How much maintenance do you perform at home?

"getFuckedHerb" (goongetfuckedherb) 09/12/2013 at 14:41 • Filed to: upkeep, home, oil change

0

24

While I'm more than willing to drop the motor and trans out of my Jeep, and have gone so far as to completely tear down the motor out of the Corvette, when it comes to my wife's rav4 that she has to drive everyday to work I stick to oil changes, air filters, plugs, and the other minor stuff. I take it to a place with a lift for tire rotations and other work.

That being said, how much are you willing to tackle on your daily driver (and otherwise) while a lot of this likely has to do with garage havers vs have nots (have noters?) some people (myself included) don't like the looming deadline of making it to work.

duurtlang > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 14:44

0

As someone who lives in an apartment and who has no wrenching experience I replace wipers, replace bulbs if I can reach them and replenish fluids. That's about it.

PelicanHazard > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 14:45

0

I don't have a garage, or even off-street parking, meaning that most maintenance needs to be done at my parents' house. We don't have much equipment, so I'm limited to stuff like oil, spark plugs, filters, fluids, bulbs, wipers, and brake pads.

I did also replace a faulty thermometer and stripped wheel stud in my old Sentra. For even mildly complex work, though, we take it to a local mechanic we're on good terms with.

Brian Tschiegg > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 14:46

1

I try to stick to basic maitenance at home just because I don't have a lift in the car port (although I am interested in what it would take to install one). Fortunately, there's a DIY garage about 30 minutes from me that has really reasonable rates to rent a bay with a lift and specialty tools. They even have an ASE certified mechanic on site and Hayne's manuals to help you with the more difficult stuff. It was opened by a guy who was in the Army who saw that civilians lacked the same amenities that were available on base to fix your car. I highly reccomend looking them up for anyone in the Central Florida area.

getFuckedHerb > Brian Tschiegg 09/12/2013 at 14:50

0

Always wanted to see one of these open up around me, sounds like an awesome situation.

Will with a W8 races an E30 > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 14:51

1

I do it all at home, including motor/trans/whatever else has a problem. I've pulled motors, swapped clutches, swapped transmissions, shocks, suspension members, just about everything but body work. Specialty tools are usually rented, or made by friends with welders. The track car usually has the issues, but there's usually plenty of time to take care of them. When the DD has a problem, I DD the track car. Its uncomfortable, but it saves a lot of money on mechanic bills, and inspires me to get the DD fixed quickly.

Brian Tschiegg > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 14:53

0

Yeah I have to admit that I squeeled a little bit when I found it. Air tool rentals for $2?! I'm in. My first car maitenance experience was actually when my Uncle took me to Andrews AFB (he was in the Navy at the time) to change the oil on his car. I thought that garages like that were a common thing until I got my own car.

I think they're looking to start opening up franchises soon, but I haven't heard any more word on that yet.

Captain_Overboost > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 14:56

1

I recognize the bottom of a Corvette.

Bullitt Ride > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 14:56

1

I do as much of it as I have the tools to do... and often stuff that I don't have the "proper" tools for! Fortunately for me I always have two beaters insured and on the road, so when one beater goes in for serious surgery I can still go to work in the morning if I'm not quite finished. I have however had my fair share of late nights wrenching to get my car back together for whatever reason. For example here's a quote from an email I sent from work one morning to a friend of mine earlier this year...

The batmobile is back on the road...
The last two nights have been the best/worst/most intense nights of wrenching I’ve done as a gear head so far. The night before last I was out in the garage from 8pm until 3am. Last night I was out in the garage from 7pm until 4am. I went to the gas station at 4am to fill up a jerry can so I could start my car up. I’m happy to say that it started up without much issue (I wanted to try running without the ICV so I had to play with the idle screw) and the front main seal doesn’t appear to be leaking any more. Car is going for a rear alignment this afternoon at 4pm. Then auto-x Sunday. Now to go get my second coffee this morning…

...Keeping in mind that I still had to go to work each morning... I think I went to bed at 7pm and slept for 12 hours that next night lol

getFuckedHerb > Captain_Overboost 09/12/2013 at 15:00

0

100% Yes.

Not mine, though the fact that it was a C5/C6 Corvette certainly didn't hurt the photo selection process.

