Spannering - what got you started?

[Smiljan]

Matt Harper said:

A distinct lack of money to pay someone else to do it.

Same here.

[SAS Tom]

Firstly it was realising how crap most “mechanics” are. I got sick of paying what was a fortune to me at the time for someone not to do a job properly.

Started with an oil change and have done various jobs on motorbikes/cars over the years. I’ve also found a few good mechanics so if I can’t do/can’t be bothered to do something I usually take it to them and do it with their help.

[768]

I like understanding how the things I own work. It reduces stress when you need something doing and you can diy it without taking time off work. I have my limits though and the balance tends to shift away for the bigger stuff. Tends to give you an understanding of what the job looks like when it's done well too and lets you pick the better quality parts when desirable.

That it's cheaper doesn't get me too far because the savings have a habit of getting spent on more tools but at least I get a stash of tools which in my head is cost neutral.

[DWDarkWheels]

30 years ago I was chatting to a work colleague who was building a kitcar. A what? A car you build yourself. This was news to me and it sounded very cool.

I became intrigued and wanted to build one, but had zero spannering experience. He advised me to fiddle with some cheap motor for experience. I bought a Mk2 Escort, rebuilt the engine and tidied it up. Since then I've built/rebuilt 9 kitcars, done 2 campervan conversions and done most of the work on our own cars.

[ChocolateFrog]

Holding the torch for dad.

Then as a teenager he got me one of the Halfords advanced socket sets with lifetime guarantee. I'm not far off 40 now and it's still my go to. Even have the piece of foam that stops the bits falling out when you carry it.

Best present ever.

[Skyedriver]

Necessity.

[underwhelmist]

SturdyHSV said:

I generally work on the (foolhardy) principle that a person put it together, so a person can take it apart again, it's just nuts and bolts after all...

This is what I finally realised. I realised that engines etc can be complicated, but the people who assemble and maintain these things aren't some sort of super evolved race, they just have the right tools and the workshop manual.

finishing touch said:

I built my first vehicle. Running gear by Silver Cross, bodywork by Jaffa.

Steering was via a 6 x 3/8" bolt. Thread was a bit rusty so had to borrow a spanner to put the nut on.


Paul G

My dad helped me build (read: he built) me something similar. I promptly sought out the steepest slope I could find. Nearly killed me. I think mum nearly killed him

GAjon said:

Spinning off the circuit at Bruntinthorpe many years ago, I thought , if I’m going to do this on a regular basis I’d better know what’s underneath me.

Was it at the end of the big 180 turn leading onto the two mile straight? I've spun off there too, in a formula 3000 type single seater on a Jonathan Palmer day. Unfortunately it wasn't my car. Fortunately I didn't have to pay for the damage.

SAS Tom said:

Firstly it was realising how crap most “mechanics” are. I got sick of paying what was a fortune to me at the time for someone not to do a job properly.
.

Hmm, yes, I certainly understand that.

ChocolateFrog said:

Holding the torch for dad.

Then as a teenager he got me one of the Halfords advanced socket sets with lifetime guarantee. I'm not far off 40 now and it's still my go to. Even have the piece of foam that stops the bits falling out when you carry it.

Best present ever.

Awesome. Now I think of it my dad was also instrumental in getting me interested in not just cars, but *how things work*.

[VanDiesel99]

similar for me, lack of cash, bad experiences with the 'Professionals' and even, in common with another poster; a 1973 Viva

I'd also been maintaining my own bicycles as a nipper and I took the 'its all nuts & bolts' type of view.... transferable knowledge; which was a bit naive at the time; I had a lot to learn... and still do

...but I'm looking forward to 100,000 miles and 10 years with a car that cost me £500 back in 2011, which made it my most expensive ever; circumstances have dictated that in the course of a 33 year driving career; I've always run snotters

[ARHarh]

started out servicing may dads cars at 12 years old. He taught me what to do and supervised me the first few times then left me too it. I now know why he wanted the cars serviced cheaply and didn't want to do it himself. this was in 1976. I have just serviced his Freelander for him the other week. I have since done all kinds of stuff with cars. These days I prefer to do most repairs or maintenance myself, be it cars, houses anything really. The few times I have paid someone to do something it has not been as easy as it should have been.

