I know NOTHING!

[FordFighter]

I bragged earlier,I felt like I was a man who accomplished something in the simple novice repairs I made to my chevy...and after reading another conversation on improvments in the 350's fuel economy and the thousands of complex opinions from people that really know the insides of there engines....I feel like a damn Idiot.It's tough....I never had anyone around growing up that gave a duck about mechanics and now I'm in my 30's stuck on stupid,I love my 42 year old truck and for now it's runs fine.....It's for the ladies to look my way,and for pulling my trailer under load......I think I understand now why 100 people read me and 4 write back.There the guy's that know I don't know anything...,they throw a few words my way to steer me in some kind of direction,all I can say is THANK GOD....some people give a s**t about this mechanical moron.

[bk2life]

ummm ok?

[FordFighter]

Just blowin steam dude. Thanks for sayin anything!

[biggestjohn]

Originally Posted by FordFighter

I bragged earlier,I felt like I was a man who accomplished something in the simple novice repairs I made to my chevy...and after reading another conversation on improvments in the 350's fuel economy and the thousands of complex opinions from people that really know the insides of there engines....I feel like a damn Idiot.It's tough....I never had anyone around growing up that gave a duck about mechanics and now I'm in my 30's stuck on stupid,I love my 42 year old truck and for now it's runs fine.....It's for the ladies to look my way,and for pulling my trailer under load......I think I understand now why 100 people read me and 4 write back.There the guy's that know I don't know anything...,they throw a few words my way to steer me in some kind of direction,all I can say is THANK GOD....some people give a s**t about this mechanical moron.

Hi, I'm you 20 years later in life. I, like you, had no one to teach me. If you really want to learn, you will. You will have to learn by listening, and asking questions. (I did go to tech school to learn the basics)

You are better off only having 4 replies from people who have a clue, than you are if 50 people reply, where 46 are just guessing!!!

I can refer you to a Dodge Steath site that is full of people who don't have a clue what they are talking about.

Your only a moron if you don't ask!!!

Don't be discouraged by your failures, they are only lessons in the steps in the process of doing it right.

Read a book by Smokie Yunick called "Smokie Yunicks Power Secrets" No, it will not teach you everything about engines, but it will teach you about about common sense when it comes to engines, and also about not taking what people say as the gospel.

[WadmalawJoe]

We all have started in your shoes. Just think 10 years ago there wasn't sites like this and you had to depend on your neighbor or friends at work or pay a mechanic to fix your truck.
I have been messing with trucks, tractors and even scooters for years, but the idea of disassembling and rebuilding a 350 scares the crap out of me. I rebuilt a few scooter motors, but they only have one cylinder not 8! Eventually I might, but for now I leave some things for the professionals.
So for now I learn what I can and share back what I have learned to the next guy who is going through what I have been through.

[Hubscrub]

we all was there, i did have a dad that was an auto tech for about 40 years. But he would help me but wanted me to try first I'm still stupid on things I'm just willing to try. This site has helped me alot too just ask questions, read all you can. I'm reading a book on Quadrajets now to learn how to build them it will take time. Just like at work i walked in 18 yrs old and stupid, now i can tig weld stainless,fab, wire numerous things, pipe work, spot weld,etc. learning refrigeration now but it took me 12 years! It will come.

[beautimus]

LOL ,......welcome to the club brother.
i spent the first thirty years of my life being told how stupid i am by everyone who thought that they were geniuses, so today i just acknowledge my ignorance up front, ignore everyone elses "genius" and just keep plodding along. they get to stroke their egos, i don't have to hear their crap and everything comes together with much less stress. (but you can still get good info on this forum)
now your no dummy, but you have to realize that geniuses feel obligated to convince you about their superiority. Ask for advise when you have to. but your only gonna get advise back. advise is made up of 40% bs 35% guesswork and 25% usable information.LOL,...... Sorting thru the first 75% can be tough. Hang in there. Best of luck to you, Tony

[KyFarm]

Originally Posted by FordFighter

I never had anyone around growing up that gave a duck about mechanics and now I'm stuck on stupid,I love my 42 year old truck and for now it's runs fine.....

you sir are not alone, I'm trying to teach myself how to be a farmer and a mechanic without any help.....good thing I love both and am not afraid to make mistakes

[prairewolf]

.... You bought a good looking truck that runs good, ... you can walk tall on that alone for the next 5 yrs. ... and time is on your side with the learning curve,.. I still only have good basic mechanical knowledge but am glad for that if I want to hire something done. ...... welcome to the best truck site bar none..

p.s. ... our 67 is in storage so its all easy now

life is good,kent

[jjzepplin]

Just keep reading posts. This stuff is great! I tried to join a Toyota forum to help fix my wife's car and no one at all has ever answered and I finally found out what was wrong myself. These fellows on this site will ALWAYS help. And those of us that are not exactly sure SAY it! I read here like it's a great never ending novel.

[bk2life]

i keep gettin told i know nothing. the trucks/cars i build arent worthy. the motors i build make no power.

this year alone ive had one vehicle on the cover of a magazine, and dec 11 another feature for a vehicle i did in 9 days start to finish will be on the newstands..

i look at it this way, if you dont know something ask. there are no "dumb' questions, and if anyone turns their nose up at you, you dont want to be around them anyways.

