Hobby Mechanics - Manace or not?
Discussion
A while back I suggested to a friend that his discs/pads could probably be replaced quite cheaply at home with some basic tools.
"I'd always get a proper garage to do my brakes, they are too important to get wrong so I'd only trust a professional"
Mentioned this to somebody else...
"I'd never trust anyone else to do my brakes, they are too important to get wrong so I'd have to do them myself"
"I'd always get a proper garage to do my brakes, they are too important to get wrong so I'd only trust a professional"
Mentioned this to somebody else...
"I'd never trust anyone else to do my brakes, they are too important to get wrong so I'd have to do them myself"
BFG TERRANO said:
AndyS2 said:
How old is this mechanic? Just interested to see if he's a 'plug it into the diagnostic machine to see what's wrong' type or a proper old school mechanic who really can fix things?
Exactly this. Ask some of these lads to balance carbs or set points!You might as well ask a roofer if he can do a decent thatch. Points and carbs are things of the past and only relevant if you repair old cars. Given pretty much everything for the last 20 years has had electronic fuel injection most modern mechanics will never see a carb or a set of points.
WRT the OP, I knew a lad who did hos front brakes himself and cocked it up. They failed on the first hill he came too and he his crashed his car.
However i've replaced the brakes on pretty much every car i've ever owned and think it's one of the easier jobs for a DIY mechanic to take on.
Edited by Devil2575 on Monday 15th September 10:45
I do a lot of work at home on the MR2. It was bought purposely as a track car/ project car to mess with. Having starting working on this, I've came to realise just how easy most jobs are to do if you just think about it.
I am by no means very good, I'll happily take a job on thogh and seek advice if I hit a wall rather than just bodge something. We're puting a new engine and drivetrain in next months, doing it myself. If I get stuck, I ahve some mechanic mates that can help but it really is rather simple. Could probably do it in a week if I put my head down on it.
On the other hand though, the Saab gets sent to the local specialist. He gets parts much cheaper than I can get a hold of due to the short supply of some parts. For example, sticky rear caliper meaning the hadnbrake needed snipped off (great design Saab, caliper goes and you need a new handbrake cable too) and caliper changed. I priced it up and he was £20 cheaper than if I did it myself and only takes him a morning. I know Martin won't rip me off, he's honest, fixes any small niggles for me up to my £250 limit. Any more than that, he phones.
Might be a different story though if I ddin't ahve a garage I trusted so much
I am by no means very good, I'll happily take a job on thogh and seek advice if I hit a wall rather than just bodge something. We're puting a new engine and drivetrain in next months, doing it myself. If I get stuck, I ahve some mechanic mates that can help but it really is rather simple. Could probably do it in a week if I put my head down on it.
On the other hand though, the Saab gets sent to the local specialist. He gets parts much cheaper than I can get a hold of due to the short supply of some parts. For example, sticky rear caliper meaning the hadnbrake needed snipped off (great design Saab, caliper goes and you need a new handbrake cable too) and caliper changed. I priced it up and he was £20 cheaper than if I did it myself and only takes him a morning. I know Martin won't rip me off, he's honest, fixes any small niggles for me up to my £250 limit. Any more than that, he phones.
Might be a different story though if I ddin't ahve a garage I trusted so much
Edited by DottyMR2 on Monday 15th September 11:11
I begrudgingly do most jobs myself because I often do a better job, faster, and for much less money with more control over the parts used.
Just to flip this a little, sorry but I would say the majority of mechanics are pretty useless. They're probably very knowledgeable and trained, but they're often also incompetent, cack handed, and have no customer focus, or indeed focus at all.
I really do resent having to do so much work myself these days.
Just to flip this a little, sorry but I would say the majority of mechanics are pretty useless. They're probably very knowledgeable and trained, but they're often also incompetent, cack handed, and have no customer focus, or indeed focus at all.
I really do resent having to do so much work myself these days.
otolith said:
I probably wouldn't attempt something like stripping and rebuilding calipers, but replacing consumable friction surfaces is trivial.
