How did you do it??
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: san clemente
How did you do it?? Just wondering on how a lot of you guys got to where you are now when it comes to working on your cars. I see quite a few people dropping in their own motors and heads/cams right out of your garages or backyards. Is it trial and error? guided by someone next to you? read, study, and work slowly? What is it???
If Im at the track and I blow or brake something I would like to be able to know exactly what it was and how to fix it on my own. Basic bolt ons such as headers and misc. I have had no problem with. But what about the bigger stuff. Cams, Heads, strokers, rear ends, etc.. I want to do that.
If Im at the track and I blow or brake something I would like to be able to know exactly what it was and how to fix it on my own. Basic bolt ons such as headers and misc. I have had no problem with. But what about the bigger stuff. Cams, Heads, strokers, rear ends, etc.. I want to do that.
When I was 16 I didn't have much money for a car, but one of my dad's buddies had a spare honda engine he gave him. So I bought a crx without an engine for $200 and my dad helped me swap it in. Until then I had minimal wrenching experience, and boy was that a steep learning curve. Keeping that pos running also got me a lot of experience. Since then i've done 2 head swaps, 2 cam swaps, and a bunch of other random crap for my buddies. I've really relied on jmx's ls1howto for stuff involving my own car. And I've read a ton on ls1tech since like a year and a half before i got my trans am.
In 1999, I traded in my 96' Formual hardtop for an LS1. I had never worked on the 96 car once, not even changing oil. I'm 36 now, so in 99 I was 31, and I hadn't worked on any cars since I was 16, and even then it was only changing headers.
On Oct. 9th this year, I pulled the motor and trans out of the 99 T/A. Since 2001, I've done EVERYTHING to this car myself.
I just went out, bought tools, had a friend or two help the first year, and since then I've been on my own doing the work. This board and LS1.com ( couple years ago ) REALLY made all the difference for help and confidence.
It's a lot easier working on a newer car than say my beater, a 1990 Celica.
On Oct. 9th this year, I pulled the motor and trans out of the 99 T/A. Since 2001, I've done EVERYTHING to this car myself.
I just went out, bought tools, had a friend or two help the first year, and since then I've been on my own doing the work. This board and LS1.com ( couple years ago ) REALLY made all the difference for help and confidence.
It's a lot easier working on a newer car than say my beater, a 1990 Celica.
I started with a $600 Cutlass 442 when I was 16. We brought most of the car back in its own trunk. I bought a Chiltons guide and started putting the car back together. The POS also broke weekly, so I learned really fast how to change alternators, water pumps, distributors, rebuild carburators, and fix burnt wiring.
My next car was a '79 Z28. Four clutches, three transmissions, two drive shafts, and two 350's later...I learned about drive lines. Note, I never ripped the 10 bolt rear end out of that thing. That car was easy to work on.
You know you are good with the wrenches when you can change the spark plugs on an LT1 f-body.
You just start with the little stuff and work your way up.
My next car was a '79 Z28. Four clutches, three transmissions, two drive shafts, and two 350's later...I learned about drive lines. Note, I never ripped the 10 bolt rear end out of that thing. That car was easy to work on.
You know you are good with the wrenches when you can change the spark plugs on an LT1 f-body.
You just start with the little stuff and work your way up.
Last edited by equandt; Nov 3, 2004 at 07:01 AM.
It all started when i was a little boy....Dad told me if im big enough to ride my bike im big enough to wrench on it. Then it was my go-cart, my dirt bikes and four wheelers. Now its my Car and boat.
FYI..im not a mechanic by any professional means. But if anyone in my family or any of my friends have a problem with there vehicle they call me. Somethimes that really sux to!!!
FYI..im not a mechanic by any professional means. But if anyone in my family or any of my friends have a problem with there vehicle they call me. Somethimes that really sux to!!!
Trending Topics
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,109
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque, NM
Dad forced me into the garage at a young age. He was enlisted military with 3 kids and a wife to manage. I learned my numbers and fractions by finding wrenches for my father and handing them to him. This included vehicles and Japanese motorcycles so I even learned metrics back then ( 70's ).