[biggestjohn]

Books? Yes a lot of books. Carb books, paint and body (several) engine books, tranny books, wood work, metal work, working with composites...........

Knowledge is priceless, so buy books, lots of books, study them cover to cover, LEARN!!!!!

[OldCreek]

When I was a kid I "helped" my dad work on his MGB.

When I was in high school I worked on my Camaro.

When I was in college I worked on my 4runner.

And now I work on my old trucks and commuter.

I've even done an LS transplant... with the help of this forum.



Rome was not built in a day.

A man can not learn to run without first walking.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

etcetera, etcetera, etcetera

[MalibuSSwagon]

My Dad was not the best teacher, but he did have some mechanical inclination. I started by just picking up a shop manual and reading! Thats it! Now he asks me for help on his cars since I do this stuff all the time.

[noco-k5]

I feel your pain I don't have a mechanical bone in my body. One of my best friends owns a shop so I've spent alot of time picking his brain. I take on what I think I can with my limited tool supply but it definitely doesn't come naturally. There are alot of good YouTube videos on the web that show you how to do alot of the basic maintenance and repair stuff.

[mygmctruck]

Hey guys , I have been arouind this stuff ever since I was a kid and that was several decades ago. I STILL NO NOTHING ! thats why I am on this site , because if we new everything we'd all be rich.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by Hubscrub

we all was there, i did have a dad that was an auto tech for about 40 years. But he would help me but wanted me to try first I'm still stupid on things I'm just willing to try. This site has helped me alot too just ask questions, read all you can. I'm reading a book on Quadrajets now to learn how to build them it will take time. Just like at work i walked in 18 yrs old and stupid, now i can tig weld stainless,fab, wire numerous things, pipe work, spot weld,etc. learning refrigeration now but it took me 12 years! It will come.

Hub, I don' want to hijack this thread, but you mentioned q'jets and I saw where you were reading a book on quadrajets, a carb I fell in love with a few years back. Respecting them so much, I have dedicated quite a bit of time in learning rebuilding as well as improving them.

I ran across a link on the 'net the other day that impressed me, from just a cursory look at what it contained. It looked good enough that I saved the link on my computer-desktop.

Thought I'd forward this info to you thinking it may have some information you might find helpful.
sam

>> http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...4MV_carburetor <<

[MusicMan70]

Great link, I'm saving it. Thanks

[VetteVet]

I'm pretty good on electrics but I know a lot more about mechanics. If you ask me about computers You'll get a blank stare.

My dad, RIP, used to say " If you throw enough sh!t at the wall some of it is bound to stick", It took me a long time to figure out what he meant.

[Tinkermc]

I easily put a 2X to your age and don't know crapola about engines or how they work but if you ask here someone will answer your questions

[GASoline71]

The days of cats taking stuff apart and then trying to fihgure out how it goes back together are almost gone. Too many perople want instant answers to how things are done. It's too easy to go to the interweb and ask, instead of doing. I'm guilty of it too. It doesn't matter what some cat on a web board thinks your experience level is.

Just tear into it and get greasy. That's how most guys that know anything about cars, trucks, and engines got started. By just doing it. I've told many cats over the last 10 years that even though driving a 40+ year old rig as a daily driver is cool as all get out... you have to have the basic knowledge base of auto mechanics and wiring to keep 'em running. Too many people will own an old rig and not even posess a sevice manual, and a basic set of old school diagnostic tools. Like a multi-meter, a timing light, a circuit tester, a dwell meter, and even a torque wrench.

Again man... just get greasy... it's how you're gonna learn. You can get 10 different answers to the same question on a web board. Granted there is a ton of info out there... but having the satisfaction of researching it, and getting greasy to fix it on your own is a great feeling.

Gary

[crazy longhorn]

He11, I have been around long enough....I have probably forgotten better than 1/2 of what I once knew! (ouch) Understand, that every thing that you do, shows you 1 more trick.....maybe you learnd it the hard way, like this old man? It will always be yours to "keep"....if you learn, from everything that you do, you can join the old men in "forgotten tricks' one day Keep on fightin brother....this old man has time to hear another trick or 2 crazyL

[towbar]

fordfighter: you being in your 30's have many years ahead of you to hone your skills, your never too old. My advice is to read every tech article you can get your hands on. Don't be afraid to tear into a project. Dont be afraid to ask for help or ask questions. Once you think you have mastered it, you'll have your problems that cause you to bang your head....thats just the way it is! If its in your blood, you'll get it!!

I'm pretty fortunate myself, like many other gearheads, my dad is an ol skool car guy and had me out under the cars when I was 5 or 6 years old, and the knowledge he shared with me is invaluable and I thank him for that, now I'm in my mid 40's and consider myself fairly knowledgeable but not an expert by no means. I bought a late model truck a few weeks ago that wouldn't run and I banged my head on this thing to figure out what its problem was......my 72 year old dad gave me his opinion the day I got but I disregarded his opinion because I felt like I knew better.....well 4 weeks and 400 bucks later, it was exactly what dad said it was......so don't ever think you know it all....cause there's always people out there that know more.

[Shyguy]

I am 66 and have learned a lot over the last few years from my oldest son how to work on these old trucks, a person is never too old to learn something new is what I always say.

I learned much I know about mechanics by trial and error when I was young, now I spend quite a bit of time reading manuals.

[oklalawnboy]

Ditto on what everyone else said...