RockAuto.com RockAuto June Newsletter

RockAuto Home

Customer Service

Newsletter Archive

E-mail Subscription

RSS Feed



Another Happy Customer!

Easy to find parts at a great price!

Thank you for supplying parts and making it easy to find what I needed. Great price, too! Really appreciate having someplace to shop that I can trust!

Barb in New York



Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here e-mail with details.

25th Anniversary of the "Car D'Lane Cruisin by the Lake"
6/19/2015
Post Falls, ID
email

20th Annual Koyote Kruise
6/19/2015
Winnemucca, NV
email

Sunset Coast Cruisers Spring Lake Heritage Festival
6/19/2015
Spring Lake, MI
email

Rods & Rails Car Show
6/20/2015
Rock Springs, WY
email

Annual Lions Club Fathers Day Car Show
6/20/2015
Bernie, MO
email

29th Annual British Bash
6/20/2015
Paducah, KY
email

Bethany Volunteer Fire Department Auxillary Car Truck & Bike Show
6/20/2015
Bethany, CT
email

Hilliard Historical Village Car Show
6/20/2015
Hillard, OH
email

Meals on Wheels Car & Cycle Show
6/20/2015
Longview, TX
email

Team LoeRider Auto Club - 2nd Annual Car & Bike Show "Light 'em Up"
6/20/2015
Jacksonville, FL
email

14th Annual EuroCar 2015
6/21/2015
Cazenovia, NY
email

Father's Day Car Show
6/21/2015
Alamogordo, NM
email

21st Annual Father's Day Car Show
6/21/2015
Scranton, PA
email

New Hope Christian Fellowship Father's Day Car Show
6/21/2015
Vacaville, CA
email

Heartland Christian Centers Annual Car & Bike Show
6/21/2015
Indianapolis, IN
email

Fairlane Club of American National Meet
6/26/2015
Kingsport, TN
email

North Country Cruisers 10th Annual Motor-Head Classic Car & Bike Show
6/26/2015
Warroad, MN
email

Star City Motor Madness 14th Annual Car Show
6/26/2015
Roanoke, VA
email

Helena Valley Timing Association Blast from the Past Car Show
6/26/2015
East Helena, MT
email

Route 66 Corvette Club - Corvette Show
6/27/2015
Wright City, MO
email

7th Annual Sweet home Sweet Ride Charity Car Show for Kids
6/27/2015
Sweet Home, OR
email

Macomb Brownie Myers Heritage Days Car Show
6/27/2015
Macomb, IL
email

Keith Peterson Memorial Car Show
6/27/2015
Fort Gratiot, MI
email

Bad Does Good Colorado Children's Hospital Show
6/27/2015
Denver, CO
email

18th Annual Rancho Cucamonga Firefighters Benefit Car Show
6/28/2015
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
email

Rods & Rudders Car Show & Boat Display
6/28/2015
Puyallup, WA
email

Wauconda Fest Car Show
6/28/2015
Wacuonda, IL
email

New Ulm Autofest Car Show Club Cruise
6/28/2015
New Ulm, MN
email

Eckler's 38th International Chevy Classic Convention
7/1/2015
Norman, OK
email

Tip Of Texas Rockin Rally Car Show
7/4/2015
Anthony, TX
email

Cedar Lake Summerfest Charity Car Show
7/5/2015
Cedar Lake, IN
email

Let's Go Cruisin' Route 322 Car Show
7/5/2015
Campbelltown, PA
email

ATP Automatic Transmission Rebuild Kits

See what we have from ATP

RockAuto offers ATP Automotive automatic transmission rebuild kits. With just one part number, get all the parts you need for your rebuild project. ATP Overhaul, Banner, Master, and Master Plus rebuild kits pre-package all the necessary parts for comprehensive transmission service. ATP kits are engineered to fit and function just like the original parts, ensuring long life and durability.

Designed to be single-source, efficient repair solutions for restoring the performance of specific transmissions, ATP transmission rebuild kits typically include the following parts:

  • Overhaul Kits – Gaskets, seals, o-rings, pan gasket, rubber lip seals, metal clad seals and sealing rings
  • Banner Kits – Friction clutches, gaskets, seals, o-rings, pan gasket, rubber lip seals, metal clad seals and sealing rings
  • Master Kits - Friction clutches and steel plates, gaskets, seals, o-rings, pan gasket, rubber lip seals, metal clad seals and sealing rings
  • Master Plus Kits - Friction clutches and steel plates, gaskets, seals, o-rings, pan gasket, rubber lip seals, metal clad seals, sealing rings, common bushings, transmission filter and modulator (where applicable)

ATP Automotive transmission rebuild kits feature premium clutch material for smooth shifting, load stability, and high wear resistance, and steel plates that are manufactured to precise measurements for seamless installation and shudder-free performance. In addition, the gaskets, seals, and o-rings are exact-fit replacements. The parts are vacuum packaged to porous boards and sealed to ensure all components arrive complete and uncompromised.

Find rebuild kits for everything from your 1986 Chevy Corvette to your 2007 Toyota Highlander under the “Transmission-Automatic” category in the RockAuto.com catalog.






Forum of the Month

DIYautoFTW.com

There has never been a better time to be an auto enthusiast. The Internet has allowed us to have almost any automotive information at our fingertips. This is where DIYautoFTW.com comes in. With a community built library of automotive information, all of the DIYs, builds, and technical data for any car are within a few clicks of the homepage. If you need DIY repair info for your car, need to know the compression ratio of an E39 M5, or need to find out the length of a 1958 Continental, you can find it here fast.


