8th December 2007

Soundproofing Your Car

There are a lot of products out there for soundproofing your car but there is precious little “How too” information out there regarding this subject. I am here to fill that void. When soundproofing any vehicle, the first order of business is to take care of the engine noise coming from under the hood. Most people don’t realize that a lot of the noise they hear in the passenger compartment of their vehicle is actually being transmitter from the engine and the road via the tires and shocks. In essence these sounds and vibrations are transmitted directly into the hood of the car which is a sheet of steel that simply transmits the noise through the hood I and into the windshield and ultimately to the passengers ears. I know I know, you have some sort of fiberglass material attached to the underside of the hood, isn’t that soundproofing. I’m afraid not, basically that is a heat shield to prevent the heat of the engine from damaging the paint on the surface of the hood. It does work well for that, but it has absolutely no soundproofing abilities at all. What I suggest is that you remove that fiberglass hood mat and then clean the underside of the hood thoroughly. You will then cut and glue in a piece of 1”

America Mat which is a dense vinyl nitrile closed cell foam mat. What you want to do is trace out the underside of the hood using a pencil and butcher paper for example and trace out the cut that you want paying attention to the edges and the contours.How do I cut the foam so precisely you ask? Well I’m glad you asked. The absolute best way to accurately and precisely cut any kind of foam is to use an electric kitchen meat-cutting knife. These electric knives are readily available at Wal Mart or K-Mart and cost about $9- $12. It is well worth the investment if you plan on soundproofing your entire vehicle. Basically you would trace the pattern of the underside of the hood; you can actually cut the

America
mat to the same pattern as the protective mat that came with the car that way you know it will fit and look properly. Once you have the

America
mat cut to your liking and the underside of the hood is cleaned down to the paint, I would recommend cleaning the underside with a terry cloth rag and some alcohol. This will insure good adhesion of the adhesive. You can also rough up the underside with a fine grit sand paper on an electric sander. Cover the engine with a towel or drop cloth to prevent adhesive of sand granules from getting into the motor. Now you will spray a good quality contact cement to the underside of the hood as well as to the smooth side of the America Mat. I like the 3M Super 77 spray contact cement. Keep the 2 pieces apart for as long as the instructions say and once the adhesive has tacked you will adhere the foam to the underside of the hood. You will want to use tape to hold the

America
mat to the underside of the hood until it dries enough to stick on its own. When the adhesive has dried you cam close the hood and drive off. The

America
mat can withstand temperatures of 240 Deg F and will literally last for the life of the vehicle. This system can also be used on trucks and motor homes. We have many customers who have used the

America
mat to soundproof the “Doghouse” that covers the engine from the inside of their coach. Now there are also materials that can be used for the floorboards as well as door panels and the back areas of station wagons or vans or the trunks of cars. We have also had people with classic cars use the

America
mat to soundproof their vehicles; it can make your Corvette sound a lot quieter with the top up.

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8th December 2007

Great Tips for Saving Gas !

Best Gas Mileage is generated from months and months of research, also we have developed a useful water pressure pump as a fuel alternative (but this is beside the point of this article). Here are 10 simple steps that will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars starting today.·         Keep the correct pressure on your tires every 2 weeks ·         Remove junk from your vehicle, sometimes I am guilty of this as well. Why are you carrying all that junk? get rid of it and start getting the best gas mileage. ·         Use a gas buddy to find ‘local’ gas station, where you can save a ton of cash. ·         Get gas credit card, usually this saves you anywhere from 1%-6%, on gas. (Pay it off every month, don’t let the Interest get to you here) ·         When you are done pumping the last few cents of gas, Turn the nozzle 180 Degrees, and pull the hose all the way up, as high as you can. Do it enough times and it will become natural to you, at the same time is will be a great way to save on gas. ·         Properly upkeep your vehicles scheduled maintenance. Keep it clean and smooth riding! tires are part of this.. rotate and align your car as needed. ·         Replace & clean, air and fuel filter as needed. ·         Don’t Kill yourself or your gas mileage by flooring it at the light. Keep a cool head and stay alive, while getting the best gas mileage for your vehicle. ·         Always make easy and smooth stops, learn to easily slide into a red light and stop signs (obey the law). ·         Last but not least, walk instead of drive to close locations. or better yet, get someone to pick you up!

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8th December 2007

Cleaning Your Wheels Can Be Done Easily And Quickly !

