Working on your car

[Nick1994]

My step-grandpa taught my brother and I to work on our own cars and we've carried that on.

A lot of things I just don't want to do, a lot of the time because of the heat. I hate the heat.

I've done axle swaps, driveshafts, radiators, alternators, intake manifolds, brakes, wheel bearings, etc. and even some body work like replacing bedsides on pickup trucks. You wouldn't think the bedside is replaceable, it is! I've done 4 of them.

 

[OVERKILL]

I used to have old vehicles and growing up wrenching on boats and lawn equipment, I was pretty competent and could typically deal with anything myself. Never got into rebuilding transmissions, though I've taken a few apart. Once I bought a new vehicle, I started to get out of the habit and at this point I just do oil changes and tires because that's all I should need to do in the driveway. I'll still help others with their vehicles, but I've gotten away from turning wrenches on my own, though perhaps that will change once they are out of warranty, we'll see I guess, have to get out of the habit of turning them over, which I've done with the last few.

I of course still work on the boats, particularly the Supra with the GT40.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
My step-grandpa taught my brother and I to work on our own cars and we've carried that on.

A lot of things I just don't want to do, a lot of the time because of the heat. I hate the heat.

I've done axle swaps, driveshafts, radiators, alternators, intake manifolds, brakes, wheel bearings, etc. and even some body work like replacing bedsides on pickup trucks. You wouldn't think the bedside is replaceable, it is! I've done 4 of them.



It's all relative. I like to work on cars a bit but an axle swap or driveshaft is beyond my comfort limit. Just like brakes or alternator are within my comfort zone but might be beyond someone else. I like to solve problems and puzzles. And I like the challenge. If the guy at the local garage can do it then I think I should be able to learn how to do it, too. Many folks have a fear they will get started and won't be able to finish and then will have to get it towed someplace to get it fixed. That's a real problem for some folks to overcome. My son wouldn't start wrenching on his own but if he comes to my house and I'm there, he'll have the confidence to wrench. And he's better at it than I am. Changed his serpentine belt in 10 minutes. Takes me a good 30 minutes. Sometimes hours.

 

[JimPghPA]

In my teen years and 20's my cousins lived above a 4 car garage and they and some friends bought old cars and did the work they needed to keep them running ourselves. One of them sometimes worked for a mechanic that had a small garage that did inspections, so at first he knew more about cars than most of the rest. He would say, "I will not do the job for you, but I will stay around and tell you how to do it". And if some of the work required more than one person working on it at the same time then he and or others would work on it with you. And usually late in the evening when the work was done for the day everyone would pitch in and the person who owned the vehicle that was worked on would pitch in more, and we would order a big pizza and big bottles of soda and eat in the garage. If a vehicle needed parts in the middle of a job, other used their vehicles to get the parts. It was a good gang, to work with and learn with. We did everything, engine work, trany replacement, brakes, rear-end swaps, welding, what ever was needed to keep them running. But cars were much simpler then. No computers. Electronic ignition was about as sophisticated as the electronics was back then, and that was usually all in one small black part inside the distributor. Some of the cars still had points.

 

[A_Spruce]

Originally Posted by CourierDriver
Sometimes, someone will post they do their own maintenance on cars...some folks in here own over 4 and up to 10 cars....I ask this question: How in the world does someone get all that experience and skill to change out transmissions, engines and know how to fix them or rebuild them at home...you would need a lifetime of schooling IMHO plus a 1000 tools...


Anyone with any basic mechanical aptitude can do basic maintenance. Where you may differ from others is interest level. If you don't really have any interest in turning a wrench, then you're not going to make the time to do it, much less want to do any of your own maintenance or repair projects.

I, myself, enjoy wrenching, to a degree, but I dislike working on my daily driver, simply because if I get in over my head, which isn't hard, I'm screwed! So, before I tackle anything, I will do some research, watch vids, and ask the knowledgeable folks around here for some advice.

When I bought my Burb I did a lot of stuff to it because I had a second vehicle at the time. I was able to strip the interior out for a thorough cleaning and detailing, do the shocks and brakes, stuff like that. Now, the Burb is my only ride, and I can't afford to be without her, so I leave a lot of work to the mechanic who has the tools, expertise, and facilities to deal with anything that might arise during the surgical procedure. Case in point, I had them do the driver's side exhaust manifold gasket and bolts, as well as the spark plugs. I don't have the tools to drill and extract broken manifold studs, nor could I deal with a spark plug that decided to seize in the head or snap off, things which the LS motors are known for if the plugs aren't changed at or before 100K. Baby has 158K on her and I have no idea if the plugs had ever been out of her, hence, the shop did the work.

