When you need quality replacement parts that meet OEM specifications, then watch for Autotecnica in the RockAuto.com catalog. A source of hard-to-find parts and a smart alternative to expensive “Genuine” components from car dealerships, Autotecnica produces high quality parts for a wide variety of Asian and North American brand cars and trucks, all available at RockAuto's reliably low prices.

Autotecnica parts include cooling, ignition, electrical, engine, fuel, HVAC and suspension, everything from a Heater Blend Door Actuator for a 2013 Lincoln Navigator, to an Oil Pan for a 2005 Nissan Altima, to an Ash Tray for a 1965 Chevy Corvette. Autotecnica parts are manufactured in strict accordance with ISO/TS 16949 QMS specifications and are covered by an impressive two-year, unlimited mileage warranty.

Look no further than RockAuto for durable and affordable drivetrain parts from USA Standard Gear and Zumbrota Drivetrain. By using higher quality materials and improved manufacturing techniques, these drivetrain parts are often longer lasting than the originals.

USA Standard Gear and Zumbrota Drivetrain are offering RockAuto customers an exclusive rebate through September 30, 2018. The rebate covers select USA Standard Gear Positraction Differentials, Drive Shafts, Axle Shafts, Ring and Pinion Sets and Spider Gears, as well as select Zumbrota Drivetrain Axle Assemblies, Transfer Cases and Manual Transmissions. Find the complete selection of parts under the “Drivetrain” category for your specific vehicle.

See USA Standard Gear and Zumbrota Drivetrain rebate details and learn about other current manufacturer rebates on RockAuto’s Promotions & Rebates page. While shopping, watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" Star next to the part names to help you save even more on RockAuto’s reliably low prices!

CorvetteFlorida.com is a useful, informative and fun forum started by a Corvette enthusiast for other Corvette enthusiasts. Although there are sections specific to Corvette owners residing in Florida, the "General Corvette Forums" are loaded with knowledgeable answers and discussions on everything from detailing to maintenance to racing.

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 stepdad was a country boy, born in West Virginia in 1919, youngest of 16 siblings. He was full of old timey wisdom related to the weather, moon phases, planting and harvest times, livestock and even people. He knew how to make moonshine, cure hams, thump a guitar and could fix nearly anything with whatever was handy.

There was only one time I can recall getting the better of him. He did all his own vehicle maintenance, and whenever he changed his oil, he had the habit of adjusting the carburetor, if it needed it or not. He did not own a tachometer. He made the adjustments by ear. Trouble was, in his later years, he did not hear so well. He would tinker until it sounded right, but the fuel would be set so rich, the exhaust smoke looked like he was spraying for mosquitoes.

After one of his oil changes, he stopped at my service station to ask if I had time to look at the carburetor in his old red truck. I connected the tachometer, adjusted the mixture screws, set the idle and sent him on his way. Every couple months, he would return to ask if I would reset his carburetor. I finally asked him what would cause it to go out of adjustment? He confessed to his tinkering with the mixture jets.

Once I learned the reason, I tried to make him promise me he would give up his carburetor surgery. But he would not make that promise. Tinkering was in his blood. I would have bought him a tachometer to help properly tune the carburetor, but I knew he would not have used it. He was an "ear" man to the end.

This morning I am sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee thinking of him. I sure wish I could see his smoky old red truck pull into my driveway, needing another carburetor adjustment.

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!

The engine in the Ford Model T uses thermosyphon cooling. How does that work?

A. Intake manifold vacuum pulls coolant from the lower radiator into the engine. A check valve prevents coolant from being sucked into the intake manifold.

B. Pulses in exhaust gas pressure resulting from the opening and closing of individual exhaust valves are used to flex a thin copper diaphragm that pumps coolant through the engine and radiator.

C. It is plumbed similar to a modern engine cooling system except there is no water pump. It simply relies on the fact that hot water rises above colder water. Hot water naturally moves to the top of the engine where it pours into the top of the radiator. This flow pulls cooler water from the bottom of the radiator into the lower engine.

Answer below

I recently tuned up the ignition system on my '71 Ford LTD's V8 (351 Windsor). I installed new spark plug wires, plugs, coil, distributor cap and rotor. A previous owner had replaced the ignition breaker points and condenser with an Ignition Conversion Kit. Does an electronic ignition conversion kit need maintenance?

