CaliWagon83 finally getting his hands dirty!

[jiho]

They quoted me like $25-35.

Hmm ... do you think I could get one in a multi-dup deal off of your send-in? I second the opinion in favor of Cunifer, but I think I'm like you in believing that the "VIN A" motor stock is only worth so much personal effort as a temporary stop-gap (however long-term that turns out to be).

See, when I did mine it was already kinked practically to a complete fold, and I somehow made it worse, so I just sawed it off down by the distributor, screwed a nipple fitting into the filter nut on the carb, and installed a run of 3/8" rubber fuel hose. Following a recommendation in the shop manual, 2-inch overlap of hose on the tube, with two clamps. It's never leaked, but it is starting to crack a bit where it snakes around the radiator hose. I was just getting ready to replace the hose (and probably will), when I saw this thread.

On the carb rebuild ... get a set of Thexton tools. You can buy direct from them, and they don't charge an arm and a leg.

 

[CaliWagon83]

I’m going to be completely honest with you guys...I don’t have decades of DIY wrenching experience, a huge workshop with tens of thousands of dollars in tools, and unlimited time to spend on things. The stuff I’m fairly confident I can tackle myself I do. But more intricate stuff that requires more expertise and specialized tools, I gladly defer to the experts.

I know some of you think I over-pay for stuff because of that, and maybe I do. But I’d rather pass stuff off that guys have done hundreds or thousands of times, and know what little things to look for than to go in blind, overlook stuff, and end up having bigger problems down the road because of it.

The most “analog” car I owned before this was a ‘93 Nissan Sentra, which I did a lot of the basic maintenance on myself. This car is considerably more analog than that (at the moment). So I’m sure this will be a learning experience in many ways.

And in terms of the good-natured ribbing, hey...I’m taking it as a term of endearment. Even if you’re re-living your schoolyard bully days, whatever... I’m choosing to see the silver lining.

And to be honest, my ignorance (or laziness) can be your gain. I’m more than willing to pay for parts, whether original or reproduction.

 

[pontiacgp]

Every poke I post is in good fun and if you didn't respond likewise I would stop. We make suggestions to help you out if YOU CHOOSE to make parts or do repairs on your own. I like make anything I can to have the satisfaction of doing it myself but luckily not everyone is like me. Many of us started out last century with only books to refer to and had to jeery rig stuff cause that was all that we had avaialble, I rebuilt my first Buick 350 with a manual I bought from a Buick dealer.

 

[CaliWagon83]

pontiacgp, If I’m ever up in your neck of the woods, I’d gladly hang out and have a Molson’s or Timmy’s coffee and donut with you. I’m sure I could learn a few G-Body wrenching tips from you, too.

 

[DRIVEN]

No judgement from me as to how you tackle your project. My only piece of advice would be not to shy away from the tasks you aren't quite sure of. Working just beyond your comfort level is the best way to learn as well as build confidence. We'll lend a hand however we can.

 

[pagrunt]

I’m going to be completely honest with you guys...I don’t have decades of DIY wrenching experience, a huge workshop with tens of thousands of dollars in tools, and unlimited time to spend on things. The stuff I’m fairly confident I can tackle myself I do. But more intricate stuff that requires more expertise and specialized tools, I gladly defer to the experts.

You're above average with auto skills cause you actually try to do what you can do with what experience you have. A lot of us work with what tools we do have, might get lucky to find a good deal on a specialty tool that is needed, & some have Mother Nature as their garage. Just do what you can as you can, if there is something that you need to pay someone else to do is no foul. At least you weren't like the group of 20 something guys needing AAA to change the flat on their mini van I saw Friday night, & they guy had to dig out the spare for them too.

 

[CaliWagon83]

Working just beyond your comfort level is the best way to learn as well as build confidence. We'll lend a hand however we can.

True words...I almost popped on last night to ask for advice in removing the fuel line, but then I just stepped back and stared at it for a while. I saw that my biggest obstructions were the upper coolant hose and the alternator bracket.

Once I got those out of my way, I was able to wiggle it out. Also made use of the torque of the new breaker bar I got from Harbor Freight to apply some good ol’ brute force to loosen some stubborn bolts.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Well, my attitude is if you aren't getting dirty and wounded you aren't trying hard enough. I would much rather buy a tool and learn a new skill than pay someone else to do it. I know I can't match the skills of a craftsman who does something for a living, but I am way past paying for shoddy work that I could have done better. As I try to teach my Grandson- mistakes are how we learn. And after all the colossal mistakes I've made I should be a genius by now!

 

[Longroof79]

I'm a firm believer that any skill can be learned. I may be more adept at one thing or another, but we gotta start somewhere. We'll never know until we try.
Having worked on various types of cars for over 50 yrs, I don't profess to be an expert at any one particular aspect of mechanics. I do view most tasks a challenge, and it certainly opens up new horizons. Whether it's working on motorcycles, outboard motors, etc.

So, don't be afraid to jump in there. Books are always helpful. We're not all fortunate enough to have a mentor by our side to teach us the ropes.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Strangely, I have passed several mechanics tests over the years like the Post Office one. Meanwhile guys who work on cars for a living failed those same tests. Why? Because every test wanted a wide range of skills and knowledge. If you were good at only one thing- you failed. But if you knew a little about everything- you passed. So I guess they wanted hot rodders!