I'm mechanically inclined, but...

[Ole Joe Clark]

Being a po boy, I've done as much wrench turning as I can. Generally, if someone points out a part that needs changing, I have been able to do that. However, the older I get, the less inclined I am to break out the tool box.

I have spent more time than I like to think about, lying on my back, on a piece of cardboard, in near freezing weather, trying to keep some rambling old car or truck running enough to get back and forth to work.

Muley, I could have copied your statement and almost used it word for word. I never have liked to work on cars and trucks, but have done a lot of it out of necessity. I have just about stopped all that nonsense though. It takes me about 3 times as long to do things as it used to. I had to get our Daughter to help me with a light fixture the other day. I'm am not as strong as I used to be.

I do like to learn new things though. I traded for a cheap .45 auto not long ago that needed some tuning up. I have learned a lot about those things by reading and studying how and why they work and don't work, and I can do that from the rocking chair in the music/reloading room.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[forindooruseonly]

I thought working on my own stuff would save me money.

Now I have an impressive collection of nice tools and way less money.

 

[Gamecock]

Unless you are having a problem, leave that filter alone!

 

[Gamecock]

There's just too much **** under the hood now to do my own work. I did a front brake job on my Bullitt, replaced the rear shocks, replaced the IAC.

Recent codes for misfiring cylinder had me open the hood, look at the spark plugs . . . Oh, wait! I can't see the dang spark plugs.

 

[old bear]

I'm one of those lucky guys, who understands I know enough about auto repairs to let someone who really knows what they are doing to fix my car, for me. That way I don't get my hands and cloths filthy dirty and I'm doing my small bit to help the local economy

 

[ggibson511960]

Modern Problems

I used to do more out of necessity to maintain cars, not being able to afford paying a mechanic. There was also the pride factor we engineers suffer from. Now I can afford to let professionals keep the running stock running, but can't get the mechanic handyman gene out of my system. Old guns, motorcycles, the comlexity of modern houses and appliances, and the amazing availability of information make fixing stuff a personal challenge and an all consuming pasttime. There is a certain moral superiority and arrogance in doing this stuff. Cheap tools also help. When I was a kid, power tools were expensive and reserved for professionals.

 

[wingriderz]

Never heard of a filter in the tank,but there is a strainer.
Usually its along the frame somewhere .
But i hear ya on doing your own work
I've always done my own work, I have a GCherokee 99.
That's new stuff to me . Changed all the front axels and front drive shaft ,break job and some other stuff. Went to change the spark plugs, couldn't find them or spark plug wires (youtube)
Didn't know they didn't have SP wires. Found the plugs under the rail.. Guess I'm showing my age
I DON'T TOUCH MY WIFES NEW CHEROKEE
Geez I just noticed I broke 1000 post

Yes a lot are in the tank. Very rare to find a. Filter outside

 

[Rastoff]

Being a po boy, I've done as much wrench turning as I can.

For many years this was me. I worked on the car because I didn't have the money to pay a mechanic. Fast forward 20 years, include being frugal and budgeting better, I have a few more dollars than I did.

As far as the Fuel Filter in the Gas Tank goes.......... yes, there are now many cars with the filter inside the tank.
------------------------------------
I would venture to say that changing it out (unless you have a problem with it or a reason to believe you do) for no real reason could possibly cause you and your wife more headaches than it is worth.

Couldn't agree more. Alas, we have problem. The Jeep runs for a while and then dies. We changed all the ignition stuff because that could have caused this, but down deep I know it's being starved for fuel.

Dropping the tank isn't super hard, but it is a job. I'm going to see if I can use a friend's lift.

In fact I'm a retired mechanical designer... I have the knowledge but not the touch and feel to b a good mechanic.

Don't take this the wrong way, but there are a lot of mechanics/technicians in the world cussing you for this very thing. I understand that they are two completely different career fields, but I think every mechanical engineer should be required to go work on their design at least a little.

• On an older Chrysler 300 you have to remove the left front wheel to get to the battery.
• On one GM model (don't remember the specific one) the steering linkage has to be removed to change the oil filter.
• On my Mini Cooper you have to disconnect the engine mount and lift the engine to replace the water pump.

I could go on and on, but you get the point. These things are all regular wear parts. It shouldn't be this hard to get to them.

 

[4barrel]

I'm one of those lucky guys, who understands I know enough about auto repairs to let someone who really knows what they are doing to fix my car, for me. That way I don't get my hands and cloths filthy dirty and I'm doing my small bit to help the local economy

Hard to get your hands dirty on a new car aint it Fred?

 

[old bear]

Hard to get your hands dirty on a new car aint it Fred?

Gary, for most folks that is correct. But remember I'm blessed with the talent to find the most complex and dirty way to do any job. O.M.G.

 

[rwsmith]

It was more fun....

It was more fun when mechanical things were actually mechanical.

 

[Gamecock]

Had fun a few weeks ago showing my son the distributor and coil on my 1972 Fiat. You should have seen the blank stare when I said "points and condensor."

And he's an auto mechanic.

 

[TX-Dennis]

I was never a great mechanic. I could do the easy stuff - spark plugs, rotors, distributor caps, fuel pumps, alternators, starters and the like on older vehicles. Ain't none of that stuff easy now. I pay somebody else to figure out how to get at it.

Even changing a battery can be a challenge on some vehicles now. My battery warning light was coming on not long ago. Thought I'd stop by the parts place and let them replace it since they advertise free installation of batteries. They took one look and said, nope, we can't do that.

