RockAuto is excited to add 3M products to our growing selection of Tools & Universal Parts. 3M has been serving the automotive aftermarket for over 100 years, offering innovative and affordable solutions for nearly every step of the automotive refinishing process. Find products for any auto care or repair project with 3M’s selection of abrasives, tapes, fluids and more.

Restore and revitalize your cloudy headlight lenses with one of 3M's Headlight Restoration Kits (found under Headlamp in the “Body” category of the “Tools & Universal Parts” tab). Or make your vehicle shine like new again with 3M Polishing and Cleaning products (found under Polishing or Fluid / Chemical in the “Body” category of the “Tools & Universal Parts” tab). 3M brands are trusted by enthusiasts, restorers and do-it-yourselfers around the world. Find 3M’s wide range of products throughout the Tools & Universal Parts tab of the RockAuto.com catalog at reliably low prices!

Typical Clutch System Kit

RockAuto is happy to announce the addition of Clutch System Kits by Perfection Clutch to our catalog. Perfection Clutch, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, focuses on building parts that not only meet OE performance criteria but often include additional features designed to make installation more straightforward and increase longevity under real-world conditions.Their new Clutch System Kits, which are exclusive to RockAuto, demonstrate this.

Each Clutch System Kit by Perfection Clutch includes a traditional clutch kit, flywheel and pre-filled hydraulics designed and engineered to make installation faster and easier. Roughly 90% of clutch system failures are caused by broken hydraulic parts or a worn flywheel, so these kits are a great way to ensure you have everything you need before starting your clutch replacement. Replacing the clutch, hydraulics and flywheel all at the same time reduces clutch wear, aligns future preventative maintenance and can extend system life up to 300%.

Clutch System Kits are available for everything from a 1993 Pontiac Firebird, to a 1988 Ford F-150, to a 2012 Ram 3500. To find a complete Clutch System Kit for your vehicle, visit the RockAuto.com catalog, click on the “Transmission-Manual” category and then choose “Clutch System Kit (Clutch Kit + Flywheel & Hydraulics).”

MustangForums.com's diverse membership consists of Ford Mustang enthusiasts from various countries, backgrounds, ages and experience levels. In this popular forum you will find thorough discussions on everything from detailing, to troubleshooting / tech tips, to engine swaps, for all Mustangs from a 4 cylinder to Saleen, Roush, Boss and everything in between.

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 marketing@rockauto.com.

I have a 1984 Ford F250 that has been through several owners and needed a lot of things fixed. The turn signals did not work, so I decided to replace the turn signal switch. I crawled under the dash with the driver's door open to discover years of “rewiring.” I found all the wires I needed, and with my voltage tester I found a "hot" 12V wire hanging down that I used to power the new turn signal switch.

After installing the switch, I tested all the signals, checked the taillights and front indicator lights and they all worked great. I hopped in the truck to test drive and noticed nothing worked. I got out with the turn signal lever in the “right turn” mode and saw the front and rear turn signal bulbs were now working. I jumped in, closed the door, and no turn signal again.

After some head-scratching and research, I discovered my “hot" wire was connected to the door switch; the circuit that at one time operated the interior cab light. So every time I would open the door, the switch would receive power and the turn signals would work. Closing the door would turn the power off to the switch.

Next up – fix the speedometer.

Steven in Idaho

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 RockAuto 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!

Last week, FCA (Chrysler, Fiat) and PSA (Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel, Vauxhall) announced a merger. What other car manufacturer has Chrysler merged with in the past?

A. American Motors
B. Daimler-Benz
C. Lamborghini
D. All the above

Answer below

Earlier this century, Monroe gave me an opportunity to drive cars and SUVs still equipped with OE shocks/struts with 50,000 miles (80,000 km) on them and then on the same road course, drive identical vehicles that had new replacement shocks/struts installed. With those immediate back-to-back comparisons, it was clear the new shocks/struts provided better handling, ride and braking. Plus, new shocks/struts can reduce wear and tear on other suspension and steering parts.

I have now discovered another good reason to replace shocks/struts every 50,000 miles. My youngest daughter recently got her first car, a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe with 90,000+ miles on the odometer and the original shocks/struts. When attempting to replace the rear shocks, we soon discovered that three of the four mounting bolts/pins were firmly stuck inside the metal sleeves inside the shock absorbers' bushings. It should have taken us less than 30 minutes to remove the old shocks and bolt on the new ones, but instead it took a little longer than expected.

There was some trial and error, but this is what finally worked for us and might help you remove a stubborn shock or other suspension bushing of your own sometime down the road:

• We first took off the shocks by completely tearing out the bushings. My daughter used a breaker bar to take out the bolts at the top of the shocks, while I used a pitman arm puller to yank the shocks off the bottom mounting pins. After 90,000+ miles, the old shocks held almost no pressure and could be easily compressed with just my two fingertips.
• That left us with a loose bolt and two pins still attached to the car that were stuck inside metal sleeves covered with remnants of rubber bushings. I used a handheld grinder to grind away the rubber and metal so that there were two flat spots on each side of the metal sleeve. (We held the loose bolt in a vise.) To avoid damaging the bolt/pin, I stopped grinding when I saw dark spots begin to form on the metal, indicating I was close to breaking through to the bolt/pin inside. Heat and vibration generated by the grinder's abrasive wheel probably also helped to start breaking the bond between the bolt/pin and metal sleeve.
• Next, we chose whatever size open end wrench happened to be the best fit for the two flat sides we had ground into the metal sleeve. After spraying the bushing sleeve with penetrating oil, we put the wrench on the flat spots and jerked it back and forth again and again until the sleeve finally broke loose. Then we sprayed more oil and kept spinning the sleeve around the bolt/pin until it was completely loose and able to slide off.

There was surprisingly little corrosion visible inside the sleeves or on the bolts/pins. A fine film of corrosion was all it took to freeze everything together. My daughter promised to replace the new shocks after the next 50,000 miles, but just to be safe, we put anti-seize lubricant on the smooth portions of the mounting bolts and pins!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

My car is a 2011 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 that received a second chance at life. It was stolen and then had the engine blown. The car was issued a salvage title which would usually mean a final one-way trip to the salvage yard. But as the car did not have any body damage, I took a chance and set about rebuilding this Mazda from the ground up. I rebuilt the entire engine, from main/rod bearings all the way through upgraded rods and pistons, replacing all seals and gaskets using parts from RockAuto. Spark plugs, transmission fluid, all accessory drive belt components, upgraded high performance ceramic pads, coated rotors, brake lines and DOT5 brake fluid, also all from RockAuto. It is now making over 300hp and running like a champ thanks to quality parts at budget prices.

Bryce in Michigan (RockAuto customer for over four years)

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, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@RockAuto.com with the vehicle history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

Last week, FCA (Chrysler, Fiat) and PSA (Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel, Vauxhall) announced a merger. What other car manufacturer has Chrysler merged with in the past?

A. American Motors
B. Daimler-Benz
C. Lamborghini
Answer: D. All the above
American Motors (includes Jeep) was purchased from Renault in 1987. Daimler-Benz merger began in 1998 and ended in 2007. Lamborghini was purchased by Chrysler in 1987, sold to a Malaysian investment group in 1994 and finally sold to Volkswagen in 1998.

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