rockauto.com
May Newsletter | Early Edition
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Another Happy Customer!
Another Happy Customer!

Excellent Prices On A Great Variety Of Parts! It's a pleasure doing business with RockAuto because of their low prices and many choices available even for cars like my 1993 Ford Festiva... They are my go-to parts source...

Pete in Kentucky


Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events

Need goody bag items and a gift certificate for your show? RockAuto can help! Email marketing@rockauto.com for more information.

12 18th Annual Smyrna-Clayton Rotary Car Show
Smyrna, DE Email
May
12 Strawberry Festival Car Show
Stilwell, OK Email
May
12 Cruisin' for a Cause Car, Truck & Cycle Show
McKinney, TX Email
May
12 Larson's Cruise for the Cause
Smithville, MO Email
May
12 Shake the City Car Show
Spartanburg, SC Email
May
12 Cars 4 Critters
Hershey, PA Email
May
12 Historic Oakland Car Show & Shine
Oakland, OR Email
May
12 Buggy Festival Car Show
Carthage, NC Email
May
13 6th Annual Cruise for the Cure
Boonsboro, MD Email
May
14 Great Smoky Mountain Trail Ride
Oliver Springs, TN Email
May
18 Shelby Spring Fling
Nashville, IN Email
May
18 Bow Rotary Car Show
Bow, NH Email
May
19 Bug-O-Rama
Wichita, KS Email
May
19 Make-A-Wish Car Show & Country Concert
Piqua, OH Email
May
19 Motherlode Cruise Car Show
Jackson, CA Email
May
19 9th Annual Open Car Show
Montague, NJ Email
May
19 Magnolia Blossom Festival Car & Truck Show
Magnolia, AR Email
May
19 Old Fashion Block Party & Classic Car Show
Hartford, WI Email
May
19 8th Annual Two Nations 1000 Islands Extravaganza
Clayton, NY Email
May
19 Flatland 4x4 Go Topless Day
Saskatoon, Canada Email
May
20 20th Annual Douthat Lake Run Car Show
Millboro, VA Email
May
20 American Reflections 18th Annual Car Show
Moxee, WA Email
May
20 Corvettes Unlimited 42nd Annual Corvette Show
Joliet, IL Email
May
20 Wethersfield Spring Car Show
Wethersfield, CT Email
May
20 6th Annual All Ford Show
Shakopee, MN Email
May
Autoline Fuel Injector Instant Rebate
See what we have from Autoline
Autoline Instant Rebate

During May 2018, AutoLine Products is offering RockAuto customers an Exclusive 10% Instant Rebate on select fuel injectors. AutoLine is a family-owned parts remanufacturer based in Winnipeg. They have been making parts better than new since the '60s. On average, their employees have twenty years of experience with AutoLine.

AutoLine Products specializes in remanufacturing fuel injectors, carburetors, throttle bodies and other crucial fuel system parts. All AutoLine products are precision remanufactured using original equipment castings. Only premium quality replacement parts are installed. Throughout the remanufacturing process, components and sub-assemblies are continuously tested prior to final assembly. Finished part assemblies are completely tested under simulated operating conditions before being carefully packaged.

The AutoLine May rebate is instant. While shopping, put the select AutoLine parts in your cart to immediately save 10% off RockAuto's already reliably low prices.

More Rebates & Promotions
Go to the Promotions and Rebates page to see details for all the current rebates.

View all Current Promotions & Manufacturer Rebates
Forum of the Month
CamaroV6.com

From the vintage 6-cylinder Camaro of the late '60s to the controversial redesign of the 2019 Camaro - go to CamaroV6.com to discuss everything 6-cylinder Camaro related! This free forum has been around since 2001 and has some of the most comprehensive technical data on the 4th generation and earlier V6 platforms. There is a growing community focused on the 5th and 6th generation body styles. From modification guides to recalls and regional events, join the discussions and share your knowledge with CamaroV6.com today.

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 megant@rockauto.com.

Repair Mistakes & Blunders
Repair Mistakes & Blunders

In the '70s, I owned, and operated a service station. One of the most unusual mechanical problems I encountered was with a late model pickup truck. The customer told me that when she would turn on the windshield defroster, the truck would accelerate to 80 plus miles an hour! I had never run into that before, but I told her if I could find out why, we should both be featured in Motor Trend magazine the following month.

I asked her to pull into the bay, unlatch the hood and leave the engine running in neutral, with her foot on the brake pedal (driving through my bay walls was a concern). Standing off to the side of the truck like a matador, I asked her to turn on the defroster, while I closely watched the carburetor. She turned on the defroster, and the engine immediately raced to 5,000 RPM. Wow...she was not kidding! But, I luckily had also spotted the cause. It was a one second diagnosis, and a one minute fix.