Typical Electronic Conversion Kit

It is always a good idea to remove any dirt, oil or other residue that gets inside the distributor cap. I checked the gap between the ignition conversion kit's magnet sleeve on the distributor shaft and the kit's electronic module. With an ignition conversion kit there is no physical contact or mechanical wear, but maybe a mounting screw could rattle loose over time. The specified gap is typically 0.030 inch. Some modules do not have an adjustable gap.

The most important maintenance for an ignition conversion kit may be to clean upstream ground connections to verify that the module is still properly grounded. The manufacturer of my Ford's module specifies that there should be less than 0.2 ohms of resistance between the module's mounting plate and the negative terminal on the car's battery. After six years of electrical engineering school, I know that <0.2 ohms is about as close to zero resistance as you can get on a car.

Inside the distributor cap there is a small ground strap bolted to the mounting plate for the electronic module (or breaker points). I removed and reinstalled the strap's bolts. My Ford's distributor is aluminum and the engine is cast iron. Dissimilar metals clamped to each other can lead to a film of corrosion that interferes with electrical conductivity between the metals.

I marked the distributor shaft and engine with an ink pen to ensure I could quickly put the ignition timing back where it was. I then removed the distributor hold down bolt and rotated the distributor a few degrees in both directions. I cleaned and reinstalled the distributor hold down bolt and its steel tab. I also cleaned the aluminum on the distributor where the steel tab makes contact.

Consistently measuring tiny resistance levels with multimeter probes is difficult. Push the probes a little harder onto the metal surfaces and resistance may drop. Before I did my cleaning, my multimeter showed resistance between the negative battery terminal and the electronic module mounting plate inside the distributor fluctuating between 0.3 and 0.2 ohms. After I did my cleaning and fastener removal/reinstall, the resistance reading stayed between 0.2 and 0.0 ohms.

With an old engine from the '70s or a modern engine built this decade, poor ignition system performance often results from tolerance stacking. If worn spark plugs are gapped a little too much, the coil's high voltage terminal is pitted, and there is intermittent arcing from one spark plug wire boot, then all those minor problems combined may make the engine run poorly. Checking that an ignition conversion kit is installed and grounded to original specifications is another way to eliminate a problem that might "stack" onto other small problems to create noticeable performance issues (hesitation, reduced gas mileage, hard starting...).

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

The 1972 Volvo 164e is the result of Volvo deciding to stretch a front end, install a 3L straight-six motor and try to compete with the Germans in the luxury car segment.

Not quite a barn find, but my grandparents bought this car new in ’72, and for the last 15 years it was driven and maintained minimally as it mostly sat in the garage. So when I finally took possession, it needed a bit of help. The big fuel injected straight 6 motor barely ran and would lurch forward when you put it in gear. And it just generally needed some TLC. I initially thought new parts would have to be obtained from Sweden, but RockAuto has the economical maintenance parts, shipped fast, and made the process to tune it up and get it back on the road relatively painless.

So far parts from RockAuto have included ignition cap/rotor/plugs/wires, thermostats, radiator hoses, water pump, motor mounts, belts, brake light switch, headlamps and all the filters.

The odometer rolled over 198,000 miles driving to a car show last month. But knowing RockAuto has a large selection of parts for this relatively obscure model gives me confidence to get it out more often!

Ben 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.

The engine in the Ford Model T uses thermosyphon cooling. How does that work?

A. Intake manifold vacuum pulls coolant from the lower radiator into the engine. A check valve prevents coolant from being sucked into the intake manifold.

B. Pulses in exhaust gas pressure resulting from the opening and closing of individual exhaust valves are used to flex a thin copper diaphragm that pumps coolant through the engine and radiator.

Answer: C. It is plumbed similar to a modern engine cooling system except there is no water pump. It simply relies on the fact that hot water rises above colder water. Hot water naturally moves to the top of the engine where it pours into the top of the radiator. This flow pulls cooler water from the bottom of the radiator into the lower engine.

1937 diagram of engine cooling entirely by thermosiphon circulation

Back up to trivia question