DIY mechanic task list

[dean335]

This question is only for Home/DIY mechanics .What are the list of tasks that you guys are working on your vehicle , would like to here from easiest one to the most difficult one that you have done by your own. also what are the things that we shouldn't tough as a DIYer.
** I am just a beginner dealing with oil/fluid changing and would like to move to next step. thanks

 

[3rdgendslmech]

I'm a heavy equipment mechanic but I toy with cars in my spare time. Easiest jobs are oil changes and tire rotation. Next would be brakes and tune ups. Then suspension work. After that it really depends on the year make and model of the car. Without having the proper equipment, pulling an engine or transmission is probably tharder end of things to do.

 

[marineman]

A somewhat normal progression would be from fluids to belts and brakes, then suspension and driveline, then engine gaskets and finally engine and transmission internals.

In the real world I progressed by fixing stuff in the order it broke.

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[PWC Repair]

I started out helping my dad do basic things like pump the brakes and hand him tools. At 15yo I got my first vehicle and started out with oil changes, spark plugs, air filter, plug wires and distributor cap, etc. Then delved into a brake job and valve cover and intake gasket replacement. Shocks are not bad, struts are a different story. By 17yo I pulled my first engine and took it in to a shop to get rebuilt. Everything just kept progressing from there. The more you wrench, the more familiar you become, the easier it gets, the more tools you accumulate, etc. I do everything now from setting up rear gears to rebuilding automatic transmissions and engines to body repair and custom paint and even a bit of upholstery. Where there's a will.....there's a way. And with the internet and youtube vids these days, it's that much easier.

 

[onewheat]

A somewhat normal progression would be from fluids to belts and brakes, then suspension and driveline, then engine gaskets and finally engine and transmission internals.

In the real world I progressed by fixing stuff in the order it broke.

I would agree with this. I started changing my own oil on my car as soon as I got one at 16. When it needed brakes, I did them, I fumbled my way through paint and bodywork (bodywork is an art, and I'm not an artist) but I did well at the welding part. Radiator, water pump, carb rebuild, shocks, exhaust, tune-up, etc - up to transfer case rebuild on my truck, auto transmission replacement (I pulled and reinstalled but didn't rebuild, clutch and flywheel, struts - all sorts of things. I am very mechanically inclined though. So honestly it started as a kid - if something was broken, I would take it apart and figure out how it worked and fix it. If I couldn't, it was already broken anyway - but I would see how things worked. If you are mechanical, mechanical things should be pretty black and white, especially if you have a shop manual or hit up YouTube for help. It's amazing what you can find there but BEWARE - not every video is the best way or the correct way to do things and can sometimes make things worse - but it can give you some good insight on things.

 

[Magnum440d100]

This is kind of a loaded question, because everyone’s abilities are different. Personally? I hate brakes. I do them well, I just hate doing them.

For me, from easiest to hardest, is belts/fluids/filters as being the easiest, followed by engine/trans removal, followed by motor/trans rebuild, and the hardest for me is body work.


I pull front wheel drive motor and trans as one unit when doing a clutch job. I’m not fond of lining up motors and transmissions from under the car with no lift. So they get pulled as one, repaired, and put in as one. That also gives me the opportunity to degrease and pressure wash the motor/trans and engine bay. I can do a clutch job on a FWD car in 10 hours, including pressure washing. For me, it is easy. If it’s a RWD trans, motor stays put. I pull the trans from underneath.

But brakes take me 2-3 hours haha.

It all boils down to TOOLS!!!! If you do not have the proper tool for the job, the easiest task becomes a nightmare in no time.

 

[Magnum440d100]

As far as what you SHOULDN’T do?

Again, that boils down to what you’re comfortable doing. Personally, AC shouldn’t be a DIY repair. Ideally, you have the proper machine to recover the R12 or R134a so it doesn’t go into the atmosphere.

I get around this by removing the compressor from the motor and hanging it off to the side, leaving the hoses connected. If the system worked prior to engine removal, it’ll work after the motor gets put back in.

