Where's the motorheads forum?

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Patchouli

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I'm surprised there isn't one.
Guys can get lost there just as easily as in the weapons forums.
I wish I could repair my own broken stuff sometimes. Saves money.
That's why guys are so handy to have around. They fix stuff.
:pickup:
 
I have a friend who looks at my vehicle problems. Just wish I didn't have to ask him. He always fixes whatever is wrong or gives me sound advice.
Enjoy it while you can.
When he retires, he'll say the same thing as me:
"I don't know nuthin' about, nuthin'"
Train a young person for the future.
 
My kids call me all the time asking questions, I usually have to ask them 5 or 6 questions before I can give them a list of possible causes. I am glad that they will call, but as cars get newer with different options it requires more and more research on my part to give them a good answer...

I'm very Old School, I have 2 20 year old vehicles that I keep on the road, that can be a full time job. I find the corrosion and bad electrical connections can drive you crazy as cars get older, makes me wonder what electric cars will be like when they age.
 
Sorry, Patch. I don't fix stuff. I wish I could. I have never been any good at it, and it frustrates me. Invariably I would have to call somebody to fix what I screwed up, and then do it properly.

My fall back position was to work (usually a second job) at something I could do well, and enjoyed. Then when something had to be fixed I could write a check. It has worked for over 40 years, and may have saved my marriage.

Being handy is a true skill, and a real blessing. I never was a gearhead. Never had any interest. I guess when other kids were working on cars I was shooting hoops or hitting a baseball. Now it seems like you have to have a Masters Degree in IT to work on a car.
 
My sons like to watch YouTube videos to learn how to fix stuff. My husband could fix anything. And what little wasn't fixable for him, he knew how to replace or rebuild.
I agree, it is definitely a talent or gift.
Code readers are handy for a few things. I've got a couple of those too.
Plus I was referred to a guy who does acceptable repairs at very decent prices and another guy who is even closer and also honest and does good work. But sometimes all things need is a quick look and it is easily repaired.
Like my issue yesterday, for instance.
A little tiny stone or clod of dirt got in between the brake pad and rotor (?am I speaking a different language?) and it sounded like the wheel and tire were going to split and I'd surely crash! No. It resolved itself.
 
My sons like to watch YouTube videos to learn how to fix stuff. My husband could fix anything. And what little wasn't fixable for him, he knew how to replace or rebuild.
I agree, it is definitely a talent or gift.
Code readers are handy for a few things. I've got a couple of those too.
Plus I was referred to a guy who does acceptable repairs at very decent prices and another guy who is even closer and also honest and does good work. But sometimes all things need is a quick look and it is easily repaired.
Like my issue yesterday, for instance.
A little tiny stone or clod of dirt got in between the brake pad and rotor (?am I speaking a different language?) and it sounded like the wheel and tire were going to split and I'd surely crash! No. It resolved itself.

We too have been blessed with a very good handyman. My wife found him. I can take no credit whatsoever. He does great work. He can fix anything. He is very reasonable and reliable. He arrives on time, and if he has a conflict he calls ahead to let us know. He has been a Godsend.
 
I have always been handy, automotive tech, diesel, AC and refrigeration ,gunsmith, carpentry( tho I have had some real carpenters tell me that they can tell a mechanic did the previous repairs), electrical ,chemical, fabrication EMT.. ect,ect I tinker with all master with none. I do have 40 years experience in the automotive field.
 
For major home repairs I hire an expert, watch how they fix it and the next time do it myself!

Auto repairs seems like whatever part I need to replace they built the rest of the vehicle around that part! Not worth the aggravation to me so off to the trusted mechanic it goes.
 
Auto repairs seems like whatever part I need to replace they built the rest of the vehicle around that part! Not worth the aggravation to me so off to the trusted mechanic it goes.

Don't for one second think that this isn't done with malice and forethought. The car manufacturers design cars, so you have to take them back to the dealer to have them serviced. One hand washes the other. The dealers are selling the cars for the manufacturer, so the manufacturer designs things that will require they be fixed by a dealer.

The age of the shade-tree mechanic is over.
 
On trips out of town if there is a problem it gets taken to a mechanic in that town.... Hint if you need to find someone in a strange town to fix your car go to a grocery store and buy a few groceries and in the midst of a conversation ask the cashier where they get their vehicles worked on.
 
I do most of my own work but in the past few years I've moved to having my vehicle service done at a local shop. I just don't like crawling under cars anymore.

My son's car died a couple days ago when he was at a friends house. They thought battery so tried jump-starting it with no luck. I drove over and tried to start it. Plenty of juice in the battery but nothing. Checked main fuses which were good.

I then stuck my head out from under the hood and told the 2 of them "Yep, we have an electrical issue. Do you have a hammer?". They looked at me strange but the friend got me a hammer. I had my son get in and turn the key to the START position then I went back under the hood and smacked the starter good with the hammer. Started right up. :) Drove it to our local shop and they put a new starter in it.
 
I do most of my own work but in the past few years I've moved to having my vehicle service done at a local shop. I just don't like crawling under cars anymore.

My son's car died a couple days ago when he was at a friends house. They thought battery so tried jump-starting it with no luck. I drove over and tried to start it. Plenty of juice in the battery but nothing. Checked main fuses which were good.

I then stuck my head out from under the hood and told the 2 of them "Yep, we have an electrical issue. Do you have a hammer?". They looked at me strange but the friend got me a hammer. I had my son get in and turn the key to the START position then I went back under the hood and smacked the starter good with the hammer. Started right up. :) Drove it to our local shop and they put a new starter in it.

