Storing for The Winter? Don't forget your fuel

No matter what your storing, cars, tractors, weed eaters, this is something you need to know. Draining the fuel tank alone isn't enough to protect your engine from deteriorating fuel. For all my winter storage I put STA-BIL fuel stabilizer in it. It's simple to use and it is much cheaper than the costly repairs from not storing your vehicle correctly, This product actually works and is something I would recommend to everyone that stores any kind of vehicle or machinery.

How to change brake pads

New brakes can be costly when taken to a shop to have changed. Changing brake pads on most cars is actually easy and can save car owners a boat load of cash. It's something anyone can do with a little patience and determination.

Remember: it's a good idea to anti seize all the hardware before putting it back in place to make it easier to take apart in the future.

What you need:

• Jack, or jack stands
• Lug nut wrench
• Flathead screw driver
• C-clamp or brake suppressor tool
• Ratchet
• Sockets(sizes vary)
• anti seize

Save time on doing body work. Stop Welding

Replacing body panels? How are you holding them on? Welds and rivets are a thing of the past. Many manufacturers including 3m now make a product that makes putting new body panels on a breeze. This two step glue will hold aluminium, steel, and fiber glass. Some of the products dry as fast as one hour.

How to Replace Your Battery

Changing your car battery is simple and quick in most cases. Here are some basic steps to take.

• Locate your battery, some are under the hood some are in the trunk depending on your vehicle. 
• Disconnect the the positive and negative battery terminals
• be careful not to round off any nuts
• Move the terminals out of the way so that they will not bump into the battery. 
• At the base of the battery there should be a bracket with typically two bolts. 
• Remove the bracket and then remove the battery.  
• Set the new battery in place and secure the bracket
• be sure to connect the terminals correctly starting with the negative. 
• Spray terminals with battery terminal protector

Level your ride for free.

Want to raise the front end of your pickup to make it sit level? It's free and relatively easy.

This can be done by adjusting the torsion bars on your pickup's suspension. Doing this can raise the front end as much as 2 inches. There are torsion bar adjuster bolts as shown in the video below that can be tightened or loosened to adjust your rides front end height. After doing this it is a good idea to get your vehicle aligned.

Be sure that each side of the front of the vehicle is the same height. Measure the vehicle on the ground from the front tire to the top of the fender.

• jack stands
• jack
• socket and ratchet set
• tape measure

How to remove stickers

Removing stickers? 

Wait! Don't just take a razor blade to it and hope for the best. There is a better way. Removing stickers from glass can be fairly easy. You may just need a plastic razor blade and if your skilled you can even use a regular one. However getting stickers off of paint can be a more difficult process. 

To remove stickers from your car's painted surfaces you may have to spend some time on it. Although vinyl  stickers are easier to remove they can still be difficult sometimes. 

• First heat the area on the sticker you are going to remove first or the whole thing if it is small
• be careful not to let the paint get too hot
• take your razor blade and gently work it up behind the sticker and begin to scrape under it
• after you get an edge it pull the edge across the rest of the sticker. 
• If it does not all come off you may have to keep repeating the process
• When done use some adhesive removed to clean the surface off better
• the car will need washed immediately after adhesive remover is used. 

Using Decals? Use the right kind to protect your paint.

Decals are a easy cheap way to customize your ride, but the wrong kind of decals can damage your cars paint. The best kind of decals to use are vinyl. Vinyl decals are easy to remove and leave little residue behind. They also stick better than regular stickers.

Headlight Restoration

Restore clouded headlights quick and easy

Over the years there has been many different remedies come up about how to restore clouded headlights. You can now even buy a headlight restoration kit that actually work, but if you don't want to go out and buy a kit there are some other ways to do it with stuff you have around the shop. 

What you need:

1. 1200 grit sand paper
2. bucket of water
3. rubbing compound 
4. wax

Step 1: Wet sand the head lights

Step 2: Use some rubbing compound to buff them out 

Step 3: Apply wax to keep them from clouding again

Are tuners and chips bad?

Are tuners bad for your vehicle?

