Repair And Fix it

Harley-Davidson calls them enrichers. Everybody else calls them chokes. When you pull out the knob under the left side of your gas tank you increase, or fatten, the percentage of gasoline in your carburetors gas-fuel mix. Pushing the knob in leans the fuel mixture. The knob is attached to a cable that attaches to an enricher valve inside the body of your carburetor. Maintaining and lubricating this cable is a standard procedure you should perform on your Sportster every 2,500 miles or every two months.

Instructions

1

Put the motorcycle in first gear. Turn off the engine, lean the motorcycle on the jiffy stand and let the engine go cold.

2

Fully extend the enricher knob. Unhook the enricher cable from the clip under the gas tank near the horn. Wipe the exposed cable, knob and clip with a rag.

3

Spray cable lubricant on the enricher cable and inside the enricher cable guide tube under the gas tank. Wipe up drips with the rag.

4

Refasten the enricher cable to the clip near the horn. Pull and push the enricher knob in and out to distribute the lubricant along the full length of the enricher cable.

The fuel pump is an essential component of a vehicle. Fuel is pumped from the fuel tank to the engine. Without a functioning fuel pump, adequate fuel pressure cannot be delivered to the engine. This will cause problems such as hard starting, rough idle, misfiring, hesitation and stalling and can even prevent the car from starting . This may happen at the most inconvenient time. If you suspect that your fuel pump is broken, there are certain tests that you can perform to confirm it.

Instructions

1

Listen for a humming sound that normally occurs when the key is turned to the "Start" position. Turn the key in the ignition to the "Start" position and listen for a humming sound from the fuel tank. A hum means that the pump is in working condition.

2

Check if your fuel pump is broken by doing a static fuel test. Turn the key in the ignition to the "on" position. Look at the fuel pressure gauge to detect movements. The fuel pressure should immediately come up and stay steady. If it doesnt, that can indicate that there is a defect in the fuel pump.

3

Connect a voltage meter to the wires that connect to your fuel pump. Connect the voltage meter to the green wire. The fuel pump wires are located under the vehicle, behind the drivers door. Let someone start the engine while the voltage meter is connected to the wire. A normal reading is between 10 to 11 volts. If there is a zero reading, this usually mean that the fuel pump is bad.

The rear sway bar on a Mercury Cougar provides added stability for the car when cornering or making other maneuvers at speed. The sway bar mounts on the rear frame and ties the chassis to the rear suspension to reduce occurrence of body roll. If the sway bar incurs damage from an impact, or simply suffers end deformity from wear and tear, youll need to replace it as the sway bar itself is not repairable. If youre known for your mechanical aptitude, you can accomplish this job in less than one hour.

Instructions

1

Place the wheel chocks against the Cougars right-front wheel to prevent the Mercury from rolling.

2

Elevate the Cougars rear end using a floor jack. Position a jack stand under the body rail jack points on either side of the back of the Cougar and lower the car onto the jack stands. Move the floor jack away from the rear of the car.

3

Unbolt the ends of the Cougars rear sway bar from the sway bar links using your socket set. Unbolt the rear sway bar brackets with the socket set and lower the sway bar to the ground by hand.

4

Move the old sway bar out from under the Cougar by hand. Replace it with the new sway bar. Hold the new sway bar in position and bolt the sway bar brackets back in using your socket set, making sure the sway bar bushings dont squirt out while tightening the brackets.

5

Bolt the sway bar ends to the sway bar links using your socket set. Lift the Cougars rear end off the jack stands using the floor jack. Move the stands away from the car before lowering it to the ground.

Rims are the inside portion of the wheel apparatus that a tire surrounds. While hubcaps come standard on most cars to cover this portion, rims are made for cosmetic appeal as well as performance. Rim scratches easily occur during daily driving. Scraping a curb or getting hit with rocks while driving can cause these scratches. Luckily, there are repair shops available that recoat your rims to make them look new again. AWRS Wheel Repair, Fix Rim and Wheel Technology are a few companies that recondition rims.

Instructions

AWRS Wheel Repair

1

Navigate to the AWRS Wheel Repair site. Click on the "Locations" tab in the top center of the toolbar.

2

Click on the "Downward Arrow" and select your State in the "US Locator" section.

3

Call or write the store and ask for a quote to have your rims recoated. Give details about the issues with the rims. Phone numbers and email addresses are linked to the site.

4

Schedule an appointment with the store. Replace your tires with a different set of tires. Load the tires and rims into your trunk.

5

Drop off the rims to the local store. Rim recoating takes approximately one to 14 days, depending on the type of recoating and the schedule of the local store.

Fix Rim

6

Navigate to the Fix Rim site. Check to see if there is a location near you. Call 888-4-FIX-RIM.

7

Set an appointment with Fix Rim. Fix Rims sends a van to your location to fix your rim on the spot.

8

Wait for the service person to examine your rim. If your rims cannot be recoated on the spot, they will send the rims to their operation location to recoat the rims.

ACU-TRU

9

Navigate to the ACU-TRU site. Click on the "Find A Dealer" tab in the top center of the toolbar.

10

Click location nearest you on the map.

11

Call or write the store and ask for a quote for rim recoating. Give details about the issues with the rims. Phone numbers and email addresses are linked to the site.

12

Schedule an appointment with the store. Replace your tires with a different set of tires. Load the tires and rims into your trunk.

13

Drop off the rims to the local store.

If youve driven your car away from your garage or parking spot and noticed a puddle of fluid under it, you could have a transmission leak. Without transmission fluid, your gears have nothing to lubricate them against the effects of friction. Therefore, they become stripped and cannot create motion. In addition, transmission fluid provides the hydraulic force necessary to shift gears. Repairing a leak as soon as you discover it could save you the expense of buying a new transmission --- potentially thousands of dollars.

Diagnose the Leak

Seeing a puddle of reddish-brown fluid under your car when you move away is one sign of a leaky transmission, but there are several other signs. Low transmission fluid can cause gears to be unresponsive or to slip when shifting. Also, if you hear the sound of gears grinding, its a sign that you need to check your transmission fluid levels. According to California State University Automotive, you can also determine the state of your transmission fluid by its color: as fluid ages, it changes color from red to brownish-red or dark pink.

Locate the Leak

To locate the leak, elevate your car with a jack and look under the middle toward the front. Repairing the leak will require you to take the car to a mechanic. Leaks toward the front of the vehicle indicate a bad seal or gasket. Fluid typically leaks from either a seal or from the fluid pan. If fluid is leaking from the front seal where the transmission attaches to the torque converter, your mechanic will have to remove the transmission and add a replacement seal.

DIY Transmission Repair

If you have a minor leak, you can use a commercial transmission sealer until you can get the car to a mechanic. Sealers penetrate worn and shrunken gaskets and seals, causing them to swell and form a seal against leaks. It is applied in the same manner as standard transmission fluid (i.e, poured in the transmission receptacle under the hood.) Only use sealer as a one-time solution.

Add Transmission Fluid

If youve already taken steps to repair the leak, you need to replace the fluid you lost. Use a funnel, paper towel and the transmission fluid that is intended for your vehicles make and model. Start the car and let the engine warm up if your vehicle requires you to do this. Remove the transmission fluid dipstick near the rear of the engine. Its handle may also be marked "Trans Fluid" or similar. Clean the dipstick; any solid debris can damage the transmission. Place the dipstick and take a "Warm" reading. Use a long funnel to add fluid to the proper amount.

Preventive Maintenance

Even after repairing a transmission leak and replacing lost fluid, you need to have it checked regularly to ensure problems do not occur. Regularly check your transmission fluid levels and change it every 30,000 miles.