Tune Ups

Three basic ways to get your car to go faster, which results in saving gas, and it will be safer when you are all done.

Chevrolet has been producing the 350 small-block engine since 1968. Known for its simple design and durability, many 350s produced decades ago are still on the road today. Like any other engine,...

Troubleshooting a small-engine ignition is an easy five-step process. Small engines are made only in a side- or downward-shaft design and are used in riding lawnmower tractors, hand-push...

Four-stroke engines are gasoline-only and require no oil additives like a two-stroke engine. Four stroke engines are commonly used on newer metric and American-made motorcycles, scooters, mopeds,...

The spark plugs in a car's engine will determine how well your car performs. Each manufacturer provides a maintenance manual to purchasers of its vehicles that states how often you should change...

The fuel system in your Dodge Ram truck is a series of hoses, filters and a pump. Fuel is pumped from the gas tank through a hose and into a fuel filter before entering the combustion chamber. It...

Ignition coils are the heart of the ignition system on your car. The coil is responsible for sending a high voltage electrical charge to the distributor so that it can be sent to the spark plugs...

A depth gauge is a useful tool for determining how deep a hole or object is. It's more accurate than a tape measure or a ruler, plus it can give you the exact depth of the part you're looking at....

Testing spark plugs can help you determine the condition of your ignition system. If your engine is running roughly, skipping or missing, a great place to start is the spark plugs and wires....

Fixing an air conditioner in a car can be a major undertaking, or it can be as simple as recharging the freon in the system. Troubleshooting car problems can be an easy fix most of the time if you...

Gasoline burns relatively slowly. It is not the explosion we all imagine, but a slower, controlled burn. As the fuel burns in a car, the hot gases expand with an increasing pressure until the...

Upgrading your diesel to provide more horsepower does not have to be costly. Performance can improve greatly if you change a few parts. Modify components by changing out intake assemblies or the...

An engine's sparkplug is an essential part of the ignition system. At the end of the plug is a small gap between the plug and the electrode. Spark jumps across this gap and provides the engine's...

The fuel you buy at gas stations is filtered, but some deposits get past the oil refineries' filters. That's where your vehicle's fuel filter comes in. However, over time, microscopic deposits...

Diesel motors are long-running and very simple to maintain . A diesel motor is generally rated from 500,000 miles to more than 1 million miles, and still can be running as well as it did off the...

Cleaning the Mazda Miata throttle body should be done once every 20,000 miles. This will increase engine performance and drivability. If your engine stumbles, hesitates, idles rough, or stalls, it...

People talk about your gas mileage all the time, but how do you figure out what the average gas mileage you get is? Over time, gas mileage can fluctuate depending on how well the vehicle is taken...

General Motor's 350 engine uses eight intake valves and eight exhaust valves. All sixteen valves open and close at specific intervals. If the valves are not adjusted properly the engine can idle...

The starter is a compact, high-torque electric motor used to spin the engine up to a high enough RPM that it will start. Though model specifics will vary, the starter on any car, including a Ford...

Chevrolet's small-block 350 engine was first used in 1968, and immediately became its most popular small-block. The majority of 350 engines were produced with hydraulic lifters because they were...

Motor oil lubricates the moving parts inside an internal-combustion engine. Organizations in Europe and the United States set different standards for motor oil.

Ford first used the 302 engine in the 1968 Mustang because of its power, light weight and small size. Due to the fuel shortage of the 1970s, Ford substantially reduced the horsepower of the 302 in...

Proper tuning and maintenance are vital to the longevity and efficiency of any vehicle. Performing appropriate maintenance can increase a car's lifespan, along with preserving the actual...

"Timing" refers to the time when the engine's distributor sends an electrical current to the engine's number one spark plug wire. If the engine is not timed correctly, performance and fuel millage...

Ford's 289-cubic-inch small block engine was one of Ford's most popular engines of the 1960s and was commonly used in the Mustang, Falcon, Fairlane and Cougar. Due to is relatively basic design,...

