Proper maintenance of a vehicle either new or old is the same. The engine has to be checked from time to time, the oil has to be changed and spark plugs need to be replaced. Any product wears down in time and the best thing to do if you are on a budget is to buy cheap, good quality used car parts.

Acquiring used car parts is the same as looking around for a second hand car. You can either look for it in the classified ads, go around the neighborhood checking out the various shops that do sell these parts or you can surf the net saving some time and effort and search for the parts that are needed.

There was time that such parts could only be found in dealerships and in the shops of local mechanics. This made it a challenge for those who needed it badly especially since there was no guarantee that the part if found, would fit the requirements and the seller would usually jack up the price giving the buyer no choice but to pay what was demanded.

Searching for cheap used car parts does not have to be that difficult anymore as long as you remember a few things before looking for it;

* By knowing exactly what is needed depending on the make and model of the car you have, it will make it easier for the person to go around looking for the exact car part

* After having the specific part in mind, you can then check how much you are willing to spend to acquire that item.

* Some parts that are needed don’t have to be the original. There are some parts that can be bought at surplus or a compatible part from another car make and model enabling can be used making a person save money for other things.

* After getting the proper information, you can start by checking out either the local shops or dealers. If these people don’t have it, perhaps another dealer can be recommended to assist in the procurement. Another place you can go to are the local junkyards since a lot of parts there can be reused. Asking the local auto club for help and browsing through the Internet are also other options a person has to help in the search for other hard to find parts which can be ordered and delivered in a few days time.

About the author:

Gregory Ashton, your resident automobile enthusiast, bringing to you over 20 years of vehicular passion, and expertise; presents for your approval his insider secrets on selecting, buying, and maintianing the car that is ideal for you. http://www.best-car-buying-tips.com

Technorati Tags: automotive, autocare, auto care, car care, auto repair

The SVS II Deluxe Valve Refacer is the most accurate Valve Refacer made today.

.0005 accuracy for standard chuck and
.0002 accuracy for high-performance chuck. The Industry’s Best.

The Kwik-Way CenterLine Chuck is what makes the SVS II Valve Refacer a cut above all the rest. Other Valve Refacers use Chucks, referred to as “center less”. These use rollers to grip the valve stem while the Kwik-way Chuck uses two sets of independent balls that grip the stem at two very distinct points. The advantage being, if you have a center less chuck and you’re trying to grind an in-service valve, if there is any out-of-round on the valve stem, that out-of-round is transferred from the rollers on the center less chuck to the valve face. So your face run out will be no better than your stem run-out.

With the Kwik-way Chuck, since it uses two sets of balls that capture the valve in the wear area of the stem, will automatically re-centerline the valve. What that means is when we grind the valve, the face will come out true to the center line of the stem that actually rides in the valve guide.

In other words, if there is some wear on the stem surface the Kwik-Way Chuck is going to compensate for that wear in such a way that the resulting ground valve face is perfectly centered when the valve is back in the engine.

Some valve manufacturers design their valves with a tapered stem. Because of the unique way The Kwik-Way Chuck grabs the valve stem, taper has no influence on the precision of the positioning of the valve in the chuck. Other Valve Refacer Chucks may cause the valve to tilt in the chuck. Without a way to compensate for valve stem taper, you cannot reface the valve with the same amount of accuracy as with a Kwik-Way machine.

The Kwik-Way Chuck is air activated. You simply push a button that will release the two sets of balls and allow you to insert the valve. You will have a range of 4mm to 14.3mm with the standard or high perfermance valve chuck.

Another type if chuck used on other machines is a collet chuck. To give you the range of 4mm to 14.3mm you would need at least 5 or as many as 9 different collets to cover that range. As you now know, with the SVS II, there is no change over required for various stem diameters. And as you change collets there can be problems with repeatability because you can put the collet in the receiver with dirt or grit between the receiver and the collet. In that case, you will get inaccuracy. Also, if you have a tapered valve, the collet will not compress to the same tension at both points so again with a collet chuck and a tapered valve you get inaccuracy.

The same is true with an out-of-round valve. Because the collet wants to compress uniformly around the circumference of the stem. The bottom line is that the other chucks grab the valve stem using a greater amount of the valve surface, which can be a problem if there are any irregularities in that valve.

