Learning more....

[sLADe781]

Alright guys, here's a newbie question for ya....how can a person learn more about cars? I know there's a ton of information online that could be read but sometimes it's hard to picture and apply the theory that's read to what happens in reality (for me at least). So yeah, I think might've found a shop that is willing to let me hang around the shop to watch the repairs and stuff. Any good you think? Better than nothing that's for sure but I'm hoping by being around the guys coupled with what I learn here would help me learn more.

[Linebckr49]

that's a GREAT way to learn more. the mechanics will show you how EASY most of it all is, and basically give you the confidence to do it yourself, having seen it done before. that's what i did for one summer, but i got paid to clean up messes, do crap work, run errands, and its always exciting to watch and help the mechanics.

no learning tool quite like experience.

[xXxRocker5150]

yeap, or you can start a project of buying a beater, taking apart, and putting it back together, which is what I plan do after I get myself settled in college.

[planet_keeper]

sometimes i wish that i had gone with something more of a project car cuz im really anal about the vr4 so im really hesitant to do anything to it. with a cheaper car i wouldnt care about messing up here and there as long as i was getting the job done.

[Linebckr49]

Originally Posted by planet_keeper

with a cheaper car i wouldnt care about messing up here and there as long as i was getting the job done.

anal? how so...?

messing up? only thing you can "mess up" on would be damaging a body panel or something thats difficult to repair. if you never mess up, then how will you learn? making mistakes is a good way to learn, too. i guess i "messed up" when installing my taller 5th gear. i was following these directions and i installed the gear like she did. come to find, it was installed backwards! and it wasn't coming off, see my troubles here. i was about to have to buy a new transmission, but i was determined to get the backwards gear off and turn it around. i fixed it. if you know what you're doing, or are at least rather informed/educated about the situation, use common sense, and ask for help when needed, then there's no problem you can't fix when you "mess up." its all about confidence, that's it.
-------[brief story]
so ya, my post last night at 4:25 AM central time was due to the fact that i was up all evening and late into the night working on my car and a friend's 3S. my car has been down for a week (and i'm finishing it today) for a lot of new parts (intrax springs, KYB gr-2 struts, ss braided brake lines, new front drivers fender, side skirt, bumper, taller 5th gear, MSD wires, NGK plat plugs...and i think i'm forgetting semething.

well on my friend's car, it wouldn't start AGAIN after replacing the timing tensioner (basic 60k service) 3 weeks ago. so it was out-of-time AGAIN due to re-using his bad timing tensioner.

so i found a timing tensioner of mine i replaced 3 yrs ago when i was doing the 60k (NOTE: always risky when re-using an old timing tensioner b/c it might fail, and then ur car won't start or worse. since its the crucial part of our engine, it should be replaced with a new OEM one.) but to save a few bucks, actually about 150 bucks, i decided to let him have and use my old tensioner and try it out. i'm ok with re-using this b/c when i replaced it, it was still good. but the car fired up last night and roared to life! his power was back after a quick few hard pulls down the residential side streets at 3:15 am , just to test her out.

but the most important thing is TODAY, we will check him timing again to see if its still in-time. if it is, then the timing tensioner is working....for now. if his car starts running crappy, looses considerable power, and falls prey to other symptoms, then we'll simply get an OEM new tensioner, throw it in, and that should solve his problem for a while.
--------[/brief story]
sorry about the story, but basically my point is that we've now done the timing service on his car twice. the first time my friend didn't have a clue what to do, so me and another guy basically did it for him while he watched and explained everything to him. this second time, i gave my friend more freedom and he just came to me with any questions while i was working on my car. he still didn't really know how to align the cam sprockets carefully w/o tearing his hands up , and setting the tensioner is quite difficult by yourself, a 3rd hand helps a LOT.

concluding, so IF his car gets out-of-time again, 1) he will know how to check the timing, 2) he will know how to remove and replace the tensioner, align the cams, set the tensioner, and do all the other little things, and 3) he'll know more about his car, how to diagnose, assess and repair it.....ALL from experience.

oh, and he will only be out $150 for a tensioner, after having performed about $2000 worth of labor in repeated services to his car...that's always a good feeling to know that you save a LOT of money by doing it yourself, AND knowing that you did it RIGHT.

[sLADe781]

Yeah, that's definitely something that I lack...confidence! If I have step-by-step instructions on a project then I'm usually not too scared to attempt something but when I just have the general idea then it gets "scary!" LOL And I totally understand about the whole messing up deal. True that you learn from your mistakes but I'm always afraid of messing up so bad that I can't fix what went wrong. I guess that's where experience will help in estabilishing confidence, right?

But damn, Linebckr49, that's awesome! Hope everything works out with your buddy's car. I need to get a tune-up done too....wanna help!?! Wish I still lived in Texas. LOL

[Morphius289]

lsr. All the cool people live in texas.

[Musashi3000GT]

buy a DSM! Thats how I learned to fix cars. You buy a Eclipse/Talon/Laser and I gurantee you will be working on it every weekend for about 7 hours a day.

[planet_keeper]

Originally Posted by Linebckr49

messing up? only thing you can "mess up" on would be damaging a body panel or something thats difficult to repair. if you never mess up, then how will you learn? making mistakes is a good way to learn, too.

thats a pretty good point. i more or less have been saying the same thing about other things for a long time but i guess i lost focus when i was looking a huge pile of cash :P

[sLADe781]

Originally Posted by Musashi3000GT

buy a DSM! Thats how I learned to fix cars. You buy a Eclipse/Talon/Laser and I gurantee you will be working on it every weekend for about 7 hours a day.

LOL Seriously...my sister's Eclipse...

Mechanics 101 - there is no such thing as an honest mechanic!

[AutostradaVR4]

Linebckr49: thats a pretty damn long post! lol Me and you gonna be really good friends when i move down there! Also have to ask. are you a san fran fan??? the name just kind of makes me wonder...because the 9ers are my team!!!


anyways, slade...if you have any questions, definetely feel free to ask on AF. These guys are some of the most helpful and KNOWLEDGEABLE people ive have ever come across.

[Linebckr49]

Originally Posted by BlinkRA182

Linebckr49: thats a pretty damn long post! lol Me and you gonna be really good friends when i move down there! Also have to ask. are you a san fran fan??? the name just kind of makes me wonder...because the 9ers are my team!!!

49ers? not particularly. ya i played linebacker in high school, but 49 wasn't my number. as far as players being eligible receivers on the football field is concerned, you either have to declare yourself eligible (wide out on the LOS) or you have to have a number of 1-49. i always wanted to be a receiver on offense, but i guess my lineman hands just kept me at right guard.

but ya, can't wait til you get down here. when do you plan on moving here? i'll be heading up to the northwest in a month for a year or so, then hopefully back to dallas, tx.

[Morphius289]

^because theres totally receivers on defense

[Linebckr49]

Originally Posted by Morphius289

^because theres totally receivers on defense

duh ti duuuuuuuh.

i guess you never played football. it IS possible for players to play on defense AND offense. i went to a small high school, so everyone played both ways. and with my interceptions on defense a middle linebacker, i think i could have been a fine receiver or tight end. however, my size (5'11" 200) was more of a priority to the team with a bunch of small football players, so they kept me at right guard on offense.