Auto Part Dealers Are Plentiful Both Locally And Online
If you are like me, you are actually very clueless about the auto parts in your car. When something breaks or needs replacing, you need help deciding what you need to buy in order to fix it. If you are lucky, you have someone you can ask for advice about the auto parts you need. However, if you don’t have someone like that, there are some steps you can take to make your auto parts purchases as painless as possible.

If you are planning to purchase any kind of auto parts for your vehicle, it is helpful to know a little bit about your auto parts dealer. There are several ways to check out’ an auto parts retail store before you buy anything from them. Most local auto parts retailers you can check out yourself by visiting their store. Intuition is a great tool to use and you can normally tell if a business is legitimate. If you don’t trust yourself, take along a friend who is an auto enthusiast or works as a mechanic professionally, having a lot of experience with various types and brands of auto parts. They will have a better idea if the auto parts dealer is giving you a good product for a fair price.

It is a little more difficult to find out about the auto parts dealers that work exclusively over the internet. While most are legitimate, just like the local dealers, some can be scams trying to sell you inferior products that may not work. There are also some online store auto parts dealers who creatively enhance products with features they don’t have — meaning they lie! Most online stores have email or “ask a professional” services. Make sure to ask a lot of questions and get straight answers about any auto parts you plan to purchase online. If they vague with their answers or if they describe a product that seems too good to be true, they are not who you want to be buying from.

Respectable online auto parts dealers may be contacted via telephone and e-mail. Questions you have about the parts you plan to purchase can be asked prior to the purchase. Avoid the dealer if you receive an uncertain reply or if something is too good to be true.

One of the most tried and true ways of checking out any business, including auto parts dealers both local and online, is to check with the Better Business Bureau. To be safe, only buy from dealers who are registered with them and have a good overall rating. That way, if trouble arises, you can always file a complaint with an organization that can get you results and possibly your money back if you have a problem with your purchased auto parts.

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Torque Converter Operation
The torque converter is one of the least understood components in an automatic transmission equipped vehicle. I will attempt to explain what it does and how it does it.

The torque converter has a few different functions.

We first need to understand that there is no direct link between the crankshaft and the transmission input shaft (except in the case of a lock up style converter, but we’ll talk about that later). This means that the first function of the converter is to connect the crankshaft and the input shaft so the engine can move the vehicle; this is accomplished through the utilization of a fluidic coupling effect.

The torque converter also replaces the clutch that is required in a manual transmission; this is how an automatic transmission vehicle can come to a stop while still being in gear without stalling the engine.

The torque converter also acts as a torque multiplier, or extra gear ratio, to help the car get moving from a stop. In modern day converters this theoretical ratio is anywhere between 2:1 and 3:1.

Torque converters consist of 4 major components that we need to concern ourselves with for the purpose of explanation.

The first component, which is the driving member, is called the impeller or “pump”. It is connected directly to the inside of the converter housing and because the converter is bolted to the flexplate, it is turning anytime that the engine rotates.

The next component, which is the output or driven member, is called the turbine. The transmission’s input shaft is splined to it. The turbine is not physically connected to the to the converter housing and can rotate completely independently of it.

The third component is the stator assembly; its function is to redirect the flow of fluid between the impeller and the turbine, which gives the torque multiplication effect from a standstill.

The final component is the lock up clutch. At highway speeds this clutch can be applied and will provide a direct mechanical link between the crankshaft and input shaft, which will result in 100% efficiency between the engine and transmission. The application of this clutch is usually controlled by the vehicle’s computer activating a solenoid in the transmission.

Here’s how it all works. For the sake of simplicity, I will use the common analogy of two fans which represent the impeller and the turbine. Let’s say that we have two fans facing each other and we turn only one of them on- the other fan will soon begin to move.

The first fan, which is powered, can be thought of as the impeller that is connected to the converter housing. The second fan- the “driven” fan can be likened to the turbine, which has the input shaft splined to it. If you were to hold the non-powered fan (the turbine) the powered one (the impeller) would still be able to move- this explains how you can pull to a stop without the engine stalling.

Now imagine a third component placed in between the two, which would serve to alter the airflow and cause the powered fan to be able to drive the non-powered fan with a reduction of speed- but also with an increase of force (torque). This is essentially what the stator does.

At a certain point (usually around 30-40 mph), the same speed can be reached between impeller and the turbine (our two fans). The stator, which is attached to a one way clutch, will now begin to turn in conjunction with the other two components and around 90% efficiency between the crank and the input shaft can be achieved.

