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Post by maxwell on Nov 9, 2016 1:38:24 GMT 1
I'm max and I am 24 from swindon
I'm sure there are some really good garages in my area but the four I've used have been really bad and it's made me reluctant to try another garage, just in case. Instead I tried my hand at repairing things myself and to my surprise actually really enjoyed myself! When I say garages in my area are terrible I'm not talking about how nice they are or friendly it's just the quality of work... For example:
Forgetting to connect up a fuel line and losing me an entire tank of fuel all over the road...
Not doiing up a wheel and it fell off a mile down the road...
Didn't clip on the tray underneath the car properly and it flew off on the dual carriageway...
Head gasket done and it went again two weeks later...
Clutch fitted which started slipping two weeks after it was fitted...
New calipers that seized before making it out of the garage...
It's not just one garage and I know for the most part the issues weren't life threatening or anything and the guys have all been really good and sorted it out for me without any fuss or reimbursed me for damages etc which is fine but it's just as big a headache for me as it is for them. It's all water under the bridge now but that is what pushed me in the direction of trying to learn a new skill.
So I decided to have a go myself and so far I haven't really done much apart from some brakes and a new power steering pump w/ belt which wasn't too hard did some glowplugs and other such things...
I'd actually like to do as much of my own work as possible because it's quickly becoming an addictive hobby.... I've always loved cars but until recently never had the urge to work on them... Now all I need is a £10000000000000000000 budget to buy all the tools I've been drooling over lol
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Post by valhalla on Nov 9, 2016 11:43:45 GMT 1
Welcome to the forum Max! The main thing when starting-out is to buy the basics, and buy them well; things that keep you safe, like axle stands, jacks, etc. Make sure you invest good money in these, also fundamentals like good combination spanners, and forget all about the other luxuries until you actually need them. The guys here on the forum can give you a head-up on anything you're likely to need for a bigger job, as and when it becomes necessary, but save your money for a rainy day. There are too many "luxury" tools out there, at inflated cost, which will sink your money and give you very little payback. What car are you working-on? That makes a big difference to the sort of tools you'll need, eg. VW's are worth having a decent spline set to hand for many things (as well as a proper spline tool for gearbox fill/draining), whereas Landrovers are better serviced with a top-notch subscription to a breakdown service.......  Actually, no, if you service them properly yourself, they can be a decent investment of time, as the dealership costs are phenomonal. |
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Post by rhyds on Nov 9, 2016 11:52:58 GMT 1
Also, avoid buying "premium" tools unless you really need something they sell (no point buying a snap-on spanner set for example). If you're just starting out halfords advanced stuff is good value (there's a sale on every other month) and nice to use.
Having said that, avoid really cheap no-name stuff as well.
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Post by maxwell on Nov 9, 2016 13:15:12 GMT 1
So vehicles I'm working on or will work on in the future is my main vehicle which is a Peugeot partner 1.9ld with no turbo and a 1.6 Citroen c3 1.6... And we also have two jeeps, one is a 2.5d manual 1999 reg which is rare and a 3l automatic Jeep both Cherokees and we also have a cheapo Citroen Picasso which is actually really nice to drive.
I have the basics which is a moderate socket set in imperial and metric some axle stands and a good jack and I'm a carpenter by trade so I also already have a lot of spanners and impact wrenches which is good.... Even a compressor somewhere that I didn't use much before.
I'm trying not to buy anything that I don't have to the socket set I bought was a cheapish forge steal set which has been really good for my uses and it was 80 quid for a substantial set.
Thanks for the advice I appreciate it. Got some repairs to do in the van and will be jacking it up later today and i know what you mean about cheap jacks and stands because I've used them in the past
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Post by Karl on Nov 9, 2016 14:12:22 GMT 1
Flipping heck fuel pipes not connected, wheels falling off , clutch slipping hazard of using cheap rubbish
Head gasket repeat failure
Underlying fault else where ?
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Post by maxwell on Nov 9, 2016 15:45:01 GMT 1
Yeah the fuel line was on a v6 freelander.. the wheel was on a Fiat 500 and apparently the guy forgot to tighten the bolts genuine mistake but not good for the car and the engine tray was also on the freelander the clutch was supposed to be genuine parts but apparently the flywheel needed regrinding and wasn't I don't know anything about clutches so who knows?
And the head gasket was an underlying issue on my brothers mg zr 1.4 which as we later found out is a very common and easy to fix issue... But they did it again for free which they didn't have to do so I'm sure he appreciated that
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Post by Joepublic on Nov 9, 2016 16:08:48 GMT 1
You'll need a silver hammer.... cue nobster our resident dj
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Post by Noberator on Nov 9, 2016 21:46:34 GMT 1
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Post by valhalla on Nov 10, 2016 1:09:21 GMT 1
Yeah the fuel line was on a v6 freelander.. the wheel was on a Fiat 500 and apparently the guy forgot to tighten the bolts genuine mistake but not good for the car and the engine tray was also on the freelander the clutch was supposed to be genuine parts but apparently the flywheel needed regrinding and wasn't I don't know anything about clutches so who knows? And the head gasket was an underlying issue on my brothers mg zr 1.4 which as we later found out is a very common and easy to fix issue... But they did it again for free which they didn't have to do so I'm sure he appreciated that Yep, even now there are garages that don't check the "new" head dowels to make sure they are fit-for-purpose. Too many of these so-called uprated steel ring dowels are rejected stock from the side of the production line; the grinding process reveals that the raw billet was undersized or eccentric, so there isn't a good, circular dimension to the dowel. Hence the gaskets go again, and again, and again.......they just cannot cope with lateral movement in service. |
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Post by valhalla on Nov 10, 2016 1:11:35 GMT 1
You'll need a silver hammer.... cue nobster our resident dj He missed this one  |
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Post by Noberator on Nov 10, 2016 1:53:21 GMT 1
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Post by Noberator on Nov 10, 2016 11:51:37 GMT 1
Remembered this one as well later on but I was only about nine or ten. |
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Post by Noberator on Nov 13, 2016 14:25:11 GMT 1
So vehicles I'm working on or will work on in the future is my main vehicle which is a Peugeot partner 1.9ld with no turbo and a 1.6 Citroen c3 1.6... And we also have two jeeps, one is a 2.5d manual 1999 reg which is rare and a 3l automatic Jeep both Cherokees and we also have a cheapo Citroen Picasso which is actually really nice to drive. I have the basics which is a moderate socket set in imperial and metric some axle stands and a good jack and I'm a carpenter by trade so I also already have a lot of spanners and impact wrenches which is good.... Even a compressor somewhere that I didn't use much before. Thanks for the advice I appreciate it. Got some repairs to do in the van and will be jacking it up later today and i know what you mean about cheap jacks and stands because I've used them in the past Go and have a look at the Halfords Socket Sets. On offer at the moment and cheaper still if you have or know somebody with a Halfords Trade Card. |
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Post by chippie on Nov 13, 2016 19:02:35 GMT 1
I have 2 of the Halfords socket sets: a 1/4" set and a 3/8" set. Both good quality and never let me down.....( yes! I do use them before the jokes start coming at me....  ) so definitely worth the cash.... |
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Actually, no, if you service them properly yourself, they can be a decent investment of time, as the dealership costs are phenomonal.
Can't remember them all. 
) so definitely worth the cash....