Tech Tip: Engine Oil Leak at Rear Main Oil Seal
If the owner of a 1986-2008 GM passenger car or light-duty truck comments on external oil leakage, a new design crankshaft main oil seal has been released, which incorporates features that improve high mileage durability. Replace the crankshaft rear main oil seal with the new design (P/N 12592195) using the new installation tool (EN-48108) and the following service procedures ….
Transmission Service and Clutch Replacement Essentials
You’ve probably all heard of the 15-minute clutch replacement time for a classic Volkswagen Beetle. The “fact” that you could pull the engine, change the clutch parts and reinstall everything with just a penknife and screwdriver and do that on the side of the road. Then there are the tall tales of pulling the engine
Getting a Fix on Piston Diagnosis and Inspection
Piston failures in late-model engines are relatively uncommon thanks to computerized engine controls that keep a close watch on the air/fuel mixture, and knock sensors that back off spark timing advance if detonation is detected. Pistons are also lasting longer because many engines now come factory-equipped with stronger hypereutectic alloy pistons that can withstand higher
Tech Tip: Vehicle Safety Hinges on Understanding, Checking and Replacing Ball Joints
If the engine quits at 60 mph, you have a chance of getting off the road safely. If a ball joint quits, you have a chance of crashing off the road. The ball joint is one moveable part of a control arm assembly. The control arm bushings are just as important as the ball joint – if the ball joint is worn, chances are the bushings are just as worn. In the case of a strut suspension, the upper mount can receive as much wear as ….
Mitch Schneider: Too Good to be True
I know you should never start a piece with a lead sentence like this, but it was a "dark and stormy night" in the nightmare that abbreviated a restless evening’s sleep just a few hours ago. It was really dark, and it was really stormy, and I was at the rudder of a small, leaky boat adrift in a sea of consumers, customers and clients. The ocean was rough and water was coming over the sides faster than I could ….
Mitch’s World: Too Good to be True
It was a dark and stormy night…” I know you should never start a piece with a lead sentence like this, but it was a “dark and stormy night” in the nightmare that abbreviated a restless evening’s sleep just a few hours ago. It was really dark, and it was really stormy, and I was
Tech Tip: Shocks and Struts are Important Pieces of the Suspension Puzzle
Shock absorbers are an important suspension component because they dampen suspension motions to provide ride control. This provides a smoother ride, better handling and cornering, and improved stability (especially on rough roads). The shocks also extend the life of the tires by preventing unnecessary bouncing as the tires roll along, and they help improve braking and traction by keeping the tires in firm contact with the ….
Tech Tip: Regular Belt Inspections are Important to Thwart Breakdowns
Serpentine belts are much longer-lived than V-belts, but they don’t last forever. After 50,000 or 60,000 miles, they often become glazed, noisy or cracked. A belt failure is bad news because all of the engine’s accessories that are driven by the belt stop turning. The vehicle looses cooling, power steering and charging output, and the engine quickly ….
Tech Tip: 15 Ride Control Tips that Will Help You Sell the Job and Do it Right
The customer will not be happy if he brought the car in for a knocking noise, was sold a couple hundred dollars worth of struts and or ball joints, etc., and the noise is still there. He takes the car elsewhere and the knocking noise is fixed with a couple of $20 sway bar bushings. Despite how bad the parts are, that guy is going to think he got beat. It’s important to address the ….
Tech Tip: Pontiac GTO Font End Noise
Some 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO customers may comment on a knock noise from the front suspension when driving at low speeds over bumps or uneven road surfaces. This condition may be caused by the lower coil of the spring touching on the side lip of the spring seat. The illustration shows the rub mark on the spring coil. The spring coils contacting the body sheet metal within the wheelhouse area may also cause this condition ….