How good of a mechanic are you?

[blupupher]

Off hand, I would say I am a decent shade tree mechanic.

As others have said, anything bolted onto the car or engine, I can do for the most part.
Engine rebuild/replacement, transmission rebuild, no. Also no axle rebuilds (too precise for me).
I have swapped transmissions in the past on a manual (not any harder than a clutch swap).

I don't do A/C work because I don't have the tools to do it correctly.

I worked a few years for a friend as a "mechanics helper", learned a lot there and did help with some of the more "advanced" things like engine swaps and A/C work.

Only things I have had a vehicle to a mechanic for in the past 15 years is a engine swap in my truck (7 years ago) and A/C work on my daughters Scion about a month ago (and it is still not fixed).

When talking to some of my co-workers about stuff I do, they think I am a master mechanic.
Most of my coworkers (I work in an ER) don't (and some probably can't) change their oil, much less do simple things (to me at least) like brakes, shocks, batteries and such.

 

[Dinoburner]

Before electronics a 5 now have a friend with a shop pull codes then decide who does the job. Reached top of scale before retiring but slowing down due to age now. Wouldn`t let anyone touch farm equipment but if an internal hydraulics problem on the L5030 shows up it goes to the dealer. So now a 3?

 

[spasm3]

When talking to some of my co-workers about stuff I do, they think I am a master mechanic.
Most of my coworkers (I work in an ER) don't (and some probably can't) change their oil, much less do simple things (to me at least) like brakes, shocks

I bet you have the same problem i do. You HAVE to be able to get your hands/ under fingernails ,super clean by monday! Got to keep moly grease off your skin, it gets in the pores and stains. I use thick gloves, sometimes lotion/creme before donning gloves , and a ton of Cherry Blast hand cleaner.

You can't go back to work, taking care of patients with hands that look like a diesel mechanic!

Any tips you have ?

 

[DougR]

Somewhere between 4 (Really good shade tree) and 5 (I am a mechanic). Worked at a shop and received informal training. Spent a year repairing 14 donated cars and trucks for a non-profit where none of the vehicles had less than 100,000 miles. Decided to get a mechanical engineering degree, so I worked part-time as a mechanic to earn money for tuition, books and housing. Enjoyed working 32+ years in aerospace and retired 7 years ago. I've rebuilt engines, but never had an opportunity to attempt a transmission overhaul. I continued to learn new skills over the years as automotive technology evolved. What is the most recent repair? Last spring, assembled and installed new coil overs on my 4Runner.

 

[manicrodder]

I'm a 3/4, and smart enough to farm stuff out sometimes.

I'd say I am .75 myself.

 

[vavavroom]

I'll go again with I'm a disaster waiting to happen. Also, I haven't killed anyone yet with my tinkering.

 

[Chris142]

Losing patience as I age. Guess I'm tired of working on stuff every day. Lately I have been better at diagnosing problems than doing the work lol

 

[tnt_motorsports]

I’d say between 3 and 4. I do almost all the work on our fleet of vehicles. In the past 25+ years our vehicles have been to the shop about 5 times not counting tires. I do all our maintenance and repairs. I started years ago buying tools for the cost of the labor. After this long it’s amazing how much you collect. I’ve worked on race cars and built my own Mod lite chassis from the ground up including cutting forming and welding the chassis.

Usually in our neighborhood if something needs fixed they stop by our house. Honestly I love helping people. It gives me some simple satisfaction.

Just my $0.02

 

[Malo83]

#3,

 

[tiger862]

Master before getting hurt 11 years ago
Auto industry has changed but I still think that I could figure it out.

 

[joegreen]

4. But that's mainly due to lack of tools. I will absolutely try to repair or diagnose anything even if it ends up costing me money. Mainly because I am more curious. Worst thing you can do is be scared of the things you own.

 

[Motu]

I'm an A Grade mechanic in our system, that was as far as you could go at the time. It means I can pass exams...which is pretty good considering it's considered I have a learning disability. But it wasn't known at the time, and have learned how to work around it.

 

[Nick1994]

2-3. I'm a big wuss and can't stand the heat. So I avoid doing a lot of the repairs myself.

I've replaced Jeep axles lots of times, fuel pumps, alternators, radiators, water pumps, wheel bearings, window regulators, etc. but I'm pushing away more and more.

We'll build a nicer garage one of these days and install a big swamp cooler to keep it cool. Maybe I'll do more then.

 

[4WD]

3. Through the years I drove hard - modified & repaired older trucks/4WD’s … I don’t do nearly as much wrench work (have lots of tools) because I’m older, wiser, and have more money … Drive & PM newer stuff …

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

2 but I’m smart enough to know to use the debit card and not the Amex when paying the independent mechanic to fix something I got too deep on.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

2 but I’m smart enough to know to use the debit card and not the Amex when paying the independent mechanic to fix something I got in too deep on.

 

[blupupher]

I bet you have the same problem i do. You HAVE to be able to get your hands/ under fingernails ,super clean by monday! Got to keep moly grease off your skin, it gets in the pores and stains. I use thick gloves, sometimes lotion/creme before donning gloves , and a ton of Cherry Blast hand cleaner.

You can't go back to work, taking care of patients with hands that look like a diesel mechanic!

Any tips you have ?

I wear gloves at work.

I actually don't worry about it, I do clean under my nails, but if it does not wash off after using hand cleaner when I finish, then a shower, and then another shower before work it is not coming off my skin at work either.
Well, it eventually does, since I use hand sanitizer a 1000 times a day as well as wash my hands another 100 or so.
But any time I am in a patient room touching a patient, I almost always have gloves on.
I still remember when I had changed the diff fluid in my truck, I used the Ford limited slip friction modifier, never smelled anything so horrible in my life, and of course got some on my hand by accident when cleaning up (thought I had put the lid on the empty container, but I had not, and it spilled on me when I was throwing it away). I had a stinky hand for 2 days, and even with a glove over it, you could still catch a whiff of it sometimes.


Funny you mention moly grease, I was lubing the splines on my motorcycle shaft drive parts today and got a little on my forearm (was wearing gloves) and I have a little stain there right now.

 

[vtec260]

2.75 would be my rating. Started with oil/filter change 20 years ago after purchasing a house with garage, then moved to seasonal tire/wheel swaps and into doing more routine maintenance: brakes/rotors, fluid changes (transmission, coolant, rear diff), spark plugs, alternators, shocks, suspensions, fuel pumps, door handles/latches, engine cover gaskets and wiring dash cams, backup camera, bumper sensors.

I would like to know how to do drum brakes and wife's MDX ZF 9 speed transmission fluid change (this transmission scares me for some reason) in near future. Won't touch timing belts, AC, or any electrical gremelin work as I don't have much knowledge, interest, or tools to do them at home.

DIY: feels good and get to learn a lot on the net or Youtube. Save $$$ and buy more tools with the money saved. I tell my wife that all my work comes with zero warranty. Also, I try to buy vehicles that require minimal repairs due to reliable reputation (no European vehicles for our family...sorry).

 

[Srt20]

I refuse to pay someone else to fix my stuff. Doesn't matter what it is (mechanically speaking, I cannot paint worth a crap, nor do I want to). I did work at an indy shop when I was younger and learned how to fix vs being a parts replacer.
We built a 45x30 shop for me to do my stuff. I do alot of high performance 2 stroke playing for fun. Pistons are a maintenance item....lol

My opinion of dealership "mechanics" is extremely low.

 

[02SE]

I made a decent living at one time. These days that background allows me to hang out with friends in extremely loud places, with noxious fumes frequently present.