Many people don't recognize that each oil is unique and that there truly is a difference in quality and performance between each different oil. They do NOT all offer the same benefits and drawbacks to the consumer. Once an individual finally realizes that there IS a difference, they often begin a motor oil quest of epic proportions to find "the one" that will best protect their vehicles and/or equipment. I hope, within this article and some subsequent follow-ups, to help guide an individual through that process of finding the right oil for their application.

Extraordinary Engine Oil Paradise

Unfortunately, as vehicle owners seek out their "ultimate oil", they often make the misguided assumption that there can be one special oil or brand of oil that is best for everyone. They are in search of some legendary lubrication dreamland that simply doesn't exist.

Despite the desire of of oil companies or distributors to indicate otherwise, it is not at all possible for ANY single brand of oil to be a perfect fit for every application, no matter how wide the product range of a particular brand may be. There will ALWAYS be certain applications and situations which require a switch to a different brand. As an example, even though AMSOIL, NEO and Redline are of much higher quality than many other motor oil brands, NONE of them can meet the needs of all applications.

That is why it is so critically important that an individual come to an understanding of the exact lubrication needs of THEIR application before it will be possible for them to find their best oil. Once the needs are known, it's time to do some reading and learn a bit about motor oil so that you'll know which lubrication characteristics will be most important for meeting those needs. Lastly, find the oils that offer the best of those characteristics.

Following this objective method is really going to be the most effective way to ultimately find an oil that will meet all of the particular needs of your application, thereby extending it's useful life and offering you the greatest economy of use.

The choices that you make (synthetic or petroleum, 5w40 or 15w40, CJ-4 or CI-4) are likely of little consequence, no matter what your Uncle Joe tries to tell you, except in the sense that those choices should be ones that will best serve your engine's needs. As long as they do, it really doesn't matter what oil or brand you choose.

Posted under Cars

For most car owners, the thought of restoring a car after a collison is daunting. It can be very pricey if the car has been severely damaged. However, these can be easily fixed without the expensive paint jobs and bodywork repair involved

Most minor bodywork issues can be repaired in a matter of minutes, when done by a well-trained, skilled professional. Understanding the process will help you to know what to look for in these unfortunate circumstances.

Usually, collision shops don't do these smaller repairs themselves they outsource them to a smaller mobile service or they will offer paintless dent removal as an additional service. Dents from the size of a dime to 2 to 3 inches in diameter and larger can be handled by a qualified professional in anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

In many cases the dent is so completely gone it will look like nothing was ever there, and in some other instances, all you would see to know that work had been done is a small black plug in the door end. Paintless dent removal is often the best way to retain the integrity of a custom paint job. In the hands of a qualified professional, 10 to 15 vehicles a day can be done with amazing results.

Not Always the Answer The main concern in paintless dent removal is how much the metal was stressed (stretched) by the accident. The reason for this concern is that if the metal is stretched too much, then pushing it as it?s done in paintless dent removal can distort the metal and ruin the paint. The other consideration in paintless dent removal is the nature of the coating. Its age can make the coating brittle, or simply its condition as it left the factory. The reason that this is a concern for paintless dent removal is that a heat gun needs to be applied, and the above conditions can be very susceptible to heat ruining the coating.

Light is also used to determine all of the intricacies of the dented surface, so that there are no flaws showing when the job is complete.

Training, Techniques, and Tools It takes more time than you might think to train as a paintless dent removal technician, it takes about 12 months to train to be a good one, and that?s because you need to know all about access to the dent. Paintless dent removal technicians need to spend around $3,000 on tools because specialized tools are needed to access difficult areas in different makes and models.

So the next time you have a dent, ding, or crease, think about the paintless dent removal system, and ask if it can be done, if it can your pocketbook will thank you.

Posted under Cars

Auto body Repairs Using Sand Blasting Equipment: A restoration requires you to make a choice as to which method you are going to use. In order to do this you really need to categorize the levels of restoration.

Category One - Light to Medium fix ups Mechanical repairs and repainting The basic mechanical work is done first to ensure safety of the vehicle components. This followed by minor body works and refinishing touch ups.

Mechanical repairs with replacements and refinishing Some mechanical parts are replaced as needed. Little more detail is required in the bodywork.

Category Two - In Depth Restoration Similar to the mechanical repairs with replacements with the refinishing more in depth. Some taking apart of the vehicle is required to attend to rust and corrosion of key parts. Items have to cleaned, refurbished or replaced such as drive train parts, suspension and underbody parts. Close color match of body is required and trim may need replacing. Cars restored under this category are often pampered and not used on a daily basis.

Category Three - Just off the Assembly Line Restoration here entails making the car look like it?s just been manufactured. Showroom quality. No body fill can be used in these restorations as well as fiberglass body panels except for some Corvettes.

Category Four - Show Piece This is the museum category and is really not applicable because they are those that are only found in the Museums.

Getting Down to Sandblasting Sandblasters work off of compressed air and are either pressure feed or suction feed which are the cheaper of the two. The only drawback is that part of their energy goes into drawing up the material however; they don?t require an expensive pressure tank. Pressure feeds do require a pressurized tank, but they work extremely well.

Sandblasting is effective cost saving and messy. Should only be done outdoors. With the right grade of sand the results taking it right down to the metal and removing the rust pits. It works effectively on other parts as well. Make sure you apply a flash rust treatment to prevent rust till you get the primer on.

The one thing to remember about sandblasting is do not over do it. As soon as you hit the bare metal stop.

You can use silica sand for various other grades just be sure to be careful with what you use. For light touches, you can use the ground or English walnut shells.

The siphon blasters are a lot less expensive than the pressure blasters. Remember to remove the hardware and trim before blasting and make sure you wear the proper body protection as well ensuring you have a proper hood and gloves. Preferably, a supplied air hood would be ideal.

Sandblasting can be extremely effective provided the right techniques, tools and materials are used in a safe environment. Many individuals are against sand blasting because of the damage it can cause. They are right it can work against you but only if you go beyond what is required. The whole key to success is stopping when you hit the bare metal.

Posted under Cars