Fixing your own

Do you work on your own vehicles?

  • No

    Votes: 43 33.1%
  • Yes

    Votes: 52 40.0%
  • Lube, oil and filter

    Votes: 51 39.2%
  • #3 and plugs, hoses and belts

    Votes: 41 31.5%
  • #3, 4 brakes, u-joints, add radios, lights

    Votes: 47 36.2%
  • Rebuild engines

    Votes: 16 12.3%
  • Rebuilt transmissions, transferases

    Votes: 6 4.6%
  • Add lockers and change gears

    Votes: 11 8.5%
  • Fab bumpers, winch mounts and other metal work

    Votes: 10 7.7%
  • Pretty much anything that needs fixed or welded

    Votes: 22 16.9%

  • Total voters
    130

2400

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I dropped the drive shaft in my van this morning. I got it home on my trailer a while ago and am warming before I take the broken stuff off and try to get it a tube in it.

So I was wondering home many of you guys do your own work.


Here's a shot of me and my Willys I'm almost done rebuilding. So far I've rebuilt the rear axle, transmission, transfer case, engine and am now rewiring it from the firewall forward. I'm also redoing the inside, new console, seats and maybe A/C. Then when I save a little more money I'll rebuild the "new" front axle.

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ndfinfan

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Wish I could...never learned engine mechanics. Helped a buddy re-build a carburetor in the 80's and learned I have no mechanical aptitude...at all! My F-150 and the wife's Rav 4 go to the service center every 3 months!
 

Wild and Free

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Pretty much do it all except auto trans, have rebuilt a few older Gm, Dodge and Fords over the years but most require a lot of special tooling knowledge and training anymore, same goes for the electrical control systems of pretty much anything newer than 20 years old is about impossible without the tools and training.
I do enjoy gear work. I can weld and fabricate but the time it takes to do so on most things anymore one can go buy things fairly cheap anymore. In my older age I don't do as much as I used to but also drive newer nicer things than years of old too which require less work. Helps that I am not as poor as years ago now too so taking the technical stuff or PITA stuff i just don't want to deal with to the shop isn't as much of a hardship even though the labor rates are about 3 times what they were back then.
I had the trans rebuilt in one of my pickups a few years back and was going to do the R&R myself but shops will not honor a warranty that way I found out after calling a few, in order to get their warranty they need to do the R&R work too.
 
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luvcatchingbass

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I do as much as I can on all my vehicles but they sure are not the same as my old tractors. Work with GPS on a daily basis so working on things where the most complicated thing is a distributor or magneto is a good break.
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NDbowman

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Change oil, filters, and other general maintenance on my vehicles but any major repair goes to a shop as a lot of these newer vehicles are impossible to work on. I've got enough fixing on tractors, equipment, an atvs that I don't need to be fixing my own vehicles as well.
 

Rizzo

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Unfortunately I do. I dont trust anyone else to do the work
 

Captain Ahab

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I used to do all my oil changes. Replaced starters, alternators, belts, brakes, etc. Don't do any of it anymore.
 

Davey Crockett

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I'm in the same boat as Lovecatchingbass . I like working on old collector stuff more than my personal vehicles. I like that I can get my oil changed almost as cheap as I can do it so I consider that as my "treat". I'll dig into what ever I need to but newer vehicles are pretty trouble free if you treat them right. Lovecatchingbass , Would that happen to be a 1927 D with a BB stuck in the radiator and a small chunk broken from the radiator cap ?
 


luvcatchingbass

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I'm in the same boat as Lovecatchingbass . I like working on old collector stuff more than my personal vehicles. I like that I can get my oil changed almost as cheap as I can do it so I consider that as my "treat". I'll dig into what ever I need to but newer vehicles are pretty trouble free if you treat them right. Lovecatchingbass , Would that happen to be a 1927 D with a BB stuck in the radiator and a small chunk broken from the radiator cap ?

its a 1937 D with all original steel with ribs up front lugs and extensions on back, original cast radiator cap and a working shutter all in good condition. I had to replace all sheet metal was about it for cosmetics and minor carb and engine work, ran good when I got it.

- - - Updated - - -

Always puts on a good show on the pulling skid at the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion, usually spin out at 250-285ft out of 300ft with it.
 

Fish whisperer

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I do what I can but my mechanical knowledge is pretty limited. I’m really good at taking things apart but not so good at putting them back together.:;:imwithstupid
 


fj40

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Not anymore. Used to do everything from ball joints, brakes, valve jobs, etc. Can't get off the floor or lean under the hood for very long anymore. Didn't have a choice years ago because I mostly drove junk and couldn't afford to have a shop do it. Not wealthy now by any means but can afford to buy new or fairly new and for the few extra bucks, I'll pay someone else to climb under the bitch and drain the oil.
Do have my old Landcruiser that I helped rebuild several years ago and the kid in me does own a 1962 Chevy II Nova with a small block and other goodies. I will tinker with them once in awhile.

- - - Updated - - -

thumb_IMG_20131010_165114_001_1183679009.jpg I'll get this figured out, yet.

- - - Updated - - -

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Callem'In

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Its what I do for a career. I have left the shop and now service write/manage a 8 bay shop.
 

Captain Ahab

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I really enjoyed working on my dirt bikes. Did multiple top ends on two strokes and one four stroke. When I climbed on my CR 250 and it had a fresh top end, bottom end oil, repacked silencer, and topped off tank of 93 octane and 40:1 Klotz it just made me happy. Still miss the smell of burning Klotz.
 

fj40

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How the hell do I get one big pic and one small pic? Gawd, I hate not knowing technology.
 


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