The SVS II D comes standard with tip grinding and rocker grinding capability. It can also chamfer tips. There are no optional accessories necessary to perform these functions. Unlike with other machines where you will find that you have to purchase additional accessories in order to do these other jobs or to get the same amount of valve stem diameter range as the Kwik-Way SVS II Deluxe Valve Refacer.

You can transition from valve refacing to tip grinding or rocker arm grinding operations for shaft mounted types of rockers in less than minutes. And it’s all standard with the machine.

Kwik-Way Valve Grinding Wheels are very reasonably priced. Our wheels are formulated and manufactured by one of the largest manufacturers of grinding wheels in the world and they are designed specifically for our machines. Kwik-Way offers various types of wheels. We have general purpose, finishing, titanium, and hard alloy, so no matter what type of material comes into your shop you are going to be able to handle it.

To change and redress a wheel on the SVS II Deluxe machine only takes about 2 minutes. We find that our general purpose wheel is sufficient for most operations, but of course, if you get a high performance valve or titanium alloy valve, you will need to change to a different grinding wheel.

We also offer a Valve Cabinet designed specifically for the SVS II D machine. The footprint of the cabinet allows for a good ergonomic workstation. With excellent storage below in the cabinet. We find that some people already have areas in their shop that they have a station designed for and as long as the bench is adequate to support the weight of the machine it will work fine.

The SVS II Deluxe Valve Refacer is sold all over the world. Kwik-Way is by far the largest provider of valve equipment in the entire world. We have various voltages available and also various chuck capacities.

The SVS II Deluxe Valve Refacer comes with a unique warranty we call the 5-2-1 warranty. The base of the unit is warranted for 5 years, all other parts for 2 years and the first year everything is warranted, parts, labor and electrics. We also have a exclusive 3 year limited warranty on the Chuck. We warrant it against loss of accuracy.

Most all Funny and Top Fuel Race Teams are using a Kwik-Way Valve Machine. If you look at their trailers you will find they have Kwik-Way valve grinders on them. The only equipment they trust for regrinding high performance engine valves is a Kwik-Way machine. And while many companies will give their equipment to these types of organizations in exchange for the promotional value, Kwik-Way does not. So if a high performance shop is using a Kwik-Way machine it is by their choice and they paid to have that machine.

You can find more information about the SVS II Deluxe Valve Refacer at http://www.kwik-way.com

About the Author

Chuck Downs has been working at Kwik-Way Products for many years. He has vast knowledge of Automotive Repair Machines.

Technorati Tags: automotive, autocare, auto care, car care, auto repair

(ARA) - Navigation and DVD systems, satellite radio and airbags — have you ever thought about how many electrical cables are in your car? It used to be just power windows and lights, but with today s sophisticated vehicles, the electronic systems have multiplied.

The typical minivan has myriad electric motors, solenoids, relays, switches and miles of magnetic-field-producing wiring strung around its interior that control everything from the power windows to the engine’s emissions system. All of these systems operating in close proximity sometimes can cause electrical interference that will make components malfunction.

The more electronic devices you put in a vehicle, the more likely they will interfere with each other, says Erin Wright of the systems protection group at Federal-Mogul, an auto component specialist.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a persistent concern in newer vehicles with multiple electrical systems. This is the disruption of one electronic device caused by a nearby electronic device. Static on the radio is a common example of EMI. Something is interfering with the system, and the signal is disrupted, Wright explains. This disruption could be troublesome if it interferes with a critical system.

There is now an innovative new component available for auto manufacturers that will alleviate this problem. TwistTube 2470, developed by Federal-Mogul, offers an effective way to shield car wiring systems from electromagnetic waves. The first textile-based EMI product, it can be easily wrapped around wires to provide lightweight and flexible protection from electromagnetic interference and other damage.

Until recently, most manufacturers used a foil-based product to protect wires. But it was difficult to install and the material s lack of flexibility and frequent tearing often left cables exposed. The new complex engine environment demanded a better solution.

TwistTube 2470 is flexible, lightweight and tear-resistant, and therefore easy to install, says Wright. It also extends the life of components because it does a good job of protecting cables from abrasion, she adds.

TwistTube is durable as well and was developed with the harsh engine environment in mind. Unlike similar foil-based products, it can withstand extreme temperatures and is not affected by typical automotive fluids.

The newest version of TwistTube is currently being used to prevent EMI in a wide range of vehicles. For more information, go to www.federalmogul.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

About the author:

Courtesy of ARA Content

Technorati Tags: automotive, autocare, auto care, car care, auto repair