For those people that rebuild engines/have before. How did you guys learn? Just a random thought I had!

 

Back in high school I read a book titled "How to Rebuild Your Small Block Chevy" about 20 times, then just dug in and did it. Some things are different between Chevy and Olds but the overall concept is the same.

 

How did that engine come out? Ran good? And lasted long?! :]

 

Back in the early 70s, Car Craft ran a four part series on How to Rebuild Your Motor. I must have read that about a dozen times before I tackled my first one. It was a really good set of articles. Don't know how to find a copy today, unfortunately.

 

When I was about 2 or 3, my old man replaced a carburetor on his 356B. He washed the old one in the sink, put it together with all the fasteners loose, and gave it to me.
I must have taken that thing apart and put it back together a hundred times.

When I was 5, I remember helping him swap motors between VWs and Porsches (my hands fit in places where his didn't).

In my junior high school years, we restored a '47 Mercury.

When I was about 22, I bought the factory manual and some special tools, read the manual, rebuilt the engine of my 911, drove it to get gas, then drove it straight to Florida.

It's just always something I've done.

- Eric

 

I smiled so big hahaha!!! That's cool! "Drove it to get gas then drove it straight to florida" yessss! Freedom!

 

The Ol' Man was adamant that I needed to drive it around for at least a week, take it on some short trips, etc. I said, "I built it, I know what I did, I know I didn't do anything wrong, and I know it's fine," and I drove off on a 1,500 mile shakedown trip, with no problems.

... Of course, if my kid ever did that, I'd say the same thing to him that my father did to me.

- Eric

 

That's like my exact plan haha! That's comment is going to be my wallpaper on my phone

 

When I was around 12, I built the visible V8 model. Back then it was real cool, had elect motor in the starter that cranked it, fired lights in each cylinder through a moving distributor. Taught me what timing was and how it all worked together. At 14 I was helping my friend replace rings and bearings in a Chevy small block in the frame of a 31 Chevy project. His Dad was a mechanic. I guess it also started with mower, go-cart and other small engines.

 

Maaan, I've always tinkered with stuff but never rebuilt an engine. I plan on doing it though, in the near future

 

It's still in the car and running 36 years later.

 

Maaan, I've always tinkered with stuff but never rebuilt an engine. I plan on doing it though, in the near future. Putting a 350 in my 85 delta 88

 

What does it feel like to drive something you put together with your 2 hands! I bet it's righteous

 

It feels like this...

 

I also rebuilt the transmission (the first rebuild), rearend, carburetor, front and rear suspension, convertible top frame, put on a new convertible top, recovered the seats, did all the body work, and sprayed the primer (I let someone else spray the final paint). Heck, I've personally rebuilt or replaced nearly everything on the car except the steering gear box.

 

I was trying to think of something just right, but I think Eric nailed it.

- Eric

 

OC, that is the feeling I get on first start. When it only does a half crank then kicks and idles,wow. IT"S ALIVE !!!!!

 

hahahaha!!

 

I want to be able to do that!

 

I grew up on a farm and learned from dad, we were poor, everything broke and had to be put back together to make the farm pay for it's self. Drove cat at age 8 and it was a antique then (Thirty Cat) but you had to keep it going somehow. In high school I always took shop classes, my senior year I had all my required classes taken care of so I took five shop classes and a government class then study hall, It was a great year! Probably accounted for me getting my first three jobs.... Tedd

 

I've had many ah' night pulling things off with my 2 hands then driving it. Lost a lot of fluid but she purred rite along.

 

When i was a kid my brother taught me to clean and rebuild the brakes on my bike. I was always cleaning and greasing the bearings. I was the neighborhood bike mechanic. My first engine build i was 19, had a 67 Olds 442 4 speed, man it was nice. I bought it used from a female school teacher, it was about 6 years old, got it for $1100 bucks. Well after about a year i spun a couple of the main bearings on a road trip, actually only got about 30 miles out of town. I didnt know much about car motors, but thats when i learned. There were a couple of guys at a place called Tech Auto, they taught me and helped me alot. But i actually built it on the floor of my parents garage. I had no idea there was any such thing as an engine stand. After all was said and done, came time to crank it up, it started up instantly and ran good. Man that was a good feeling. But that was also around the time gas and insurance were going up so i sold it, wish i hadnt now but..., bought a used Toyota Carona Wagon, then later ordered a new Dodge Tradesman 100 van, built an interior called "Tunnel of love" lol. I think me and my girlfriend wore the back springs out in that thing. Lol good times!

