Do you do DIY repair jobs even though you are slow?

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Derbyshire
Evening all,
I have finally started the stem seal job on my MX5. At the same time I will replace all the seals at the front of the engine and I will also replace the cam belt and water pump.

I like to take my time and do it only when I am in a good mood. Today I got the car up on ramps and started stripped the required bits. I am very slow and follow Youtube guides. I bet it will take me several weeks overall, but it is my 2nd car.

I'm a competent (some argue otherwise!) mechanical design engineer, however hands-on jobs that I am new to I am very slow with, because I think it is important to learn.

I get my grump on a bit with people who are good with their hands-on skills telling me it should be done in an afternoon :p.

How speedy are my fellow OcUKers ad mechanic DIY-ing?
 
Soldato
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Depends on what I’m doing, most spanner twirling jobs on the MR2 are fairly fast simply through having done most of them before. Been doing a lot of fabrication since the end of last season and it’s been frustratingly slow at times as I’ve been having to design as I go and have been known to spend pretty much a whole day just staring at things, working out what I need to do but not actually doing anything.
 
Soldato
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Britain
It's like most things. If it's the first time you've been presented with the challenge, it's always slower. However, just because you learn something on one car and attribute an hour to it, doesn't mean it will take an hour on another car.
 
Soldato
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One thing I learnt is I'm about twice as fast in my garage with my own tools. When I do any jobs in my mates commercial garage I spend as much time finding the tools I need or finding a free air hose etc.

Otherwise yeah plenty of reading watching when I attempt anything new. My projects can take weeks or months to do though but that's as much or more fun than the actual driving for me.
 
Man of Honour
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Aberlour, NE Scotland
I have back, neck and knee problems so these things slow me down but although they give me pain I actually enjoy fixing the car and at least I know it's done right. I have all of my own tools and I was a mechanical engineer in the RAF so I will take on most jobs a car can throw up.
 
Soldato
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I like to think I know my limits, but yes I like to DIY because it's nice to physically do something instead of sitting in front of a screen all day (for work). There are some jobs I won't do, because I can't (or don't have the equipment) or because I know it'll be a pain and not enjoyable. For instance I need to put a new cat on to pass an MOT - don't fancy lying on my back for ages undoing rusty bolts etc.


I would love to get a lift, but don't have the space in the garage to accommodate one.
 
Soldato
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For things ive not done before yeah i can take a lot longer, for example i had to change a rear caliper on my wife's car as it was seized solid. Took me several hours to do it but then changed the other side the next week and maybe took me 1/4 of the time.
 
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Nottingham Carlton
I do everything I can alone. You know why ?? Cause If I **** up at lest i know what i did and learn from it. When garage ***** up blaming game starts..... I had suspension put together wrong way almost rolled car at 70mph emergency breaking on M1 cause of it that learned me DIY....
 
Associate
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Bristol
I am an Electronic Engineer not a mechanic but its entirely feasible to do many jobs at home without going to a garage. I don't entirely trust garages and what oils they use etc so I tend to do all fluids myself and replaced circa 18L of coolant, oil, rear differential fluid, manual transmission and front diff fluid and PS fluid. At least I know what fluids were used and some are very specific. The gear box on this car is going to cost about £2k if you fubar it so i wont skimp on looking after it

I couldn't remove one of the 2 transmission bolts as one was seized and even with a breaker bar it wasn't possible to remove, its a job for a ramp with more elbow room.

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Soldato
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I like to think I know my limits, but yes I like to DIY because it's nice to physically do something instead of sitting in front of a screen all day (for work). There are some jobs I won't do, because I can't (or don't have the equipment) or because I know it'll be a pain and not enjoyable. For instance I need to put a new cat on to pass an MOT - don't fancy lying on my back for ages undoing rusty bolts etc.


I would love to get a lift, but don't have the space in the garage to accommodate one.

I'm like this as well, I try and do bits here and there, but like to think I know my limits or have a rough idea if I **** something up how much of a pain it'll be to fix.

I think it'll be more difficult going forward though with newer modern more complex cars.

My 17 year old Suzuki SV650 (motorcycle) is great to work on for example, I've not taken the engine apart but I've had all sorts off that in the past and put it back together.

Cars are harder to work on than motorcycles in my opinion though. When you factor in all the lifting equipment you need, things like coil compressors if you are going to work on suspension etc etc. I'll do things like replacing drop links, servicing, brakes and similar, but anything beyond that I'll leave to the garage.
 
Soldato
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I could probably do more but I lack the confidence. A few times I've also had to give in due to access and equipment. I've got a shared drive so the car has to be pinned up against the house on one side plus it is gravel so jacking up isn't always as straightforward.

What I do end up doing (fluid changes, basic repairs, basic mods etc.) takes me flipping ages. If nothing else it makes me appreciate that garage labour costs are actually pretty good value if I compare them to my salary averaged out multiplied by how long things take me to do!

It probably doesn't help that I don't really enjoy it anymore either. One of the reasons for buying the MX5 was to spend some time working on it but I find it pretty stressful doing anything beyond an oil change!
 
Don
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I'll attempt most things if the car isn't under warranty (like my GF's) I usually have a 50% success rate, if I fail I make things 4 times worse and lose 11.8 man points as a result
 
Soldato
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Up north in Sunderland
I used to do as much as I could myself but over the last few years I've had newer cars with warranty.

If I had a second car as a bit of a toy, I think the tools would come back out where possible.

I find it enjoyable and horrible all at the same time! I love the learning and actually completing something all whilst "saving" money, but yeah I'm not counting time in that.

On the flip side laying on a cold floor, reaching up into an engine bay with your hand in some un-earthly position trying to pry a part that's surely too big to fit through a gap the guide told you was possible is horrid lol.
 
Soldato
OP
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5 Aug 2006
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Derbyshire
Tonight I have been replacing the stem seals on my MX5.
I have fed rope through the spark plug hole then manually turned the engine over until it stops i.e. the rope stops it turning over.
This allows me to remove the top of the seal without the valve falling out.

What an absolute arse of a job. The valve collets (keeper if you are being 'Murican) fling out into Narnia getting them off. Getting them back in is even worse!

I am however loving working on the car in the garage totally at my own pace.
 
Soldato
Joined
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23,712
I do everything I can alone. You know why ?? Cause If I **** up at lest i know what i did and learn from it. When garage ***** up blaming game starts..... I had suspension put together wrong way almost rolled car at 70mph emergency breaking on M1 cause of it that learned me DIY....

Hey @Zeed nice to see you posting.

I also started working on my own cars after dodgy work from garages.
 
Associate
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27 Apr 2018
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Yes because I know the work is done properly. I have witnessed main dealers to highly regarded "specialists" work, most garages can't even be bothered to torque to spec.

Edit: Lets not forget the "randomly replace parts until its fixed" method that most garages seem to utilise.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
5 Aug 2006
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11,306
Location
Derbyshire
Had some smartypants today tell me the stem seal job, including cambelt and all engine seals should take 3h.
Took me nearly 3h to get the rear exhaust valve collets back in - On ONE valve with crap access!

I am proud of myself for not throwing the tools across the garage in anger :p.
 
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