Captain_Overboost > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 15:04

0

I've spent a LOT of time laying on my back looking at that view. Although I'm currently Corvette-less, having moved on, I've owned several C5 and C6's. I will have a C7 in my garage in a couple years. Anyway, you don't forget that view. lol

getFuckedHerb > Captain_Overboost 09/12/2013 at 15:05

1

Had a pair of Corvettes myself, miss them but more practical things in life call. Have done everything from cams and exhaust to a whole new motor (LS7 based swap into a C5) this picture immediately made me go "oh, yes, hello there"

getFuckedHerb > Captain_Overboost 09/12/2013 at 15:06

0

Also those silly wooden ramps everyone on CorvetteForum builds was a dead give away lol

Captain_Overboost > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 15:08

0

I have to admit, I actually did recognize the bottom of the car first... BUT... when I saw those, LOCK! Corvette! lmao Yep, everyone builds them. They all buy 50k+ cars, but they're too cheap to buy a set of rhino ramps.

I was too. But they work fine on my GT500's now too, so there's that. lol

getFuckedHerb > Captain_Overboost 09/12/2013 at 15:10

0

I drive the Rav and the Jeep up really nice rhino ramps to do oil changes now lol

CobraJoe > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 15:16

0

All of it.

Seriously.

Everything from oil changes and tuneups to suspension rebuilds to unexpected engine maintenance (cleaning out the carbon in the B6 Passat's intake). Only thing I don't do is tires and alignments, and I'd love to be able to do both (we had a manual tire changing station back on the farm that worked great.)

DocWalt > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 15:18

0

All of it. I used to take it to get aligned at local shops, but they kept f'ing it up. How hard is it to center the freaking steering wheel and make the car drive straight?

efme > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 15:41

0

i hate maintenance. I love modding. aside from the V, i take most cars in for oil changes and what not. groupons that run you $18 for an oil change is far cheaper thatn what I can get at advance.

my pickup had a fuel pump go out which required them dropping the fuel tank. no thank you.

More Power!!and also some brakes. > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 15:43

0

Everything, and if I do not have the tools for the job I will go buy them. It is a weird point of pride for me to never let anyone else else turn a wrench on my car and it is going well so far.

Got a timing belt/water pump change coming up this weekend.

SkilletHead > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 15:50

0

All the maintenance and repairs are done at home. The limits:

I won't do more to an auto transmission than changing filters and dropping the valve body for cleaning and inspection.

I haven't had to open a manual transmission yet but would be tempted to give it a go. A clutch is no problem.

My garage floor isn't level enough to do my own alignment.

I don't have the machines to mount and balance my own tires (yet).

Body work and painting would depend on the vehicle (dd or no), budget constraints and time constraints.

I also don't have all the tools to do an out of frame engine rebuild yet, but would buy them if I needed to do such a thing. I haven't had to do any structural welding on a car yet, but the only thing I would have to pick up is a gas tank for my welder.

One of the most important tools in my garage is a beater laptop. It has the generic and the Porsche aftermarket OBD II software installed - it's a HUGE help when diagnosing problems. I highly recommend it.

OtherBarry > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 16:00

0

All maintenance is done in my home garage. Am currently replacing the bed floor of my 73 scout II and i will be dropping the trans in my wife's sonata tonight to replace the flexplate... No lift, but i do have a big compressor and a welder.

Bruno Martini > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 16:08

0

I recongnize the ability of an lsx to turn any oil into black yogurt in less than 5k anywhere.

Bruno Martini > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 16:11

0

For me its the same old same old.

oil/brakes/suspension at home. Speaking of which I have to crawl into the nose of a 04 astro soon to replace plugs/wires/rotor and diagnose some MAF code that its having. Might flush the rad while im at it. Contemplating trans fluid flush as well. its got 120k of no maintenance it looks like. The only only simple maintenance the thing needs I dont have to do, as that is changing the oil. GM engineers should rot in hell when they designed that thing. Hard to work on it.

boxrocket > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 17:04

0

All of it.

If it's not something I can do at home, it's no longer maintenance. It's car ER/ICU.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > getFuckedHerb 09/12/2013 at 17:39

0

I try to do as much as i can in my garage.

My miata has the worst oil filter spot unlike that vette which is very nice