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 flamur@rockauto.com.






Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Ouch!

I have a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle which had a crusty old carburetor that didn't appear to have been cleaned in decades.  I bought a rebuild kit, removed the carburetor, and began the rebuilding process. Most of it was fairly uncomplicated, but the carb has two brass plugs, each blocking a chamber containing a small ball bearing. With some difficulty, I removed the first plug, cleaned the ball bearing and the chamber, then dried the chamber with compressed air. I reassembled the first bearing/plug assembly and started on the other one. I removed the second plug and bearing, cleaned everything, and put the air nozzle up to the chamber to dry it out. Unfortunately, the air pressure was strong enough to blow the first brass plug and ball bearing back out of the carburetor and clear across the garage.

I have no idea what these little parts are for, but I had a hunch leaving them out would not be a good thing. I didn't relish the idea of buying a new carburetor. That meant I had to search the garage for these tiny little pieces. About an hour after I began shining a flashlight across the garage floor looking for anything shiny, I found both the parts, cleaned them, reassembled the carburetor, and reinstalled it on the car. The VW has never run better.

I suppose the morals of this story are to stabilize any pieces which might be loosened by compressed air and to always keep your garage floor swept in case you lose something.

Bob in Iowa




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 e-mail 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

What causes brake rotor "runout" problems?

A. Deposits of brake pad material make the rotor's surface uneven.
B. Rust builds up between the rotor and hub, pushing the rotor to be at an odd angle.
C. The surface of the rotor becomes distorted when mounting fasteners are overtightened.
D. All the above.



Answer below





As Smart as Replacing an Old Tire

RockAuto

Sitting on my desk is a small auxiliary fan to help cool the computer hardware. This fan is wearing out and occasionally needs a shake before it will start spinning in the morning. Coaxing a little more life out of a $20 fan seems reasonable to me since I am almost always in attendance when it is running and the computer equipment has its own built-in cooling fans.

It was much less reasonable for me to coax the last few months out of the radiator fan on my wife’s Ford. The engine’s temperature gauge had been fluctuating a lot more than usual. The fan did not always switch on with the air conditioner like it should. I knew the radiator fan was working intermittently, but I thought I should do some diagnostic work before replacing it. There are various sensors and an electronic box called a radiator fan controller in this Ford’s fan circuit.

A couple of weeks ago however, my worried wife called from the side of the road to report that the temperature gauge needle was in the danger zone. She did a little impromptu shopping while the engine cooled down and traffic cleared to the point where there could be enough ambient air flowing through the radiator to safely drive the car home. I connected power to the two terminals on the radiator fan motor, and found this time it was completely dead and shorted out inside.

Radiator fans run more often in stop and go city traffic, or to increase airflow through the A/C condenser when the defroster or A/C is turned on. I knew this Ford’s current fan motor had logged over 100,000 miles (161,000 km) of mostly city driving. As you can see in the photo below, the motor has spring-loaded carbon blocks (brushes) that had worn away over time. I am guessing the Ford’s fan motor shorted out when one of the brushes became so small and misshapen that its copper wire lead made contact with some metal part. Most radiator fan motors use these carbon brushes and the brushes begin gradually wearing away starting from day one.


misshapen brushes

Replacing this high mileage fan motor before it completely died would have been as smart as replacing an old tire before it blew out. Carbon brushes never heal themselves and the radiator fan was ready to be replaced even if another component in the circuit had also been bad. My delay in replacing the fan only increased the risk that overheating would damage the engine. Having my spouse stranded on the side of the road is never a good idea either. Replacing this particular fan (’93 Ford Tempo) was an easy do-it-yourself repair. It took less time than my wife’s impromptu shopping experience.

You can find radiator fan parts and assemblies in the "Cooling System" section of the RockAuto catalog.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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





Clint's 1969 Datsun 510
Clint's 1969 Datsun 510

This is my 1969 Datsun 510 two door sedan that I’ve owned for four years. I bought it from a friend in North Carolina. Before that, my car lived its life in California, so it doesn’t have the typical rust issues that these cars can have.

Owning an older car can make finding parts a pain. I’m in Canada and, too often, the local auto part stores are quick to say “those are no longer available.” That’s when I go on RockAuto, find the exact parts I need and have the option of a few different manufacturers. I love it! I recommend it to every gear-head I know.

I’ve replaced the entire front and rear brakes with parts from RockAuto, as well as the entire front suspension and steering (ball joints, tie rods etc.) and a few other odds and ends like cap and rotor.

Long live RockAuto!

Clint in British Columbia



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 e-mail flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images and what parts from RockAuto you have used.






Let RockAuto Help

Let RockAuto Help

Are you organizing a car show or other auto related event? From goody bag stuffers to gift certificates...RockAuto can help. We can even publicize your event in our newsletter.

Just send an e-mail to marketing@rockauto.com with information about your show.






Automotive Trivia Answer

Automotive Trivia

What causes brake rotor "runout" problems?

A. Deposits of brake pad material make the rotor's surface uneven.
B. Rust builds up between the rotor and hub, pushing the rotor to be at an odd angle.
C. The surface of the rotor becomes distorted when mounting fasteners are overtightened.
Answer: D. All the above.



Back up to trivia question



© 1999-2015 RockAuto, LLC - Madison, Wisconsin USA. RockAuto name, logo and ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED 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.