Foreign Affairs: Servicing Secrets for the VR6
The Volkswagen VR6 engine has been around now for more than 10 years. And given its proven track record of reliability and durability, it’ll be around for years to come. Although not as popular (or as high in production) as its 4-cylinder brothers, we do see quite a few of these cars for regular maintenance,
Servicing Solutions: Working on Customers’ Work Vehicles
One of the finer lines to walk in the service and repair industry is how deep in the mud you’re willing to get when a customer brings in a vehicle with an intermittent driveability problem. An intermittent surge with a vehicle that is driven once a week is one thing. An intermittent stall on a
Water Pumps: Why They Fail and When to Replace Them
If you’ve wondered how much work a water pump must do, remember that only about 30 percent of the heat energy produced by combustion results in mechanical energy. That estimate, of course, is a mathematical comparison between the heat value of the gasoline going into the engine, and the heat value of the mechanical energy
News: Cornwell Tool Rally Hits All-Time Attendance High
Wadsworth, OH – Cornwell Tools celebrated the best turnout ever at the 2005 National Tool Rally held last month in New Orleans. More than 100 exhibitors participated, contributing to a 44% increase in overall dealer attendance from last year. Bill Stemple, director of marketing, welcomed the trade show exhibitors March 11, touting the great benefits
Performing a Pre-Alignment Inspection: Step-by-Step, Brake & Front End
Rack on the floor Secure vehicle on rack. Leave transmission in park or 1st gear on manual transmission cars. Level and lock steering wheel with a holder. Perform a simple bounce test. Check for excessive bounce and noise. Underhood inspection Check engine mounts and struts by rocking the vehicle fore and aft. Inspecting these items
Niche of Time: Restoration Relief…Tips for Removing Tricky Ford Flathead Bolts
When performing restoration services on old Ford engines, you should not be surprised to learn a good many of the Ford flathead engine cores will end up with at least a couple of broken head bolts during disassembly. Of course, given the high age of flathead engines, you might expect to encounter a few headaches
Medium-Duty Truck Clutch Repair
What is a medium-duty truck? The industry defines it as a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight of 14,000 to 26,000 lbs. At 14,000 lbs., most heavy-duty one-ton trucks qualify as a medium duty vehicle. In light- and medium-duty trucks, the automatic transmission is ever increasing in popularity and numbers. So why am I talking
Getting the Most Out of Your Lifts
Lifts play an important role in the day-to-day operations of any automotive service facility. Some may even argue that a lift is a shop’s most valuable employee. After all, lifts never call in sick or go on vacation. However, one of the worst things a shop owner can do is fall into the trap of
Internal Engine Repairs: Why Head Gaskets Fail
A blown head gasket is bad news for any motorist. It means the cylinder head has to be removed, and possibly resurfaced, to replace the head gasket. If coolant has entered the cylinders and/or crankcase, additional repairs or a whole new engine may be needed depending on the extent of the damage. Anyway you look
Saab 5-Speed Tranny and Clutch Repair
When Saab first introduced the 9000-model lineup in 1986, the gearbox was mounted transversely in the car. It was designed in this way for effective cooling and to provide the shortest possible path for the power flow to the wheels. All Saab transmissions have five forward speeds and reverse – all of which are synchronized.