Honestly mate you should have a go. Its a doddle and there's loads of guidance available.It's just a clean, an inspection of the piston, a refitting of some rubber seals and some red grease. Depending on the caliper you can do it in 30 minutes. Saves a fortune.
It's just a confidence thing. Hardest part is popping out the old piston, in my case I just used a tyre compressor and some elastic bands!
I do everything myself apart from welding and jobs which require expensive special tools that I will never use again. By doing this:
Apart from everything else there is a great sense of satisfaction from completing a job on your own car to a really good standard. Paying someone else to do a rushed, half arsed job just makes you feel poor and annoyed.
- I know that the job has been done properly
- I know that only the best quality parts have been used
- I have a much better idea of the condition of my car, i.e. I might spot other issues whilst doing a job that I will sort out before it results in problems.
- I save money
- I enjoy it
Apart from everything else there is a great sense of satisfaction from completing a job on your own car to a really good standard. Paying someone else to do a rushed, half arsed job just makes you feel poor and annoyed.
Aye, perhaps, but in comparison sticking a set of disks or pads on is closer to changing a wheel in terms of difficulty and potential to screw up (and I'd file the chap who put the pads in backwards with someone putting the wheel back on inside out!)
Mind you, last time I did disks, I had to get the local garage to crack one of the retaining bolts on the calliper - it's a lot easier when you've got the car on a lift and can get a three foot breaker bar in on it! Wouldn't take any money for it, so I dropped them a few beers off.
Mind you, last time I did disks, I had to get the local garage to crack one of the retaining bolts on the calliper - it's a lot easier when you've got the car on a lift and can get a three foot breaker bar in on it! Wouldn't take any money for it, so I dropped them a few beers off.
otolith said:
Aye, perhaps, but in comparison sticking a set of disks or pads on is closer to changing a wheel in terms of difficulty and potential to screw up (and I'd file the chap who put the pads in backwards with someone putting the wheel back on inside out!)
Mind you, last time I did disks, I had to get the local garage to crack one of the retaining bolts on the calliper - it's a lot easier when you've got the car on a lift and can get a three foot breaker bar in on it! Wouldn't take any money for it, so I dropped them a few beers off.
Yeah I know what you mean. To me the biggest problem with home car mechanics is the access. I think the last two calipers I removed I ended up with massive extensions on 19" bars and a blow torch. Very time consuming and awkward. Same with most suspension and exhaust parts, takes 3 hours to get the buggers off and 3 minutes to fit the new ones.Mind you, last time I did disks, I had to get the local garage to crack one of the retaining bolts on the calliper - it's a lot easier when you've got the car on a lift and can get a three foot breaker bar in on it! Wouldn't take any money for it, so I dropped them a few beers off.
a lot of it comes down the standard of parts being fitted as well
fine at your main dealers who will supply proper Oem parts, but a lot of indys are cutting corners to increase their margins and fitting the cheapest and nastiest components they can find eicher brake pads from euro spring to mind. most people just assume that a garage will see them right, but if the garage is given the choice between a set of pads at £40 and a set at a tenner when they've quoted £100 for the job what do you think they'll fit
fine at your main dealers who will supply proper Oem parts, but a lot of indys are cutting corners to increase their margins and fitting the cheapest and nastiest components they can find eicher brake pads from euro spring to mind. most people just assume that a garage will see them right, but if the garage is given the choice between a set of pads at £40 and a set at a tenner when they've quoted £100 for the job what do you think they'll fit
TurboHatchback said:
I do everything myself apart from welding and jobs which require expensive special tools that I will never use again. By doing this:
Apart from everything else there is a great sense of satisfaction from completing a job on your own car to a really good standard. Paying someone else to do a rushed, half arsed job just makes you feel poor and annoyed.
So many tools are available off Ebay etc these days, and usually the cost to buy it, do the job and have it for next time are still less than payign someone else to do it.- I know that the job has been done properly
- I know that only the best quality parts have been used
- I have a much better idea of the condition of my car, i.e. I might spot other issues whilst doing a job that I will sort out before it results in problems.
