mkast
Lieutenant Commander
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2002
- Messages
- 1,934
This is an article I read by Ray Bohacz, published in the technical section of a vehicle monthly.
For those of you without the where with all to understand why it was posted, when you see "car", THINK "boat".
The query:
....the problem is, that's pretty much the sum total of my knowledge and ability under the hood.
I'm anxious to learn more, but unfortunately, right now my schedule and budget do not allow for something like taking a vocational class. I am wondering if maybe there is a good DVD series available on the basics of engine tuning and repair for a novice like me? I've done a lot of looking online, and so far have drawn a blank, so any recommendations you could make would be a big help and much appreciated.
The response:
Yours is a common question that I have been asked over the years. But the real question is, how much do you want to learn, and what commitment are you willing to make? Simply put, working on cars is a trade. As with any skill, a novice cannot learn it from a DVD or book. Your education begins with learning about tools and how to properly use them. When you were a kid, did you have any interest in how mechanical things worked? Did you ever take them apart? Are you just as interested in how a washing machine bearing functions as how a wheel bearing on your Pontiac works? Mechanical theory is shared by all devices and is not much different in most applications. If you know how to properly change spark plugs on a Briggs and Stratton lawnmower engine, then you could do the same job on a piston aircraft engine. Proper mechanical procedure is what you need to learn-then you can apply it to your Pontiac. Most people who do not have an understanding of proper procedure usually take a simple task and turn it into a nightmare by breaking something, stripping threads or the like. I have seen this many times.
Once you learn procedure, you will need to learn how the systems in a car function. You can't fix something if you have no idea how it works. This will take many years of mistakes, reading, asking questions, finding out that the person you asked knew less than you, and so on. It is a learning process that will span a lifetime. Please do not interpret this to mean that you cannot achieve your goal - I believe nothing is further from the truth. I have the highest regard for those who want to learn. I only want to point out that from your letter, I got the impression that you may believe it is easier than it actually is. I do not want to lead you astray.
For example, I have worked on mechanical things my entire life, starting with an old lawnmower engine. My dad was very mechanically minded, and being on the family farm, we were surrounded by apparatuses that needed maintenance and repair. I was able to see that the skill needed to remove a rusted bolt, adjust the valves or set the carburetor on an Oliver Row Crop 70 tractor was no different than the skill needed to perform the same task on a 1968 Dodge Dart. There were some differences, such as the working space, part or system design, and so on, but the basics were the same.
A good suggestion might be to place an advertisement and see if you can hire a retired mechanic (make sure that he is good; there are a lot of clunkers who call themselves mechanics) to mentor you through different tasks. For example, if you want to remove the distributor from your Pontiac, he can work alongside you and instruct and watch so you do not get into too much trouble. But you are going to need to get into some trouble-that is the only way you will learn. If he is a good teacher, he will explain what you are trying to accomplish and then how to do the task. Once your skill level and confidence improve, he should booby-trap the car and have you get out of the jam. For example, pull the distributor out and then crank the engine over a few revolutions so you need to locate TDC and install the distributor.
I wish you luck.
For those of you without the where with all to understand why it was posted, when you see "car", THINK "boat".
The query:
....the problem is, that's pretty much the sum total of my knowledge and ability under the hood.
I'm anxious to learn more, but unfortunately, right now my schedule and budget do not allow for something like taking a vocational class. I am wondering if maybe there is a good DVD series available on the basics of engine tuning and repair for a novice like me? I've done a lot of looking online, and so far have drawn a blank, so any recommendations you could make would be a big help and much appreciated.
The response:
Yours is a common question that I have been asked over the years. But the real question is, how much do you want to learn, and what commitment are you willing to make? Simply put, working on cars is a trade. As with any skill, a novice cannot learn it from a DVD or book. Your education begins with learning about tools and how to properly use them. When you were a kid, did you have any interest in how mechanical things worked? Did you ever take them apart? Are you just as interested in how a washing machine bearing functions as how a wheel bearing on your Pontiac works? Mechanical theory is shared by all devices and is not much different in most applications. If you know how to properly change spark plugs on a Briggs and Stratton lawnmower engine, then you could do the same job on a piston aircraft engine. Proper mechanical procedure is what you need to learn-then you can apply it to your Pontiac. Most people who do not have an understanding of proper procedure usually take a simple task and turn it into a nightmare by breaking something, stripping threads or the like. I have seen this many times.
Once you learn procedure, you will need to learn how the systems in a car function. You can't fix something if you have no idea how it works. This will take many years of mistakes, reading, asking questions, finding out that the person you asked knew less than you, and so on. It is a learning process that will span a lifetime. Please do not interpret this to mean that you cannot achieve your goal - I believe nothing is further from the truth. I have the highest regard for those who want to learn. I only want to point out that from your letter, I got the impression that you may believe it is easier than it actually is. I do not want to lead you astray.
For example, I have worked on mechanical things my entire life, starting with an old lawnmower engine. My dad was very mechanically minded, and being on the family farm, we were surrounded by apparatuses that needed maintenance and repair. I was able to see that the skill needed to remove a rusted bolt, adjust the valves or set the carburetor on an Oliver Row Crop 70 tractor was no different than the skill needed to perform the same task on a 1968 Dodge Dart. There were some differences, such as the working space, part or system design, and so on, but the basics were the same.
A good suggestion might be to place an advertisement and see if you can hire a retired mechanic (make sure that he is good; there are a lot of clunkers who call themselves mechanics) to mentor you through different tasks. For example, if you want to remove the distributor from your Pontiac, he can work alongside you and instruct and watch so you do not get into too much trouble. But you are going to need to get into some trouble-that is the only way you will learn. If he is a good teacher, he will explain what you are trying to accomplish and then how to do the task. Once your skill level and confidence improve, he should booby-trap the car and have you get out of the jam. For example, pull the distributor out and then crank the engine over a few revolutions so you need to locate TDC and install the distributor.
I wish you luck.