 

I was exposed to this stuff through my family. Fixing things on your own was a necessity. I too, liked cars and racing and all the magazines of the day. I would often read all I could on the this stuff.

My high school had shop classes like small engines, general metals, welding and of course wood shop and crafts. Home electrical classes and offset printing, which I attended too.

I often wonder if schools still offer these.

Like some of us,I've done just about everything on my car except mount the tires or install the headliner. I rebuilt my first car engine in 1990, and happy to say its still in the car and running, just a little tired. I've also painted about two dozen cars but that doesn't make me a painter. It simply makes me capable.

You gotta like doing it. If not it becomes a chore. Now a days, the amount of money to continue this hobby is getting crazy. Wel,l thats my opinion.

 

Read everything I could get my hands on. All authors don't make the same presentation. Libraries can be very helpful with this.

Took formal courses when available. There weren't a lot of them and funds were limited.

Tried to spend time with people who knew how to do it correctly. Tried to stay away from the half-*** ones, but even they had something to offer at times.

Gathered mostly used tools from second hand sales; borrowed others. Sometimes had to buy new ones outright. Sometime that was hard on the budget.

After mustering enough courage started out on a 1946 Nash.

 

I learned out of necessity, I could not afford to go to a mechanic. Luckily all my friends were in the same boat. We would all get together and work on each others cars after school. We lived in Junk yards and back then used parts for these cars were plentiful, most of us did not know what new parts were until we were well into our 20's. With Motors manuals in hand we tackled most anything that came up.

 

I bought a 72 Vista Cruiser and within a year of having it, burned an exhaust valve. My sister was engaged to a diesel mechanic who has been around mechanics his whole life, so when I saw how easily and readily he was prepared to take off the valve covers to look for a loos rocker arm or something (a feat which at the time, I thought was a big ordeal), it blew my mind.

After we did a leakdown test to confirm an exhaust valve leak, we took off the heads and at that point, I had already wanted to make some modifications to the engine, so brolaw suggested nonchalantly that we "yank dat b*tch an rebuild the top end". I've always wanted to learn about engines, so I was gung ho about it.

And of course, there is a PLETHORA of info on this website!!!

The rest is history.

 

1) My Father. He was a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force. He loved to tinker with his cars and would drag me along (or did I just drag myself, hmm). Usually as an extra set of hands. Everything he did he would explain to me and show me short cuts and the pitfalls to watch out for.
It wasn't like today where parts are simply replaced without a second thought. If the carb, starter, alternator, etc. wasn't working it got torn apart and fixed from scratch. I got good with carbs that way. Eventually everyone would bring me their carb for a rebuild. I even ported a set of heads.
2) I took everything apart that I owned, toys, bikes, etc. Then when things broke around the house I took them apart too to see how it worked or why it broke. Not always successfully I might add but I learned that way. A little failure is good.
3) I rebuilt my first engine in the 70s and never looked back. Today is so much easier with the internet. As told by others, we had books and devoured them front to back.

A common thread here is................don't be afraid. Things can always be fixed. If not you then by someone else. I'd rather attempt something and fail than not attempt at all and never know.

PS. I even tried to rewind an armature on a HO car once to make it faster. We had a local electrical motor shop (try finding one of those today) that I purchased the wire from. It was a total failure but fun to try.

George

 

My high school is a vocational technical school that you can learn on how to be a carpenter, electrician, and automotive. I learn just the basic things on automotive on how to do brakes, front end and tune ups. I mostly learn from working with a Pontiac guru named Nunzi's in Brooklyn, NY. He taught me how to do the interiors, frame offs and engines. Never learn how to paint a car, rebuild transmissions, carburetors and finding electrical shorts. I learn later down the road. What I been taught by Nunzi's, I did my own work on my Cutlass except for the frame off.

