RockAuto now carries AJUSA parts! AJUSA is a leading international manufacturer of OE-quality automotive gaskets/sets, cylinder head bolt sets and hydraulic lifters. Like RockAuto, AJUSA is a family-owned company. They are now part of CRP Automotive which includes Continental, Pentosin and other respected European automotive brands.

Manufactured in Spain, AJUSA parts are available at RockAuto.com for a wide range of European and Asian brand vehicles. AJUSA parts meet or exceed OE specifications, plus they include additional features, such as the examples below, that make the parts easier to install and help ensure repairs are successful.

Head Gaskets & Gasket Sets:

• MLS gaskets are coated in Viton to ensure the best possible seal by compensating for irregularities in engine block or cylinder head
• Fiber-Max gaskets are covered in silicone for the best possible seal for cast iron engine blocks and cylinder heads (and often incorporate one-piece fire rings)
• Each gasket includes a torque sequence and spec sheet

Head Bolt Sets:

• Bolts are shrink-wrapped and come with assembly lubricant, ready for installation

Hydraulic Lifters:

• Packaged in plastic trays that keep each part isolated, protected, and oiled (when required) until they are ready to be installed
  

Valve Cover Gaskets:

• Gasket sets include spark plug grommets and other seals required for a complete repair

Whether you are looking for an Oil Cooler Gasket for a 2014 Mercedes-Benz G550, Rocker Arms for a 2008 Mini Cooper, Valve Cover Gaskets for a 2000 Lexus GS400, or Valve Lifters for a 1988 BMW 750IL, RockAuto has what you need from AJUSA. Look under multiple categories including Brake & Wheel Hub, Cooling System, Electrical, Engine, Exhaust & Emission, Fuel & Air and Ignition in the RockAuto.com catalog to see the AJUSA parts available for your specific car or truck.

There is no RockAuto app. That means there is nothing taking up space on your phone!

It is easy to add a shortcut to RockAuto.com’s mobile-friendly site to the home screen on your phone or tablet. Typically, to add a shortcut to your home screen, go to RockAuto.com on your Internet browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.). Then, from the browser’s menu, select "Add to Home Screen." You will now be able to tap the RockAuto logo on your home screen to quickly access our catalog and reliably low prices!

Visit Help for more information on adding shortcuts to some of the most popular mobile browsers.

Go to the JL Wrangler Forum to discuss the 2018+ Jeep Wrangler (JL) and Pickup (JT) with other enthusiasts! There you will find general chat and discussions, and/plus technical sections covering diverse topics ranging from engine to drivetrain to audio/electronics to off-road specific tech.

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

I was working on my first car back in '84. It was a '75 Chevy, and the fuel pump was working intermittently. After eliminating all of the easy and inexpensive things that could go wrong with fuel delivery, I had determined the pump itself needed replacing, and of course it was in the tank. I dropped the fuel tank, and after testing the operation of new pump, I replaced it, along with the section of rubber fuel line that connects the metal fuel tank line to the metal fuel line on the body. I lifted the tank up and into place, bolted the two straps, and finally, all of the work was done.

So I go get cleaned up and am now ready to go for a test drive.

As I was about to turn the key, I was thinking about how easy it was to do the job I had just done and was sure that everything would work fine. So of course, I am trying to start the car, and it just will not. I double checked the fuel filter (it was brand new, clean and primed). Then I got under the car and could hear the fuel pump running. What was going on? I am sure I did everything correctly, did not hurry and double checked all of my work. I dropped the tank at least twice and saw absolutely nothing to cause the fuel system to not be able to function properly.

To make a long story slightly shorter, at some point I remembered that I had replaced the rubber fuel line above the tank and compared it to the old line that was replaced. BINGO! The new fuel line was at least two inches longer than the original. The fuel flowed fine until I tightened the tank straps causing the extra fuel line to kink where it was not visible to me.

I learned a very valuable lesson that day. Save your old parts and keep them handy as you work until you have successfully fixed the problem and driven the vehicle and know it is not going to need something else or something different (as you would with brakes, one wheel at a time). This is really a good idea with parts looking similar but not exactly the same. Some parts have slight variables from year to year that are nearly impossible to notice without the old parts to compare them to.

Sean in Oregon

Editor's Note: The Chevy Monza and several other GM models came equipped with electric in-tank fuel pumps in the 1970s.

