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!

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.

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!

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)

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

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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