So, back to your question, interest will play the largest roll in whether you do your own work or not. Tools required will depend on how deep down the rabbit hole you're willing to go. For minor maintenance, a good basic set of hand tools is all you need. You start pulling fuel lines (modern vehicles) or digging into major components and you're going to have to start getting specialty tools for the job.

 

[dlundblad]

Much of what I know I've taught/ experienced myself. I might have a few grand in tools. Nothing too fancy.

Harbor Freight and Youtube (and here) have helped tremendously.

 

[Lyman]

When I was 15 I bought my first car out of a junk yard for $150. It needed the engine rebuilt. I hoisted it out using a block and tackle hung from the rafters in my Dad's garage.
I think the biggest thing is to have a good place to work. Everything else is secondary. With the internet you can research anything and learn.

 

[53' Stude]

Originally Posted by rooflessVW
All you need is the ability to read and follow directions.

And tools.

Intuition and experience can help; it can also hinder.



Well said sir. Glad you are still here 🇺🇸ðŸ‘

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted by Marco620
My buddy was a aircraft mechanic on a Navy ship. Said doing work on most domestic cars was simple and often sloppy. He fixed lots of my GM issues. He still takes his Porsche to dealership

Yes, cars are stupidly simple compared to modern aircraft. This is what I work on.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by CourierDriver
Sometimes, someone will post they do their own maintenance on cars...some folks in here own over 4 and up to 10 cars....I ask this question: How in the world does someone get all that experience and skill to change out transmissions, engines and know how to fix them or rebuild them at home...you would need a lifetime of schooling IMHO plus a 1000 tools...

When I was in college I knew plenty of people who built engines in their livingroom. It's not hard if you have the correct tools and manuals and mechanical knowledge, from what I gather. I used to do all of my own maintenance and well, swapping gaskets and water pumps and so forth. Now I can afford to pay for it to be done and since its not therapeutic for me, I do, but it's not exactly rocket science except for a few vehicles/unique things.

 

[wings&wheels]

Curiosity, confidence, a willingness to jump in and to seek and listen to advice and instruction. That and a strong desire to immerse myself in something miles away from what I do for living. Building a nice set of tools helps.

Also, with my taste in toys, I needed to build the skills.

 

[Gimpy1]

I started working on my own vehicles when I started racing motorcycles in the mid 90's more out of necessity since any type of racing is expensive. I hung around the pits and was fortunate enough to meet a bunch of cool guys that where in the same boat and showed me the ropes. Over the years I kept learning and trying to fix stuff on my own, but I was never too proud to ask for help. IMHO the best way to learn is to ask questions and not be afraid to make mistakes. These days information is easily accessible, YouTube google and most importantly car forums can show you just about anything. I also have the factory service manual for my cars (the real ones not chiltons) which I was able to acquire for free. My advice if you want to really learn ask questions, and join forums specifically for your vehicle and get to know folks in your area that can help you , and finally don't be afraid to fix your car, you don't need 30k in tools to fix stuff start small and work your way up. There is no better feeling that doing it yourself. Just don't start a repair project at 5pm on Sunday when you need your car to get to work on Monday. If I can do it with only 1 arm so can you.

 

[Linctex]

Start small and work your way up.

I took apart and reassembled a Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine in 1977, Rebuilt a Ford Model "A" engine in 1979, Swapped a 230 cu.in straight 6 engine in a 1963 Impala in '81, rebuilt a 2-speed Powerglide in '82....

Fixer-upper cars were $25 - $50 in those days, and easy to repair.
They were a GOOD "learning experience".
It was easy to make a few hundred bucks every week, good money in high school.

I miss all the cheap cars. I bought a '68 Camaro with a 2 bbl 327 and 'glide in '85 for $2,200 and it was cherry. All the B-body Mopars in the 80's - Road Runners, Coronets, Satellites were all under $1,000 for Big Block cars. 318 cars were cheaper than that. E-body Challengers & Chargers were a lot more. 455 Trans-Ams were $2,000 if nice.

