Have you thought about what to get your "Do-It-Yourselfer" dad for Father's Day? From oil and filters to essential garage supplies and tools, here are a few ideas from the RockAuto catalog!
Oil Change Dad: Get him the Oil and Filters he needs. Find the correct Engine Oil and Filter for his specific vehicle under “Engine." All Oil can also be found listed under the “Tools & Universal Parts” tab. Oil-Dri Absorbent Pads will help make clean up faster and easier by absorbing general spills including oils, coolants and solvents.
Not Sure Dad: A RockAuto Gift Certificate, available for any amount, will let your car enthusiast choose the parts or tools he needs.
Forum of the Month
FordEscape.org is an online community dedicated to 2013+ Ford Escape owners. This well organized and active forum has many discussions on service tips, DIY technical help, general Escape discussion and more!
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 the mid-1970s, I bought my first vehicle, a 1963 Ford F-250. It had a 223 straight 6, which I tried to tune up and get running, but I quickly realized that the engine had seen better days. My friends at the time helped me get a good running engine out of a 1964 Ford, and we did the engine swap in a day without any problems. Since I had just replaced the distributor cap, rotor, wires, points and condenser (and set the breaker point gap) on the 1963 engine, it was much easier to move over the distributor assembly, including the spark plug wires and oil pump intermediate shaft, to the new engine. Everything went well with the engine swap; the truck started right up, ran great, and had no leaks. On the test drive I was out a mile or so from home when I heard the engine tapping slightly, which quickly progressed to a loud knocking, which ended in a big bang. The engine stopped running and smoke and oil and broken parts were under the truck. I looked under the hood, and I had thrown a rod through the side of the block.
It turned out that the 1963 version of the Ford 223 used a .250 diameter oil pump intermediate shaft that runs from the bottom of the distributor to the oil pump. The 1964 had changed that shaft to a .312 diameter. In my case, the .250 hex shaft was enough to spin the .312 oil pump for a short amount of time, but it quickly rounded the bottom of the shaft and I lost oil pressure and circulation.
Even though I had both distributors in my hands I did not notice the difference. I learned a good lesson about not guessing about part compatibility that day.
Jim 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 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
What is Vinfast?
A. The Vietnamese car manufacturer that plans to begin selling cars in the US this year.
B. A free VIN research tool that tracks the repair and mileage history of individual vehicles built since 1984.
C. The electric version of the Mercedes V-Class to be assembled at a repurposed naval base on Prince Edward Island beginning in 2023.
Some parts that usually lasted the life of a vehicle now fail because the typical vehicle's life is much longer than it used to be. It is now commonplace for vehicles to happily motor along well past 200,000 miles (322,000 km). The Steering Shaft is one of those parts that eventually fails due to high mileage, corrosion and/or because the original equipment (OE) part could have been designed better.
Typical Steering Shaft
The Steering Shaft (or multiple shafts) links the Steering Column to the Steering Gear or Rack and Pinion. Noises and/or too much play in the steering wheel can indicate the steering shaft is failing. U-joints in the steering shaft may wear and loosen. Most steering shafts include a slip yoke that allows movement so that the U-joints can work properly. Slip yokes may bind up after a lot of miles or if the OE design was prone to accumulating dirt and corrosion.
Consult your vehicle's repair manual (found under "Literature" at RockAuto.com) for specific replacement instructions. The fittings at each end of the steering shaft are often keyed so that they will only slide on one way. It is still a good idea to take photos and mark old/new part interfaces with a little paint to further guarantee the new part is installed correctly.
Vehicles built in the last 30+ years with air bags and buttons on the steering wheel have Clock Springs (found under "Interior") mounted behind the steering wheel that maintain electrical connections as the steering wheel is turned. Spinning the steering wheel while it is disconnected from the steering shaft will destroy the guts of the clock spring and unnecessarily double the time/cost of the repair. It is a good idea to tie down or otherwise secure the steering wheel so that it does not move significantly.
In general, removing the bolts that clamp the steering shaft on at each end usually just takes some penetrating oil and good old fashioned wrenching. If the steering shaft's slip yoke is bound up, then it may be necessary to loosen mounting bolts for upstream or downstream assemblies such as the steering-gear/rack-and-pinion so that there is enough movement to allow the steering shaft to come off.
See the Steering Shaft replacement choices for your specific vehicle under the "Steering" category 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.
Noah's 1994 Ford F150
This is my 1994 Ford F150 XLT 4x4. I saved it from the crusher about five years ago and have been restoring it since. She has a 351W engine, with upgraded drivetrain and suspension. I did all the work myself in my garage.
RockAuto was the source for all of the truck's sensors, ECM, drivetrain components, engine rebuild kit, gaskets, suspension parts, steering parts, bushings, the entire fuel system and I am sure much more.
It has been a long road, and there are still many things to do, but this truck is currently my daily driver!
Noah in Arizona (RockAuto customer for over seven years)
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, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! For submission instructions and tips for taking pictures of your car, please visit our Photography Tips & Submission Info page