Some people give advice that you shouldn’t wash your rims with a pressure washer. Our experience has been that you indeed can use a power washer without causing any damage to your wheel. Just use a washer that can have its pressure adjusted.You may have discovered that cleaning your car rims by hand can be pretty difficult, but the job can be made a lot easier by properly using a pressure washer.Cleaning rims using a pressure washer can be superior in eliminating the tough stains of ugly caked-on brake dust and grease from your wheels.If you don’t own a portable pressure washer, you’ll be able to buy one at very affordable prices online or at your neighborhood home improvement store.To do a really good cleaning job you should also purchase a good, non abrasive rim cleaner. There are many top quality brands available online.It only takes a little bit of rim cleaning solution to effectively clean rims in conjunction with a power washer.Here’s an easy step by step method.

  1. Step back a couple of feet and a bit off to the side of the rim then rinse the rim from about 8 inches away. Be sure to spray into the crevices and spray from different angles.
  2. Spray the rim using a circular motion around the outside of the wheel and be sure to rinse the tire as well.
  3. Put the sprayer wand down and apply tire cleaning solution onto the tire.
  4. Using the pressure washer, rinse the whole tire this time from about 5 inches away.
  5. Now spray the rim with rim cleaner generously, following label directions. Usually you’ll have to leave it sit on the rim for a few minutes to lift the debris.
  6. Rinse the cleaner from the rim from about 8 inches away with the pressure washer.

Note: 

  1. Always clean the rims before you clean your tires and only clean your wheels after you’ve cleaned your car body. You don’t want all that dirt from the body washing back onto your clean rims.
  2. Dry your rims with an old bath towel. Optionally you can apply a light coat of car wax which will keep your rims clean longer and make your next washing easier by reducing the amount of dust that will “stick” to your rims.

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8th December 2007

How Long Can You Keep Your Old Tires?

When thinking about tire safety, it is important to consider two things: age and use. Vehicles driven daily are typically driven 15,000 miles a year. But there are situations where cars put on even fewer miles. This includes: being driven only on the weekends, never driving in the rain, “show” cars, and cars that are stored for extended periods of time. So, some tires on these types of cars put on less than 100,000. But it doesn’t mean that they are safe tires. Tires deteriorate over time and can “age out” wear out before they wear out. In a statement from the British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) issued on June 5, 2001 regarding the age of tires they state, “BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tires should not be put into service if they are over 6 years old and that all tires should be replaced 10 years from the date of their manufacture.” Tire age can be accelerated by a variety of environmental factors, such as sunlight exposure and coastal climates. Poor storage and infrequent use of your vehicle are other things that can accelerate tire age.If you keep your tires in ideal conditions, the tire age can go as high as 10 years from its manufacture date. But ideal conditions are the exception rather than the rule. And the worst part is that you cannot tell the safety of an old tire just by looking at it since there are no conclusive tests for the safety of tires without destroying the tire itself!Due to this, some European car manufacturers of high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans have hedged their bets, stating in their owners manuals that the tire age should reach no higher than 6 years.How Better Rubber Makes Tires That Are SafeThere have been a lot of changes in rubber compounds since Charles Goodyear discovered how to cure rubber when he baked a combination of natural rubber and sulfur on his family’s kitchen stove. Thus, he would convert an unappreciated raw material into many useful products. Goodyear cross-linked sulfur with polymers that, when exposed to heat, would help make rubber durable and at the same time maintain its elasticity. The main focus of new research has been finding tire age inhibitors. Sulfur molecules are one such tire age inhibitor that is reactivated every time they are exposed to heat, making the rubber harder.Nowadays, rubber in tires has oil in it that tends to migrate into the tires’ under tread/casing and evaporate into the air. In the process of this, the tire compound releases oil and gets harder. If you can’t quite visualize this, go into any tire store and take a big whiff. You’ll smell the oil there.Before curing, most tires are coated with a mold release agent that is makes it easier to remove from their mold after curing. If it’s a little hard to visualize, think about spraying “Pam” on a fry pan before pouring on the batter for pancakes. This increases the safety of tires because some of the mold release agent gets “cooked” onto the surface of the cured tire, which prevents all the oil from evaporating. What Is The Right Tire Age?In most cases, most street tires are good for 6-8 years if maintained properly. Don’t forget though that this includes the time the tires spent from the manufacturer’s plant to the dealer to you. So, keep this in mind when you are determining tire age.Most tires get to you anywhere between 3-6 months. Some stay longer with the tire manufacturer, but generally all tires that go on your car are less than a year old. So, you should not get an old tire from any tire manufacturer.Which Tires Last Longest?If you want to buy a tire based on how long it will last, you have to consider thread compound. The more aggressive its compound … the shorter tire life. Below is a list of tires from longest-lasting to shortest-lasting:

  • Max Performance
  • Ultra High Performance tires
  • DOT-legal competition tires

Bottom line: if you want to avoid safe tire issues go with tires that last long and properly maintain them.