Sounds like a stuck solenoid
 
Sounds like a stuck solenoid
Worn out brushes.
When they won't reach the commutator anymore, hitting the housing will always get you another start or two out of it. It has nothing left to lose.
It's enough to get it to a place where you can change it.
I'm guilty of using that trick one or maybe two, hundred times :oops:.
I probably have a warrant out for "felony starter abuse" somewhere.:(
 
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I have had the miss fortune to always live just short of poor... We learned to make due and keeping up with the Jones's was never an option. As a result I have maintained my tools from my youth. In the early 90s someone approached me in church, they told me they were leaving the country for a while and they had an old car that nobody wanted (they tried to sell it, but no one called). It wasn't running but they said if I could get it out of their driveway I could have it. Went over and took a look, 1970s vintage Toyota, battery was dead, water pump was clearly leaking, the oil looked like tar, and the body had more holes than one of my wife's colanders. Took the battery home added some water and put it on a hard charge overnight. Next day after work I went there with my 12’HD jumper cables from my workin at the Truck Stop days, put the battery in, hooked up the cables, put a couple of gallons of go juice in the tank, shot some either down the carb, jumped in and fired it up. It cost me $125 to get it through a safety inspection (bondo, parts and used tires). 10 years later the couple was back visiting friends, and they came over and talked to us, “What ever happened to that piece of junk car we gave you when we went overseas?” Wife promptly answered, “Oh, he still drives it to work every day!” We have more stories about "The Put Put" than you could imagine, it was at half a million miles before I couldn't find enough metal in the body to keep the shocks on. We donated it to the fire department to practice on... ;)
 
Yea, it was a Corolla Wagon, tanish with a rust trim, I carried my share of deer home in that thing. Manual transmission, one time got off work and battery was dead, the parking lot was sloped a little, I pushed it backwards with one foot out the door, got it rolling, popped the cluch in reverse, it fired and I drove it home, bad alternator. I also got to drive it 40 miles through town and beltway with no cluch, I sweated bullets at every stop light I saw....
Kinda like this one only uglier
1599007473464.png
 
Good story about the clutch. My first celica had over 200K on it and the clutch started slipping. Ran ok as long as you were moving, but didn't like taking off and would not do it quickly. Went and bought pressure plate, clutch and throw out bearing for it, swapped it, put it back together. No matter how far the linkage was adjusted it would not engage. Pulled it back out and took it back got a different one, same thing. I ended up doing that 5 times before they got the right parts. Found out mine was a very limited run and the prime difference was some small detail with the Pressure plate. Worked fine after that. By the last time I swapped everything out from start to finish was less than 30 minutes without air tools. 1st time was over 3 hours.
 
@UrbanHunter you sound like us. My parents and his parents did ok, but we were a little different I guess. Money was tight. I couldn't believe some of the stuff he'd drive. One time when he was working night shift about an hour away, he was on his way home and a young guy had to get past him on an entrance ramp and my guy flipped the VW, I forget, a Scirocco I think. Didn't get hurt. But I had to drag two babies out of bed to go pick him up. That was one of the nicer ones, shame it was totalled.
 
Good story about the clutch. My first celica had over 200K on it and the clutch started slipping. Ran ok as long as you were moving, but didn't like taking off and would not do it quickly. Went and bought pressure plate, clutch and throw out bearing for it, swapped it, put it back together. No matter how far the linkage was adjusted it would not engage. Pulled it back out and took it back got a different one, same thing. I ended up doing that 5 times before they got the right parts. Found out mine was a very limited run and the prime difference was some small detail with the Pressure plate. Worked fine after that. By the last time I swapped everything out from start to finish was less than 30 minutes without air tools. 1st time was over 3 hours.
Mine was a broken line, no clutch at all. Thankfully, I was moving when I pushed it right to the floor, and it stayed right there on the floor..... Nothing, Nada, zilch. If my dad hadn't taught me how to shift using Rs and Gears I would have been sunk..... 56 Acar, 220, 4&3 nother story .....
 
Mine was a broken line, no clutch at all. Thankfully, I was moving when I pushed it right to the floor, and it stayed right there on the floor..... Nothing, Nada, zilch. If my dad hadn't taught me how to shift using Rs and Gears I would have been sunk..... 56 Acar, 220, 4&3 nother story .....
lol.gif
Reminds me of my youth. '62 chevy carryall with hydraulic actuated clutch.
Master cylinder was 1/2 for brakes, 1/2 for clutch. The clutch side would leak internally and slowly let the clutch engage. Pull up to a redlight behind a car and it was fine, (if you took it out of gear).
If it was in gear, the clutch would slowly start engaging preventing you from yanking it out of gear.
And it was starting to go forward.
You couldn't pump the clutch pedal without slamming the guy in front of you. :oops:
What did you do?
You learned really fast!
Fortunately, the young people of today will never have to face that.
...they might accidentally drop their phone!
emo12.gif
 
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I have always been handy, automotive tech, diesel, AC and refrigeration ,gunsmith, carpentry( tho I have had some real carpenters tell me that they can tell a mechanic did the previous repairs), electrical ,chemical, fabrication EMT.. ect,ect I tinker with all master with none. I do have 40 years experience in the automotive field.
I think it takes a lot to know how to fix AC and refrigeration, doesn't it? You are an ACE. I bet you're just being humble. Tinker with all, and make it run again.
 
I think it takes a lot to know how to fix AC and refrigeration, doesn't it? You are an ACE. I bet you're just being humble. Tinker with all, and make it run again.
He bit.
Set the hook!!
 
I have had the miss fortune to always live just short of poor... We learned to make due ... ;)

Dad came through the Depression with the firm belief that you pinch a penny hard, make due with you had then you repurposed it or did without! I never saw this as a "poor" issue but as a practical issue.
 
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