
Oakland, CA
e-mail

Summerset
10/10/2014
Williamstown, PA
e-mail

Annual Cruise'n Silsbee Car & Bike Show
10/11/2014
Silsbee, TX
e-mail

Cruisin’ For “Strides” Car Show
10/11/2014
Danville, IN
e-mail

4th Annual Cruise-In at McClary Ford
10/11/2014
Athens, AL
e-mail

Cruise-In for a Cause Car Show
10/11/2014
Beloit, WI
e-mail

Regency Car Club 6th Annual Car Show
10/11/2014
Monroe Township, NJ
e-mail

Culpeper Annual All Mopar Car Show
10/11/2014
Culpeper, VA
e-mail

6th Annual Car Cruise & Harvest Fest
10/11/2014
East Stroudsburg, PA
e-mail

Cruise Into Fall Car Show
10/11/2014
Glasgow, KY
e-mail

VFW Fall Car Show
10/11/2014
Port Deposit, MD
e-mail

Stillwater Charity Car Show
10/11/2014
Dayton, OH
e-mail

The British Motor Club "Brits at the Beach"
10/11/2014
Wrightsville Beach, NC
e-mail

Annual Madison County Car Show
10/12/2014
Winterset, IA
e-mail

Tucson Meet Yourself Lowrider Car Show
10/12/2014
Tucson, AZ
e-mail

BHFD Annual Hot Rods on Hamilton Car Show
10/12/2014
Berkeley Heights, NJ
e-mail

Rebates!

Current Promotions and Rebates

Gabriel, Monroe/Rancho, Walker and many more manufacturers are offering fantastic rebates. Some of these rebates are ending soon, so take advantage of them while there is still time!

  • Gabriel Suspension Rebate – Get up to $125 with the purchase of qualifying Gabriel shocks or struts
  • Monroe/Rancho "Shocktober" Rebate - Buy four shocks or struts for the price of three!
  • Walker Catalytic Converter Rebate - Get $50 with the purchase of a qualifying Walker Catalytic Converter
  • Power Stop - Get up to $70 back with purchase of qualifying Power Stop 1-Click Brake Kits

Go to the Promotions and Rebates page for complete details on these, and all the other rebates currently offered by ACDelco, Autolite, Champion, Gates, Omix-ADA/Rugged Ridge and Purolator. While there, don’t forget to take a look at the Windshield Wiper and Headlamp Bulb Wholesaler Closeout deals!

While shopping, watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" star Promotion/Rebate star next to the part names to help you save even more on RockAuto’s reliably low prices!






Beam Style Wiper Blades

See what we have from Anco

See what we have from Bosch

See what we have from Trico

In the northern hemisphere, the days are getting shorter, temperatures are starting to drop and it won't be long before that "white stuff" is swirling in the air. Are you prepared? Now is the time to replace your worn or streaky wiper blades before you're caught in a deluge or blizzard!

RockAuto offers a variety of beam style blades that can replace conventional wipers to provide better visibility and a more consistent wipe in poor weather conditions. Beam blades have continuous pressure points along the glass for smoother wiping with less noise and are a one-piece design, to prevent ice and snow from clogging the blade. Upgrade your current frame style blades with beam style wiper blades from RockAuto manufacturers including Anco, Bosch, Trico and more.

Beam Style Wiper Blades

Replace the wipers on all your family's cars, or if you are a professional, stock up on wipers for your customers' needs. Find wipers for your vehicle(s) under "Wiper & Washer" in the RockAuto catalog.





Forum of the Month

Mazda 3 Forums

Mazda 3 Forums is a site devoted to Mazda 3 enthusiasts. Find forum topics ranging from the suspension and brakes to technical and performance to visual and audio. With thousands of members sharing a wealth of information, your questions will get answers! Come visit us at mazda3forums.com. Membership is fast, easy and free.




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!

I was in the shop well past midnight replacing a head gasket on my Jaguar XJ6. The project had been going well until it came time to install the timing chain. Many, many years before, my father dropped a timing chain master link into a '59 Alfa Romeo Spider. It happened at the end of a complete engine overhaul, and we were memorably disappointed to have to take off the oil pan to find the link. So, that night on the Jag, I tucked a nice clean shop rag into the chain cover, arranging it carefully so that if I dropped the link piece, it would fall no further than the rag. I felt pride in my clever cautiousness as I confidently assembled the chain without any problems.

But then there was the first hitch in the project. I found I could not get the hydraulic chain tensioner to stop leaking. I became frustrated because, at this late hour, the job was near completion, and I had to keep taking apart the tensioner and try different sized o-rings to stop the leak. Then my nephew came by at about 1:30 AM and offered to help. I asked him to put the valve cover on while I finished installing the tensioner with the best fitting o-ring. Moments later we were done!

The Jag started immediately and ran a minute or two until there was a sudden and complete loss of oil pressure! We quickly shut her down. I thought about it for a few minutes and then I knew. I never removed the rag! We took the cover off and found about half of the rag still in place. The other half was in pieces; most of those pieces were clogging the oil pump's inlet screen. In retrospect, it would have been easier to drop the master link into the oil pan than to clean up THAT mess!

Brian 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

Where do engine builders usually start when they "stroke" an engine?

A. They put longer connecting rods on the pistons. Longer rods allow the piston to travel higher in the cylinder which increases engine displacement and reduces combustion chamber space, thereby increasing the compression ratio. Different spark plugs and other changes may be necessary.

