So one of the interesting things I saw at the show was a Dodge Ram Steering Stabilizer. Check out the picture below, this thing is pretty sweet.


The problem is that the Dodge Ram steering box is that there is lots of play and wander. This is mainly for all full size Ram trucks from about 1994 to about 2003 (when they went to rack and pinion steering) The design of the steering steering was just very bad and all of them develop play.

Rebuilding helps, but this is a much better solution. For about $250 you can get a full kit to beef up your steering. This will also keep a new box from developing play, so its a worthwhile purchase if you are buying a new steering box. Be sure to inspect the steering shaft, those can develop play as well.

After some technical difficulties, we are happy to say we are fully functional again. Starting after the Thanksgiving break we will return to normal.

Thanks again.

Back from the AAPEX and SEMA show out in Vegas. Good times out there and lots of cool stuff to see. I’ll get some thoughts and discussions going, but here are some pictures to start.

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In October, the SEMA Performance Parts and Accessories Demand Index (PADI) fell 12 points, or 26%, falling from 48 in September to 36 this month. This latest index value translates to around 10% of adult U.S. drivers (or approximately 10-plus million households) indicating that they have plans to purchase specialty-equipment auto parts sometime within the next three months.

By age, consumers in the 25–44 age range were the only group to hold steady as far as overall specialty-equipment purchase plans from September to October. However, looking closely at individual product segments, the 25–44 age group is slightly more likely to purchase compared to last month.

Overall, 6% of consumers said that they were likely to purchase wheels, tires and suspension products; 5% said they were likely to purchase racing and performance products; and 5% said that they were likely to purchase accessories and appearance products.

The specialty-equipment industry typically experiences seasonal fluctuations in sales, and the anticipated consumer demand illustrated by the July–September SEMA PADI increase demonstrates the seasonality of the industry. Last year, the PADI began to decline in September after the April–August growth period.

Although the drop in the SEMA PADI may reflect declining demand among consumers in general, automotive enthusiasts, on the other hand, may continue to fuel industry sales. According to the latest Automotive Lifestyles Survey of enthusiasts administered in August and September of this year, enthusiasts on average said that they spent around $2,800 on custom parts and accessories over the last year. The same group of consumers also said that they plan to spend $3,100 on average over the next year.

While the SEMA PADI is derived from a nationally representative sample of around 900 consumers each month (margin of error is +/- 3.3%), the Automotive Lifestyles Survey input is gathered from automotive magazine subscribers and automotive forum visitors. More than 3,000 responses were received. The SEMA PADI therefore tends to refer to general consumers, whereas the Automotive Lifestyle Survey refers to enthusiasts.

By product segment, polish/wax and window tinting were the top appearance and accessory product purchased by enthusiasts over the last year. Exhaust kits and performance air filter replacements were the top racing and performance products, and performance tires and custom wheels were the top wheel, tire and suspension products purchased (illustrated in the tables below).

Results from the latest SEMA PADI show that over the last three months, midsize cars (24%) were, on average, the most common target vehicles for enhancement or modification among consumers in general, followed by fullsize cars (18%), pickups (15%) and compact cars (14%).

Over the last three months, on average, car dealerships (26%) were the most popular purchase destinations among those planning to enhance their vehicles, followed by chain car parts stores (15%), the Internet (15%) and independent parts stores (11%).

We did some recent discussion on both Diesel Turbos and about oiling a turbocharger. Here we are posting some basic instructions on how to install a turbocharger.

I. GENERAL:

1. These instructions apply to all turbocharger. They are in addition to professional instructions, NOT a substitute.
2. When installing a replacement turbocharger, be certain there is no foreign material in the air cleaner and the ducting to the compressor interior in the exhaust manifold. Even small or soft objects will cause extensive damage to the turbocharger wheels.
3. Take care to avoid getting dirt or debris into the turbocharger openings.
4. New and replacement turbochargers may have bolts missing or deliberately left loose to facilitate installation. (A bolt kit, not supplied by MAP, may be required. If the turbocharger bolts are all tight, all lock tabs bent up and the compressor and turbine housings are correctly aligned proceed to Step IV. Otherwise, proceed to Step II.