One day I hope to have the proper AC machine so I can repair AC systems properly.

 

[Rogers954]

This is kind of a loaded question, because everyone’s abilities are different. Personally? I hate brakes. I do them well, I just hate doing them.



For me, from easiest to hardest, is belts/fluids/filters as being the easiest, followed by engine/trans removal, followed by motor/trans rebuild, and the hardest for me is body work.





I pull front wheel drive motor and trans as one unit when doing a clutch job. I’m not fond of lining up motors and transmissions from under the car with no lift. So they get pulled as one, repaired, and put in as one. That also gives me the opportunity to degrease and pressure wash the motor/trans and engine bay. I can do a clutch job on a FWD car in 10 hours, including pressure washing. For me, it is easy. If it’s a RWD trans, motor stays put. I pull the trans from underneath.



But brakes take me 2-3 hours haha.



It all boils down to TOOLS!!!! If you do not have the proper tool for the job, the easiest task becomes a nightmare in no time.

This ^^^ i learn as i go and the one thing i have definitely learned is the more tools you have the easier jobs get 100% true. Hell just today i replaced a power steering pump on my truck, now i used a basic harbor freight pulley puller/installer, because i didn’t want to spend anymore money than i needed to (not a tool i plan to use very often) but without this tool there’s no way i would have been able to change out the pump. I’ll tell you one thing i got to use today for the first time that made this job a hell of a lot easier and i can’t wait to use it a lot more and that’s the new Milwaukee impact stubby that my wife got me last week for our anniversary. This little thing kicks ***. I had a big adjustable wrench and a 1/2 ratchet with a socket on that puller to remove the pulley on my pump, i couldn’t get it to budge damn thing felt like it was welded on, took out the new stubby and swapped out that 1/2 ratchet and it zipped that pulley right off. Pretty sure this is about to be the best tool purchase I’ve ever had. Just an example some tools just make your life so much easier and faster.





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[Kaizen]

Diy = do what is needed. When something breaks you figure it out. Worst thing you could ever do is not try. Sure you need specialized tools for new tasks but much less then paying someone. If you fail then a hundred mechanics are probably within a few miles of you. Careful though. This leads to an I can do anything attitude. Sometimes I get in over my head but it always works out with enough tears, blood, and beers


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[Red 17]

Based on my time spent on a vehicle forum, the average DIY person can find their way around most routine stuff. Tire rotation, Oil change, belts, fuses, lights. Water pump, alternator, brake master and brakes? OK, most can do it. Starting in those catagories, imo, it starts to get into a proper place to work, and tools, and, for the first timer, help. Again, IMO, automatic transmission rebuilding, complete engine rebuilding, especially OHC, DOHC motors, are very questionable for the average DIY who is not also an auto tech or at least "exposed" in some way. And, in those, you might pick up a hobby by doing the job twice or more. Very very questionable would be setting up a differential. Especially a front wheel drive or integrated carrier rear axle, which covers almost everything these days.

Oh, diy front end alignment. No.

 

[Magnum440d100]

Diy = do what is needed. When something breaks you figure it out. Worst thing you could ever do is not try. Sure you need specialized tools for new tasks but much less then paying someone. If you fail then a hundred mechanics are probably within a few miles of you. Careful though. This leads to an I can do anything attitude. Sometimes I get in over my head but it always works out with enough tears, blood, and beers


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^^^^ agree about the “I can do anything” attitude.

And for the love of everything holy, STAY AWAY FROM THE “Well, since I’m here doing this already, I might as well do this”....

Otherwise a motor swap turns into a frame off....

Still need to do paint and body, but the frame is mint! And it’s drivable again haha

 

[Magnum440d100]

Based on my time spent on a vehicle forum, the average DIY person can find their way around most routine stuff. Tire rotation, Oil change, belts, fuses, lights. Water pump, alternator, brake master and brakes? OK, most can do it. Starting in those catagories, imo, it starts to get into a proper place to work, and tools, and, for the first timer, help. Again, IMO, automatic transmission rebuilding, complete engine rebuilding, especially OHC, DOHC motors, are very questionable for the average DIY who is not also an auto tech or at least "exposed" in some way. And, in those, you might pick up a hobby by doing the job twice or more. Very very questionable would be setting up a differential. Especially a front wheel drive or integrated carrier rear axle, which covers almost everything these days.

