RockAuto.com is proud to now carry 3D Floor Mats and Cargo Area Mats! Founded in 2010, 3D's goal was to provide all-weather floor and cargo mats that look and feel better than the commercial, rubber mats from other well-known brands.

Available in a variety of styles (Kagu, Classic, and Elegant), 3D's Floor Mats and Cargo Area Mats are a luxurious upgrade to protect and complement your vehicle's interior. All of their products are laser measured to the contours of your vehicle for a perfect fit. Their innovative, 3-layer structure mats are waterproof and easy to clean. The surface layer of the Kagu is made of rubber in a sleek carbon fiber texture design while the Classic and Elegant styles are constructed of durable carpet. The soft foam inner layer minimizes foot fatigue and provides a sound barrier for a quiet ride. Their patented, anti-skid backing layer keeps the mats in place without harming the original carpet.

From a 2012 Buick Verano to a 2016 Honda Civic to a 2018 Tesla 3 to a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, find 3D Floor Mats and Cargo Area Mats for your specific car or truck in the "Interior" category, at the reliably low prices you expect from RockAuto.com.

RockAuto now carries Suspensia steering and suspension parts. Suspensia is owned by ISC Industries, Turkey’s premier suspension manufacturer. ISC is an original equipment (OE) supplier to Ford, Fiat/Chrysler, VW/Audi Group, and Renault/Nissan, and makes components for other Tier 1 automotive suppliers worldwide.

All Suspensia parts are manufactured in Turkey in IATF16949 certified factories and include an electrostatic coating to protect against corrosion and other road hazards. Robotic welding and assembly ensures parts are precisely built to look, fit and perform like the OE parts that came on your vehicle.

From April 15, through the end of April 2021, Suspensia is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% instant manufacturer rebate on select Control Arms. Simply add a qualifying Suspensia part to your cart and instantly save even more on RockAuto's reliably low prices!

JeepForum.com is a community dedicated to all Jeeps. Discuss the CJ, Wrangler, Cherokee, Liberty, J-Series and other Jeeps...it is all here! This forum is active with friendly members sharing information on all aspects of Jeeps; from answers to technical questions to general all around Jeep chat. There is also a "Wheelin' Neighborhood" section organized by region to discuss local events with fellow Jeep enthusiasts.

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.

My father-in-law is a retired master mechanic who ran his own shop for several years. One of his frequent customers was a kindly older gentleman who drove a 1983 AMC Concord. The car had a chronic problem of running too hot, especially at highway speeds. My father-in-law attacked the issue one visit after another until he replaced nearly every suspect part – hoses, water pump, belt, radiator, sending unit, thermostat, you name it! Still, the problem persisted.

When the car’s owner passed away, the car was left to my father-in-law as thanks for all the work. Now convinced the system was somehow clogged, he removed the head on the inline 6-cylinder 258cid engine, had it professionally cleaned, and reinstalled it (with new gaskets, bolts, etc., thanks to RockAuto). Nothing. Shortly after, he made the 7-hour trip to visit us, which is when he complained to me about the problem. I suggested we both look it over.

We stared at the engine as he told me all the work he did. Then I asked him to start it. No sooner did it turnover, I told him to shut it off. The fan was blowing the wrong direction! We quickly determined flipping it would make no difference because of the blade pitch. After a little research on RockAuto, we learned AMC sold the same engine with optional belt drives. The standard V-belt configuration turned the fan clockwise, while the serpentine belt configuration turned the fan counterclockwise. We replaced the fan and the old Concord has run at the correct temperature ever since.

Sincerely,
Chris in Pennsylvania

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!

Chrysler built more than 12.5 million Slant Sixes from 1959 to 1991. These inline six cylinder engines are known for being reliable and sensible. However, nearly 50,000 futuristic Slant Sixes were installed in 1961-62 Valiants and Lancers. What made that batch of Slant Sixes so unique?

A. aluminum engine block
B. electric-assisted supercharger
C. two spark plugs per cylinder

Answer below

I was raised believing a leaky crankshaft rear main seal was a serious, expensive problem. Some vehicles do need to have the transmission removed, but for many of the most popular old rear wheel drive cars and trucks, rear crankshaft seal replacement is surprisingly simple. DIYers who feel comfortable replacing an oil pan gasket have already done 90% of the work needed to replace the rear main seal.

