Advice on going DIY maintenance

[doggsbody]

Believe me @Nikstryker if it was for the case of wanting to learn more l would definitely have got a mechanic to do it 😂

[stef123]

@doggsbody is doing some old school tinkering lol

[Nikstryker]

You have to be given Kudos @doggsbody for doing that on a driveway!

I remember once I started a new job and my Rover 820si needed a desperate new Catalytic converter i came home and fitted it on the driveway at 11pm in the dark at night in torrential rain  with my dad holding a torch and an umbrella and having to cut the old bolts off with an angle grinder (took me about 2 hours) - thankfully on one of my calls at an engineering factory the boss had given me some lovely top quality nuts and bolts to help with fitting the cat!

When I think of the disasters with cars i have had especially my kit car I think I am getting too long in the tooth to be doing that amount of work now!
I never thought I would say that but without my dad (I even miss his constant mickey taking and criticism) anymore its less fun than it used to be its more necessity and lack of cash now!

[doggsbody]

Too right @stef123 😂 l forgot to mention too I'm doing this without a Haynes manual or any other, wish l had thoe might have been a bit quicker got 1 for my partners focus but not my essy 😖 but saying that it's a zetec engine so could possibly be same set up as the focus 1.6 😮 thinking l might have to look now to see 😂 @Nikstryker l don't have a drive way 😂 l live on the the end of a row of house's and luckily have a grass patch at the side so drove it on via there and used wood to stop it sinking it to the mud, l can get your meaning of having that loss of your dad having a laugh at your expense ( due to the fact his cars were probably a lot more easier to repair the good old days ) despite not ever being lucky enough to have it myself, but l can imagine it will run through your head what he would be saying when you do those things lol

[stef123]

There are some jobs where I don’t think you’d benefit from a Haynes manual to be honest, this being one of them.

You know the basics of what you have to remove, it’s then just a case of eating away at it until you’ve got everything out the road and able to drop the box. I don’t use Haynes but the only time I would consult some form of guideline is for a job with a certain procedure such as timing belts/chains. I otherwise use autodata for belt diagrams, torque and angle tightening specs - and at that there are only certain bolts get torqued to spec lol.

how far along are you with the job?

[doggsbody]

@Nikstryker

 

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by doggsbody

[doggsbody]

@stef123 at the moment as far as I'm aware I've just got the 2 bolts that hold the rear gearbox mount to the gearbox ( what l presume are going into the engine section as it won't separate ) all the rest are out it did separate slightly at the bottom but only when l wasn't trying to separate it, all wires sensor/clutch n the gear stick rods are all undone including removal of the drivers side drive shaft which I did forget about 😳..

[Nikstryker]

Yeah he had a Hillman Imp his first car then a Triumph Herald - crikey they are collectors items now.

Ford Granada
Rover 800
Citroen
Opel Manta GTE (My fave car but one AC Cobra)
Lotus Eclat
Opel Manta S

And loads more as he was a sales manager but yeah I miss his criticism and shouting at me when i broke one of his precious tools.
I can hear him now "ive had that tool for 40 years and it took you just 1 minute to break it"

lol

Now they sit rusting away in the garage I havent the heart to sell em!
Adn yes the garage is fully carpetted - even the inspection pit he dug has a carpet in it lol

 

[iantt]

triumph herald! i bought one of those sort of , triumph vitesse( herald with a straight6 2,0 engine basically) so much fun to drive and went well due to low weight compared to modern cars. 

[doggsbody]

7 minutes ago, Nikstryker said:

Yeah he had a Hillman Imp his first car then a Triumph Herald - crikey they are collectors items now.

Ford Granada
Rover 800
Citroen
Opel Manta GTE (My fave car but one AC Cobra)
Lotus Eclat
Opel Manta S

And loads more as he was a sales manager but yeah I miss his criticism and shouting at me when i broke one of his precious tools.
I can hear him now "ive had that tool for 40 years and it took you just 1 minute to break it"

lol

Now they sit rusting away in the garage I havent the heart to sell em!
Adn yes the garage is fully carpetted - even the inspection pit he dug has a carpet in it lol

 

Thanks for sharing the pictures they look amazing, manta's are a very rare thing now think I've seen 1 since l was a teen, l don't blame you at all for not selling them they look brill, l couldn't imagine caparpeting the garage to work on them lol especially an inspection pit but then it's old way of doing things and they tend to be the best way.

[Nikstryker]

Very true the garage is bigger there are two other cars Rover 820SI and another Manta SR  - The Rover is still sitting 5 foot up in the air on the gas lift my dad installed on the day he left it - he did everything himself - there is even a man cave up on the second floor of the garage - his secret workshop where he made his golf clubs and stored all his precious parts - I havent been up there since he passed away just cant face it im afraid!

Its pretty crazy I have garages for four cars full of tools and I have to do all my Fiesta fiddling on the driveway - mad!