Tuners are the easiest and often most affordable way to boost fuel economy and power. Diesel truck owners love these tools. In some cases they can add up to 100 horse power. 

Some people believe that all tuners do is dump more fuel into the engine and cause serious problems. In some cases, when a tuner is programmed wrong yes it can do some damage, but when used properly they are awesome little gadgets. They work and most of them will give your ride the numbers they advertise. 

What kind you get mostly depends on your brand preferences. The big names in tuners or programmers are 

• Bully Dog
• Edge
• Diablo

HellCat Unleashed

The most powerful production v8 EVER. 

At 707 horse power and 650 foot pounds of torque the hellcat's supercharged v8 engine is the most powerful in production. The hellcat rolls of the showroom floor with a quarter mile time of 10.8 seconds. Available in an automatic or with a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission. The challenger still has its classic muscle car body. It has also been rumored that Chrysler will be producing a hellcat crate engine?

The hellcat is also the cheapest high horse power car, $85.70 per horse power.

Dodge Transmission Problem?

Is your dodge tranny acting up?

If so it may not be as costly as a fix as you think. A typical problem these trucks have it shifting in and out of overdrive when going a steady speed. This problem may be electrical. Something to try is cleaning all the ground wires on the truck. 

On a 94' dodge ram the ground are located on the drivers side behind the head light, and on the inside of the fender. Any other grounds you can find should be cleaned to along with any other corroded wires or connections. This could be a simple solution to a big problem. 

Be Ready For Winter

Be ready for the winter weather!

Getting stuck happens even with AWD or 4WD. It's always good to be prepared. There a simple list of supplies that can save the headache of waiting for help when stuck and just basic winter time necessities. 

Winter Traveling Kit

• Tire Chains
• the most effective way to get better traction
• A collapsible shovel
• Windshield scraper/broom
• Tow Rope
• Sand, salt, or cat litter
• for de-icer
• Windshield de-icer
• Jumper cables or a jump pack
• flares
• snacks
• you don't know how long you'll be stuck
• blanket

Another helpful tip is to keep the vehicle full of fuel especially when you know there is a storm coming.

Do you need winter tires on both axles?

Do you need winter tires all the way around? 

The answer is yes you really should have winter tires on all four wheels. Having winter tires on all four wheels is instead of just the drive wheels is highly recommended. Yes having winter tires on the drive wheels will help, but having them all the way around will help more. 

Wash without water

Wash your car and protect the paint without getting it wet. It's possible and it works. Dri Wash has been around since 1991. An innovative technology that lifted the dirt from a vehicle — without water — leaving it completely clean.

1. It's simple to do and leaves your car looking great and protected. 
2. Shake the Dri Wash well 
3. Spray it on the vehicle(safe to use on plastics and windshields too) avoiding cracks. 
4. Spread it with a terry cloth 
5. Wipe it off with a microfiber. Be sure to keep flipping the rag to a clean spot 

Get More Power For Free

Want more power out of your carbureted engine, but don't want to break the bank? A simple way to add power is by unscrewing the air cleaner lid and flipping it upside down.
When you do this the air filters will get dirtier quicker so remember to change it regularly.

How to Fix a Flat Tire

How to Fix A Flat

Tools needed

• Jack
• Wheel Block
• Lug Nut Wrench
• Tire Plug Kit

Instructions

1. Securely jack the flat tire off the ground. Make sure another tire is blocked so that the vehicle cannot roll. 
2. Remove the flat tire and inspect it for holes. 
1. If the puncture point can't be located inflate the tire.
2. Spray the tire with soapy water and look for air bubbles. Putting the tire in a tub of soapy water works better. 
3. Mark the puncture point with a piece of chalk so you don't lose it. Then drain the air from the tire
4. Remove the object from the tire. 
5. Now using the tools provided in the tire plug kit ream out the hole. 
6. Insert the plug through the hole on the ream and then soak it in the cement. 
7. Ream the plug down into the hole so that just an inch is left sticking out of the tire. 
8. Twist the tool and pull it out(the plug should remain in place)
9. Allow the cement to dry then inflate the tire. 
10. Spray the plug with soapy water and make sure it is not still leaking. 
1. If it is leaking you may have to take the tire to a garage to be patched. 
11. Cut the excess plug with a pair of scissors or snips. 
12. Put the tire and wheel back on the vehicle and torque the lug nuts at factory specs
13. Safely lower vehicle and remove wheel blocks. 

