Melling is a leading manufacturer of oil pumps, oil pump screens, intermediate shafts and oil pump kits. Melling also has a complete line of camshafts, timing components, valve train parts, cylinder sleeves, expansion plugs and tools for the engine building industry.

In 2016, Melling celebrated their 70th anniversary in business. Though things have changed dramatically since the early years of designing their first oil pump, the M-10 for a 1937 six cylinder Chevrolet, and then inventing, designing and producing the first-ever high volume oil pump, what has remained unchanged, is their focus on making the parts engine builders need now. Extra attention to detail and technical support have further helped build generations of loyal customers for Melling Engine Parts.

RockAuto offers more than 400 Melling oil pumps (standard and high volume) and over 5,000 additional Melling engine parts (including camshafts, timing components, valve train, cylinder sleeves and engine rebuilding tools). You can find Melling parts for everything from Acura to Mercury to Volvo in the RockAuto catalog under the “Engine” category.

Team Chevelle is an online community for fans of all generations of the Chevrolet Chevelle. Discussions on topics ranging from general maintenance to full restorations can be found here. Whether you need help decoding a VIN, trim/cowl tag, engine or axle code on your Chevelle; are seeking tips on swapping in an LSx engine; or just want to check out other Chevelle enthusiasts' projects and builds, find all that and more at Team Chevelle.

Registration is FREE, fast and simple. Join today!

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 have been reading the Repair Mistakes & Blunders in the RockAuto Newsletter for years, thinking “That could never happen to me – I am very careful.” Well, today it finally happened.

I replaced the rear brake rotors and pads on my daughter's 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante. I finished up, took the car off the stands and jack and started it up for a test drive, which I expected to be a mere formality. Instead, I heard a severe grinding noise when I attempted to back up. Realizing something was really wrong, I jacked up the wheels one at a time and found I could not turn one by hand. I pulled the wheel off which loosened the rotor, and I could turn the hub, although with a grinding noise when I pushed the rotor back in place. As I started taking the caliper bracket off, I realized what had happened.

A lock washer was missing from one of the bolts causing it to protrude too far through the bracket and push into the back side of the rotor. That is right, the tolerances were so close that the missing lock washer caused the problem. I replaced the lock washer and learned my lesson. Always pay attention and put things back as they were.

Brian in North Carolina

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 original Dodge Demon built in 1971 was a variation of which Dodge model?

A. Challenger
B. Charger
C. Dart

Answer below

The AC in my parent's Hyundai Santa Fe intermittently stopped blowing cold air one day last August when I happened to be visiting. I confirmed that the AC compressor cycled on and off. Water poured from the AC drain hose onto the garage floor. After I left, my dad took the car to a professional mechanic, and he could not find anything wrong with the AC system either. The car cured itself.

It was an exceptionally humid day. My best guess is that the AC evaporator in the dash was intermittently covered with ice. Once condensation started freezing, it blocked airflow through the evaporator. The ambient air temperature sensor warmed up and told the AC system to try even harder to cool things down. This cycle led to even more ice on the evaporator. The ice melted and things returned to normal once enough hot external air blew over the evaporator or after the car was parked long enough with the engine/AC off.

Typical A/C pressure transducer

Ice is less likely to form if airflow over the evaporator is maximized. A new cabin air filter (listed under Heat & Air Conditioning in the catalog) will help and so will setting the ventilation system to bring in outside air rather than re-circulating the interior air. Verify the drain hose is not clogged so that condensation can exit onto the ground. If the vehicle has been sitting in the barn for awhile, then make sure a mouse has not built a comfy nest next to the evaporator.

An evaporator that regularly ices up might indicate that the refrigerant pressure is too low. There could be a leak in the system or the AC compressor could be failing, but do not assume it has to be an expensive problem. Modern AC systems typically control refrigerant pressure using signals from high and/or low pressure transducers. Many pressure transducers attach to something like a schrader valve so refrigerant does not escape during replacement. Check the repair manual for your specific vehicle (found under "Literature" in the catalog). Find Refrigerant Pressure Switches and A/C Clutch Switches (different names for pressure transducers) under the "Electrical-Switch & Relay" category.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

Here is my 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special which I purchased as a retirement present just over a year ago. I bought it from a gentleman in Northern Ireland who had kept the car in a barn for 17 years, hardly using it. The car was a runner, but needed quite a bit of work to get it to the condition it is in now, as most of those 17 years were years of neglect.

The car was originally purchased in San Jose, California. It apparently remained in California, so it was structurally in excellent shape and the chrome is all original. It took nine months of hard work to sort out the various problems (upholstery, transmission, electrical, etc.) encountered once we had gotten it home. But it was well worth the effort!

We refinished the car in Fontana Rose metallic, a 1961 Cadillac only colour, which in my humble opinion really suits it. My Caddy certainly turns heads when on the road or at a show. It is an unusual sight, especially here in the UK, but for me is a dream come true, as the '61 model year is my favourite Caddy of them all.

When it came to sourcing spares, my first port of call is always RockAuto. Not only did you always have just what I needed in stock, but your prices were truly wonderful and delivered at amazing speed. So far I have obtained brake cylinders, brake shoes, gaskets, hoses and many other bits and pieces from RockAuto, I am so pleased I found you.

Running a 390 ci V8 in England is not cheap, especially with the price of gas being what it is, but RockAuto's prices help to keep my land yacht where it belongs...on the road!

Thanks,
Amanda in the UK

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 original Dodge Demon built in 1971 was a variation of which Dodge model?

A. Challenger
B. Charger
Answer: C. Dart

Back up to trivia question