I recently decided it was a good time to replace the leaky oil pan gasket on the 360 in my 1979 Chrysler 300 (Cordoba). The repair manual's detailed instructions were exceptionally accurate. The oil pan came right off once I stopped trying to wrestle it loose and slightly jacked up the front of the engine like the manual said to.

With the oil pan removed, accessing the crankshaft rear main seal required simply removing four bolts; two that attached the oil pump to the rear main bearing cap and then the two bolts that held on the bearing cap.

The rear main seal comes in two pieces that form a circle around the crankshaft. The new orange colored seals in my photo may look like pieces of soft rubber. They actually have metal cores and are surprisingly heavy. Follow your own engine's repair manual instructions (found under "Literature" at RockAuto.com), but here are some general tips:

The seal attached to the bearing cap can easily be pulled out of its metal groove and the new seal inserted. Usually the thickest or only "lip" on the seal faces towards the engine.

The upper seal must be pulled out of its channel over the top of the crankshaft. My 360 still had its original "rope" type seal which resembles tightly braided rope. Rope seals are more likely to pull apart than modern seals are. This rope seal actually came out easily. I pushed one end of the seal in as far as possible with a dowel rod that I tapped with a hammer. I then pulled on the other end of the seal with pliers until it popped out. Seal Remover tools are available to assist with any ornery seals.

The new upper seal simply slides into its channel; being careful to make sure the correct side (lip) is facing the engine. Lubricate the new seal so that it slides in easier and is not bone dry when the crankshaft turns for the first time.

The seal manufacturer included a strip of plastic to use like a shoehorn to prevent the new seal from scraping against the sharp metal at the channel mouth. You could make your own tool out of an old credit card. The plastic shoehorn is most useful on engines that have a U-shaped seal that slides over a metal ridge than runs the length of the channel. The shoehorn prevents the seal from scrapping against the beginning of that metal ridge.

As shown in the photo, the upper and lower seals are often slightly offset so that the joints where the seals touch are not exactly lined up with the joint between the bearing cap and engine block. Sometimes it is recommended to put something like a drop of RTV silicone on the seal's ends to help join the upper and lower seals. I did not do that because neither my service manual nor the seal's instructions called for it. I also thought silicone probably would not stick to the seal ends because they were now covered with a film of lubricant.

Be sure to follow the engine manufacturer's torque specification for tightening the bearing cap's bolts. Getting rid of messy oil drips is a great way to roll back the years!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

This truck is a military-surplus Chevrolet M1009 I purchased from the National Guard. It has air lockers in both axles, 33" mud tires, and is my daily driver. It spends at least 15 nights a year deep in the back country off-road camping all over Utah, Nevada, and California.

I swapped in a SM465 manual transmission and a NP205 transfer case along with an auxiliary gear splitter, for a total of 16 forward speeds and 4 reverse gears. All the parts for the transmission swap (clutch, flywheel, hydraulics, park brake cables, etc.) are RockAuto parts.

On my last off road trip we cracked the original radiator and broke the worn-out factory steering. I have since repaired the cooling system (water pump, radiator, all hoses and fittings) and entire front axle (bearings, seals, ball joints, tie rods) with parts from RockAuto again.

At this point I have been wheeling hard and doing regular maintenance with RockAuto parts since 2017, and the only parts I have ever broken are 30+ year old worn-out factory components. I trust parts from RockAuto to get me and my passengers into and out of the back country safely and will continue to do so in the future.

Thanks RockAuto!
Kristoffer in California (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.

Chrysler built more than 12.5 million Slant Sixes from 1959 to 1991. These inline six cylinder engines are known for being reliable and sensible. However, nearly 50,000 futuristic Slant Sixes were installed in 1961-62 Valiants and Lancers. What made that batch of Slant Sixes so unique?

Answer: A. aluminum engine block (The aluminum engine option cost less than a radio upgrade but still was not popular enough to continue. Source:https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/an-exotic-slant-six)
B. electric-assisted supercharger
C. two spark plugs per cylinder

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