I want to be an auto mechanic (sort of)

[DaFunkyUnit]

Hello G|A?'ers,

I'm quite interested in learning more about fixing up cars. Right now, my only experience with servicing cars is changing oil and replacing the windshield wipers. :rolleyes: My goal is to eventually be able to do relatively simple procedures, like just swapping parts out (ie. wheels, exhaust system, etc...) w/o having to take the car to a mechanic. I'd figure it would be a fun side-project thing to know, plus it'll save some money.

So whats a good way to go about learning how to do all of that? Plus, what are the basic tools that every mechanic needs?

[mechmike0034]

Take an "Intro to Auto Repair" course at your local community college...

Find an enthusiast's group for your make/model of car and see if they have get-togethers or tech days.

A good basic Craftsman hand tool set from Sears is a good start.

[Showtime]

I do all the basic stuff myself usually(oil, fluids, brakes, electrical) and I don't consider myself mechanically inclined. Friday I changed the alternator/battery on my expedition. It was easy since it sits so high.

My grandfather had a garage and my dad and uncles all know basic to advanced car repair. I just know to keep my eyes open and to try to remember how I took it apart. Also do research or work with someone who knows what they are doing on things that are new to you.

[attgig]

i'm in a similar boat, and i pretty much got a haynes manual with basic tools. doing fluids, but i'd like to change the timing belt, fuel filter, and do other normally scheduled stuff on my own. haven't gotten there yet though =/

[Daedalus]

Take an "Intro to Auto Repair" course at your local community college...

Find an enthusiast's group for your make/model of car and see if they have get-togethers or tech days.

A good basic Craftsman hand tool set from Sears is a good start.
Really perfect advice.

The first car I could afford out of college had 176,000 miles. And I soon found out why I could afford it. I became a shade-tree tech out of necessity but I always enjoyed the work, even today. I've pulled and broken down engines, done timing belts and chains, replaced every strut, bushing and ball joint in a suspension, replaced fuel, power steering, water, and oil pumps, alternators and compressors...just about anything that is likely to fail at some point.

I became a member of an online enthusiasts group and eventually became a moderator for the "online mechanic" section. Unfortunately I had to give it up after a few years when I went back to school...not enough time in a day.

I took a couple classes at the local CC a few years back because, if nothing else, I got to use all their tools (mostly Snap-on) and a lift to work on my own car for 3 hours a week/14 weeks...all for a whopping $11 a credit at the time. I didn't think I would learn much, as I had been turning my own wrenches for years, but I learned quite a bit from the old salts. Little tricks on how to troubleshoot mostly that have saved me countless hours since. As soon as I'm done with school I plan to go back...transmissions still remain daunting black boxes to me.

When you first start wrenching it isn't quite as cheap or as time-saving as you expect. There's *always* some tool or some part that you forgot you needed and don't have. It took a long time before I didn't have to run to Sears, Pep Boys or the dealership every single time I got under the hood. Much easier now...but I do have upward of $10k in tools and garage equipment. May seem like a lot, but a good tech can easily have over $50k in tools alone. They tend to buy top shelf stuff of course. Also, have a contingency plan in case the car is down for longer than you expected. If you need to get to work and your car doesn't run because you broke a part that has to be shipped in from out of state, you're hosed.

Sears tools are excellent value for occasional use. Buy what you need, but keep in mind they get a LOT more expensive once you're buying individual sockets and drivers. Compare the costs of a set of tools to the equivalent set one piece at a time. If you're serious about becoming a DIYer then consider buying the biggest set you can. The free replacement warranty is very nice.
I also use Harbor Freight impact sockets and some of their cheaper stuff I don't often use (thread gauges, brushes, coolant hygrometer, panel removal tools). I used to be embarrassed to say it, but believe it or not the Taiwanese "crap" has gotten a lot better recently. I've never broken a HF impact socket, and if I do, no big deal--it was cheap.
Fastener tools are either SAE (English) or metric. You don't have to buy both if you only have Japanese or European cars. Some American cars use mostly metric, and some are all SAE.

