Hey fellow FTEs,

So I am in IT by profession but I have dabbled with wrenches enough to be dangerous. I have been working on my 73 f100 for a while for the small things but I want to replace then engine and upgrade to an AOD transmission while I am at it. It has worn bearing which I believe is the culprit of my low oil pressure. Every time I have posted, you guys have been wonderful. However, I was thinking of trying to learn how to be a hobby mechanic online and wanted your thoughts. Has anyone done it? Any recommendations?

How did you guys get started? Did all of you have a mechanic in the family? I come from a line of professors so no dice for me.

I know how an engine and tranny work but I have no experience replacing one. And there is only so much on youtube.

 

Reading it on line or watching u tube will get you only so far and no where you want to be.

Since you were not born with a wrench in a hand (neither was I and my dad hated working on his trucks) that is my excuse anyway for not be super mechanical...lol. Or your family was not wrench inclined, then it is all up to you.

IMO sign up for you state FTE chapter and get to know folks, I mean really get to know them, develop a friendship/trust and see who really knows there stuff, or not.

Have G2G (Get togethers) BBQ, cook out's, meet at a car show, or automobile event. Or a once a month have a FTE GTG at a restaurant or something like that. Man up and meet at a local gun show, or expo vent. 4 Wheel and Off Road Jamboree is a great one. Become friends that have a similar Ford truck interest.

Bring up the idea of a "wrench fest" where a few of you get together and work collectively in mind or hand on a truck. It might not always be a 6th Gen, but wrenching it wrenching IMO. Ask where you can lend a helping hand, or get some hands on experience.

I have a great friendship with a number of my FTE state chapter members. Lucky for me they are 5th and 6th gen guys. I had 2 families of them at my wedding...so they are real good friends. It is not an over night blind trust deal either. I have known some of these guys for 7+ years.

We trade parts, have BBQ's, meet at the jamboree, visit each other at the house or one members personal business/shop. He did all the body work and paint on my red truck. A couple of them came up to my place and helped me swap motors and install lift kits.

I have wheeled, dealed for and delivered a bump side to one member. Make friends, show a true interest to learn, work on stuff, and get dirty.

You get out of it what, you put in to it. Just like a job or a Ford truck passion.

 

My alma mater, California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo, mantra is "Learn By Doing".... after lectures, reading, and classwork that is.. Doing is the application of theory and practice.


At some point, ya gotta just dive in and do it after doing your homework to approach the task with a reasonable amount of information.


Most every vehicle is engineered by an MS, tested by a BS, and assembled and repaired by high school graduate... it's just an assemblage of parts are pieces bolted, riveted, and clipped together.

 

You need both hands on experience and knowledge in order to be a good mechanic. Reading about engines, and other parts of cars gives you a good idea of how something works, but the real part of being a mechanic is being able to trouble shoot a mechanical problem with your hands that WILL arise (you cant learn that part in a book). You can't learn what the best tool is to use on an engine from a book. I'd say read up as much as you want, read up on misc parts of the engine as you work on them. Go and purchase a good decent set of tools, not Harbor Freight ****. Document every nut and bolt you remove. Take pics. You have to get your hands dirty so get some hand cleaner!! Oh, and NO CUSSING.

 

I'm also in IT and spend most of my time behind keyboards and monitors. To you I say yes! It takes a lot of patience but it is still problem solving. Get a manual, follow the directions. YouTube, Google and forums will get you out of a LOT of jams. Make sure to include tools in your build budget and have a solid game plan before jumping in.

 

If you are willing to step back in time a few years, a trip to your local LIBRARY will provide you with a multitude of volumes on auto maintenance. You might even get lucky and find some auto mechanic course text books.

 

Jump in and get started. Most kids back in the day probably took their bicycle apart, lawn mower engines, mini-bikes and the like. I don't know what they do today, learn how to wear a dress, I guess and stuff like that. Oh well.

Anyway another thing they did better back in the day (although many websites and YouTube videos are outstanding) was instructional manuals and the like, particularly by the military. Their electronics and automotive courses are about as good as it gets. They had that kind of training down to a science, nobody had ever worked on a missile or submarine as a civilian but they were after a few months.