B. They install a new crankshaft with crankpins protruding further out from the crank's center axis. The crankpins move the pistons a greater distance in the cylinder which increases displacement and compression ratio. Typically, shorter piston connecting rods and other changes are necessary to prevent interference, keep the engine balanced, etc.

C. They install a new camshaft. The redesigned exhaust lobe on the camshaft delays opening the exhaust valve until the piston has completely reached the end of its power stroke. A longer lasting power stroke effectively increases displacement and compression ratio. New valve springs and/or new engine heads are often necessary.


Answer below






When I Was a Kid

RockAuto

I heard some grumbling while I was helping my son replace the heater hoses on his 1990 Lincoln. Those spring loaded “Corbin” clamps can be hard to remove if the squeeze tabs happen to be facing the wrong way. At times like these, I try to stoke my teenager’s testiness a bit more by telling him, “When I was a kid…” stories. “When I was a kid, I never got to work in a cozy garage. I changed hoses outside in the rain or snow…”

This time, my sister’s Ford Expedition was the star of the it-could-be-a-lot-worse story. The rear of the Expedition’s cavernous interior is its own world. There are typically numerous kids back there watching TV and creating mayhem. Those pampered urchins also have a complete HVAC system with its own heater core, A/C evaporator, blower motor, heater hoses, etc.

Replacing all the heater hoses is routine maintenance on my cars. However, vehicles with auxiliary HVAC systems in the back might just have too many meters of hose hidden in too many places to make routine replacement of every hose realistic. The Chrysler minivan heater hose example shown below demonstrates how complex the plumbing can be.

Chrysler minivan heater hose

Rather than hoping to find and replace every bit of hose in an auxiliary HVAC system, it might be more practical to try to monitor and replace the plumbing most likely to cause trouble. For example, metal piping running to the rear HVAC system underneath a Ford vehicle might be prone to rust holes in salty areas. Chrysler minivans have an OE heater/flow restrictor valve (replacement Dorman valve shown below) that frequently leaks. Look under "Heat & Air Conditioning" in the RockAuto catalog to see parts for specific rear HVAC systems.

Dorman heater/flow restrictor valve

The rear HVAC hoses are spliced into the coolant and refrigerant plumbing used by the conventional HVAC system up front. Owners might want to identify the inlet and outlet heater hoses for the rear system and have a plan for using a pipe union fitting or some other simple plumbing to temporarily bypass the rear system if it ever began leaking coolant. Or, the system might already include a valve that shuts off coolant flow when the rear HVAC is simply switched OFF via a switch on the dash.

RockAuto has lots of custom bent hose and metal tubing for specific vehicles. Multi-purpose plumbing fittings can also be useful with the relatively long heater hoses found in rear HVAC systems. In a pinch, use a union fitting with two nipples and hose clamps to replace the leaky portion of a very long hose. Heater hose shaping coils (shown below) can quickly make sturdy (and good-looking) bends in a piece of new straight hose. The “Heat & A/C” and the “Plumbing” sections of the catalog’s “Tools and Universal Parts” tab are the places to find shaping coils, fittings, hose clamps, straight hose and other parts useful on any vehicle.

Heater hose shaping coils

By the way, did you know RockAuto sells replacement DVD remote controls? (Look under "Body-Interior" for many GM vehicles.) “When I was a kid, the car had an AM radio and the house had one 18-inch black and white TV…”

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com


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






Harry's 1985.5 Mitsubishi Starion
This is my 1985.5 Mitsubishi Starion. I am the second owner of this unique import. The first owner kept this gem lovingly garaged when he wasn't driving it. What makes this one special, in my opinion, is that it's a half year model with the five lug wheels, larger brakes/rotors and suspension components just like the later wide body cars. It also has a cloth interior exclusive to this model year, that to me, looks like no one has ever sat in the rear seats. It also has the unique feature (for cars of this vintage at least) of steering wheel mounted stereo controls.

Some of the parts from RockAuto include the ignition cap and rotor, oil sending unit, transmission mount and front wheel bearings. Future service will include all new bushings, struts/mounts and u-joints. My plan is to keep it as close to original as possible and enjoy it with the ice cold A/C in the summer. That is, when I do not have the windows rolled down to enjoy the sound of the turbo!

Harry in Louisiana


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 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...RockAuto can help. We can even publicize your event in our newsletter.

Just send an e-mail to marketing@rockauto.com with information about your show.






Automotive Trivia Answer

Automotive Trivia

Where do engine builders usually start when they "stroke" an engine?

A. They put longer connecting rods on the pistons. Longer rods allow the piston to travel higher in the cylinder which increases engine displacement and reduces combustion chamber space, thereby increasing the compression ratio. Different spark plugs and other changes may be necessary.

Answer: B. They install a new crankshaft with crankpins protruding further out from the crank's center axis. The crankpins move the pistons a greater distance in the cylinder which increases displacement and compression ratio. Typically, shorter piston connecting rods and other changes are necessary to prevent interference, keep the engine balanced, etc.

C.  They install a new camshaft. The redesigned exhaust lobe on the camshaft delays opening the exhaust valve until the piston has completely reached the end of its power stroke. A longer lasting power stroke effectively increases displacement and compression ratio. New valve springs and/or new engine heads are often necessary


Back up to trivia question




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