For more help watch the video below. 

Save Your Chrome!

Winter is coming soon. It'll be time to take off the chrome wheels and get the winter set on. Don't just set your spare wheels in a shed somewhere. Even if they are not on the vehicle they can still pit and corrode even in storage.

A simple way to protect them is by apply wax and leaving it in place during storage. The easiest type to use is a spray type wax. Just spray on and store. When spring comes the wax residue will wipe off with a little elbow grease and the wheels will look as good as ever.

1997 Chevrolet Pick Up Steering Problem Help

Before replacing costly parts to repair your Chevy's steering you may want to try this first. 90's Chevy pick ups have a steering position sensor. When this sensor is bad steering actually becomes too easy. The truck feels like it is hauling a heavy load and the front end feels light. This is an easy fix. Parts are availble from your local Chevy dealer. The sensor typically cost $100.

How to change it?

1. Unhook the battery to prevent the air bag from deploying
2. Locate the pin that disconnects the steering column before it goes through the fire wall 
3. Remove the nut and pin
4. Locate the steering position sensor and unplug it(there may be a tab that needs pulled in order to unplug)
5. The sensor is help in place by three plastic tabs. Hold back the tabs and remove the sensor. 
6. Put the new sensor in place and begin reassembly. (make sure the sensor is snapped fully in place and that the position of the steering wheel matches the position of the tires. 
7. Reassemble the column, plug in the sensor, and hook the battery up last. 
8. Test drive the vehicle to make sure everything works properly and the problem is fixed. 

Snow Shoe Car Show & Flea Market

Saturday November 20th there will be a flea market and car show in Snow Shoe PA . There will be live music and food. Located in Snow Shoe Pennsylvania at the fair ground. Pre Registration to show is $8 and spectator admission is free. Click here for more details.

Throwback Thursday

1953 Corvette

1953 America's car was first introduced. The 1953 corvette was available in one color and had a base price of $3,498.00. It came with a 150 horse power 6 cylinder engine. Out of the 300 made in 1953 255 of them are still known to exist today. 

Tune Up Tuesday

Today for Tune Up Tuesday we are going to talk about one of the most important ways to maintain your vehicle. Changing your engine helps the engine last longer and get better performance and fuel mileage.

Save money and learn to change your engine oil on your own. You don't need any expensive equipment or need to be a master mechanic. The initial oil change when buying the equipment may be more costly than taking it to the shop but on average after the third do it yourself oil change you will start saving money. Watch the video below to learn how!

Tools you'll need:

1. A jack, jack stands, or ramps
2. A filter wrench
3. A wrench to fit the drain plug
4. A funnel
5. The recommend oil for the vehicle
6. Filter Recommended for vehicle

Where to buy:

• Walmart
• Advanced Auto
• Pep Boys
• A local parts store.

Suggested brands:

• Castrol
• Fram
• Hastings
• Mobile 1
• Super Tech
• Purolator

Most off-brand or store brand products are also good to use.

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday to classic auto icons. Today's is a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner. Available in a hardtop or convertible. Available with a 383 V8, 440 V8, 440 Max Wedge V8, and the 426 hemi. The roadrunner was able to do the 1/4 mile in 13 seconds straight off the showroom floor. What's your favorite 60's mopar?

Affordable Modification

One of the most affordable way to boost fuel economy and power is a tune up. For the best results tune your vehicle up with E3 Sparks plugs. They may be more expensive but they are worth the money and actually work. Check out the test above from Gearz with Stacey David.

Jet Truck At Beaver Springs Raceway Friday Night

Come out to Beaver Springs Friday night to check out the cars and the 200MPH Jet Powered Kenworth. Going to another race this weekend? Share your race car pics.