 

[doggsbody]

@Nikstryker Wow another 2 and a gas lift that's mad LOL, l get why you wouldn't want to go were you have the fond memories to go there would mean to have them disintegrate in a way with your dad not being there, but it should be a place to look and remind yourself of the good days not what isn't anymore and in a sense continue his dream/work even if it means keeping it as it is, keeping and using what's there would probably be what your dad would have wanted you to be doing 1 day, just because if you fixed them wouldn't mean that you would have to get rid of them just finishing what was started the sence of achieving of helping out and finally getting them there for him as he probably did for you when you were younger, as they say there never gone unless you forget them and every time you look in a mirror they are there looking back at you because you are are part of them as they are of you. I'm not a bibleist l just believe in that very much. l assume you have kids that you could teach the ways of how things should be done so they too can do the same in time and pass it on to there kids..

[Nikstryker]

Thanks that very nice of you i still use all his tools and occasionally break them (can hear him moaning when it happens lol) but I kinda have it as a shrine everything still as the way he left it on the second floor i havent even been up there since he passed away!

The Lotus is my mums old car she used to use it to drive 1 mile to the shops - the only woman of 70 years of age driving a Lotus playing Techno and dance music as she drove lol - the back seat has over 40 teddy bears on it and on the back shelf lol You should see the looks and comments from other car guys up at the car park lol

The Manta S was his big project - strange the tyres on it have never gone down in 20 years of lying there but the Lotus tyres are all flat!
He turned an old vacuum cleaner into a spray gun and unfortunately sprayed it when it was damp = if you look closely you can see his ahem dodgy paintwork!
It was my fault (of course) for opening the garage door whilst he was spraying it lol

 

 

 

[doggsbody]

Its only what l could imagine he would be thinking, playing Techno and dance at 70 l think I would be like WHAT 😦 go on yeahhhhh 😂 for the wheels to stay up that long is amazing as l know they normally deflate over time 😮 but l do think you should finish the work for him as a final thing before you become to past that point yourself and not be thinking l wish l had..

[Nikstryker]

I am past that point lol
I just want to have fun now no more hard slogging away under cars at midnight in a cold garage or constantly fixing everything that breaks just to save a few quid.

I am off to Lisbon then Greece for a while then maybe Thailand.
Just spent a year metal detecting in Germany , Poland, Slovakia , Czech, Rumania, Ukraine found some interesting stuff but not the ***** gold hoard i was hoping for or the amber room!
LOL

[doggsbody]

Well just a quick update 3-4 hours wasted trying to separate the gearbox from the engine only to find l missed 1 bolt holding the starter motor because 1 of the matrix pipe's blocked it from view the ba#@ard but as soon as I took that out vwalar job was done, a good pointer l noticed that apart from supporting the gearbox as mentioned when I was finding out about how complicated it actually is ( supporting the engine too would be a good bit to add daft twats ) yep  1'c gearbox mount's are removed the the engine drops too ( luckily l had it all supported already good old tool box 😂 ) so it took me about an hour to get it lined back up and in place the replacement gearbox is now on and tomorrow will be refit everything else day and hopefully test it's all good, im considering keeping the old gearbox as not many left that match and doing a project strip n rebuild as it's the diff bearing that have gone on it n if it's related to my driving mmmm l may need it 😀

[doggsbody]

@DavyTee as to your very first remark of being sick of basically getting ripped off buy mechanics so is DIY best for as much as possible my answer definitely, l found that the guy who l obviously thought was decent friend of a friend did my CV boot because I couldn't budge the drive shaft nut, during my gearbox DIY l found the spring bit that goes into moving part of the break caliper magically disappeared not even in the hole bit, so l totally agree with you DIY unless it's a must..

[DavyTee]

Cheers Dogsbody 

[Albert27]

@DavyTee  I was in the same place as you 18 months ago being completely clueless about cars.  I would say I've gone from retarded to ratchets when it comes to car maintenance!  I started by getting a haynes manual, before joining this forum (never joined one before)  and the help from the guys on here as been second to none and literally got me out of some serious pickles.  I started with the oil & filter, then air filter, pollen filter, brake bleed, fuel filter and did them weeks apart, and thoroughly researched each task.  I've changed brake pads, discs & most recently a caliper.  I now service both our cars (in one go now not over weeks!)  and shortly taking on the timing belt.  I started working on cars to save money, but I agree with @stef123 in regards to tools, it's worth investing but I've done it gradually, buying the tools relevant to each task.  I haven't saved anything since DIY'ing yet - i keep a record of what i've spent on tools and parts (£1,200 over 18 months)  compared to what I would have spent at the garage  (£1000) but I know this year I will start saving.  It turned into a hobby and now I love it.  