My favorite tools and stuff I didn't realize I would use so often:
Jointed sockets
Gear wrenches (get reversible ones, or you could find yourself backed up in a corner with few options)
Extendable mirrors and magnetic pick-up tools
Flashlights of all shapes and sizes, and regular and UV light
PB Blaster

If you only adhere to one rule, this is the one: DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, GET UNDER A VEHICLE SUPPORTED ONLY BY A JACK. Obey this rule always, even if it's just to grab a socket that rolled away. Use stands and rock the car at its corners with all your might to make sure it isn't going anywhere before getting under it. Actually, there's a second rule that is even more likely to become relevant: USE EYE PROTECTION. This one I follow whenever I get under a car or use compressed air and/or pneumatic tools. Get in the habit of reaching for glasses beforehand. I once forgot and had a socket fly off my impact gun and split open my lip--blood everywhere. I would have lost an eye if it had hit me 4" higher up.

[uncledaddy]

Really perfect advice.

The first car I could afford out of college had 176,000 miles. And I soon found out why I could afford it. I became a shade-tree tech out of necessity but I always enjoyed the work, even today. I've pulled and broken down engines, done timing belts and chains, replaced every strut, bushing and ball joint in a suspension, replaced fuel, power steering, water, and oil pumps, alternators and compressors...just about anything that is likely to fail at some point.

I became a member of an online enthusiasts group and eventually became a moderator for the "online mechanic" section. Unfortunately I had to give it up after a few years when I went back to school...not enough time in a day.

I took a couple classes at the local CC a few years back because, if nothing else, I got to use all their tools (mostly Snap-on) and a lift to work on my own car for 3 hours a week/14 weeks...all for a whopping $11 a credit at the time. I didn't think I would learn much, as I had been turning my own wrenches for years, but I learned quite a bit from the old salts. Little tricks on how to troubleshoot mostly that have saved me countless hours since. As soon as I'm done with school I plan to go back...transmissions still remain daunting black boxes to me.

When you first start wrenching it isn't quite as cheap or as time-saving as you expect. There's *always* some tool or some part that you forgot you needed and don't have. It took a long time before I didn't have to run to Sears, Pep Boys or the dealership every single time I got under the hood. Much easier now...but I do have upward of $10k in tools and garage equipment. May seem like a lot, but a good tech can easily have over $50k in tools alone. They tend to buy top shelf stuff of course. Also, have a contingency plan in case the car is down for longer than you expected. If you need to get to work and your car doesn't run because you broke a part that has to be shipped in from out of state, you're hosed.

Sears tools are excellent value for occasional use. Buy what you need, but keep in mind they get a LOT more expensive once you're buying individual sockets and drivers. Compare the costs of a set of tools to the equivalent set one piece at a time. If you're serious about becoming a DIYer then consider buying the biggest set you can. The free replacement warranty is very nice.
I also use Harbor Freight impact sockets and some of their cheaper stuff I don't often use (thread gauges, brushes, coolant hygrometer, panel removal tools). I used to be embarrassed to say it, but believe it or not the Taiwanese "crap" has gotten a lot better recently. I've never broken a HF impact socket, and if I do, no big deal--it was cheap.
Fastener tools are either SAE (English) or metric. You don't have to buy both if you only have Japanese or European cars. Some American cars use mostly metric, and some are all SAE.

My favorite tools and stuff I didn't realize I would use so often:
Jointed sockets
Gear wrenches (get reversible ones, or you could find yourself backed up in a corner with few options)
Extendable mirrors and magnetic pick-up tools
Flashlights of all shapes and sizes, and regular and UV light
PB Blaster

If you only adhere to one rule, this is the one: DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, GET UNDER A VEHICLE SUPPORTED ONLY BY A JACK. Obey this rule always, even if it's just to grab a socket that rolled away. Use stands and rock the car at its corners with all your might to make sure it isn't going anywhere before getting under it. Actually, there's a second rule that is even more likely to become relevant: USE EYE PROTECTION. This one I follow whenever I get under a car or use compressed air and/or pneumatic tools. Get in the habit of reaching for glasses beforehand. I once forgot and had a socket fly off my impact gun and split open my lip--blood everywhere. I would have lost an eye if it had hit me 4" higher up.

More perfect advice.

You may also check your local ROP for classes. They are free.

