Things I can do on a car now

Site Subscriber Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 2281

Just been thinking about jobs on a car that I'm confident at doing now but perhaps wouldn't have been a year or more ago:

Fitting new discs and pads
Fitting new wheel cylinders and shoes
Changing spark plugs, leads, distributor cap, rotor arm and ignition coil
Replacing fuel filter
Changing wheels
Changing a wheel bearing
Renewing a ball joint
Coolant renewal
Gearbox oil renewal
Oil and filter change
Fitting a headunit
Removal and refitting of interior
Changing light bulbs

The only one I'd like to have on that list is a cambelt change, but one step at a time eh!

Obviously this is childs' play for a lot of people but I'm quite impressed with what I can do now versus what I couldn't do a few years back!

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

and that Ben is a whole lot more than most ppl can manage on thier cars these days!

Site Subscriber Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 2281

True. I think laziness and being scared to have a go is what's held me back the most.

It's weird, I know the workings of the internal combustion engine quite well, I'm forever having people talk with me about engines but they then follow up with the inevitable "can you change my headgasket for me?" and I have to say no. It's so frustrating knowing it but not be able to do it.

Site Subscriber Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 2281

Although I'm intending to tackle a big job soon.... plugs and leads change on the Vectra....

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

a headgasket may seem a daunting task but its not that hard really, it just takes time and ppl today expect things done NOW!

Chris H could prolly do a HG change in 90 minutes or less, me i can prolly do one in 3 hours.

Plan the job out ahead of doing it, making sure you got the right tools and right parts to do the job, just that makes your life a whole lot easier, have a manual to hand so you know how to set up the timing belt and stuff like the headbolt tightening sequence and what torque settings they need to be at etc.
If need be, write it out as a list or a program if you like,

A: Start car to heat up engine oil
B: jack car up and support it on axle stands
C: stop engine
D: Drain oil and remove oil filter
etc etc

Are there any other jobs you can do whilst the head is off (like change the cambelt tensioners or renew starter motor cables etc)

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

Wicked Neo";p="102601 wrote:

Chris H could prolly do a HG change in 90 minutes or less

90 days more like, go take off accel cable, 3 hours later, drain coolant

day 2 look at it for 6 hours thinking I could be doing other stuff

day 3, remove aux belt, thats enough for today

day 10, what was I doing again? Oh yeah cambelt cover off, bored

day 23 radiator out the way

and so on! Laughing

if I'm being paid for it thats a different matter Wink

Site Subscriber Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 2281

Aye, that Â£250 I gave Chris a year last Jan was money well spent, didn't expect him to earn half of it in the first half hour, mind!

The afternoon's clutch change gave him a bit of grief tho' not helped by the adventures of the wee ginger 'I'll go get ma dadda' laddie!

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:58 pm

I have to say I'm lazy when it comes to working on cars. doing 12h shifts I like my time off to be relaxing! so I do occationally get someone else to do the work!
Things I have mastered on my car:

McDonalds Drive thru- that tricky narrow lane!
2 Tree Island - (Neo will know what I mean)
Sleeping at traffic lights - only the once though

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

mals, you do know that visitors to 2 tree island don't get up to the same sort of things down there that we used to do back in the day?

'Dogging In Leigh-on-Sea

In the bushes off the bridleway on the edge of Belfairs Park Golf Course. Most weekend evenings in the summer. Mainly straight but some gay. Very open and friendly for dogging.
Behind Leigh-on-Sea station via side road is a large amount of parking by the sea wall (not the station car-park) or further down over narrow bridge is tarmac parking by the boat slipway.
(Similar to above but..) Leigh Marshes - just behind Leigh-on-Sea Station. Go to 2 tree island, past the golf range, over the bridge. Car park on left, and opposite this car park. Walk to the furthest bird hide, amongst the many bushes and undergrowth.'

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:18 am

No 2tree Raves eh?

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:18 am

Just 2tree Ravers!

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

the days of the 2 trees raves are well and truely over matey.

Don't spose you ever went to the ones in laindon hills ?

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:27 am

No, I dont remember, (So possibly yes) but I think Rochford if I seem to remember

Level 4 User Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 83

When i first started (15 yrs old) i used to label which bolts came off what so your doing good gentle ben! it comes with time and the more you do things the more confident you get, i learnt this working at ford.

Level 5 User Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Posts: 113

Not to shabby that Gentle ben and then you figure out how much dosh you have saved yourself and its all much sweeter. You gotta start somewhere and move on to the harder stuff later.