Always hated to miss out on cartoons and TV watching but in the end I have saved countless amounts of money from DIY. It also let me into a nice career fixing semiconductor equipment ( physics is physics whether it's a toaster or radiator ).
Hook up with someone who likes and knows mechanics. It's a fun and exciting "hobby"!
Always hated to miss out on cartoons and TV watching but in the end I have saved countless amounts of money from DIY. It also let me into a nice career fixing semiconductor equipment ( physics is physics whether it's a toaster or radiator ).
Hook up with someone who likes and knows mechanics. It's a fun and exciting "hobby"!
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Books. I had a Haynes or Chilton book for my first car, it saved me from the "error" part of trial & error several times. I've got a Helms for my current car, and Haynes books for the other two vehicles in our fleet.
I pick up the book before the wrench. I don't want to find out my trial 'n error failed when my wife and kid wrap around a tree because I messed up on a brake pad swap and the caliper bolt snapped.
I pick up the book before the wrench. I don't want to find out my trial 'n error failed when my wife and kid wrap around a tree because I messed up on a brake pad swap and the caliper bolt snapped.
The Army. Learning how to turn wrenches on a $6 million dollar M1A2 Abrams tank helps a little. That and my buddy was an ASE mechanic, he tought me a lot. Replading the head gasket on my 280z also helped me learn a TON.
12 Second Club
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 634
Likes: 1
From: Houston
The important thing to remember is to start playing with something that isn’t your only car. If you have only one way to get to work on Monday, don’t pull your heads off on Saturday.
Like everyone else, I started with my bike, go-kart and just moved up and up until now the LSX/Diesels and just about anything else.
I always helped my dad work on our cars and learned really fast. I built a 454 for my moms 77 suburban when I was 12 (yes, arranged for machining, ordered parts and assembled). Then when I was 14 a neighbor gave me a 78 Camaro with a rebuilt but not at all finished 305 and said I could have it if I could make it run with no help.
So that summer I was cruising in my cherry 78 Camaro (with no license, small town).
It helps if you are mechanically inclined.
Like everyone else, I started with my bike, go-kart and just moved up and up until now the LSX/Diesels and just about anything else.
I always helped my dad work on our cars and learned really fast. I built a 454 for my moms 77 suburban when I was 12 (yes, arranged for machining, ordered parts and assembled). Then when I was 14 a neighbor gave me a 78 Camaro with a rebuilt but not at all finished 305 and said I could have it if I could make it run with no help.
So that summer I was cruising in my cherry 78 Camaro (with no license, small town).
It helps if you are mechanically inclined.
Well I have grown up with a dad that has basically always had an auto shop. It was modest when I was younger and about 7 years ago he built a 10 bay, 8 lift shop with all the goodies. It makes life a bit easier when you can have access to all the gravy tools. Not to mention if I had a hangup on installing something I just ask if he could give me advice. Next thing I know its 4 hours later and my 2 day job is done a day early.
Brandon
Brandon
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 237
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Worth, TX
I started when I was little don't really remember when. When I was 2 I tore apart my electric jeep, then it progressed to mini-bikes, bikes, go-carts when I was 8, dirt bikes when I was 10, cars at about 12-14 watching of course grabbing tools for my dad. My dad also used to do alot of wood working, anytime he was in the garage I would be there helping. At 14 me and my uncle (18) did a bunch of work to my bro's cutlass. At 15 I bought my 84'Monte SS blew up that motor when I was 17 racing and 80's vette. Did the swap at my house, my first job was a grease monkey at Firestone, then joined the military as a C-130 crew chief(mech.) been doing that for 5 yrs. When I bought the camaro in 02 I just started searching for everything jmx's, install university, ls1how-to.com, this board and I have about 4-5 friends that own LS1's so I would constantly ask them questions. They have helped me do all my installs cam, heads, headers, free mods, etc So I know this is off topic but if they read this a big thanks goes out to Tim98z, Jaywoo, Sprayin346, JeffT, and everyone else that has helped me along the way. 