Although I learned much from my father who was an analyst in the motor pool for the U.S. Air Force I attended a vocational college for basic auto mechanics to obtain a degree to go pro. And believe me all the usable knowledge came from the field (although I did go to my local CC for advanced certs in electrical and computer diagnostics). I have $80k + invested in tools and equiptment.

The best advice has already been mentioned. But I feel a need to stress more the importance of safety.

A reiteration of what Daedalus mentioned.

1.) A good pair of safety goggles.
2.) Vehicle jack stands rated for weight of vehicle being lifted.

Also:

3.) You may want to wear nitrile/latex gloves when working on your vehicle. And rubber gloves when working with parts cleaners. Chemicals and grease are hell on the skin, plus it makes hand cleaning easier. No grease left under nails and cuticles.
4.) Hard closed toed shoes. Preferably steel toed. Dropping an engine part on the foot sucks.
5.) You should also consider ear protection if working with pneumatic tools. Plugs or phones. Some pneumatic tools (like CP) are not so bad, but a good Ingersoll will pierce the ears.
6.) And last but not least, always pay attention to your surroundings and whats going on.

I recently got out of the industry. I eventually became a transit mechanic and suffered a crushed left frontal orbital due to an impact by a torque multiplier at work last February. Screwed up my face pretty bad. So my lucky nephew now has $80k in tools to help him start his career, against my advise of course. Anyway, that's why I can't stress safety enough.

Whew! I'm long winded on this subject. :bigmouth: :)

[ShawnLee]

Wow, and I was happy with myself for knowing how to change the oil and air filters. Hahaha. :P

[johnnymk]

One of the most versatile tool sets ever made. Sears used to stock them. I got mine years ago for about $60. It's rugged and can be used on American and metric bolts/nuts.

When I go to the junkyard, this is the one I take.

Not cheap nowadays, and you can get more tools for the money.

http://cgi.ebay.com/62-pc-Metrinch-Combo-Spanner-Socket-Wrench-Set_W0QQitemZ260084660394QQihZ016QQcategoryZ23782QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

[DaFunkyUnit]

wow, and I was thinking that tinkering with cars would be the same as tinkering with PCs... guess its not that simple... :gle:

[mechmike0034]

Facts:

A PC won't kill you if it falls over on you while you're working on it...

Cars aren't anywhere near as generic as IBM Clone PCs. (I feel qualified to make that statement having worked on both...)

[Daedalus]

The community college route is probably the best way to go (Uncledaddy, what's ROP?). You get an on site expert, access to probably any tool/repair manual you could ever need, formal instruction, and plenty of time to get your hands dirty and figure out if it's something you want to pursue further. You can always take more than 1 class. A class for maintenance/tuning, a class to pound out the dents and repaint, a class to balance/align the wheels, etc. My local CC is now accepting fall applications and classes are only $20/credit. A 3-credit class costs the same as an hour of labor at a cheap independent!

[uncledaddy]

The community college route is probably the best way to go (Uncledaddy, what's ROP?). You get an on site expert, access to probably any tool/repair manual you could ever need, formal instruction, and plenty of time to get your hands dirty and figure out if it's something you want to pursue further. You can always take more than 1 class. A class for maintenance/tuning, a class to pound out the dents and repaint, a class to balance/align the wheels, etc. My local CC is now accepting fall applications and classes are only $20/credit. A 3-credit class costs the same as an hour of labor at a cheap independent!


Thought you had to have basic auto knowledge or actual shop experience to get into CC classes. I know the only way that I got into my advanced auto electrical and comp. diag. class was from my prior experience.

Oh, maybe advanced is the keyword. Anyway, Daedalus, ROP is Regional Occupation Program. Basic auto. With all of the same advantages as your local Community College except it's free. :)

But you know....maybe they only have that in large cities. San Diego here. :shrug:

[johnnymk]

The community college route is probably the best way to go (Uncledaddy, what's ROP?). You get an on site expert, access to probably any tool/repair manual you could ever need, formal instruction, and plenty of time to get your hands dirty and figure out if it's something you want to pursue further. You can always take more than 1 class. A class for maintenance/tuning, a class to pound out the dents and repaint, a class to balance/align the wheels, etc. My local CC is now accepting fall applications and classes are only $20/credit. A 3-credit class costs the same as an hour of labor at a cheap independent!

WOW !! Great deal