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8th December 2007

Winter is Here, Be Prepared With Fog Lights !

When the weather starts to get bad, there’s rain, snow, sleet or a lot of fog and drivers all too well know the dangers that can come. So it’s a good idea to have good quality fog lights in your vehicle to prevent any accidents.

When it starts to get foggy the level of danger increases, since the headlights are pretty much useless at this point. There is no use for them because the light just gets reflected off the fog and creates a phenomenon called dispersion. This just creates more visibility problems for you.

Therefore fog lights are a necessity when driving through a foggy area. Fog lights are different from headlights because they are yellow instead of the white headlights. A cautious driver would want to have fog lights, fog lights are easy to buy and aren’t very expensive.

Purchasing fog lights are very good investment. They will ensure your safety down the road, because you never know what will happen. It’s better to be safe then sorry. This little task can even save you money, if you got into a car wreck because you had no fog light. Think of the expenses. Sure your insurance will cover the expenses of your car, but don’t forget your premium will increase. In the end you would have to pay more money. So it would just be easier on everyone if you just go to your local store and pick up a fog light, there are many choices to choose from, if you need help just ask the salesperson they’ll be happy to assist you.

Buying fog lights is a great investment; you never know when you’re going to come across a foggy area. That small gesture can help you quite a bit, by getting the lights you won’t have to worry so much the next type you are in a foggy area.

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8th December 2007

Bulletproof Glass Can Save Your Life !

As you may know bulletproof glass is glass that is capable of stopping all sorts of bullets fired at it. This type of glass is made by using a strong but transparent material such as polycarbonate thermoplastic. Sometimes it’s constructed by using layers of laminated glass.

The polycarbonate layer is often put between layers of regular glass. A bullet will probably pierce the exterior glass layer, but will be stopped by the really strong polycarbonate layer before it can pierce the inner layer of glass. There’s also what’s called bullet resistant glass that’s constructed of laminated glass layers. This is built from sheets of glass glued together using some sort of liquid rubber.

One-way Bullet Proof Glass

As technology advances in the field of bullet resistant glass we now have a new type of bullet proof glass called one-way bulletproof glass. These types of glasses are commonly used by armored cars.

The beauty of this glass is that it will resist incoming fire arms striking the outside of the glass, while allowing those on the other side of the glass, such as guards, fire from inside the armored car, through the glass at the exterior threat outside.

Usually One-way bulletproof glass is made up of two layers. A brittle layer on the outside and a flexible layer on the inside. If a bullet is fired from the outside it will hit the brittle layer first and will probably shatter an area of it. This shattering of the glass absorbs some of the bullet’s energy, and spreads it out on a larger area. When the slowed down bullet hits the flexible layer, it will be stopped.

However, when someone fires a bullet from the inside it hits the flexible layer first. The bullet will then go through the flexible layer because its energy is focused on a smaller area. The brittle layer will then shatter outward because the inner layer flexes and doesn’t stop the bullet’s progress.

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8th December 2007

Turbojet Engine, How Does it Work?

A turbojet engine is a type of internal combustion engine often used to propel aircraft. Air is drawn into the rotating compressor via the intake and is compressed to a higher pressure before entering the combustion chamber. Fuel is mixed with the compressed air and ignited by a small flame in the eddy of a flame holder.

This combustion technique significantly raises the temperature of the gas. Hot combustion chemicals leaving the combustor expand through the turbine, where power is drawn to employ the compressor. Although this expansion process reduces both the gas temperature and pressure at exit from the turbine, both variabels are for the most part still well above ambient conditions. The gas stream exiting the turbine expands to ambient pressure through the propelling nozzle, causing a high velocity jet in the exhaust plume. So if the jet velocity surpasses the aircraft flight speed it amazingly creates a forward thrust.