[Gerradi]

In the 60's my Father rented a garage where he used to work on motorbikes, G11 Matchless, BSA Golden Flash & a Triumph Speed twin. I used to watch & hand spanners etc & as time went on got to fit the parts, he was a rated 1st Class Air mechanic in the Royal Navy working on a Aircraft Carrier , for the Royal Navy working on Hurricaine subs , Fairy Swordfish & because one he was sank was transferred to a Canadian Ship he was able to work on American planes as well. All this led to him being meticulous in his work, which in turn led to lots of young bikers around the area visiting Dads garage with their AJS, BSA , Triumph & Nortons to name a few ...most had clip ons & megaphones ha ha. Thats how I got started then to cap it all my sister dated & married a guy who owned a National Garage where I used to have a Saturday job in the workshop learning all about Hardy spicer joints etc ha ha , really thought I was technical when fitting needle roler bearing in a top end of a Yamaha ...great days!!

[Bone Rat]

Being a broke student in 1980 and being 'gifted' a 5 year old Fiat 128. Already on second set of wings and driver's door. The combination of 70s Italian 'steel' and wayward electrics meant it would have spent all it's life and my grant in some garage

Became the local Subject Matter Expert on Isopon and pop rivets. I look back on the rewiring with shame, every gauge under the sun, Harry Moss pendulum alarm, spotlights. All wired with the same pale green bulk buy wire and scotchloks.

[Oldandslow]

Matt Harper said:

A distinct lack of money to pay someone else to do it.

This. Although having developed a crippling addiction to buying shiny new tools I often wonder if the financials actually support that.

[markcoznottz]

Oldandslow said:

Matt Harper said:

A distinct lack of money to pay someone else to do it.

This. Although having developed a crippling addiction to buying shiny new tools I often wonder if the financials actually support that.

The numbers don’t really add up if you are spending on bling. The answer is don’t, buy old stuff like britool etc, which is being weighed in at scrap yards by the bucket full. You also need to walk away and be sure the job is safely done.

[AW111]

SturdyHSV said:

Same here, but it wasn't until I actually got the car I wanted (Monaro) that I got involved, my first Clio was very much just used and abused.

So since owning that car I've gone from being cautious and unsure about replacing the air filter, to this:



I've always wanted to build an engine, so here goes!

I generally work on the (foolhardy) principle that a person put it together, so a person can take it apart again, it's just nuts and bolts after all... Have also found the more tools you acquire over time, the easier jobs become, and crucially, if you find yourself thinking "I could take that off and it'd make access easier, but this way will save some time" it absolutely will not, it will be far quicker to take said bit off than to fiddle fk your way around in the name of 'saving time'.

I'm currently actively ignoring my own advice by not removing the gearbox and then the bellhousing from the engine, and instead just separating the engine from the bellhousing because I don't want to remove the prop / interior trim / gearbox as I've done it before and it's a nuisance and I'd have to refill the gearbox and don't have a transmission jack etc.

I'm definitely going to save some time...

I started with my first car as a broke 18 year old, and started with basic servicing : oil, filters, plugs, belts etc.

I've done most things on my cars over the years, but there are some jobs I've done once, and enjoyed knowing I can do it, but happily handed over to an expert next time.

Engine and head rebuilds fall into that category for me.

Imagine shimming a 20 valve four cylinder. The shims live under buckets, so it's

Measure all the clearances,
Take the cam out,
Measure and label all the shims ,
Calculate which ones can be swapped around and which new shims to buy
Swap all the shims around,
Replace the cam,
and measure again.

The experts get it right first time, and make it look easy. I did it once, and got it right, but both cams went in and out a few times.

[SturdyHSV]

AW111 said:

I started with my first car as a broke 18 year old, and started with basic servicing : oil, filters, plugs, belts etc.

I've done most things on my cars over the years, but there are some jobs I've done once, and enjoyed knowing I can do it, but happily handed over to an expert next time.

Engine and head rebuilds fall into that category for me.

