RockAuto is excited to announce the addition of Idemitsu oil and fluids to our catalog! Idemitsu is a leader in high-quality fully synthetic engine oils and developed the original 0W-20 found in many vehicles on the road today. Founded in Japan in 1911, Idemitsu is a global company with a research and development center in Michigan and a state-of-the-art lubricant blending facility in Indiana.
Idemitsu works closely with vehicle manufacturers such as Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, GM and others, to provide solutions that improve fuel economy, decrease emissions and meet the most stringent performance and protection requirements– including for advanced hybrids and vehicles equipped with “stop-start” technology. Idemitsu also makes transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and gear oil for a wide range of applications; including racing.
BroncoZone.com is an online community dedicated to Ford Bronco owners and enthusiasts. Join the discussion about all generations of the Bronco and Bronco II that includes technical articles, how-tos, as well as a "Trail Talk Lounge" where members post and discuss trails they have been on.
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.
Repair Mistakes & Blunders
Back in my college days (late 70's), a good friend of mine had a ‘57 Chevy One-Fifty with the "Blue Flame" six cylinder engine. Unfortunately that engine met its untimely demise just before winter break. My friend managed to find a 265 V8 out of a ‘56 Chevy. I was impressed that he and his uncle had managed to swap the engines in a frigid college parking lot.
He then shared with me that the car would not start. Seeing as I was the resident "electrical wiz," he asked if I could give a hand. Well, on a near zero degree day we started troubleshooting. We tried jumping the solenoid, nothing. We swapped the starter on our backs on a freezing gravel parking lot. Nothing. Finally I had an idea...check the ignition switch. That is when my friend crawled under the dash to find a switch connector nearly pulled off its post. He pushed the connector back on, turned the key, and...Vroom! We then figured out what happened.
The temperature sensor on the newly installed V8 was further forward than on the 6 cylinder it replaced. It seems in my friend's exuberance to install the larger engine he yanked on the electrical harness a bit too much, which had the effect of pulling the connector off the key switch just enough to lose contact.
It has been over 40 years, but I never fail to remind my friend of that long day in the cold chasing down this blunder!
Scott in Pennsylvania
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 RockAuto 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
Which model year was the Z06 performance package first offered on Chevrolet Corvettes?
The no-lift-shift manual transmissions in some late-model Camaros, Mustangs and other performance cars allow the driver to keep shifting gears while the accelerator pedal is floored. I cannot wait to try out that cool feature if somebody ever lets me borrow his/her new Camaro or Mustang, but some purists think this is computers interfering with the primal challenge and joy of skillfully shifting gears.
Interestingly, computers have actually been involved in shifting gears for decades. No-lift-shift takes maximum advantage of proven technology. The electronic throttle body eliminated the cable directly connecting the accelerator pedal to the throttle plate. The driver's feet pressing on the accelerator and clutch pedals signal the driver's intentions (go faster, go slower, change gears...) to the computer, and then the computer decides when and how far to adjust the throttle to maintain the correct fuel/air ratio to optimize performance, fuel economy and emissions.
On an older car, the computer algorithm is relatively simple; briefly keep the throttle slightly open to avoid an overly rich fuel/air ratio after the driver has released the accelerator pedal and depressed the clutch. When the driver releases the clutch and jams his/her foot down on the accelerator pedal, quickly but gradually open the throttle to avoid an overly lean fuel/air mixture. With a new no-lift-shift car the computer algorithm is more complex but works similarly; adjusting the throttle to optimize the fuel/air ratio and engine RPM as the driver pushes the clutch pedal in and out.
Typical plunger, arm, and magnetic
clutch position switches
As the miles add up, the part that fails in this high-tech computer controlled system is often the humble Clutch Pedal Position / Starter Safety Switch. This switch originally just prevented the starter motor from spinning if the clutch pedal was not depressed. On newer cars, the signal from the clutch position switch/sensor also is used by the computer to adjust the throttle during gear shifts.
If the clutch switch/sensor wears out, engine RPM may surge noticeably higher when the driver pushes in the clutch and releases the accelerator pedal because the computer does not recognize that the clutch has taken the load off the engine and keeps the throttle too far open. Engine revs may stay high or drop too slowly ("rev hang") depending on if the clutch switch/sensor is completely dead, only functions part way through its range of movement or needs to have its position adjusted.
Plunger or arm activated clutch switches are typically mounted on the clutch pedal mechanism. The position of the switch can sometimes be adjusted by turning a nut on a threaded shaft. The plunger/arm might also not depress soon enough or far enough if the metal bracket holding the switch has bent over time. (There may be a second, similar looking switch on the clutch pedal mechanism used by the cruise control system.)
Some designs use a magnetic sensor mounted on the clutch pedal mechanism or on the side of the Clutch Master Cylinder to detect when and how far the clutch pedal has been depressed. See the "Clutch Pedal Position / Starter Safety Switch" for your specific vehicle under "Electrical-Switch & Relay" in the RockAuto.com 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.
Ron's 1951 Chevy 3100
I am the third generation owner and restorer of this 1951 Chevy 3100 ½ ton truck. Dad got it from Grandpa around 1976 to haul water. When I got my license in 1984, this is what I had to drive. Dad parked it a few years later when the brakes went out; he was going to fix it someday but he passed in 2003. I was stationed in Germany for a time but once back home in 2016 the truck became mine. Thanks to RockAuto I got the old truck up and running again with parts like a water pump, clutch, wheel cylinders, shocks and lots more. I began a full restoration in 2018 and completed it in two years. The truck still has the original 216 engine, 4 speed transmission and the torque tube drivetrain.
"Dad's '51" no longer hauls water tanks or teaches teenagers to drive. It now enjoys life taking the family out for ice cream.
Ron in Missouri (RockAuto customer for over six years)
Share Your Hard Work
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Automotive Trivia Answer
Which model year was the Z06 performance package first offered on Chevrolet Corvettes?
Answer: A. 1963. Only 199 Z06 Corvettes were built that year. (source: https://plants.gm.com...) B. 1997
C. 2001
