Fixing cars can be likened to an art form. Every day, skilled technicians and backyard wrenchers perform what can sound like sorcery to keep cars on the road for longer. Those people learned those skills over time, just like you and I do when we want to expand our abilities. Tell us the next automotive repair skill that you want to learn.
Recently, I joined forces with reader Shop-Teacher and other denizens from Opposite-Lock to do some wrenching on a sweet Buick Apollo with some history. Now, you know me. I’m a living encyclopedia of Smart Fortwos and am stacking up knowledge about Volkswagens and BMWs. Working on an old American car is not in my repertoire.
Still, Shop-Teacher, as well as a friend going by Birddog, taught me some new tricks that day. A lot of cars come with parts that aren’t expected to be replaced individually. Smart doesn’t expect you to replace a front wheel bearing but to replace the whole steering knuckle, which costs much more.
Likewise, the bushings and ball joints of the X-body Apollo’s upper control arms (right side of the above image) are not meant to be removed on their own. It’s dramatically cheaper to buy these parts than it is to replace whole control arms. Besides, it seems like a waste when the control arms themselves may be perfectly fine.
The guys taught me how to deal with this. We broke out a drill and an angle grinder. The drill carved the hard rubber out of the old bushings. This freed up a central shaft going between the bushings Then, we used the death wheel to slice up the metal surrounds of the bushings. Eventually, with enough sparks and laughs, the old bushings simply fell out. Then, we used a press to put the new ones in. Now I have an idea of how to conquer stuff like this on other cars!
I also learned that it’s ok to make some modifications along the way. The refreshed control arms would not go back in where they came from without us having to disassemble more parts in the engine bay. The fix? Shorten the bolts holding the control arms on. The bolts were already way longer than the needed to be, so they got a date with the death wheel.
I have a few skills I want to learn. I refuse to tackle any job requiring dropping an engine or a transmission because that seems to be outside of my skill set. At the very least, I don’t have anywhere to store a powertrain while I’m teaching myself how to do it. I also have this fear of taking something apart and not being able to put it back together.
I also want to learn how to weld better. I buy a lot of cars with rust spots and it would be awesome to be able to fix that kind of stuff myself. Bill Caswell got me started, so I must continue down this journey of learning a new superpower.
How about you? What’s the next repair skill you want to learn?
I’m very much on wrenching 101 – next on my schedule are an oil change and tire rotation and my first brake bleeding!
Also have to replace the flooring, finish setting up the aux lights I restored, adapting/installing a used bull bar I got for a song, install my winch (after I swap the steel cable setup for a synth line)…
Now if only my back would do me the favor of recovering once and for all so I can get on to it!
I’m very much on wrenching 101 – next on my schedule are an oil change and tire rotation and my first brake bleeding!
Also have to replace the flooring, finish setting up the aux lights I restored, adapting/installing a used bull bar I got for a song, install my winch (after I swap the steel cable setup for a synth line)…
Now if only my back would do me the favor of recovering once and for all so I can get on to it!
Ecu tuning amd upholstery. Never done them, want to learn. I’ve already learned almost all of the other car maintenence skills from wiring through welding and bodyworking, trans, engine and differential rebuilding. Messed around with an early megasquirt, but that was generations ago in ecu injection systems tech.
Ecu tuning amd upholstery. Never done them, want to learn. I’ve already learned almost all of the other car maintenence skills from wiring through welding and bodyworking, trans, engine and differential rebuilding. Messed around with an early megasquirt, but that was generations ago in ecu injection systems tech.
Tuning ECUs. The hard part is that I know you really need a dyno to do it well, and I obviously don’t have one of those sitting in my garage. Still, I think it would be a fun and useful skill to be able to put safe base maps and to understand exactly what changes can and should (and should NOT) be made. I’ve got a couple of books on the subject, so we’ll see if I can absorb it.
Tuning ECUs. The hard part is that I know you really need a dyno to do it well, and I obviously don’t have one of those sitting in my garage. Still, I think it would be a fun and useful skill to be able to put safe base maps and to understand exactly what changes can and should (and should NOT) be made. I’ve got a couple of books on the subject, so we’ll see if I can absorb it.
I’m planning to take a welding course at the local tech school in the upcoming Fall semester. I’m a farm kid, I can stick two pieces of metal together. It’ll hold, but it ain’t pretty! I’m hoping to break some old habits and learn the “proper” way to do it.
