So Fix it

Raise your car using a car jack to a height that will allow you to lie comfortably underneath the vehicle.

Open the clamps of your caliper, and place them around the outside of the exhaust pipe. Choose a portion of the pipe that is straight. Close the caliper clamps around the pipe securely, but not tight enough to dig into the metal of the pipe. Record the reading on the calipers on a piece of paper.

Stick one clamp arm of the caliper inside the end of the tailpipe, leaving the other clamp arm outside the pipe. Close the clamp around one wall of the pipe, measuring the pipes thickness. Read the caliper and record this number.

Multiply the pipes wall thickness by 2. Subtract this number from the total outside pipe diameter determined in Step 2. This remaining number is the inside diameter of your exhaust pipe. The full equation is:

Inside Diameter = Outside diameter - (2*Wall Thickness)

Uncover the fuel line so that it is visible and can be reached easily. Do not remove the fuel line or disconnect it.

Place the top of a 1/4-inch wrench with an open end over the fuel line. Slide it caully over the line so that it fits snugly against the tubing. Read the wrenchs measurements to determine the diameter of the fuel line.

Place a caliper over the fuel line if the wrench did not give an accurate reading. Calipers are used to measure distance between two sides of one object. Adjust the tips of the caliper to fit tightly on either side of the line. Remove the caliper. Place the tips on a ruler and read the measurement.

Determine if you have a single piece or multi-piece drive shaft and which type of connection you have. You can determine this by looking at the mounting. It will be either a universal joint (U joint) and yoke, a flange mount, or a one-piece drive shaft that connects to the rear differential with a cap mount.

To measure a U joint drive shaft, measure from the center of one U joint to the center of the other. You should also measure the U joint cap diameter that fits into the pinion yoke.

To measure a drive shaft connected by flanges, place one end of your measuring tape at the inside face of the flange and measure across to the inside face of the opposite flange. In addition to the overall length, you should also measure how far the shaft sticks out of the flange.

To measure a one-piece drive shaft, place one end of your tape at the end of the transmission shaft and measure to top of the cap at the opposite end.

To measure a drive shaft with a center support bearing, measure the overall length from the end of the transmission case to the center of the center support. Then measure from the center of the center support to the flat surface on the pinion yoke. You will also need to measure the width of the pinion yoke, the the U joint cap diameter, how far the shaft sticks out past the end of the case, and note if the hole in the end is threaded or not.

To measure a drive shaft that has two different types of connections; for example a U joint on one side, and a flange on the other, simply combine the instruction for each type of mount. In the example, you would measure from the center of the U joint to the inside face of the flange on the opposite side.

Some companies will also require you to measure the space between the locating tabs, or two flat surfaces on the yoke. This should be done with a small six-inch ruler or caliper. Depending on the type of drive shaft, you may also be asked for the number of splines in the yoke, the diameter of the splined hole, and the height of the yoke.

Turn off the engine on the car and open the hood.

Insert an RPM inductive pickup plug into an automotive multimeter with the negative and positive signs facing you in the bottom left jack holes. The positive lead plugs into the RPM jack and the negative portion of the lead plugs into the amperage jack underneath it.

Turn the rotary dial on the multimeter to "RPM (1) (2)" to turn the meter on. The current RPM setting of 1 or 2 will appear in the display on the right side. Press the oval button in the center of the rotary dial to change from RPM 1 to RPM 2. RPM (1) reads the revolutions per minute on engines that fire once per every two revolutions. The RPM (2) setting is for engines that fire on each revolution.

Clamp the inductive pickups front lead to a wire above a spark plug top.

Clamp the second spark plug wire in the back of the inductive pickup to the end of the wiring harness that leads to the distributor near the distributor cap.

Start the engine. Read the RPM speed on the digital display.