 

If you have the time I'd say go for it!! Everyone that posted in this thread and many others here would have your back via the web I'm sure.
Put a tool list together, check in with these guys for all necessary tools needed. Go with what they recommend.
You are in good hands here on Classic Olds, The best place to be is rite here.
No better time then the present to have at er'!!!
If I was younger and had more time on my hands, I'd be doing an engine myself knowing that everyone here looks out for everyone. I just don't have the time at the moment.
I'll be looking for your build thread and rooting you on !!
Cheers
Eric

 

Remember, Everyone here had a 1st time

 

... And as with every first time, we all scraped an elbow and had something poking us in the side.

- Eric

 

Eric,

The proper way to prepare is to take a wood rasp to your knuckles then dunk them in a bucket of kerosene

 

I was brought up by a father with ZERO mechanical aptitude. When I was 19 I went to the VoTech for Chef Classes, had a friend in the National Guard who was going to the same VoTech for Auto Mech. One of his classmates was jealous of me and the fact that I was dating ( and soon to marry) the gal he liked. He one day went out and mixed up the spark plug wires on my 70 Camaro because of his jealousy. I went out after school and of course my car would not start. I had NO clue what to do. Another auto student came out and helped me figure it out. Got it running and on the way home, on the freeway, the hood flew open because he had also messed with the latch. I drove that car for another 20 years with broken hood springs and a dent on the hood from that day. I decided at that point that I needed to learn cars- re-enter the Guard friend. He taught me much but the biggest learning I had was from the simple fact that I had no money then to pay a garage- I married the gal mentioned and proceeded to build a family with 5 kids- if the car did not run, I did not get to work and there would be no groceries. That being said, I am mostly self taught out of necessity. I now have several chev motor rebuilds under my belt and 2 Cutlass'.

 

This..
...and...
Also read various Hot Rod magazines when I could snag a copy.

Got a Craftsman ~100 piece tool set for my 16th b-day & a few weeks later my first car. Figured out stuff because...
First major project was at 18yo pulling the head off the 250ci-I6 in my Maverick in sub-freezing temps, hauling it up to my 3rd floor apt, and rebuilding it on the floor (& replacing 2 horribly burnt valves) using hand tools, a borrowed spring comp & a Chilton's Manual. It worked and got me past some 'precision anxiety' from not really knowing if torquing a bolt 5% too much would cause it to explode or 5% too little and it'd fly apart. Even with my very rough & inexperienced valve lash & other adj's, it ran well which taught me that while precision is desirable, things don't have to be .000001" perfect.

Soon after, I met a guy my age who became my gear head mentor. (He was a 2nd gen hot-rodder who's dad had done many cars through the early '60s - mostly traditional hot-rodded 30's/40's Fords.) We worked thru a few of his Mopar rebuilds. He'd build one, race it , & blow it up. Rinse. Repeat. He showed me the basics of having machine work done, measurements/clearances, assembly tricks, etc... as well as introducing me to a local machine/hot rod parts shop (Piston Service on Keystone in Indy - now long gone )

First rebuild I did mostly myself was a friend's ratty '69 Chevelle's smoky 350 w/low comp. Very crude. Cyl hone, re-ring, but it ran well when we were done...right up until he crashed it.

Back then it was all word-of-mouth with maybe some specs in a book. Now, with all the information that's available on the internet, you can learn almost anything instantly.

 

Forgot to comment on this part:
Same here. I think I developed calluses on the backs of my hands from adults slapping them. I couldn't keep my hands off of anything that looked like it could come apart, even if it was working well. If nobody was looking I'd take it apart. I'd usually get it back together, too, although sometimes not exactly the same way it was before it came apart.
I also had to know and actually see what every switch did in every car, house, and anywhere else I went. Darned near got my fingers broken a few times.

Basically, some of us are just wired to want to take things apart. Putting them back together was really just a matter of self preservation.

- Eric