In the '70s, most carburetors were equipped with an electrical dashpot actuator. Its purpose was to slowly release the accelerator cam in the event of a hard, quick stop, preventing the engine from suddenly stalling, a danger in heavy traffic. When the metal lever on the firewall was moved to defrost, it moved near enough to allow a spark to arc from the actuator to the lever, serving as a ground for the actuator to activate to full-on, max open throttle position, scaring the devil out of the driver, with the vehicle abruptly changing from Driving Miss Daisy to Dukes of Hazzard speed!

Some electrical insulation added to both surfaces to act as a shield fixed the problem. Not really Motor Trend article worthy though. I was hoping for a bronze statue of me holding a roll of electrical tape.

Don in Texas

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 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

The original DeLorean sports car came from a factory in Northern Ireland powered by which engine?

A. Citroen "BiRotor" Wankel
B. Ford "Cologne" V6
C. Peugeot-Renault-Volvo "Douvrin" V6
D. All of the Above

Answer below

Modern Engine Design & Oil Consumption
Tom's Story

The owners manual for the 2011 Mercedes E-Class says, "Depending on the driving style, the vehicle consumes up to 0.9 US qt (0.8 l) of oil over a distance of 600 miles (1000 km)." The 2011 Audi A3 owners manual states, "Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and the operating conditions, oil consumption can be up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5 liter per 2000 km)." With no further explanation in the owners manuals, I might assume that neither Mercedes nor Audi has yet achieved the tight tolerances built into the cast iron V8 that powers my 1971 Ford LTD. Its old 351 does not burn a 1/2 quart of oil every 600 miles, at least with my gentle "driving style."

"Burning oil" has long been associated with heavily worn engines that blow clouds of blue exhaust smoke and need expensive engine rebuilds. It is no surprise that car manufacturers carefully avoid the words "burning oil," but it is odd that they make no effort to explain why some engines now come from the factory designed to "consume" oil. With a little clarification, a car manufacturer could avoid having an owner believe the engine in his/her new car was not as well built as the engine in the car he/she traded in.

Various oils of different viscosities

A description of modern engine/oil technology could also emphasize the increased importance of regularly checking/adding engine oil. The owners manual for the 2011 Honda Civic says, "Engine oil level - Check every time you fill the fuel tank." Is that a relic left over from 1950s era owners manuals, or do Honda owners really need to check their oil "every time" they stop at a gas station?

Modern engine designs have been achieving better fuel economy by reducing the amount of energy needed to keep the internal pieces moving. This might mean making engine parts out of lighter weight metal alloys. It could also mean allowing pistons to move more freely in the cylinders, which unfortunately also lets more oil slip by the piston rings and be subsequently burned. The move to lower viscosity oils (ex. 0W-20 instead of 10W-30) and higher revving engines further encourages increased oil consumption.

But wait, I thought engines that burned oil wrecked catalytic converters. Zinc and phosphorous in engine oil are good for reducing valve train friction but bad for catalytic converters. Zinc and phosphorous levels in motor oil were quietly reduced as part of the new ILSAC GF-5 motor oil standard in 2010. The new oil standard meant new engine designs could send more oil residue out the exhaust without damaging catalytic converters.

Hopefully, the money spent on buying more engine oil is offset by less money spent on gasoline. Increased oil consumption is just one more reason owners of new cars need to be extra careful to use the correct oil for their engine. That old bottle of 10W-30 sitting on a garage shelf may not only clog various solenoids and orifices, but it could also damage the catalytic converters. Look under "Engine" in the RockAuto.com catalog to find the right "Motor Oil" for your specific car or truck.

One of these newer oil-consuming motors may still have problems (gasket leaks, etc.) if oil consumption increases over time. For example, it consumed 1.5 quarts between previous oil changes but now it is consuming 3 quarts.

I would follow those Honda owners manual instructions that say to check the engine oil level every time you stop for gas. Just ignore the dashing 1971 Ford owner using the neighboring gas pump. He may not bother to open his car's hood, but remember he has to stop at gas stations much more frequently than you do.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

Mitchell's 1966 AMC Rambler
Mitchell's 1966 AMC Rambler

Here is my 1966 AMC Rambler Classic Rebel. My grandpa worked at AMC in Kenosha, WI in the 1960s and after his passing, I inherited this car from him. I like to think that he helped create it when he was at AMC, so I have decided to begin the restoration in his memory. Doing so would almost be impossible without RockAuto. You guys have everything from the rare 4-piston Bendix front calipers and engine components to rebuild the original AMC 327 engine, to small odds and ends type parts for the suspension and rear drum brakes.

I always default to RockAuto, whether it is for my Rambler, my WS6 or my Monte Carlo. I know you guys have the best pricing for the best parts and I know that it will always arrive in a timely manner.

Thanks RockAuto!
Mitchell in Wisconsin

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 email flamur@RockAuto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

Automotive Trivia Answer
Automotive Trivia

The original DeLorean sports car came from a factory in Northern Ireland powered by which engine?

A. Citroen "BiRotor" Wankel
B. Ford "Cologne" V6

Answer: C. Peugeot-Renault-Volvo "Douvrin" V6
D. All of the Above

Back up to trivia question