Still doing your own wrenching?

MTGunner

Lil-Rokslider
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Jul 4, 2015
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138
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NW Montana
How many of you gentlemen still do your own mechanic work? I don’t change the oil in my wife’s car due to the fact that the blasted thing is so low to the ground. My truck doesn’t even need to be jacked up. Still like doing my own work. Have an old 1952 Harry Ferguson tractor that I revived. it has been a labor of love. My workshop looks like bomb went off in it tonight. Tools strewn all over. Rags in the bin. Tomorrow will be a nice warm day to clean up. My old lab lays on my old Polaris to supervise. No phone, just an old radio that gets the local AM station. More noise than anything else. Got an old coffee pot that my wife wants gone in the corner. Darn good black coffee. So, who enjoys the work? MTG
 

Marbles

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May 16, 2020
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Doing my own work, from gunsmithing to vehicles, to the house is the only time I get to work with my hands. I picked the wrong bloody profession. I only pay someone if I cannot do it, or do not want to aquire and store the tools. Most of the time, the cost of paying someone justifies new tools.

Edit: I did not notice this was in the over 60 thread. I'm too young.
 
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NRA4LIFE

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Nov 20, 2016
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washington
OMIGOD, part of my shop looks like mayhem right now. Working on a camper and a boat. I told my wife the other day that if all my tools are on the floor all at once I can find them a lot easier, especially if they're not all confined in my tool bags. She was not on board with that.
 

87TT

WKR
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Mar 13, 2019
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Idaho
Spent the day working on my Dad's 1928 Dodge Bros. Cabriolet that I inherited. Finally chased it down to a fuel pump issue. He had converted it to an electric fuel pump and it is not working right. Runs great at idle but starves off and dies at speed. Anyway, new one is ordered.
STA73434.JPGa.jpg
 

2muchhp

WKR
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Oct 26, 2021
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I've not quite hit the 60 mark so I don't quite fit. However my dad turns 80 this year and is still changing his own oil, wrenching on alot of stuff and with a bit of help from me brake jobs, home repair etc. Still hunts when its not to cold, reloads.
Some days I wonder how he does it. Remembers load data from 30yrs ago, I can't even remember the gun he's talking about.
 
Joined
Nov 3, 2014
Messages
586
Location
Montana
Helps to keep expenses down, wife and I have done partial remodels on houses and build most of what we need. Changing oil is good and I’ve caught what the dealership has missed( had two free oil changes with wife’s car). Past oil on her new car I’ll pry take it in. Not afraid to take apart my 2005 5.9l Cummins, there’s no warranty and is a bit simpler. Good oil, filters, and grease makes a long life for a decent vehicle.
 

87TT

WKR
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
Messages
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Idaho
Spent the day working on my Dad's 1928 Dodge Bros. Cabriolet that I inherited. Finally chased it down to a fuel pump issue. He had converted it to an electric fuel pump and it is not working right. Runs great at idle but starves off and dies at speed. Anyway, new one is ordered.
View attachment 548046
Got me thinking. My Dad passed away a year ago at 89. He was in his 70's when he found this car. He told my Mom that he just had to save it. He had other antique cars but didn't start to collect and restore them until he was retired and could have qualified for this thread. Here is a picture of when he found it.
PHTO0022.jpg
I was never a "car" guy but I guess I am now.
 

Northernpiker

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Jan 22, 2015
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Eau Claire, Wi.
I quit oil changes 10 years age (so it was probably 20 years ago), I don’t like crawling under vehicles any more. Still do a lot of stuff around the house and yard but I feel myself getting lazier, especially in the winter.
 

CRJR45

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Jun 24, 2022
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SE Flo-Ree-Duh
I made an appointment for a oil change on my truck , dropped it off and walked down to the cafe for breakfast .
Came back a hour and a half later to see they hadn't even touched it . Told them to give me the key , stopped on my way home and bought oil and filter , did it myself .
Little stuff I don't mind , but I sold all my tools when we left Michigan ten years ago and never really replaced them .
I do have a great mechanic for the big stuff who is very reasonable , but he is also always busy .
 

2muchhp

WKR
Joined
Oct 26, 2021
Messages
379
I've heard to many stories of stripped drain plugs, loose filters. I was working on an air compressor one time in a quick change and personally saw most of the the old oil get drained. The plug was going back in and a pretty good flow rate was coming out.
I'll change my own oil as long as I can.
 
OP
M

MTGunner

Lil-Rokslider
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Jul 4, 2015
Messages
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NW Montana
Changing my oil in my truck is easier than my wife’s Maxima. The darn thing nearly sits on the ground. All done for the day today as I have been making a diamond plate aluminum panel for the front of our travel trailer. The cheap crap plastic look alike diamond plate got a rock right through it. Not gonna break the new panel. Want to build an off road small excursion trailer for hunting. Summer project. Looking at plans online. MTG
 

AKDoc

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May 16, 2015
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Alaska
I've always changed my own oil and still do. I'm not that old yet...pushing 71. I do move slower and wear knee-pads when doing it, LOL! (y)

Spent a couple hours this afternoon in the drive-way, changing the oil in my Jeep Wrangler and doing spring tire change-over, i.e., swapping out the winter studs for the summer tires...both are on rims here at the house. The pick-up truck is next, but I think I'll wait another week...or two :ROFLMAO:
 

Nykki

Lil-Rokslider
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Apr 12, 2020
Messages
129
Location
Anchorage
I wrenched for a living for more than forty years. I still do all the work on my vehicles. Restoring a 62 Chevy truck, working on my forklift and am about to take the snow plow off the Minneapolis Moline tractor that I also have. Retired the end of last year so have the time. I've always enjoyed fixing stuff.
 

Spoony

FNG
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Jul 22, 2022
Messages
55
I do my own work, because no one does it right but me. I am the only one willing to spend extra time for perfection.
 

Michael54

WKR
Joined
Oct 18, 2019
Messages
881
I try to do my own stuff. Especially now that labor rates are insane. I sent my kids quad to the bike shop to get a carb jet cleaned out. $263 later i should have found the hour to just do it myself...
 
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