Flags in the Catalog

Why do the listings for my Audi A4 Clutch Kit have flags next to them?

You may have noticed flags next to the part numbers and car names in the RockAuto catalog. What do the flags mean? They are there to help you decide if the part you are looking for is correct for your vehicle. A flag next to a part number or car name indicates the market for which the part was manufactured.

We are constantly adding more parts for more vehicles sold in other markets outside of the U.S., and we want it to be as easy as possible for you to find the parts you need!

For complete details on the flags, visit the RockAuto FAQ.

Forum of the Month

The Garage Gazette is a relatively new web community that opened in June of 2010. This is a great site to visit or join if you have an interest in virtually any wheeled vehicle, such as farm tractors, hot rods, classics, trucks, exotics, race cars, motorcycles, or even boats. If your interests run to paint and body work, metal fabrication, welding, machine shop, or even woodworking, then feel free to join those discussions as well.

There are also boards to discuss auto repair, hand and power tools, and virtually any shop equipment you might care to discuss such as air compressors, presses, vehicle lifts, and floor jacks. There are several areas for off topic discussions or simply shooting the breeze as well.

The site is free, and we would love to have you contribute and join in the fun. When you arrive, make sure to let the forum moderator, skfarmer, know that you learned about The Garage Gazette from RockAuto's newsletter. We look forward to seeing you there!

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

I had learned all my car repair skills from books and trial and error. No repair intimidated me. When I was about 19 I owned a nice yellow 1974 Toyota Corolla SR5. It had some rust from being in the upper Midwest, but still a fun little car to zip around in. I had done all the typical repairs like tune-ups and oil changes with no problems. So when a small grinding noise in the rear end started to get louder and louder, I decided to check it out. I parked the car, pulled the parking brake and chocked the front wheels before I lifted the back end. I took off the wheel and looked at the hub and noticed there was some play in it. After some research, it looked like the rear bearings were shot and needed replacement. It didn’t seem too difficult a job.

I removed the wheels and then had to remove the brake drum. Boy! Was that stuck on there good! It must be rusted on bad! I pounded on the sides trying to break loose the rust. I attached a piece of plate steel via chain to the drum so I could yank it off. Nothing seemed to be able to budge that drum. I finally was able to get behind it and use a hammer and punch and slowly start to drive the drum off. I must have banged on that thing for an hour. How hard can this be? I got it part way off and noticed that the part of the brake shoe that was now exposed had some horizontal scratches on it. I thought about that for a while and then Eureka! I forgot that I applied the parking brake! I released it and the drum practically fell off!

Needless to say, the other side went much faster, and I did not need to use a hammer.

That’s my story.
Pat in Georgia

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

What temperature must a typical catalytic converter reach before it can thoroughly purify the exhaust?

A. 750 deg. F (399 deg. C), close to the melting point of zinc.
B. 1200 deg. F (649 deg. C), nearly the melting point of aluminum.
C. 1900 deg. F ( 1038 deg. C), almost the melting point of gold.

Answer: A (source: easterncatalytic.com)

My Dodge was a Youngster

Grizzly bears were on my wife’s mind. I was thinking about the family heirloom 1992 Dodge Ram B250 van, hauling us up the steep mountain along the cliff edge.

My family just took our summer vacation in Glacier / Waterton National Park in the Rocky Mountains straddling the border between Montana and Alberta. One of the highlights of this spectacular park is the fifty mile long Going-to-the-Sun Road across the Continental Divide. It is a fantastic 1930s era civil engineering project, hacked out of solid rock in many places, with beautiful and scary views. Vehicles over 8 ft. (2.4 m) wide are prohibited.

The many tourists driving new rental Dodge Journeys and Chevy Impalas probably had no idea that the handful of old vehicles and do-it-yourselfers around them were facing a major test. The question, “Did I adjust those new Dorman parking brake cables and Raybestos brake shoes correctly?” took on new significance when my B250 was parked at an angle on the edge of a mountain. Putting off replacing a balky manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor or replacing a leaky radiator would suddenly become a major issue if it meant stranding your family and blocking the road. There were not piles of poorly maintained cars at the cliff bottoms so there must be some way to get a tow truck up there, but it would probably take hours and strain international relations.

I am happy to say the old Dodge van drove from blistering heat up through the snowy pass and back again without a single problem or complaint. The van even ran alongside real big horn sheep and finally earned the right to wear its many “RAM” badges!

My Dodge was a youngster compared to some of the other cars and motorcycles on the road. The oldest vehicle I saw cross the pass was a 1962 Ford. I know the smile on that driver’s face was about much more than the lovely scenery.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

I found my 1989 Merkur XR4Ti back in May 2009 on its way to the junkyard. This seemed a sad end for a such nice looking and unique car, so I rescued it, and set to work fixing it up. These cars are rare (less than 43,000 imported to the United States) German made Fords.

With the exception of the master cylinder, I replaced the entire braking system: front rotors, calipers, and pads, rear drums, shoes and wheel cylinders, as well as the hydraulic hoses, all from RockAuto. The car had an automatic transmission with fluid that looked like a strawberry milkshake, so I converted over to a 5 speed manual transmission, fitting a new clutch and refaced flywheel. While the motor was out, I stripped down the top end, and found that a non-turbo head had been fitted. I eventually found a good cylinder head, which I had re-surfaced and new exhaust valve seats installed. There was a stripped bolt in the turbocharger housing, so I re-tapped this, and replaced the vacuum lines which had been incorrectly fitted. I removed the interior, giving the carpets a good shampoo, and the dash and door panels a thorough cleaning. With the motor back together, using gaskets from RockAuto, it started first time but would not make any power. This was traced to a blocked muffler, so I then replaced the exhaust. I also fitted a set of 16" wheels from a SAAB 9000.

Thank you RockAuto for having the parts for this rare and underrated car!

Lee in South Jersey

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.

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