Brute Power Clutch

RockAuto is pleased to offer Brute Power Clutch Kits, Flywheels, Slave Cylinders and other clutch parts to our customers. Brute Power focuses on increased durability and easier installation. Brute Power clutches not only meet the OE performance criteria, but also often include additional features designed to make installation on specific vehicles more straightforward and increase longevity under real-world conditions.

Brute Power understands a car or truck's entire clutch system before they engineer the friction disc, hydraulics, pressure plate, bearings, flywheel and other individual parts that make up the system. Each Clutch Kit includes the right parts for that specific vehicle. Brute Power 100% tests clutch and clutch hydraulic kits during their final factory assembly processes.

We make it easy to purchase all the Brute Power parts you need for your manual transmission equipped American, Asian or European brand car or truck. Look under the "Transmission-Manual" category in the RockAuto catalog. Brute Power includes easy-to-follow installation guidelines, instructional videos, and a free tech support hotline should you need any assistance once you receive your new Brute Power clutch parts.

Forum of the Month

Hellcat.org is a premier SRT Hellcat Forum for Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat owners and enthusiasts. The forum aims to be a friendly, educational community dedicated to everything about the 2015+ Hellcat powered vehicles. Some of the most popular features on the site include:

• SRT Hellcat General Discussions - This section contains all general discussion on the SRT Hellcat
• SRT Hellcat Purchasing - Have questions about purchasing a new SRT Hellcat? Head on over!
• SRT Hellcat Garage - This section covers all Hellcat Performance upgrades as well as general maintenance.

Register today- It's quick and FREE!

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

My wife and I bought a 2003 Volvo V70 wagon and I decided to do an oil change, as I do on all my cars. The Volvo uses a replacement paper filter that is covered by a plastic cup that screws into the bottom of the engine. So I removed the cup, replaced the filter, screwed the cup back on (remembering to put a new O ring onto the end of the cup), and put in oil. Simple.

The next day my wife called to say that there was oil leaking from under the car. So, I figured that the O ring was bad. I grabbed a new filter from my supply, and replaced it again. But the next day my wife called again; oil was leaking.

I then figured it must be excessive oil pressure, which is usually caused by a clogged oil trap, which is (in)conveniently located under the intake manifold. This required removing the fuel rail, the air mass meter, and the intake manifold. In the process, I broke a fuel injector. But after a few days of work, I had the new oil trap installed, with new hoses, and also the new fuel injector installed. All was well.

The next day, my wife called to say that there was oil leaking!

Grudgingly, I then admitted defeat and started at the beginning. I picked up the shop manual to look up the oil filter replacement procedure, and found that the O ring is placed in a groove about 1/2 inch from the end of the plastic cap, not at the end as I had installed it. I moved the O ring to the groove, reinstalled the cap, and not a leak since.

The lesson of the story...there are times when the manual should be consulted for even the simplest tasks!

Paul in New Jersey

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!

Automotive Trivia

The car show crowd gazed at the beautiful 1930s era classic and knew the mechanic who restored it was skilled at planishing. What does "planish" mean?

A. Upholstering car seats using brushed felt material that is primarily sheep's wool.
B. Cutting and polishing tempered glass.
C. Smoothing sheet metal with special hammers and other tools.

Answer below

The Missing Fuel Cap

I am still a little surprised when I rent a Ford at some airport and discover its fuel tank cap is "missing." Ford stopped putting fuel tank caps on most of their vehicles at least seven years ago, so it probably will not be too long before some capless Ford joins my family's fleet of used cars. Here are a few things I would consider when shopping for a capless vehicle.

Ford's capless fuel tank filler neck has a well designed flap to keep in gasoline vapors and keep out debris, but the flap is typically a few inches down inside the neck (left image below). Dirt, water and any other junk that makes it past the fuel filler door may end up sitting on top of the flap where it might interfere with the flap's seal or get swept into the fuel tank when a gas pump nozzle is inserted. This can especially be a concern on Ford models with fuel openings that are down low on the body or oriented at angles that tend to collect dirt.

Left images shows typical flap a few inches down inside neck. Right image shows second flap at the filler neck entrance.

Ford addressed this potential problem when they added a second flap to the filler neck entrance on the newer Ford Fusion (right image above). For older Fusions and many of Ford's other capless filler necks, RockAuto has locking gas caps that would help keep out debris as well as prevent gasoline theft.

Locking gas cap for capless filler neck

Capless fuel tank filler necks cost more to replace than conventional filler necks, but they are not pricey "dealer-only" parts. The Ford Explorer transitioned to a capless filler neck during the '08 model year. The capless fuel filler neck costs about $40 more than the conventional one for that Explorer (at RockAuto).

The plastic nozzle on a gas can may not be strong enough to push past the flap on a capless system. Fords come with a special funnel to insert when pouring in gas from a plastic gas can. RockAuto carries these "Fuel Tank Filler Neck Boot" funnels if the original one has gone missing. As an engineer, I cannot help but think Ford's capless system is cool.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

Michael's 1977 Pontiac Grand Safari

This is a 1977 Pontiac Grand Safari station wagon that started life in Rochester, New York and now roams the streets of North Alabama. With 74K original miles and the original "Berkshire Green" paint job complementing the faux wood grain "safari" treatment, it's not something you see every day. My 18-year-old son drives it, and it has been a great educational tool for him as he and I have been restoring / replacing many parts to make her fully roadworthy again. RockAuto has been a boon to finding (sometimes hard-to-find) parts at a reasonable price! The Grand Safari now has brakes, hubs, springs, shocks, water pump, timing, ignition and carburetor parts sourced from RockAuto.

She runs and drives better than many new cars and will soon go off to college with my son. Thanks to RockAuto, he'll be driving a safer, more reliable car than many of his fellow freshman, and probably the only Grand Safari on campus.

Best Regards,
Michael in Alabama

© 1999-2016 RockAuto, LLC - Madison, Wisconsin USA. RockAuto name, logo and ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED are registered trademarks of RockAuto, LLC. Manufacturer names and logos in the RockAuto catalog are trademarks of their respective companies and are used only to identify their products. All rights reserved.