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I
recently ordered a small part from
your website. RockAuto was the
only one who carried the windshield
wiper bushing for my '97 Ford Expedition.
The part showed
up on the day promised, I installed
it, and thanks to you saved about
$150. The dealership only sells
the entire assembly rather than
a $5 plastic cap.
Thank you so
much - I've already started recommending
you to my friends.
Sincerely,
Linda in Washington |
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Upcoming
Events
If
you would like
your event
featured here, email us
with details. |
|
|
6th
Annual Avenue Auto Show
3/13/2010
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
e-mail
32nd Annual
Dixie Run
3/12-3/14/2010
Jackson, MS
e-mail
Myrtle Beach
Spring Warm Up
3/12-3/14/2010
Myrtle Beach, SC
e-mail
St. Patty's
Day Benefit Car Show
3/14/2010
West Palm Beach, FL
e-mail
Last Originals
Car Club Show
3/20/2010
San Pablo, CA
e-mail
Rock N Roll
Pony Show 4 "Mustang,
born in the USA"
3/20/2010
Mesa, AZ
e-mail
MS Gulf Coast
Volkswagen 15th Annual Charity
Show
3/20/2010
Biloxi, MS
website
40th Annual
Swap Meet
3/21/2010
Creal Springs, IL
e-mail
Big River
Classics 11th Annual Show & Shine
3/26-3/27/2010
Vicksburg, MS
website
4th Annual
SkillsUSA Car Show
3/27/2010
King George, VA
e-mail
4th Annual
March Madness Car Event
3/27/2010
Clarksville, TN
e-mail
3rd Annual
Early Bird Car/Truck Show
3/28/2010
Gladewater, TX
e-mail
South Jersey
Region AACA Car Event
3/28/2010
Woodstown, NJ
e-mail
ABWA Relay
for Life Car Show
3/28/2010
Thibodaux, LA
e-mail
Red River
Street Rods 37th Annual Rod
Run
4/9/2010
Shreveport, LA
e-mail
Dixieland
Cruisers of Savannah 22nd Annual
Open Car Show
4/9-4/10/2010
Savannah, GA
website
SoCalRoc-10
Year Anniversary Celebration
4/10/2010
Riverside, CA
website
Corvette
Owners Club of Houston-Charity
Corvette Show
4/10/2010
Houston, TX
e-mail
Roddin' On
The River
4/15/2010
Fort Mohave, AZ
e-mail
18th Annual
All Mopar Swap Meet
4/17-4/18/2010
Wooster, OH
website
Extraordinary
Fantasies-Car Show
4/17/2010
Manhattan, KS
e-mail
1st Annual
Aggreagates USA-Relay for Life
Car Show
4/17/2010
Macon, GA
e-mail
3rd Annual
Car Show-Benefits American
Cancer Society
4/17/2010
Salisbury, MD
e-mail
Cruising
for a Cure IV
417/2010
Lincolnton, NC
website
All Mopar
Swap Meet and Car Corral
4/17-4/18/2010
Dalton, OH
website
2nd Annual
Car Show & Swap Meet
4/25/2010
Heber Springs, AR
e-mail
Benicia Classic
Car Show
4/25/2010
Benicia, CA
website
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Stop the Mess,
Fix the Leaks |
|
As
winter ends and the snow melts away,
spots and stains might become more
apparent on the pavement below your
car. The list below highlights some
of the parts and manufacturer choices
available at RockAuto to fix leaks
in your vehicle's various systems.
1. Engine Cooling:
Visteon radiators, Proliance heater
cores, Gates hoses, Rock Products
water pumps, Stant radiator caps.
2. Engine Oil: Fel-Pro valve cover
gaskets, Spectra Premium oil pans & gaskets,
Fram PCV valves, Dorman oil drain
plugs, Airtex oil pressure switch.
3. Power Steering: A-1 Cardone power
steering pumps & steering gear,
National steering gear pitman shaft & other
seals.
4. Transmission: ATP oil pan gaskets,
Dorman hose, Four Seasons oil coolers.
5. Brakes: Bendix hydraulic hose,
Nastra calipers, Dorman caliper repair
kits, master cylinders, caps and
cap gaskets.
Please be sure to
check the RockAuto.com
catalog for all the part and
manufacturer choices available for
your specific car or truck!
Not sure how to
identify the source of fluid leaks?
Tom Taylor’s article below
entitled “Leaks & Drips” might
be of some assistance!
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Forum of the Month |
|
3geez.com is
a forum dedicated to classic Honda
Accords spanning the first three
generations. Enthusiasts from all
over the world visit the forums and
share their knowledge of 1976-1989
Accords. Founded in 2000, 3geez will
be celebrating its 10th anniversary
this year. The strength of its community
and wealth of information on the
site will ensure that this resource
will be around for years to come!
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 jessa@rockauto.com.