- I save money
- I enjoy it
Apart from everything else there is a great sense of satisfaction from completing a job on your own car to a really good standard. Paying someone else to do a rushed, half arsed job just makes you feel poor and annoyed.
I did the welding on my 944, nowadays there is so much info online it cuts down on the trial and error, the results looked great, couldnt afford to send it in to have all that done, it isnt easy and the pros are masters but if you prepare stuff, take your time, listen to advice and practice you can do a pretty good job.
I would have a go at pretty much anything nowadays, my problem is not having a decent garage otherwise there would be a project in there, my next car may be something that needs an engine rebuild or has minor accident damage.
My list of jobs done includes rebuilding engines and gearboxes, welding, taking classics apart to the last nut and bolt and putting them all back together again. When I've taken them in for their first MOT they only failed on very minor things, never any major safety issues.
The argument that all work should be done by qualified mechanics because us amateurs are skilled doesn't really stand up, I reckon my cars are in better condition than some that are only worked on by a garage - many people (eg my wife if I didn't keep an eye on her car!) say that their car has an MOT/ has been serviced and therefore is OK until the next time it's due whereas I am aware of any odd noises, check the tyres pressures and tread regularly, have a look at the brake discs/pads when I'm doing other work etc.
Also if forced to use a garage (eg if we couldn't buy parts and DVLA confiscated our tools) some people would just not have the work done at all because it was too expensive, so the standard would fall.
The argument that all work should be done by qualified mechanics because us amateurs are skilled doesn't really stand up, I reckon my cars are in better condition than some that are only worked on by a garage - many people (eg my wife if I didn't keep an eye on her car!) say that their car has an MOT/ has been serviced and therefore is OK until the next time it's due whereas I am aware of any odd noises, check the tyres pressures and tread regularly, have a look at the brake discs/pads when I'm doing other work etc.
Also if forced to use a garage (eg if we couldn't buy parts and DVLA confiscated our tools) some people would just not have the work done at all because it was too expensive, so the standard would fall.
Prof Prolapse said:
Yeah I know what you mean. To me the biggest problem with home car mechanics is the access. I think the last two calipers I removed I ended up with massive extensions on 19" bars and a blow torch. Very time consuming and awkward. Same with most suspension and exhaust parts, takes 3 hours to get the buggers off and 3 minutes to fit the new ones.
What are you guys doing to your cars?I've done loads of sets of discs and pads and never had massive problems getting calipers off. Brake pads need replacing regularly enough to mean that the bolts shouldn't have been left untouched for years, unlike some on the suspension...
You don't need to undo calliper retaining bolts for pads, only for disks. In the case of the wife's 350Z there was only one bolt which could not be undone without getting the car in the air and getting a breaker bar on it, and the primary problem was a lack of access to do that on the driveway.
Devil2575 said:
What are you guys doing to your cars?
I've done loads of sets of discs and pads and never had massive problems getting calipers off. Brake pads need replacing regularly enough to mean that the bolts shouldn't have been left untouched for years, unlike some on the suspension...
Nor me, until last time I did it when a caliper mounting bolt sheared off. I had to take the entire upright off and take it into work so we could get some proper heat on it to remove the remains of the bolt. Grrr. I've done loads of sets of discs and pads and never had massive problems getting calipers off. Brake pads need replacing regularly enough to mean that the bolts shouldn't have been left untouched for years, unlike some on the suspension...
Job took half an hour on the other side.
Devil2575 said:
Prof Prolapse said:
Yeah I know what you mean. To me the biggest problem with home car mechanics is the access. I think the last two calipers I removed I ended up with massive extensions on 19" bars and a blow torch. Very time consuming and awkward. Same with most suspension and exhaust parts, takes 3 hours to get the buggers off and 3 minutes to fit the new ones.