Under normal circumstances, the pumping action of the compressor prevents any backflow, this kindly helps the flow of the jet engine. You can compare the whole method with a four stroke cycle, but with induction, compression, ignition, expansion and exhaust taking place simultaneously. The efficiency of a jet engine is strongly dependent upon the pressure ratio (Combustor Entry Pressure/Intake Delivery Pressure) and the Turbine Inlet Temperature of the cycle.

It is also perhaps instructive to compare turbojet engines with propeller engines. Turbojet engines take a rather small mass of air and accelerate it by a large amount, whereas a propeller takes a large mass of air and accelerates it by a small amount.

At great speed the exhaust of a jet engine makes it efficient at high speeds (particularly supersonic speeds) and high altitudes.

On planes that go slower and fly a shorter range, a gas turbine-powered propeller engine, commonly known as a turboprop, is far more common and also more efficient. Especially small aircraft primarily use conventional piston engines to drive a propeller but small turboprops are getting smaller as technology improves each day.

The turbojet mentioned above is a single spool design, where a single shaft connects the compressor to the turbine Higher Overall Pressure Ratio designs often have two concentric shafts, this is to in essence improve the stability of the compressor during engine throttle movements.

Basically it’s the outer shaft that connects the turbine engine to the high pressure compressor. The combustor together with the high pressure compressor spool forms the core or gas generator of the engine. We must not forget that the inner shaft connects the low pressure compressor to the LP Turbine to create the LP Spool. Either spools are free to operate at their optimum shaft speed.

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8th December 2007

Are You Protecting Your Car From Thieves ?

Statistics show that the number of carjackings and car thefts have never been greater. As the criminal element of our society increases in number as well as desperation, thieves have become more brazen than ever before. Rarely can you read a newspaper or watch daily news that you don’t hear about someone being victimized from car theft or worse, their car being taken from them as they are leaving home, the shopping mail, or even stopping at a red light. What can you do to protect yourself and your vehicle? Fortunately, technology has provided some ways to help protect us avoid or eliminate such catastrophic incidents. One of the latest innovations available to you is vehicle alarm systems with keyless entry programs. This equipment affords you protection at relatively low costs plus ease of installation. Anything that can get us into the safety of our vehicles quicker provides faster safety. These devices are available with a 500 alarm system and a dual zone shock keyless entry. In addition to the vehicular alarm system with keyless entry programs, you can have remote starter systems which allows not only quicker entry into your vehicle but immediate departure capability. If you need to leave in a hurry this will allow that. Again, this equipment is affordable and easy to install. No more fumbling around for your keys, using keys to gain entry into your vehicle, inserting the key and turning the engine on, all you have to do is open the door, get in, put the vehicle in gear and press the gas peddle. Talk about safety and protection! Even with all the new devices and protection equipment technology has provided us, we still need to be prudent in our awareness and behavior. Always be aware of your surroundings and the people near your vehicle. Try to park in well lighted areas, keep your vehicle locked at all times whether you are inside of it or not. Never leave windows open, regardless of how hot it is outside! Don’t make your self a target for opportunistic thieves. One finally tip for your vehicle protection, especially if you have a heavy foot traveling done the interstate or highway. Not only has technology advanced with new hi-tech radar detectors, they are now available with fully integrated laser scrambler systems, that jam and scrambler the signals for those who would give you a costly speeding ticket. Happy and safe motoring!

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8th December 2007

Repairing a Windshield Crack? Save Money!