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Repair Mistakes & Blunders |
|
Years
ago I needed to replace a half shaft
on my 1982 Plymouth Reliant. After
draining oil and getting everything
ready for the shaft removal, I asked
my bride of several months to be
my lovely assistant. With her manning
the half shaft and me lying under
the car I instructed my wife to pull
when I had the retainer clip compressed.
The first couple of attempts did
not go too well as my clip compression
tool (long neck scissors) kept slipping
off before the clip entered the spline.
I further instructed my wife to pull
realy hard and fast on the next attempt.
Being determined to get it out on
this try, I compressed the clip and
shouted "Pull!"
With the greatest
of ease the shaft was removed and
when it did so I heard my new bride
fall back and land on something.
When I got out from under the car
to see if she was all right, there
she was, shaft in hand, sitting in
a pan of differential oil.
Mike in new York
P.S. We are still
married 21 years later but my wife
decided to never assist me in auto
repair again.
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!
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Automotive Trivia |
|
18,000
is the...?
A. total number
of new BMW vehicles sold in the USA
in February 2010.
B. number of new Chevrolet Equinox
mid size SUVs sold in the USA in
February 2010.
C. total number of new Subaru vehicles
sold in the USA in February 2010.
D. number of 1975 Dodge Darts that
were equipped with the Swinger or
Custom trim packages and 318 cid
(5.2L) V8s.
E. All of the above.
Answer:
E (numbers rounded to the nearest
1000)
(sources: wardsauto.com & Standard
Catalog of American Cars, 3rd Edition)
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Leaks & Drips |
|
Throw
away that cardboard! Don’t
buy that tin drip pan! I once thought
drips and leaks were unavoidable
signs of aging. Why bother trying
to fix one leak when fluids are likely
seeping from countless other nooks
and crannies?
My outlook
changed completely when I bought
my ’89 Ford Country Squire
over eight years ago. It did not
just have pesky drips. It arrived
with bad oil and transmission leaks
that turned into torrents. I either
had to drive the car to the junkyard
or get the leaks under control.
I was much more hopeful when a
new pan gasket sealed up the transmission.
After new valve cover and oil pan
gaskets stopped the engine oil
leaks, I started believing it was
possible to not only control but
actually eliminate drips.
Since then,
I no longer assume the car is just
getting old or that every drip
indicates problems with the engine
main crankshaft seals or the need
for some other major repair. Tackling
the most obvious (and often easiest)
leak source usually fixes the car.
Changing the oil pan gasket or
water pump can be a big job on
some cars, but if it completely
stops the leak then it is almost
always worth doing. Look under
Literature at RockAuto.com to find
factory, Chilton, and Haynes repair
manuals for your specific car.
I have now gotten to the point
that I am even sealing up the leaks
on the family heirloom 1979 Chrysler
300. I swear that car probably
had a drip pan underneath it in
the dealer showroom!
For most cars, RockAuto.com
offers a choice of gasket brands
(Fel-Pro, Corteco, Spectra, etc.)
and materials (rubber, cork, metal,
silicone, etc.). The cheap gasket
or the one that happens to be on
an auto parts store’s shelf
might work, but it is usually worth
the extra $10 or so to choose a manufacturer’s
best gasket. It also would not hurt
to pick a trusted brand like ACDelco,
Bosch, Cardone, Motorcraft, Raybestos,
etc. when buying remanufactured or
new power steering pumps, brake calipers,
or other leak prone parts. Nobody
wants to have to do a job over again.
Here is a quick
guide for identifying some of the
drips under your car:
- Yellow, Green,
Blue, or Orange slimy-feeling water
is probably engine coolant (also
found inside the car under the
dash if the heater core is leaking).
- Reddish, lightweight
hydraulic oil could either be transmission
or power steering fluid.
- Clear, lightweight
hydraulic oil could be brake fluid
or power steering fluid.
- Engine oil may
be black or look like it does right
out of the bottle.
- Heavy, syrupy
oil could be manual transmission
or axle differential oil.
- Blue, soapy
water could be windshield washer
fluid (cracked reservoir, leaky
pump...)
- Clear water
is likely normal condensation draining
out of the car’s air conditioner
system or rainwater draining from
the windshield cowl.
Do not be afraid
to tackle those leaks!
Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com
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Chris's
1969 Mustang GT 428 Cobra Jet |
|
This
is a rare Mustang. It is 1 of 11
produced with the options of Silver
Jade Metallic (a one year color),
GT trim level (vs the Mach 1 option),
and R-code Ram Air (Shaker Hood).
It also has a C-6 transmission with
3.89 gears, tilt-a-way steering wheel,
and power brakes. She is a California
car with low miles and original sheet
metal.
I have purchased
an alternator, suspension components,
and brake parts from RockAuto for
my Mustang.
Thanks,
Chris in Pennsylvania
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Share Your
Hard Work
Do you purchase
parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto
would like to feature you and your
car or truck in our monthly newsletter.
Please email flamur@rockauto.com with
details. © 1999-2010 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.
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