Nowadays there's YouTube to help you fix ANYTHING - -
that never existed back in the 70's and 80's.

Find a cheap car that's worth the same running or not.
Learn by doing.
If you break it, sell it for what you paid for it.

 

[PandaBear]

Dad was a machinist before becoming a real estate agent, so we just dive in and do our maintenance.

I was just being cheap when I started wrenching some basic stuff, then got curious and started doing more and more. Now I am too busy with 2 kids and would rather sell the car before big repair comes, and kids + wife demand cars to be in better condition instead of stinky and rusty. Plus car need changes over time, so no point in keeping old compact coupe when you are using a hybrid wagon / cross over all the time, and your commute is 7 miles each way.

Will I go back to wrenching? Maybe, but I would probably be better off learning new work skill and switch job to make the extra 50-100k a year.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

After almost seventy years, I can't stop doing the recommended maintenance on my Toyota. Plus a lot of other niceties I call piddling around. Like going over the door gaskets with silicone paste and treating the dash vinyl with a CRC product. Damaged nerves from a severe shingles attack twenty one years ago limits what I can do, but I'm still in there wrenching.

 

[Dave Sherman]

I helped my dad a lot in my youth working on cars, so I picked up a lot of knowledge there. In my teens he had to work out of town at times and I had to take on some of the car repairs. I do nearly all the upkeep on all my cars, and I restored the MG to working condition myself after it sat unused for a long time. I've pulled engines, and did my own clutch replacement on the MG. I draw the line if it requires major amounts of disassembly or tools I just don't have.

Youtube and internet forums are a godsend at times. I've fixed my wife's car from Youtube videos. Even managed to contribute to the Equinox forum when the dealer mis-diagnosed her oil consumption issue and wanted $600 to pull the intake manifold to clear a suspected clogged PCV orifice. I did it myself for $10 and did a write up of just what's involved. Turned out it was a good thing I did it myself; $600 would have been wasted since the orifice turned out not to be the issue. My cost was just a new throttle body gasket, a can of Gumout, and a couple hours of getting grimy.

 

[SeaJay]

It is a long learning process. You have to not be discouraged when things don't go right. Something else could break during the repair as a result of a mistake. You might not have diagnosed the problem correctly and the replacement part doesn't fix the problem. A nut will not come off without torching. A bolt could break in a bad place requiring a bunch more work to fix. You have to be determined to get to the bottom of the problem even if it takes days of work to get there.

You have to like it. It is more than just the few shekels you save from having a mechanic take care of the repair for you.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

I did all of my mechanic work up until I lost my leg.
I can remember back as far as when I was 5 years old and going to LaPlace dragstrip near N'awlins with my dad. He had a 55 Chevy gasser, 62 & 63 Catalina SD 421, and a 65 GTO. I was always by his side learning about cars, engines, transmissions, tools, etc.
Other hot rods came and went, and I was always there learning. OTJ training was/is the best way to learn.

 

[IndyIan]

Youtube is great for a preview of what the job entails. If the job seems reasonable for me I'll give it a try. I've found the fasteners on most of my cars pretty good and using the proper tool usually gets things apart. Rebuilding engines is beyond me, but I might give a swap a go on something reasonably simple. Haven't had to so far.

 

[BrianF]

I was lucky enough that I had an interest in mechanical things at an early age. My friends growing up were the same. Building lego, model cars/trucks and so on. My dad and one of my older brothers helped teach and guide me quite a lot. We had an unfinished basement and later garage as a kid. Dad had all sorts of tools for automotive and woodworking, he and my brother wasted no time teaching me the basics. I am so lucky that I have a working mind and capable enough. We wrenched and built all sorts of things growing up. Dad would find random small engines to bring home for me to rip apart. He also got me into doing the maintenance on our vehicles, showing me how to save money and be self reliant. In high school, my buddies and I were pulling engines, dropping transmissions, replacing U joints, welding, you name it. Some farmers I worked for had a full shop and encouraged us to build and fix things. They had no issues with us coming and out and using their resources.

These days, you can find everything you need on the internet, pictures, videos, part numbers etc, it makes it so easy to fix anything you want.

I do everything with basic hand tools. Other than a decent floor jack, ramps, blocks and a few specialty tools, everything is basic.