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!

What is the "stall speed" for an automatic transmission's torque converter?

A. It is the maximum engine RPM possible unless the vehicle's driveshaft/axle/wheels are allowed to begin turning (brakes are released, heavy trailer finally starts to move, tires spin, etc.).

B. It is the minimum torque an engine must generate to overcome the resistance of the fluid in the torque converter. The engine will stall if it is running at a lower RPM/torque output.

C. It is the maximum engine RPM allowed before shifting into first gear. Revving the engine beyond that RPM and then putting the transmission into gear will damage the torque converter.

Answer below

My daughter asked me why she needed to change the fuel filter on her '05 Ford Mustang. I told her the fuel filter keeps contaminants from clogging or eroding the fuel injectors. If the fuel filter begins to fill up with debris, then the fuel pump in the gas tank will suffer as it is forced to pump fuel through the blockage. Eventually the engine will run poorly or not at all.

I stopped talking at that point and watched my daughter work, but I silently wondered why, in spite all the benefits I had just listed, most newer gasoline powered cars do not have traditional fuel filters. They rely on the fuel pump strainer that covers the fuel pump's inlet in the fuel tank.

It is a bit of a mystery why vehicle manufacturers decided easily replaceable gasoline fuel filters are no longer necessary. For the newest cars, clean gasoline is more important than ever. Many new engines use gasoline direct injection (GDI) to blast fuel through tiny fuel injector orifices at extremely high pressures.

The fuel filter definitely trapped grime

Car manufacturers may have decided there are significantly less debris to filter out because modern fuel tanks, fuel lines and other parts are less likely to corrode or disintegrate. They may be relying on fuel stations to filter the gas at their pumps. They likely have improved the filtering capacity of fuel pump strainers. They might have decided the electric fuel pump will last about as long as the strainer and both will be replaced together as part of the Fuel Pump & Housing Assembly when the pump fails at some predicted mileage interval. They also probably wanted to lower their costs and require less scheduled maintenance.

I cut open the Mustang's old fuel filter and rubbed a white napkin across the filter's pleats. As can be seen in the photo, that fuel filter definitely trapped grime that would have made it to the engine otherwise.

Fuel Pump & Housing Assembly Strainer

If the fuel pump strainer now does all the gasoline filtering on newer cars, then it would be smart to replace the fuel pump strainer periodically if possible. As a general guideline, repair manuals (found under "Literature" at RockAuto.com) for older cars typically recommend replacing fuel filters every 30,000 to 50,000 miles (48,000 to 80,000 km).

Fuel Pump Strainers are sometimes mounted externally and replaceable and sometimes they are embedded inside the Fuel Pump & Housing Assembly and unserviceable. Look under "Fuel & Air" to see those parts and to find out if your particular vehicle still came equipped with a traditional, separate Fuel Filter. It is becoming increasingly common on newer cars for the fuel pump assembly to be accessible under the rear seat. That means on some vehicles the fuel tank may not need to be removed to replace the fuel pump strainer and/or Fuel Pump & Housing Assembly, making maintenance much easier.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

I am the ORIGINAL owner of this '67 Pontiac GTO that is in unrestored and factory correct condition. It is a true survivor with original paint, interior and numbers matching engine and transmission. The car has won several Concours d'Elegance awards. My GTO is especially unique because it also has a rare factory 2bbl carburetor attached to the standard 400 cu. in. engine. The car's MSRP back in '67 was $3,648. It now has only 124,000 miles after 50 years of original ownership.

Over the years I have purchased many parts from RockAuto for my GTO: fuel pump, shock absorbers, U joints, ignition coil, filters, wiper blades... I have also purchased many items for my '06 Hyundai Sonata and '08 Hyundai Santa Fe.

Paul in Ohio

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.

What is the "stall speed" for an automatic transmission's torque converter?

Answer A. It is the maximum engine RPM possible unless the vehicle's driveshaft/axle/wheels are allowed to begin turning (brakes are released, heavy trailer finally starts to move, tires spin, etc.).

B. It is the minimum torque an engine must generate to overcome the resistance of the fluid in the torque converter. The engine will stall if it is running at a lower RPM/torque output.

C. It is the maximum engine RPM allowed before shifting into first gear. Revving the engine beyond that RPM and then putting the transmission into gear will damage the torque converter.

Back up to trivia question