It’s happened to all of us, driving along the highway minding our own business, when a chip of stone kicked up by the car in front pings against the window and chips it. It’s one of the most frustrating things that can happen to your car, and considering the size of the damage, it is disproportionately expensive to put right. Many people take their car to the repair shop with a stone chip in the windshield, and then get charged for a replacement at a cost of hundreds of dollars.However, this need not be the case. Under many circumstances, instead of replacing the whole windshield, you can use a windshield repair kit to fix small cracks and chips in the glass at a fraction of the cost.A typical car windshield is made up of a laminate of at least two layers of glass with a polymer resin sandwiched between them This gives the glass huge strength, and in the event of an accident, the resin is designed to hold the pieces of glass together and stop them showering into the car and causing injury.Because of the layered structure of a windshield, crack repair is possible. Usually in the event of a stone chip, only one layer of glass is damaged, with the underlying layers remaining undamaged. This means that it is possible to make the windshield more stable, and prevent the damage getting any worse, without having to replace the whole windshield.If the stone chip has gone through more than one layer of the glass, or is positioned right in the centre of the driver’s field of vision, then you should consider replacing the wind shield completely, because under such circumstances, the damage could cause impairment to the ability of the driver.If you are able to repair the windshield, you should carry out the work as soon as possible after the damage occurs. If it is left too long, the cracks can spread out across the screen thanks to the pressure of the air pushing against the glass when you are driving. As the cracks spread, the glass becomes weaker and weaker, and can eventually simply shatter under the pressure, which is obviously highly dangerous for the driver and any passengers in the car.The actual method of repairing a stone chip or small crack in the glass is simple with the appropriate windshield repair kits. Although different manufacturers package the kit differently, the actual method used is roughly the same.Windshield crack repair is carried out by injecting a clear resin into the crack or chip under pressure in order to completely fill any spaces, then the resin is cured rapidly using a special light that leaves it as hard as rock. If it is carried out properly there should be no distortion of vision when you repair windshield crack damage, and in many cases, the resin bonds so well with the edges of the cracks that the actual damage is much less visible and distracting for the driver.As well as small windshield repair kits designed for a single use, larger professional kits are also available that contain enough resin and equipment to perform up to 100 repairs. Because it is a fairly straightforward task to repair cracked windshields using the proper tools, there are many companies available who will carry out the service on your behalf, although at a much higher cost than doing the work yourself – albeit a lot less than you would have to pay for an entirely new windshield.The windshield on your car is there to protect you at all times, but it must be clear to see out of to help you avoid any trouble in the first place. It is vitally important to repair any damage to it, no matter how small it is, to ensure your safety, and also to prevent it getting worse and potentially costing you a lot of money.

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8th December 2007

Take a Little Time and Get the Brilliant Shine for Your Car You Always Wanted !

Why do cars exposed in the dealer’s showroom look so brilliantly shiny and why can’t we ever achieve this with our own cars? Does it depend on the car care products we use? The secret is being revealed in the current article teaching you how to get the best shine from your car. First you have to know that a very important part of the whole car-polishing process is carefully washing the car. A recent Popular Mechanics magazine states that if your car is regularly cleaned, it will last longer. And here is how you should properly wash your car. First you have to thoroughly rinse it off, trying to remove all the loose pieces of dirt. Then apply specific car wash soap using a soft sponge or a towel. Don’t use regular household items and chemicals because they can strip the wax or sealant right off. Start from the top washing one panel at a time and then rinse not letting the suds and soap dry on the paint. Upon finishing this, dry off with clean terry or microfiber towels or with a chamois. After washing the car you should look at the bumpers and the roof and hidden places such as those behind the tires, because some of the contaminants such as bug splatter and tree sap are very hard to remove just by rinsing off. These spots will need to be rewashed with more pressure or even with a contaminant remover. There are different kinds of removers, so for the best results follow the directions on the bottle of the one you have bought. Some of the spot removers are foaming cleaners and others are much thicker and have to be left sitting on the dirt for a while until it dissolves. There are special formulas for road tar, since removing it from the surface of the car may be more difficult than expected. After applying the spray according to the instructions rinse the problem areas off and dry. In case there are some visible defects in the paint, you can use a cleaner wax to smooth them. Turtle Wax is considered as the most durable product of this type which at the same time is cheap - only $2 a bottle, and gives the best shine to your car. Apply the wax to the problem area and then start rubbing it in with small circular movements. Again, as you did with the car washing, do one panel at a time then let dry until it turns to a white lees and then buff with a clean terry cloth. If there are still some imperfections on the surface, you can repeat the whole procedure. http://yourcar2day.com The next stage - polishing, requires a polymer car polish which can be bought from Walmart at a very reasonable price - approximately 2 to 5 dollars. The advantages of the polymer car polish are numerous: it is liquid and therefore very easy to apply and lasts up to one year or fifty car washes and, of course, it sells at a very low price. Spread the polish on the whole car and buff dry. For the best results, repeat this a couple of times. http://www.vehiclescoop.com And as you can see, having a vehicle as shiny as the cars exposed in the auto shows is not a goal that you can’t achieve. It’s quite easy and you are not spending any big money on it. Just take a little time and put some efforts and here it is - the brilliant shine for your car, exactly the way you always wanted it to be.

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