Imagine shimming a 20 valve four cylinder. The shims live under buckets, so it's

Measure all the clearances,
Take the cam out,
Measure and label all the shims ,
Calculate which ones can be swapped around and which new shims to buy
Swap all the shims around,
Replace the cam,
and measure again.

The experts get it right first time, and make it look easy. I did it once, and got it right, but both cams went in and out a few times.

Yeah I can imagine that'd be a nuisance, and I suspect filing piston rings will get a bit less 'exciting' once I'm 20 or so in

Likewise measuring main / rod bearing clearances etc. although I'm going to be so precious about them perhaps the tension will make the time go quickly

LS valvetrain is lovely and simple at least

[Moz_BLY]

12 year old passing uncle spanners etc replacing an engine on the back street (things were easy back then),
fast forward 24 years and still in garage weeknights and weekends just fiddling around.
money not an issue, some dozy mechanics put you off but there are good ones out there.
wouldnt ever pay for basic like services, brakes, suspension.

[underwhelmist]

AW111 said:

Imagine shimming a 20 valve four cylinder. The shims live under buckets, so it's

Measure all the clearances,
Take the cam out,
Measure and label all the shims ,
Calculate which ones can be swapped around and which new shims to buy
Swap all the shims around,
Replace the cam,
and measure again.

The experts get it right first time, and make it look easy. I did it once, and got it right, but both cams went in and out a few times.

Oddly enough I used to have a five valve bike - a Japanese import Yamaha FZR750. I was never brave enough to do the valve clearances, which seems a bit daft now because I did the clearances on a 4 valve 4 cyl no problem, it only needed one shim changed though.

Moz_BLY said:

wouldnt ever pay for basic like services, brakes, suspension.

I've worked on bike suspension but not cars, that's on my to do list. I think I might need to treat myself to an impact wrench first though.

[Darkslider]

ChocolateFrog said:

Holding the torch for dad.

Then as a teenager he got me one of the Halfords advanced socket sets with lifetime guarantee. I'm not far off 40 now and it's still my go to. Even have the piece of foam that stops the bits falling out when you carry it.

Best present ever.

I've you're not far off 40 it'll be Halfords Professional he bought you, they only changed the name (and reduced the quality) to Advanced maybe 10 years ago or so. My dad bought me a top chest with Halfords Pro tools when I was 17 (circa 2006) and when I went to buy the bottom roll cab to go with it a year or two later it had been changed from pro to advanced and was obviously not up to the same standard. I remember being peeved at the time and it's obviously stuck in my mind

[AW111]

SturdyHSV said:

Yeah I can imagine that'd be a nuisance, and I suspect filing piston rings will get a bit less 'exciting' once I'm 20 or so in

Likewise measuring main / rod bearing clearances etc. although I'm going to be so precious about them perhaps the tension will make the time go quickly

LS valvetrain is lovely and simple at least

Good on you for doing it, and you've got twice as many pistons, rings, and bearings as me!.

It's the sort of job that I can say I'm glad I did it, and got it right, but I'm happy to leave to a trustworthy specialist next time, unless money is short or I'm in the mood.
But it's very nice to know you can do it. Even with much anxious checking of the manual.

I still do servicing & maintenance eg. rebuilt the front suspension & rack the other year at home, and did a full wheel alignment. That was fun, but the alignment took ages, so again I'll pay an expert next time.

Somehow for me having done something myself gives me a better picture of what exactly I'm paying the expert to do, and whether the cost is worth the hassle saved.
For basic stuff like an oil change on either of my cars, I can't justify paying someone else to do it.





Back on general spannering:
Getting started - it helps to have grown up around tools, and learned to use them.

Keeping going - it helps to have a mechanic mate or two : it's sometimes reassuring to have an expert available, with a wider range of tools than I have.
It also helps if you can get parts at trade price.

[devnull]

My dad was a mechanic, I genuinely found it interesting. My skills in spannering have extended into vehicle electronic diagnosis which crosses over nicely with my IT career.

Plus it has saved me a massive amount over the years in both time and money, and I know the job is done to my satisfaction.