I took it home and looked it up on youtube. Had to pull the wipers, several bolts, a dozen clips, two cowlings, and a plastic "battery cover," just to get at the battery. What used to be a five minute job now takes an hour or more.

 

[chief38]

For many years this was me. I worked on the car because I didn't have the money to pay a mechanic. Fast forward 20 years, include being frugal and budgeting better, I have a few more dollars than I did.

Couldn't agree more. Alas, we have problem. The Jeep runs for a while and then dies. We changed all the ignition stuff because that could have caused this, but down deep I know it's being starved for fuel.

Dropping the tank isn't super hard, but it is a job. I'm going to see if I can use a friend's lift.

Don't take this the wrong way, but there are a lot of mechanics/technicians in the world cussing you for this very thing. I understand that they are two completely different career fields, but I think every mechanical engineer should be required to go work on their design at least a little.

• On an older Chrysler 300 you have to remove the left front wheel to get to the battery.
• On one GM model (don't remember the specific one) the steering linkage has to be removed to change the oil filter.
• On my Mini Cooper you have to disconnect the engine mount and lift the engine to replace the water pump.

I could go on and on, but you get the point. These things are all regular wear parts. It shouldn't be this hard to get to them.

Dropping the Tank is only a few bolts and I'd run 95% of the Gasoline out before doing so just to save the hassle. It also pays to have a few of the tall jack stands to sort of take the weight of the Tank off of you guys. Removing the hoses is no big deal and the Fuel Pump (on the top of the Tank usually just unscrews - sometimes with a 1/2 turn. WEAR safety glasses - there will be some falling dust, rust, sand, etc and you don't want that in your eyes. I hope that solves your problem - let us know how you make out!

 

[Rastoff]

Thanks Chief38. I watched a video on the fuel pump/filter replacement. It doesn't look that bad. There's one tool, a spanner wrench, that I don't have. I think I can improvise something though.

Good tip about the glasses. I sometimes don't think of that.

 

[rwsmith]

That's one thing that spoiled my appetite....

I used to do most of my own work on my cars. I worked as a machine repairman before I retired and got pretty sick of wrenching on things. I was crew chief on a late model team for a few years and enjoyed that cause I like racing and the race car never got really dirty underneath. I hate working under a car with mud & snow falling in your face every time you touch something. Now I do very little, maybe brakes or something if I can save a lot of money and the weather is nice.

I had an old AMC I had to work on a lot and we bought an old Jeep for my wife's mail route that was a carbon copy of the AMC under the hood. I had to work on that thing day, night and weekends. Always having to get it fixed so she could use it the next day. One time she drives home about dark and I can hear the tire going PSH PSH PSH PSH PSH. Of course it's got a hole in it so I have to change it. Never mind that it's dark freezing/windy and drizzling so I'm out fixing that damn Jeep. I really hate laying on the concrete working under a car in those conditions.

 

[rwsmith]

The first I saw......

The first time I saw a filter on top of the gas tank was an expose' on a certain 'Lube' chain outfit. It seems the fuel filter was something that was pointed out a lot, so the team dropped the tank and marked the fuel filter. They took it to 'Quickie Lube' and yeah, the fuel filter needed changing. After the job was done the team took the gas tank down and the filter was exactly the same marked one.

I think people get a 'quidkie' all right, but not the way they wanted.

A high school friend of ours started a 'lube place' then added service when the shop part was built. It wasn't cheap, but they did great work, fixed what was needed and nothing else without asking. I automatically went to them for years with everything and told everybody else to go there, too. Well, my friend still owns it, but now he's 'hand's off' retired and someone else took over the business. Sadly, it took two visits for me to realize that they had gone completely crooked and I won't go back there. I'd like to tell my friend what those people are doing to his shop, but maybe he already knows or is beyond caring.

Oh, this is important. Several times I've been to shops to have a problem diagnosed and they tell my, 'Your brake fluid needs replacing." A friend of mind was told that his transmission fluid had gotten into his radiator????? This seems to be more common than ever and getting even more silly as people know less and less about cars. My son took auto mechanics. They didn't explain how an engine worked and I had to show him on a video animation.

PS. I never put nitrogen in my tires. After all our atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen already. There's a good chance that any 'nitrogen' they put in there won't be much more. And I can't think for the life of me what detriment the argon, CO2 and trace gases along with a little water vapor would have.

PPS: A friend of mine got advised by a dealer that he needed 'special lube' for a part on his truck and that it had a part number like any other part. He ordered some, and when he got it, it had on the label "Special Lubricant".

 

[Muley Gil]

At least one of the pick-ups that I owned had the oil drain plug right above a frame crosspiece. You took out the plug and then the old oil hit the cross piece.

 

[steelslaver]

Hard to get your hands dirty on a new car aint it Fred?

It is really funny to drive by a new car stopped along the road with the hood up though.

 

[anoblefox]

The only way I work on cars and trucks now days is when there is no immanent necessity to do it right away. The older I get the less I like doing repair work. BTW my first vehicle was a ford F100 with a 223 cu in 6 cylinder engine; you could climb in the between the inner fender and the engine!
Last weekend I changed an alternator pulley on our 03 VW Jetta TDI (diesel). It was so tight that I could barely get my hand in to loosen the pulley with the special tool. I hate it when there is so little room that you can see it and not touch it OR, you can touch it, but not see it at the same time!