I know a few people say they dislike ramps but I find them very convenient.  I did some research and got these ones.  They are low and you don't burn the clutch out when driving up them.  I don't need a spotter either as there is a huge bump at the end of them; when i hit that i stop!  Link below.  One thing though is i never completely trust anything and so i will always put an axle stand in place behind the ramps, a few mm from contacting the car, just in case they ever failed.  They are made of plastic too (high grade) which probably fuels my distrust a little!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KRGZVP6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Nikstryker]

I actual admire your motivation Doggs - To do all that on the lawn outside in the street is real determination to do with what you have got.

The last time and only times i have hoisted the engine out of my cars i always use the cummel attached to the rafters in my dads garage.
Have you actually taken the engine out or just dropped it down - still a mighty feat to do on yer own!

You should have made a youtube video ive not seen anything quite like that on a driveway lol
You could have made a few quid - I reckon a million views in 5 mins lol

@Albert27 Thanfully i have all my dads tools he saved over 50 years they may be old but i find the older stuff lasts longer than new Silverline and other cheap brands - sometimes its better to spend a bit - Have you ever bought those mole grips in Poundland? - bent on first use and snips with no edge on em, screwdrivers that snap off the plastic handle lol

I must take a picture of my dads ramps he must have nicked them from a professional garage no idea where he got them but they look like monsters compared to anything on sale and in those pics - It literally needs two people to lift one of them. 
 

 

[Albert27]

1 hour ago, Nikstryker said:

@Albert27 Thanfully i have all my dads tools he saved over 50 years they may be old but i find the older stuff lasts longer than new Silverline and other cheap brands - sometimes its better to spend a bit - Have you ever bought those mole grips in Poundland? - bent on first use and snips with no edge on em, screwdrivers that snap off the plastic handle lol

I think you're right it's worth spending a bit to get decent stuff.  I've probably bought some cheap rubbish but not used it enough for it to break yet lol.  My main socket set is a 40 piece draper and that has been well used but holding up well.  I have some silverline spanners but they only get used occasionally, time will tell though.   Bump the thread in 10 years and ask me  

The only mole grips I have is in a phazer set from Halfords.  Not really had much cause to use them, they seem ok but wouldn't try poundlands!!  It's good you've got those old tools though, saved you a small fortune i bet!

[DavyTee]

Thanks for replies lads. I'm definitely going ahead with DIY. I watched about 30 hours of you tube vids to get brake changes down to a tee 😀

I'm building up a decent tool set just need a torque wrench now. 

I've looked at the plastic ramps and also trolley jack and stands from SGS engineering which look very high quality but at a really good price. So I'll get all of the above as well. 

Can't wait to get started 

[Nikstryker]

51 minutes ago, DavyTee said:

Thanks for replies lads. I'm definitely going ahead with DIY. I watched about 30 hours of you tube vids to get brake changes down to a tee 😀

I'm building up a decent tool set just need a torque wrench now. 

I've looked at the plastic ramps and also trolley jack and stands from SGS engineering which look very high quality but at a really good price. So I'll get all of the above as well. 

Can't wait to get started 

Have you tried the local scrappie?

When I wur a lad and built my first kit car i was never out of Paisley car breakers - you can buy ramps, lifts and loads more for cheap in some!
Some of them will even sell you their grandmother!
Sometimes you can find a goldmine in the boots of scrapped cars - full toolsets, wheel braces, car jacks heck i even found a ***** once (yukkk) - no joke!

 I have to admit i used to nick light bulbs, relays, wheel brace etc and small stuff along with the big stuff i paid for.
Very naughty but everyone does it.
Even tax discs -Apparently they are quite collectable now believe it or not especially the last ones issued before they were scrapped.
Strange how everything becomes valuable one day!
 

[doggsbody]

@Nikstryker If made a you tube of it is have got more laughs then out else over that 1 stupid bolt lol, all the ragging and jacking up n down l did thinking it would make a difference 😂  soon as I undid that last 1 it just came apart l was gob smacked but l would say if anyone else gives it a go like  l did start with the bottom and do the top last ( the top keep hold of the weight ) my neighbor said l reminded him of when he used to swap/strip complete engine's on our front when he was younger l would have done mine on the road but they've just replaced the road surface 😇 l kept the engine in not dropped or lifted bugger that 😂 then to my amazement 2 old guys were dismantling a newish mode pug 307 this morning time just up the road ( that poor new surface 😂 ) as to tools jumble sale are a good place and for a torque wrench Lidl have 1 at £30 4 bits it takes half inch fittings and keep away from B&m's wheel nut remover 5 times used now it's binned waste of £5, £1 shop wire cutters are ok for light work ..

[doggsbody]

Well @stef123 here's an unforgettable update finally after nearly 2 weeks of bad weather delaying the process finally got everything back together only to find that the pictured part ( in my rush to get it done ) can't be inside as there's no resistance and the clutch leaver bar can lift straight out ( totally devastating ) so as a rookie to all others check EVERYTHING MATCHES before fitting otherwise you'll be redoing the whole job like I am 😱 luckily I have the part already thoe..