II. RE-ALIGNMENT OF END HOUSING:

1. Loosen the compressor (aluminum) and turbine (cast iron) housing bolts and / or V-band nut(s) the minimum required to permit the housings to rotate on the center housing. Excessive loosening of the housings will allow contact and possible wheel damage. Bolts should not have to be loosened more than 1 1/2 turns.
2. Temporarily secure the turbo to the engine exhaust manifold outlet flange with two bolts.
3. Rotate the center housing, so that the oil inlet and outer pads will mate with the engine lines. The oil outlet (large hole) must be at the bottom with the centerline of the hole not more than 35° from vertical. Snugly tighten at least two bolts on the V-band to lock the housing in place.
4. Rotate the compressor housing, until it lines up with the intake manifold or intercooler ducting. Snugly tighten at least two bolts or V-band to lock the housing in place.
5. Remove the turbocharger from the engine and tighten all bolts and/or V-band nuts. Tighten the bolts alternately from side to side to prevent cocking of the housing. Turn the V-band nuts slowly as the torque setting is approached, (tapping the band slightly with a soft mallet), to allow for the band to fully seat. Refer to the torque valves specified in the applicable manual.

Finding the correct part is often one of the hardest things to do. This is especially true if you have something big like a semi truck or some Catepillar farm equipment. Finding the correct Sanden Compressor can be very challenging.

We have done numerous write ups on finding the correct compressor. In this case you need to find the type of compressor and the number on it. Many of the big Peterbuild, Volvo or other large trucks use a Sanden SD7H15 Compressor.

If you have an international, Caterpillar or other piece of farm equipment you’ll need the same info. These often used a Sanden SD7H15HD Compressor or a Flx compressor. The HD is for heavy duty. Many of them have dust covers for working in the fields or constrution sites.

For any of these you will need a Sanden Compressor list to find your part. I’ve got some good links in this article or you can look around.

Thought I would post my instructions for oiling up a turbo. Very important. Most turbos fail because of oil starvation. Doing the following properly will ensure good oil flow and avoid burning out a new turbo.

1. Remove the old gasket from the exhaust manifold-mounting flange, inspect flange for erosion and flatness, and install a new gasket, if used.
2. Inspect oil drain and supply lines for kinking, clogging, restrictions, and other signs of deterioration. Replacing the oil feed line is a requirement to validate your warranty.
3. Install the turbocharger on the engine using all new gaskets and o-rings (when needed), but do not connect the compressor inlet and oil supply line. Tighten the nuts or bolts attaching the turbocharger to the exhaust manifold to the torque values giving in the shop manual. Use of a high-temperature lubricant on these threads is recommended.
4. Fill the oil inlet hole with clean engine oil and spin the compressor wheel several times to coat the bearings with oil. Refill the oil inlet hole and connect the oil supply line.
5. If the compressor wheel cannot be freely spun by hand or if there is any indication of rubbing or scraping, determine the reason before starting the engine. One cause of wheel rubbing is a cocked compressor or turbine housing. T04 and T04B turbochargers may have a slight drag before running, which is a normal condition. Connect the pipe or hose from the outlet of the air filter to the compressor inlet.
6. Check lubricant level in engine crankcase.
7. Prime the oil filter if it was changed.

I’ll add some more instructions tomorrow.

So I’ve had some people ask how does the ac compressor system breaks down. Below are a couple of useful charts and diagrams that will probably explain it better than I can.

The air conditioning compressor turns liquid freon into gas freon. The condenser cools the gas down into a liquid, sending it to the evaporator. The evaporator turns cool liquid into cool air, removing the heat from the cabin. The warm liquid goes back to the compressor. Then it starts all over again

Some keys to the system are that the size of the fins on the ac condenser directly affect how well it performs. If those fins are not working very well then the gas will never get very cold and performance will suffer. We have done lots of articles about condensers, so feel free to do a search and find those.

Check out the diagrams for more info.

Yesterday we did a discussion of prices being lowered for travels to the shows. They had found some deals on air and hotels. They are really trying to avoid an empty show, it may be less croweded (the nice way of putting it), but I don’t think it will be empty.

The question now is, is it affecting you? are your plans changing?

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In a sign on the times, AAPEX and SEMA announed new lower prices for hotels and flights for the big auto parts convention.

The word is they are trying hard to stem the number of cancellations that are going on. I imagine most companies that were planning on sending say 5 people, may now just send 2-3 to keep costs down.

Cannot say I blame them for trying, but most of the aftermarket is actually doing pretty well. As people refuse to buy new cars (did you catch GM and F stock price this week?) they seem to be buying car parts to repair their old ones.

The problem is that most of the buying is going to the ultra cheap stuff. Think used and cheap Chinese. Merchants will have to either stand firm against that junk, or remix their products. Hopefully they will stand against it.

Are you still going to the show?