How to teach oneself mechanics?

[vit4]

This might sound like a bit of a silly question, but I'm not sure where to start really. I was wondering how other home-modifiers/self-servicers (can't think of the proper term ) learnt?

I really do want to teach myself mechanics and car modifying, but money is very tight (as in, everything is down to the penny at the moment ). The garage I use are so cheap for servicing my daily I'd rather just let them do it and know it's been done properly; by the time I've paid for parts and inevitable rectifications I really wouldn't be any better off! In addition I guess I'm lucky in that the car has so far only thrown up very small jobs for me to do myself; IE the odd hose change and subsequent coolant replacement etc. Nothing big. I can do oil & filter changes but that's about it.


I have the garage space available so was thinking when cashflow is a bit better I might get something like a £200 'spares or repair' jobby and punt it on once I've repaired it; eg a Rover with HGF, nothing too big. Is this a decent idea? Just looking for how other people did it!

[MadRob6]

I learnt by just tinkering and fixing the odd things armed with a Haynes manual. Gradually worked my way up to larger stuff, increased my tool collection and now I'm fixing up an old Porsche 944 and have discovered that Haynes manuals for that are pish.

[Jayho]

As I was reading through your post I was actually thinking of a Rover with HGF!

Another one seems to be old pugs, quite a few of my school friends had pugs and did a lot of their work themselves armed with a garage, haynes manual and a good set of tools.

[steveo3002]

could see if anyone local would watch over you /give advice as you work , maybe let them fix their own car undercover at yours in return if they dont have thier own garage

[shalmaneser]

vit4 said:

This might sound like a bit of a silly question, but I'm not sure where to start really. I was wondering how other home-modifiers/self-servicers (can't think of the proper term ) learnt?

I really do want to teach myself mechanics and car modifying, but money is very tight (as in, everything is down to the penny at the moment ). The garage I use are so cheap for servicing my daily I'd rather just let them do it and know it's been done properly; by the time I've paid for parts and inevitable rectifications I really wouldn't be any better off! In addition I guess I'm lucky in that the car has so far only thrown up very small jobs for me to do myself; IE the odd hose change and subsequent coolant replacement etc. Nothing big. I can do oil & filter changes but that's about it.


I have the garage space available so was thinking when cashflow is a bit better I might get something like a £200 'spares or repair' jobby and punt it on once I've repaired it; eg a Rover with HGF, nothing too big. Is this a decent idea? Just looking for how other people did it!

A) It can't be as cheap as doing it yourself, and B) Stop being lazy and using poor excuses! Do it yourself! ;-)

[R1 CKY]

Haynes manual, decent set of sockets and spanners and have a bash yourself.

The only time I've sent a car to be serviced is when I had a BMW with a Warranty.

I learnt most of what I know (which isn't much) on my school work experience, you can't beat hands on experience. I also had a MK2 Golf when I was 16 with HGF, my Dad stripped it down, got bored of it, then I rebuilt it.

Maybe ask your local if you could help out FOC on a Saturday.

[Jayho]

R1 CKY said:

I learnt most of what I know (which isn't much) on my school work experience, you can't beat hands on experience.

A friend of mine had work experience around that age with a garage. He said the experience was just arriving in the morning, being taken to a car and told "change that cambelt", here's all the tools you need, you've got X amount of time. He actually got it done, even though going in clueless, and the guy just came back to check he was doing it right every 5-10 mins.

[R1 CKY]

I arrived on my first day at a scrapyard and was told "Take these tools and strip this engine".

Had great fun stripping a 6 cylinder diesel engine, that had thrown a rod, down to nothing!

[J4CKO]

I agree ont he Sockets/Haynes approach but I think a lot of people would give up when presented with a stuck on anti roll bar drop link bolt, I think a little tuition or time spent with a mechanic, perhaps at a nigthschool course would do wonders, few tricks of the trade and avoid the obvious pitfalls.

Main thing is safety, never, ever go under a car that is on a jack , you will die, slowly, Axle stands and preferably something else like the wheels or some ramps so if it does fall off it doesnt kill you, also get some protective goggles for drilling, gringing or anything like that, working on cars can be really dangerous, look at a mechinics hands, most have black fingernails, scars or fresh wounds.

Use the internet, there is usually a video, a photo guide or some description of what needs doing for a specific job, if not join and create a thread on a marque specific forum, amazing the info people will give out for free.

Buy a spares or repair/MOT fail and get it through an MOT.

[MadRob6]

J4CKO said:

working on cars can be really dangerous, look at a mechinics hands, most have black fingernails, scars or fresh wounds.

Definitely, my hands currently look like I've been rummaging around in a bucket of razor blades.

[J4CKO]

MadRob6 said:

J4CKO said:

working on cars can be really dangerous, look at a mechinics hands, most have black fingernails, scars or fresh wounds.

Definitely, my hands currently look like I've been rummaging around in a bucket of razor blades.

Lol, me too, nice graze on my knuckle and the ends of two fingers a bit managled but that was falling off my bike this morning

[SlowStig]

The way I learned was by breaking stuff and trying to put it back together again....

I started off with a haynes and an old socket set which was past it's best and now had a stload of halfords professional tools, axle stands, trolly jacks, torque wrench etc. I started off doing the small stuff first and built up, I tried to keep with the same brand just so then I can learn the basics which then can be applied to any engine should I require to work on one.

Rover K-series are my engine of choice due to simplicity, cheapness and the multiple cars which came with them! Have already done a few engine conversions and have a VVC engine sat in my garage to drop into my metro in a few weeks. Just get a decent set of tools, Halfords advanced is really good but make sure you buy them in the many sales they are in, trolly jack and axle stands from aldi/lidl and just simple fluids like WD40, penetration fluid(giggity) and a bloody big hammer to delicately adjust things with.

[davepoth]

I'd echo the above. It was put together by people, it must be possible to take it apart and put it back together again.

Just make sure the car is secure before you get under it, and make sure you have containers available to catch oil/petrol/brake fluid before they stain your driveway. Not that I would know anything about that...