What are you guys doing to your cars?I've done loads of sets of discs and pads and never had massive problems getting calipers off. Brake pads need replacing regularly enough to mean that the bolts shouldn't have been left untouched for years, unlike some on the suspension...
it is strange, I have a mate who is a mechanic and his cars are always the ropiest ones, he always gets them cheap but usually, for a reason, dented panels, various knocks, I think as he knows hat they are, he doesnt bother fixing them.
J4CKO said:
TurboHatchback said:
I do everything myself apart from welding and jobs which require expensive special tools that I will never use again. By doing this:
Apart from everything else there is a great sense of satisfaction from completing a job on your own car to a really good standard. Paying someone else to do a rushed, half arsed job just makes you feel poor and annoyed.
So many tools are available off Ebay etc these days, and usually the cost to buy it, do the job and have it for next time are still less than payign someone else to do it.- I know that the job has been done properly
- I know that only the best quality parts have been used
- I have a much better idea of the condition of my car, i.e. I might spot other issues whilst doing a job that I will sort out before it results in problems.
- I save money
- I enjoy it
Apart from everything else there is a great sense of satisfaction from completing a job on your own car to a really good standard. Paying someone else to do a rushed, half arsed job just makes you feel poor and annoyed.
I did the welding on my 944, nowadays there is so much info online it cuts down on the trial and error, the results looked great, couldnt afford to send it in to have all that done, it isnt easy and the pros are masters but if you prepare stuff, take your time, listen to advice and practice you can do a pretty good job.
I would have a go at pretty much anything nowadays, my problem is not having a decent garage otherwise there would be a project in there, my next car may be something that needs an engine rebuild or has minor accident damage.
I would happily learn to weld and do that too but I have no garage (only a driveway), I think the neighbors would have even greater sense of humour failure if I was to start welding stuff on the driveway.
J4CKO said:
TurboHatchback said:
I do everything myself apart from welding and jobs which require expensive special tools that I will never use again. By doing this:
Apart from everything else there is a great sense of satisfaction from completing a job on your own car to a really good standard. Paying someone else to do a rushed, half arsed job just makes you feel poor and annoyed.
So many tools are available off Ebay etc these days, and usually the cost to buy it, do the job and have it for next time are still less than payign someone else to do it.- I know that the job has been done properly
- I know that only the best quality parts have been used
- I have a much better idea of the condition of my car, i.e. I might spot other issues whilst doing a job that I will sort out before it results in problems.
- I save money
- I enjoy it
Apart from everything else there is a great sense of satisfaction from completing a job on your own car to a really good standard. Paying someone else to do a rushed, half arsed job just makes you feel poor and annoyed.
I did the welding on my 944, nowadays there is so much info online it cuts down on the trial and error, the results looked great, couldnt afford to send it in to have all that done, it isnt easy and the pros are masters but if you prepare stuff, take your time, listen to advice and practice you can do a pretty good job.
I would have a go at pretty much anything nowadays, my problem is not having a decent garage otherwise there would be a project in there, my next car may be something that needs an engine rebuild or has minor accident damage.
Devil2575 said:
Prof Prolapse said:
Yeah I know what you mean. To me the biggest problem with home car mechanics is the access. I think the last two calipers I removed I ended up with massive extensions on 19" bars and a blow torch. Very time consuming and awkward. Same with most suspension and exhaust parts, takes 3 hours to get the buggers off and 3 minutes to fit the new ones.
What are you guys doing to your cars?I've done loads of sets of discs and pads and never had massive problems getting calipers off. Brake pads need replacing regularly enough to mean that the bolts shouldn't have been left untouched for years, unlike some on the suspension...
The one I'm thinking of was a 21 year old VW Golf with "pattern" aftermarket bolts throughout left standing for a long time. I had to re do all the suspension components in the front and tie rods due to rot. One of the worst jobs I've done. I was sat in the snow until I started to pass out and had to drive to work on the Monday.
I was only on 17K so had the wrong tools and couldn't afford to pay anyone either. So no angle grinder, just a hacksaw and s
t loads of "special tools", that I painstakingly improvised from drilled box spanners and bolts.Thank f
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