Oh, diy front end alignment. No.

I agree! Front end alignment is not really DIY friendly. I can get them close with a tape measure, 2 straight 4x4’s and a large square. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough to get to the alignment shop. My D100 hasn’t been to the alignment shop since the front end was rebuilt, and the tires wear evenly. I may not take it haha

 

[matt_i]

Some things have gotten easier lol. I recall as a younger person working on exhausts every year, in general every fastener all over the car was rusted and most of them broke off. I had no heater and lay on the garage floor in a dirty pair of insulated Carhartt coveralls. The corrosion protection that OEMs use seem to get about 10 years of good service in the rust belt before its all back to "messy".

As above I've been driven by need, changed a couple of engines and last year a FWD transmission. Some forays into tractors, forklifts and marine powertrains.

One of the more challenging jobs I did was to rebuild (change seals on) the telescoping triple mast cylinder on a forklift. After that I'd say a project to change the upper and lower ball joints on a Yukon, both of above required several special tools which I made in the shop.

Tires, A/C, alignments, and now software (had to have the transmission programmed) have to be farmed out to other shops. Having heat in the shop is a true blessing.

 

[cvairwerks]

I’ll tackle almost anything on my vehicles. The first thing I accomlished was an oil change on our 62 Carryall. Next was an incar overhaul of the Wildcat 355 in mom’s Buick. I was about 13 when I did that.

 

[crewchief888]

heavy equipment mechanic/welder by trade.

i keep my '00 sierra in running condition (most of the time ) typical GM problems, rusted brake lines, ad since the truck is parked 99% of the time, i change brake pads about once a year. oil changes, ect.
it currently needs a new A/C belt and tensioner, and i need to fab up a new rear bumper. (original bumper rusted out and basically fell off)

i dont bother with oil changes with the wifes car, she has it taken care of elsewhere.

i built an off road toy about 12 years ago, started with a cornfield find '88 s-10 blazer, blown engine and bad trans.
bought an astro van for it's eng/trans, swapped engine/trans to the s-10,
built a full cage, rock sliders, seats/harnesses, gauges, fuel cell, rear bumper, spare tire carrier, dual batteries, winch, narrowed front & rear sheetmetal, straight axle swap, lift.

also served as crewchief for an off road race team for 3 years, including a full teardown/rebuild, to bare frame/cage/cab, of our truck.

 

[Falcon67]

On a 1-10 scale, 1 being easy -
1 - putting gas in the race car/taking car to dealer for oil change
2 - oil change in the trucks or race car
3 - pulling motor and trans out of the dragster
5 - rebuilding a 9"
6 - pulling motor/trans out of a shock tower Ford
7 - rebuilding one of the race engines
8 - race trans rebuild
9 - spraying paint
10 - turning a bare frame race car into a running vehicle capable of winning rounds
11 - changing exhaust manifolds in the F350
12 - paying for any of the above

 

[firebirdparts]

I think brakes and wear items are easy. It would be very worthwhile to get to the level of doing timing belts on the car you actually own. Diagnosis is actually much harder than actual work, and most people never get good at it.

There is enormous benefit in learning from people on a forum dedicated to your car. 90% of the posts will be ignorant and 10% will be gold. That is a lot of gold.

 

[engineer2]

About the only automotive things I won't do at home:
Rebuild an automatic transmission -- too much brand-speciifc knowledge and tools
Paint an entire car -- overspray and dust control too difficult where I live
Welding, such as exhaust -- got a local guy who can do that cheap.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I let my vehicles schedule when and what needs to be done.

 

[engineer2]

sorry, double post

 

[JDGolden]

I do simple maintenance things, oil, rotations, filters, lights, brakes etc. That's where my lack of tools and experience kicks in.

