Founded in 1946, Walker Products is a respected supplier of fuel delivery components, emission control products, engine sensors, ignition wire sets, ignition coils and coil-on-plug boots. RockAuto is pleased to carry Walker Products "Full Service Kits" that provide a new sensor plus all the connectors, pigtails, butt splices and/or heat shrink tubing needed to ensure durable, watertight connections.

Watch for "Full Service Kits" in Walker Products' part descriptions and find them listed in the online catalog alongside sensors made by other parts manufacturers.

Walker Products Full Service Kits help ensure successful replacement of:

• Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)
• Air Intake / Charge Temperature Sensor
• Temperature Sender / Sensor
• Idle Air Control (IAC) Valve
• Manifold Pressure (MAP) Sensor
• Speed Sensors
• Camshaft Position Sensor
• Crankshaft Position Sensor
• Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor

During the month of August 2021, Walker Products is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 5% instant manufacturer rebate on many sensors (including many Full Service Kits) in the RockAuto.com catalog. Simply add a qualifying Walker Products part to your cart and instantly save even more on RockAuto's reliably low prices!

GTOForum.com is an online community dedicated to Pontiac GTO owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, history and more!

While many of the topics cover the 1964-1974 Pontiac GTO (along with the Tempest and LeMans), you will also find a massive amount of information on the 2004-2006 GTO.

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.

I developed my attraction to cars and mechanical things at an early age and was always fiddling with something. By the time I got my license, I had already replaced brakes, mufflers, and performed other routine maintenance with confidence. One day at school, my biology teacher asked if I could change the oil on her new 1976 Mercury Capri. Without hesitation I agreed, and she handed me the keys. After all, I got to drive a new car and impress my teacher at the same time! Wanting to do an “extra good job,” I removed the oil filter and drain plug and let the oil drain completely out while I tended to my other job - delivering newspapers.

Upon returning, I pre-filled the oil filter before installing it and proceeded to fill the crankcase with fresh oil. Knowing how important oil is, I wanted to first check the level before I started the engine. It is probably a good thing I did – I pulled the dipstick and wondered why it was not showing any oil. I immediately realized I forgot to replace the drain plug that I had removed hours earlier. I spent the next hour or so wiping up five quarts of fresh oil from my dad’s garage floor. I finally finished the job and returned the car but was too embarrassed to tell my teacher what had happened. She was happy, I was a few dollars poorer, but I never made that mistake again!

Eric in New York

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!

What could you monitor with a water pressure gauge/warning light installed in the dash?

A. Turbocharger or supercharger boost in PSI; ensure the turbo/supercharger is operating and not exceeding a set pressure limit.

B. Amniotic fluid pressure; be aware of "water breaking" that could indicate there will soon be another passenger in the vehicle.

C. Pressure of coolant in the cooling system; be aware of a change in pressure due to a broken fan belt (inoperative water pump) or burst radiator hose before the engine has time to overheat.

D. All the above


Answer below

Many vehicles built by Ford, Volkswagen, Fiat, Volvo and other manufacturers over the past decade have radiator hoses with "Quick Connect Fittings" that typically slide onto a nipple and are locked in place by a wire retainer; making them easy to install and remove. Special O-ring(s) seal the fitting to the nipple, and an o-ring is often what fails first after long exposure to chemicals, heat, vibration and other hazards.

Coolant may initially leak slowly and/or intermittently from the quick connect fitting's o-ring(s); making it easy to misdiagnose the problem as a failing water pump or corroded radiator. Coolant dripping on belts may cause them to squeal. Slowly dropping coolant levels may have the vehicle owner worrying about leaking head gaskets and an overheated engine.

Avoid worries by looking under "Cooling System" for your specific vehicle at RockAuto.com to see if the radiator hoses use quick connect fittings. Routinely inspect quick connect fittings for leaks and replace radiator hoses with quick connect fittings (or conventional clamps) as part of routine maintenance.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

I purchased this 1971 Plymouth Satellite in 2009 with only 9,000 original miles on it. My wife and I drive it regularly to a few shows, but our main one is Chrysler’s at Carlisle in Pennsylvania. It is our annual road trip; from our home in Kentucky to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It takes us 12 hours, stops included, to make the 700 mile one way trip every year. The car has no air, power steering, 3-speed on the column, and a rock solid Slant Six. We have purchased many items through RockAuto over the past couple of years, mainly because we have done some much needed upgrading. Parts included: carburetor, filters, wheel bearings, cooling system parts, electrical parts, hoses, and I’m sure I am missing something else. And more will be purchased.

John in Kentucky (RockAuto customer for over two years)

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What could you monitor with a water pressure gauge/warning light installed in the dash?

A. Turbocharger or supercharger boost in PSI; ensure the turbo/supercharger is operating and not exceeding a set pressure limit.

B. Amniotic fluid pressure; be aware of "water breaking" that could indicate there will soon be another passenger in the vehicle.

Answer: C. Pressure of coolant in the cooling system; be aware of a change in pressure due to a broken fan belt (inoperative water pump) or burst radiator hose before the engine has time to overheat.

D. All the above


Back up to trivia question