between the Ford Barn, HAMB, & Iron Trap Garage, i may actually be learning something. old dogs/ new tricks - HAH! thanks to all who contribute to the knowledge base. sid
I've found that working on stuff is the best way to develop mechanical comprehension. Get your hands dirty every day
If you are looking for info on how to do a specific mechanical task, before you jump in, search UTube Videos and you can often get some helpful info on exactly what you want to do. Then getem greasy.
My dad: I've been working on my own cars and boats since I was a kid. And now I know enough to REALLY screw shit up... Lol, same for me.
From the grumpy old man that was one of many mentors to me often said "Get out there and f*ck something up, then learn how to fix it. Reading the how to fix it from a book is for pu**ies. Those books are written by someone that never really fixed anything, they are only telling you they way something was designed to be fixed and are often not connected with reality. Hands on experience is the very best teacher." Its a hard way to learn, but often you can find people that have actually done what you need to do. Their guidance, often given gruffly, is the result of years of experience showing you how not to make the same mistakes they learned the hard way.
Dragged home a hacked up Morris Minor. Had two more brought in for parts; one almost as hacked up as my 2 door. Joined two forums and read fifteen years' worth of posts to gather as much information as I could... Got the front subframe in and welded up; waiting on better weather to paint and install the glass. Jumped feet first into this one almost without any prior Morris experience. Plenty of old American cars, some other British, Italian and German stuff. Doesn't matter; tools all work the same way, engines got to have spark air and fuel, steel is steel....
As someone who wrote some instructions after a career in shops, I'll say that the instructions are written for someone who has some experience and knowledge, is working on new components and is the bare minimum to do the task. If it was written for someone who couldn't spot a three quarter inch bolt and figure out if a wrench or socket worked better, didn't realize it was rusty and/or rounded, and had no idea of every possible safety issue, it would take an encyclopedia for changing oil! That's why threads like the Tricks & Tips is so useful. Things like if you are removing a wheel and the last lug won't break free like the others, stop, tighten up the two on each side to relieve some of the tension and then try again. Once it's explained, it makes sense, but you have to either have a mentor, read it and retain it or give it a try if you can puzzle this out. The more you try things, the more success and failure you experience. Both are learning examples. Another is to remove the hardest bolt first, the easiest last. That way the other bolts hold the item in place. This applies to so many tasks it's never written, it's like explaining how to hold a wrench.
My dad had a tongue in cheek saying- Not everybody’s as smart as we are. One of our sons has three boys, each different in their own way. The oldest is a tech geek, middle one is a sports jock and the youngest has an innate mechanical aptitude. All great kids but I see them taking vastly different career paths, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
i've long believed that. the instructions on a wrapper of roof shingles are exactly how to do it, but if the user cannot interpret them, well, we've got Lexonite in 5 gallon buckets. rest of your post is sage advice; thanks.
i worked with a shipwright in the mid seventies, he was approaching that, too, and Henry would tell me "you'll catch on if you live long enough." i'm getting onto that age bracket and i guess i've become like everyone else in the world. some things i know, and some i don't.
Our product wasn't a parts store DIY manual, it was sold to professional shops. The most infamous call-in at that job was the guy who looked up the number, called, got transferred to the help desk and complained that our manual didn't tell him what the location was for a driveshaft on a full size Dodge Truck. I am not kidding.
Still have a Motobecaine (pardon the spelling) in the basement. Club racer from back in my youth. That righty loosy on the bottom bracket took me by surprise… when I built my own bicycle, I used a proper English assembly, righty tighty, etc. both are over 45 years old and still in good condition. Me, not so much
"Refer to workshop manual"- The more times you read it, the more you realize you understand what they are talking about, after working on cars for many years. Things which were explained in good detail in the book were mis-understood when I was a young-un, so things would get done half-way then bodged up to finish so I would end up with a mechanically sound, but still half-assed repair, just enough to get you by. It's when you do the same job, maybe on a completely different car, that you see how most things are the same, and you go through the system part by part to isolate the problem, then you think "THAT'S what they were talking about in the manual 15 years ago!" Generally Hot Rodders will be able to repair most things in the house or shop, or have a good idea what the problem is, even if they don't want to repair it themselves. I know some people my age who still don't own any tools, not even a basic "kiddies set". They do however, have 15 TV remotes!
I find this works for me. Practice with robust eternal curiosity to keep learning. With lots of practice you gain experience. After a long span in time of experience you gain wisdom. I feel as though I am not at the wisdom stage yet We all remain a student don't we ?
My M.O. was growing, up any appliance or power tool, unprotected got taken apart by me. Then I would do my best to make them work again. My stepdad had to rescue me at times. Age 14 He pulled me under the hood of his '53 Ford, for a valve job. Two years later we tackled king pins. Ooops forgot to mention a master key. A very excellent Physics teacher. He knew how to make me pay attention.
The Jalopy Journal