An electric fan shroud is part of an automobile engine's cooling system. To understand the fan shroud's role, you have to understand how a car's cooling system works.

The carburetor is a mechanical device that meters and controls air/mixture in a car's engine.

The Chevy Beretta spark plug wires are in the back of the car due to the fact that the Beretta uses a mid-mount engine design. After 30,000 miles, the spark plugs in the Beretta should be changed....

Automobile starters are precision machines, designed to ignite a small amount of fuel so that the engine can be cranked with the smallest amount of work possible. The timing of the ignition must...

A gearbox is a collection of mechanical components that deliver maximum power from an engine by managing a series of gear ratios that in turn operate a transmission. These components include: a...

A broken transmission is one of the most costly repairs your car could ever need. You will need to change your transmission fluid every 30,000 to 60,000 miles, to ensure the long life of your...

Feeler gauges have multiple uses from automotive work to manufacturing. Many machinists use these types of gauges daily and a mechanic just cannot be without a set for tune ups. Whether you are...

The Ford Mustang is the dream car of many muscle car enthusiasts. In the hands of a proper mechanic, the Ford Mustang engine has almost infinite upgrade capabilities. When tuning up a Mustang,...

Alternators are devices that are responsible for charging a battery and keeping a car running. Alternators also help charge boat batteries and any other vehicle or machinery that runs off battery...

Snowy roads and parking lots create dangerous driving conditions and increase the likelihood of traffic accidents. Maintaining safe driving conditions on the parking lot and driveway of a home or...

Your car's engine needs to be tuned every 30,000 miles. A full tune-up requires a number of checks and changes for every type of vehicle and a few more steps depending mainly on the year of your...

Getting a regular tune up of your car is vital to an automobile's long life. Neglecting even one tune up can have disastrous results. At the very least your car will perform badly. Getting a tune...

Rochester carburetors can be identified in a number of ways--a metal tag that can be triangular or circular, hanging from or pressed into one part of the carburetor or another. Other Rochester...

I will explain how to keep you're vechicle in top shape and save money on gasoline. Only people who have basic car knowledge should do this, but anyone can learn how to do these things which i...

Spark plugs are one of the most important components within any Chevrolet engine, as they are responsible for igniting the air/fuel mixture. Not all spark plugs are manufactured the same way...

Properly adjusting a Holley carburetor's air/fuel mixture is one of the most commonly overlooked and important considerations. A mixture which is too rich, meaning the mixture does not have the...

Although every engine must be "timed," the 289 is actually one of the easier engines to make timing adjustments. "Timing" refers to the point in time when the spark plugs deliver the spark...

The 1985 Toyota truck was manufactured with a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder gasoline motor that requires routine maintenance. The most distinguishing mechanical feature is the solid front axle, which...

In their most basic form, gas springs are essential simple mechanical systems. The main components of a gas spring---rods, pistons, tubes and gas---interact with one another to absorb shocks and...

Tuning your car may include checking a few systems and replacing a few parts or a major inspection and main parts replacement, depending on engine mileage and your type of driving. Consult this...

There is a movement now that encourages people to buy hybrid cars to reduce carbon emissions and help save the environment. For those that can afford hybrid cars this is not a problem, but what...

The arrival of the oxygen (O2) sensor opened the door for advancements in fuel injection and emission control systems. Since the 1980s, automobiles have relied more and more on the oxygen sensor...

There is a common misconception in the world of automobiles that spark plugs --- the very things that bring life to your engine --- come from the factory ready to be put into the car. The truth...

One of the easiest ways to find wiggle room in a tight budget is increasing the gas mileage on your car. It doesn't take much, but it can translate into significant savings, especially during...

When a forklift runs out of propane, most people forget and leave the key on while they are getting a new tank. Leaving the key on with the engine not running, will burn the points. Therefore,...