 

[PoorOwner]

It would depend on the car you own too

For a new Toyota,
you may find out how to do oil changes, replace some belts 10 years, maybe alternator brush and pulley in 20 years

Subaru would have you become a master mechanic in about 1 year

 

[48RON54]

Fix things as they break or need to be serviced

Youtube is your friend if you are unfamiliar with a repair you are doing

If the tools you are using aren't working well to get the job done, you probably need to go get some different tools

Again, youtube is your friend. If you are stuck/angry/frustrated, take a break and do some research. If that is still not working, call a friend.

 

[48RON54]

It would depend on the car you own too

For a new Toyota,
you may find out how to do oil changes, replace some belts 10 years, maybe alternator brush and pulley in 20 years

Subaru would have you become a master mechanic in about 1 year

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Damned this 97 Subaru and the boxer motor constantly making me second guess my mechanical abilities! LOL!!!!!!

 

[OccupantRJ]

I learned it all the hard way, with some help from an older mentor. I first took apart on old junk 1953 Chevrolet in the back yard to see how it was put together when I was 12 years old. My dad hauled it off as I finished examining each piece, until the whole car was gone. I have progressed from there on any mechanical device that clicks or ticks. The only things I have ever paid to have done on a vehicle is a full paint job and front end alignment. Everything else I have done it all.

If I was younger, I would dive deeper into the electronic controls of vehicles these days, but I may still have to address that unless it requires a major investment. I lived and breathe motorcycles and cars when I was younger, but for the last 25 years I have been turning more to industrial machinery and other equipment as an interest. At 66, I don’t have to jack them up and crawl under them.

Acquisition of tools is a progression of need until you hit around the 30,000 lb accumulation level, if you try to do it all.

 

[larry_g]

What is included in your oil change? For me it is a drop of oil on each hinge, hood and doors, gas filler door. Look for other pivot points that could use a drop. Check the battery connections are they clean or crusty? Need some lube on the door latches? Any rust that needs killing. Tons of small things that could use attention if you look.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[DGersic]

I started with oil changes, like pretty much everybody else. From there, if it breaks, wears out, leaks, or comes loose, I’m going to be the one fixing it.

Don’t be afraid to tackle the unknown. But, research what you’re doing or going to do and be aware of the hazards and how not to injure yourself in doing so. That ranges from being careful not to punch things when a “stuck” bolt suddenly becomes “not stuck”, to not dropping heavy things on yourself (use jack stands), proper eye protection when welding or grinding, being aware of CO from a running engine, and respiratory dangers from paint and chemicals.

If you don’t have the right tool for the job, buy or rent it.



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[DGersic]

As far as what you SHOULDN’T do?

Again, that boils down to what you’re comfortable doing. Personally, AC shouldn’t be a DIY repair. Ideally, you have the proper machine to recover the R12 or R134a so it doesn’t go into the atmosphere.

I get around this by removing the compressor from the motor and hanging it off to the side, leaving the hoses connected. If the system worked prior to engine removal, it’ll work after the motor gets put back in.

One day I hope to have the proper AC machine so I can repair AC systems properly.

I’ve fixed my A/C several times. I’ve never found a need for the recovery machine because the d*mn system leaks the R134a out all by itself, which is why I’m fixing it again.

You do need a set of gauges and a vacuum pump. And a tank of nitrogen if you want to check your work before filling the system with R134a, which may or may not actually help.



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[Alpine4x4]

Started with the basics, plugs, oil, belts, brakes, etc. This slowly progressed as I purchased more rigs to replacing injection pumps, rebuilds of 22RE's, suspension work, and currently has me sitting about ready to rebuild a ZF5 ****** out of a 97 powerstroke. I was lucky I met a mechanic who became a friend and taught me a ton as well as let me work on my junk with his tools in his garage for beer. Now I have enhanced my tool collection to the point I'm on my own doing the work. Theres nothing worse than not having the right tools.

 

[Negen]

The important thing is to stay out of the gj deals forum or new tools forum.

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