The remaining 10% slippage between the engine and transmission can be eliminated by connecting the input shaft to the crankshaft through the application of the lock up clutch that was mentioned before. This will tend to lug the engine, so the computer will only command this in higher gears and at highway speeds when there is very little engine load present. The main function of this clutch is to increase fuel efficiency and reduce the amount of heat that is generated by the torque converter.

Another term that may be unfamiliar is that of a “high stall” torque converter. A high stall converter differs from a stock converter in the sense that the rpm is raised at which the internal converter components- the impeller, the stator and the turbine start to turn together, and hence, stop the torque multiplication phase and begin the coupling phase. The point at which engine rpm will stop climbing with the drive wheels held stationary and the throttle fully opened is referred to as “stall speed”.

The idea behind a higher stall torque converter is to allow the engine to rev more freely up to the point where the powerband begins, and therefore, enable the vehicle to accelerate from a stop under more power.

This becomes increasingly important when an engine is modified. Engine modifications such as ported heads, bigger cams, bigger turbos (in some cases), bigger intakes, etc. tend to raise the point where the powerband begins. For best performance, the stall speed needs to be raised accordingly to work optimally in conjunction with the given vehicle alterations.

In simple terms, for best performance, the stall speed should be raised at least to the point where the torque curve is heading towards its peak. As a rule of thumb, the stall speed should be set to match the rpm at which the engine is making at least 80% of its peak torque for a street driven vehicle.

As you can imagine, a vehicle that can accelerate from a stop with 80% of its peak torque will easily outperform an otherwise identical vehicle that can only launch at 50% of its available torque.

For a performance or “high stall” torque converter to produce maximum gains, it needs to be configured to the specific vehicle in which it will be installed.

Factors such as engine torque and the rpm at which it is greatest, differential gear ratio, vehicle weight, camshaft design, compression ratio, type of induction- forced or naturally aspirated, and a host of other variables all need to be taken into consideration. Be aware that the “off the shelf” type performance torque converters sold by some manufacturers are very unlikely to be optimized for all vehicles and their unique requirements.

John Lombardo is owner of IPT Performance Transmissions- <a href="http://www.importperformancetrans.com" target="_blank">http://www.importperformancetrans.com</a> and has been in the automotive transmission repair and high performance industries for over 20 years.

The Carburetor, Will It Last?
Do you know if your car or motorcycle has a carburetor? Or, perhaps you are trying to figure out how in the world you are going to fix whatever is wrong with yours. The truth is that a little knowledge never hurt anyone. So, let’s take a closer look at what the carburetor is and what it does. You may not even have one to deal with! But, if you do, here are some facts to help you along your learning way about carburetors.

What Is The Carburetor?

The carburetor is a device on the engine of a car or other vehicle that mixes fuel with air. These are featured on internal combustion type engines. In most cases, the carburetor is no longer used though. Most cars now use fuel injection as opposed to the use of a carburetor. Nevertheless, the carburetor is still used on many small type engines and in older or specialized vehicles. Cars built after the decade of the 1980’s, no longer use a carburetor, but use an electronic, computerized fuel injector instead. In many cases, the motorcycle still used a carburetor.

In most cases, engines that use carburetors only use one. But, in high performance vehicles and those with more than four cylinders, there may be more than one carburetor used. But, how does the carburetor actually work?

Have you ever heard of Bernoulli’s principle? It says that moving air has a lower pressure than air that is still. That means that the faster the air moves, the lower the pressure will be. The throttle controls the amount of air that is allowed into the carburetor as opposed to the amount of fuel that is used. The vacuum that is created by the carburetor is what draws in more fuel into the carburetor and allows for faster flows of air.

When it comes to repair work that is done on the carburetor, it is necessary to learn not only what is wrong with it but also what is needed to repair it and why that is. When you understand how the carburetor works, you can get a better idea of what is needed to repair it. And, you will need to consult a professional if the task is beyond you because not repairing the carburetor correctly can and does lead to more serious problems with the engine down the toad.

Manufactures Of Carburetors

There are several different manufacturers out there. Most are specialized in where they serve, who they serve or in the exact type of device they make and sell. If you are looking for a manufacturer, consider these.

Ford Motor Company’s manufacturer of carburetor’s is Autolite. Japanese automobiles are often equipped with Hitachi, Ltd, Keihin, or Mikuni carburetors General Motors vehicles feature Rochester Carburetor. UK motorcycle carburetors are usually Amal Ltd.

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