Best Book for Mechanic Wannabe's

Hi Vik,
This site is a good place to start. No engineering degree here either.

Fundamentals is the basis for understanding the most technologically advanced engines in the world. Without fundamentals (including some physics, geometry and thermal dynamics later on) you will never ever have an accurate and complete understanding of engines and how they work.

I have gaps in my own knowledge due to the ignorance of some fundamentals in the past. Fortunately I am slowly rectifying this by looking and listening to the gurus on this site and reading everything I can get my hands on.

Peterson publications put out a good series of books 20 years ago, Basic Electrical, Basic Suspension, Basic Fuel Management etc..................

I learned most of my fundamentals from a book called 'How to Hot Rod a Chevy Small Block'. Simple, straight forward and the results were a blast!

Taking some automotive tech classes at the local community college is another way to go if you have the time.

 

Yea, I wish I took a few shop classes when I was in High School....'sigh'.....

 

Great advice! Ill add to it with

Here are some things to consider.

Buy a small non-running lawn mower engine and take it apart. Then put it back together and make it run. This was my first experience with mechanics -I had a mini bike when I was 10 and a dad who could not change wiper blades.

You also need to invest in tools which always separates the professional mechanics from the shadetrees like me. The right tools make any job so much easier.

Help other people with their projects, gives you on the job training.

Books are great if you have the confidence to do things, which you will get from starting with small projects (goals).

Hey my car needs brakes want to help - LOL

 

Haynes repair manuals are also a great way to learn about basic automotive fundamentals.

 

This one was not bad....

 

I have the same book (older version) and I agree it is pretty good. The version I have, though, doesn't really go into things like changing disc brake pads, or electronic ignition, fuel injection, etc. I don't know if that's been updated in the newer versions.

The only problem I have with the book is that I find that when it comes to working on cars, the best way to learn is to do it. It's nice to read up on it first, but you really need to do the physical job to really learn it.

If I had the time, I would love to take an automotive repair class at a local community college.

Dom

 

I don't think that books are really the best way to learn automotive skills.

If you don't think that youu have someone handy you can learn from, realize tat you do have a lot of helpful folks here. Go out to your car, identify a project and go get dirty. If you hit a roadblock, come back here for help.

Just be a little realistic about how difficult a job you can tackle. And go buy some GoJo and some BandAids, and have fun!

 

That is funny. I am doing exactly this once my wife is finished with her MBA classes in the evening !
$80, ten sessions, and it is supposed to cover the repair basics, troubleshooting, some electrical, all with a "lab" environment. I think it would be best if I were to let someone else donate a candidate:
"Students ! Today's procedure is a valve adjustment on a V12 3.0 liter, and the dissassembly of the Laycock overdrive unit"

 

One thing that can help your self-education is a scale model of an internal combustion engine. Being able to visualize what the book is telling you is almost as good as the live experience.

A single cylinder is enough to help grasp the valve action of a 4 cycle engine. A multi-cylinder model would help to show the piston sequence/crank throw design.

 

spasso,

like this?

http://www.hobbysurplus.com/enginemodels.asp

I just put a new item on my XMas list, and my kids might enjoy it, too !

 

Do it right. Practice your lathe and milling machine skills.

Build one of these:
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2341

 

The best book about Ferrari which is basic and complicated all at once is Allen Bishops, "Ferrari Guide to Performance" It would probably best for the 308's and older cars as it covers carbs and distributors but is an excellent reference book as it has many gems of wisdom, ther is only 1 sentence in the whole book I totally disagree with and it may be legal. He states that the 308's if set up correctly run just as good with all the smog stuff operable. spit.... spit.... backfire.... cough..... spit........ backfire.........

belts off VRRRRRRROOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM

Buy lots of metric tools and get a gt4. I had very little mechanical experience i was in a band for 22 years (but I was a drummer and there was lots of little parts!) I decided to do all my work myself and cannot say that I have had any more satisfaction in my life than taking my car apart..... wait make that taking my FERRARI apart (well not completely) and putting it back together and it running better than before!! What a feeling, I almost have as much fun working on it as driving it!

 

YES! Boy does that bring back memories.

When very young I remember turning the crank and watching the mysterious actions of the valve train and sequence of the pistons over and over trying to make sense of it all.............................making cool noises the whole time of course!

 

I had that "visible v8" model when I was about 12 years old. I loved it. I wanted to get one for my 10 year old, but could not find one just like it.

The difference: the one I had used a battery pack to drive a small electric motor. Every thing turned and worked. Best part: It had little light bulbs in the place where the spark plugs were located; and they lit up exactly at the right time!! The wires to the plug-bulbs ran back to the distributor. Once I built this thing I had a pretty good idea how a 4 cycle V8 really worked.

Boy, would I love to find one of those again.

Anyone know of one?

Mark

 

I would do a search for 'working models' or the various Japanese model companies. There should be one out there.