Brake Lathe Care and Feeding: Breaking the Cycle of Neglect When it Comes to Machining Rotors
How often do you use your brake lathe? Once a month? Once a week? Once a day? If you’re like most undercar shops, your brake lathe is humming along for at least several hours per day, every day. Even a one-man shop will find a brake lathe to be an indispensable piece of undercar equipment.
Honda Performance Upgrades
Service & Diagnostics Call it what you want — the compact performance market, sport compact market, import scene or the tuner market — but there’s no denying the import car performance segment has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade. According to SEMA’s 2006 Compact Performance Market Report, retail sales for this niche
Diagnostic Solutions: Cylinder Head Service, Restoring the Engine to Precise OE Tolerances
Although cylinder head repairs have been a staple of the import repair shop for many years, modern technology has changed the way we should sell and perform cylinder head services. In years past, for example, a cylinder head repair need last only 30,000 or 40,000 miles until the vehicle was retired from service. Today, however,
The Circle of (Engine) Life: The Important Role Water Pumps Play in Engine Preservation…Restoring the Engine to Precise OE Tolerances
Amazingly, up to one-third of the heat energy produced inside an engine’s combustion chambers ends up as waste heat that goes into the block. This heat must be eliminated, otherwise the engine will overheat and self-destruct. The water pump keeps coolant circulating between the engine and radiator to get rid of the heat. The pump
Diagnostic Dilemmas: Temperature Tantrums
Solving temperature-related, no-code intermittent failures can be a frustrating experience for the diagnostic technician because the exact level of heat or cold needed to trigger the failure is often hard to duplicate. It’s also important to keep in mind that all electronic vehicle components are exposed to temperature extremes and thus are vulnerable to temperature-related
Wheel Bearing Hub Unit Q & A
Can I use an impact wrench to remove or install a wheel bearing hub unit? While it may appear to be easier to use an impact wrench, it is not recommended. We recommend the use of a certified, calibrated torque wrench. Impact wrenches can damage the wheel speed sensor.
Jeep Liberty Tech Tip: Diagnosing Rear Disc Brake Moan
The customer may experience a rear brake moan-like sound during light or no brake application pressure. This condition is more likely to occur when the brakes are cool (first use) and ambient temperatures are below 50°F. The moan-like sound may be intermittent.
Tech Tip: Boom-Type Noise During Engine Warm-Up on Chevy Astro Vans
Some customers may comment on a boom-type noise heard in the vehicle passenger compartment during engine warm-up. To correct this, install an exhaust dampener assembly on affected vehicles. Use the following procedure and the part numbers listed in this Tech Tip.
Test Battery Voltage and Condition with Electronic Specialties’ Model #700 Battery Tester
The Model #700 Battery Tester from Electronic Specialties has an internal loading capacity of 100 amps. It is a great tool for finding batteries that can’t stand up to the load of today’s automotive accessories. It will also test relative starter current draw and charging voltage.
Selling Services: Wheel Bearing Hub Unit Q&A
Can I use an impact wrench to remove or install a wheel bearing hub unit?