I’m planning to take a welding course at the local tech school in the upcoming Fall semester. I’m a farm kid, I can stick two pieces of metal together. It’ll hold, but it ain’t pretty! I’m hoping to break some old habits and learn the “proper” way to do it.
Brake lines. How to bend, flare, properly mount, the fittings. Years ago working at the auto parts store I felt humbled in the presence of the occasional customer that purchased bulk brake line. Now I want to know what they do to tackle this brake project coming up soon. Also, how to fix a lawnmower.
Brake lines are fun, I used to do them in buggies. The flaring is a little stressful because even though you KNOW you did it right you keep feeling compelled to check again and again JUST in case, but the bending is really fun and satisfying.
Brake lines. How to bend, flare, properly mount, the fittings. Years ago working at the auto parts store I felt humbled in the presence of the occasional customer that purchased bulk brake line. Now I want to know what they do to tackle this brake project coming up soon. Also, how to fix a lawnmower.
Brake lines are fun, I used to do them in buggies. The flaring is a little stressful because even though you KNOW you did it right you keep feeling compelled to check again and again JUST in case, but the bending is really fun and satisfying.
Bodywork. Also paint, but bodywork first. My ’66 T-bird was wrecked last August, so this is a skill I need to learn out of necessity if I want to drive that car again. Fortunately I know someone who can teach me and lend a hand, as this will be a big job, requiring one of the rear fenders to be cut off at minimum.
Also I just see all kinds of neat cars pop up for sale with rusty spots or one big dent somewhere, and it’s a fun fantasy to imagine buying them for cheap knowing I can fix the damage and make the car pretty and solid again.
I’d also like to learn more about upholstery in the future, since that’s something a lot of used cars are in desperate need of. Basically it seems there are plenty of cars with solid drivetrains and mostly decent bodies out there, which could have a lot of life left in them if they didn’t look so worn out in the body and interior departments. People are probably more willing to maintain a pretty car than an ugly one, so it’d be worthwhile from a reduce and reuse standpoint. I just don’t like seeing good vehicles go to waste due to rough aesthetics.
Bodywork. Also paint, but bodywork first. My ’66 T-bird was wrecked last August, so this is a skill I need to learn out of necessity if I want to drive that car again. Fortunately I know someone who can teach me and lend a hand, as this will be a big job, requiring one of the rear fenders to be cut off at minimum.
Also I just see all kinds of neat cars pop up for sale with rusty spots or one big dent somewhere, and it’s a fun fantasy to imagine buying them for cheap knowing I can fix the damage and make the car pretty and solid again.
I’d also like to learn more about upholstery in the future, since that’s something a lot of used cars are in desperate need of. Basically it seems there are plenty of cars with solid drivetrains and mostly decent bodies out there, which could have a lot of life left in them if they didn’t look so worn out in the body and interior departments. People are probably more willing to maintain a pretty car than an ugly one, so it’d be worthwhile from a reduce and reuse standpoint. I just don’t like seeing good vehicles go to waste due to rough aesthetics.
I don’t want to learn but I need to learn why a Dodge pentastar is shaking rapidly but not violently all the time.
I don’t want to learn but I need to learn why a Dodge pentastar is shaking rapidly but not violently all the time.
Fancy welding on non-mild steel materials. I can hack some stuff together decently with a stick welder or a MIG, but I’d love to learn to weld aluminum instead of just melting it.
I’d also like to learn how to do fiberglass properly. I’ve made dozens of subwoofer boxes and whatnot with it, but none were show quality and all made me realize I’m not ready to do any repair work on fiberglass body parts.
Fancy welding on non-mild steel materials. I can hack some stuff together decently with a stick welder or a MIG, but I’d love to learn to weld aluminum instead of just melting it.
I’d also like to learn how to do fiberglass properly. I’ve made dozens of subwoofer boxes and whatnot with it, but none were show quality and all made me realize I’m not ready to do any repair work on fiberglass body parts.
Sadly, as someone with 20 years experience in the heavy diesel trade, I can count on both hands the number of times I’ve welded.
So getting competent in the metal hot glue gun is my next skill to hone.
Sadly, as someone with 20 years experience in the heavy diesel trade, I can count on both hands the number of times I’ve welded.
So getting competent in the metal hot glue gun is my next skill to hone.
“Want to” is a strong, strong phrase. I need to figure out wiring so I can replace the aging rat’s nest in my 944.