The manuals and videos aren't a substitute for hands on, they go hand in hand. Unless you're completely rebuilding the motor you are probably capable of doing far more than you might think of the maintenance (and even in that case a machine shop does most of the tricky stuff) although you may want to avoid automatic transmission disassembly. Main thing, is it will take a lot longer than the pros. So what? Key is having the proper tools and equipment, safety procedures and techniques, good lighting and so on. Growing up we were short of everything except enthusiasm, but we learned a lot of things the hard way. Lots of old timers with scars and missing fingers, and some people didn't make it.

Getting under a car using only a jack, for example, or using cinder blocks for support - disconnecting the driveshaft and having the truck roll down the street, etc. I haven't done these things but it pays to do your homework. Be safe.

 

I was a professional heavy equipment/diesel/truck mechanic for over 25 years. Other than 1 1/2 yrs. of Auto mechanics in high school, I never went to school for it. I learned by reading, and getting my hands dirty and making some dumb mistakes. I do have a knack for it and have always had a desire to learn (at least up to the point that everything went electronic) I made a good living and could always find work when I needed to. I am living proof that its not "schooling" that makes a good mechanic. If you have the desire, are willing to invest the time and effort, aren't afraid to make a few mistakes and ask questions about what you don't understand, be willing to LISTEN to what people who do know what they are doing, and have any sort of natural ability you can learn. Lots of knowledgeable people on FTE.......they have even taught this "old dog" some new tricks and I have been around the dentside trucks since they were new. Good luck and welcome to the world of wrenchin!!!

 

Lots of good advice given already but I second the use of the library, lots of good books out there that explains how things work with good photos.
One of the things to keep in mind is that all mechanical stuff is just that, don't try to make it more complicated than it is, take it one step at a time and keep track of what you are doing, take photos of things you take apart so you have a record of how they go back together.
Understanding how things work will help you out so good books are vital.
The main thing is to do things safely, there is no vehicle out there that is worth so much as your little finger.

 

One way to learn is to start with a small project and 'skill build' - restore a riding mower, a tiller, or motorcycle. The principles are.generally the same. Trick it out... make it a bad *** machine because you can hot rod most anything.

 

Well, I was born with a wrench in my mouth, been doing since I can remember, took 2 years of auto mechanics in high school and have a brother who wrenches for a living. But up until the last few years, I hadn't done much for a while. I need reminders and watch alot of youtube videos. The videos are all I need to get me what I need, but I have probably done most of it before anyways. As I am sure you know, you need to watch several videos on the same subject to get the info you want. Each person shows you a little bit and it takes several to get the whole picture.

Ultimately, you know how you learn. You have picked a good era of vehicle to learn on. Things are fairly simple and straight forward. But as said before, having a mechanical friend is key. They can help when need be, and help with tools you may not have yet. You are gonna need a friend for alot of things anyway. The hood on these things weight a ton, and needs to be removed.

Good luck

 

Thanks guys, if only some of you or one of you were local to me! I would buy you a beer or coffee. I check the library route first. I was trying to decide if I should shell out 750 for an online program to teach me some basic wrenching. I think I am going to tackle the AOD swap first since ultimately that will give me the most benefit for what I am going for. Who knows I might have the courage to rebuild the block after I tackle the transmission.

 

I really enjoyed reading y'alls stories. It is really amazing the different back grounds.
I'll try to keep mine short.
We were pretty broke, my dad was a business man so...
If a car broke down,I had to fix it, so I started wrenching about 14. I had not a clue. Back then there were auto suppy shops that you could actually talk to a person that knew how to fix what you were working on. I spend a lot of time seeing and "old man" working on something and rode my bicycle to his house, explained my situation and asked if I could watch or help. I have learned a lot of old man tricks. Ones you don't learn in a class room. I went to junk yards and took apart what I needed BEFORE I took apart mine to learn how to do it and what I was in for.
I get to teach my sons, friends, and friends sons the old man tricks I've learned along the way as well as some of my own.
2X HIO and the others. Just do it. It's only nuts and bolts. If you get in a pickle FTEers are here for ya and there are some smart fellers in here.
Go find an engine block, put it on a stand and take your time. bag and tag your nuts and bolts and do not forget the thrust washer. take pics of your progress for future reference.

 

AOD? Then this is a must-read ! : Ford AOD Overdrive Transmission | Hemmings Motor News

This swap is popular with the early Mustang crowd and its brethren... lotsa info on the web. I prefer to read up from magazine articles before scouting forums on anecdotal background.

 

Good read! If only I ran a 302/351W