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
Hi There: I have been working around cars since I was 15 years old and my advice to you would be to get up early on Saturday and paln on working the whole day even if it is an easy job. Read manuals or take a course at night at your local Vo tech School. Allways allow 3 times as much time as you estimate to get the job done. Don't start at 4 O'clock in the afternoon because the parts stores usually close at 5 PM and you allmost allways forget a part and have to run out to get it. It helps to have a knowlegeable friend on hand to help you out. Above all make sure to have plenty of cold beer on hand. After 2 or 3 the job allways goes much easier. LOL
Trial and error. I started tooling around with my 94 Z28 never did much. Then i stepped up to an LS1 and really started doing stuff. www.LS1howto.com will help out a lot. I just researched the heck out of everything I have done, asked questions when I was mixed up and then just went for it. Nobody ever really helped me to much this website is about the best thing you can have.
dirt track cars for me, i can still remember seeing the valve covers off my first sprint car and asking "how does this work"
alot of understanding comes from just sitting down and tracing out how stuff works. like timing chain turns cam, cam pushes lifters, lifters push pushrods, pushrods push rocker arms, rocker arms press valves. everything is a system and you just have to trace its path. turnin wrenches isnt the half of it. you also need to be VERY mechanically inclined.
i started out wrenching on go-carts, then i got into dirt track racing with my uncle. he was the crew cheif on a sprint car team. i have also had to work on 4x4's and tractors and such at our ranch/deer lease. i then got a 400exin 2000 that i started racing MX on, i have about 5k in aftermarket parts on it now and i did all the work/fixing myself. im only 18 but i've got more knowlege about the ins and outs of motors and such than most of the guys i work with who are all 30+.
if you were to have internal engine problems at a track, its usually not feesable to start pulling stuff apart. reason being is because when you do find what is broken, you usually cannot fix it for lack of parts (unless your at a dirt track
). we once broke all 16 rocker arms in the sprint car over the course of 2 races because of a faulty machining job on them to clear the valvesprings, had to borrow some from another guy and change 'em all between races (8 before one heat race, and another 8 before the feature). if you break a valvespring at a dirt track for an ls1 car, chances are the guy next to you doesnt have some laying in his backseat.
alot of understanding comes from just sitting down and tracing out how stuff works. like timing chain turns cam, cam pushes lifters, lifters push pushrods, pushrods push rocker arms, rocker arms press valves. everything is a system and you just have to trace its path. turnin wrenches isnt the half of it. you also need to be VERY mechanically inclined.
i started out wrenching on go-carts, then i got into dirt track racing with my uncle. he was the crew cheif on a sprint car team. i have also had to work on 4x4's and tractors and such at our ranch/deer lease. i then got a 400exin 2000 that i started racing MX on, i have about 5k in aftermarket parts on it now and i did all the work/fixing myself. im only 18 but i've got more knowlege about the ins and outs of motors and such than most of the guys i work with who are all 30+.
if you were to have internal engine problems at a track, its usually not feesable to start pulling stuff apart. reason being is because when you do find what is broken, you usually cannot fix it for lack of parts (unless your at a dirt track
). we once broke all 16 rocker arms in the sprint car over the course of 2 races because of a faulty machining job on them to clear the valvesprings, had to borrow some from another guy and change 'em all between races (8 before one heat race, and another 8 before the feature). if you break a valvespring at a dirt track for an ls1 car, chances are the guy next to you doesnt have some laying in his backseat. this one deserves a new post
REASEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH
know what every how many of each and every size of every bolt your going to take out and put back in!! theres usually an online guide w/ pictures for everything you might want to do to one of our cars!
REASEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH
know what every how many of each and every size of every bolt your going to take out and put back in!! theres usually an online guide w/ pictures for everything you might want to do to one of our cars!
My dad is a mechanic. He started taking me to work in the afternoons since I was 9 years old. I hated it because I wanted to stay and play with my friends or watch cartoons. I used to argue with my dad about how I hated having to go work with him all the time. He would tell me that it would do me very good to learn how to do my own mechanic work so I could figure out what is wrong with my cars and do my own repairs or if I were to take the car in to a shop, at least I would not get ripped off since I had a good idea of what the problem was.
Needless to say, I've done all the work in my cars. 95% of the time i have done them with no help.
Needless to say, I've done all the work in my cars. 95% of the time i have done them with no help.
