How did you learn to wrench?

Learned on my own. As an engineer I always figured it was my duty to figure puzzles out. Always wondered about those "book" engineers who couldn't even change their own oil. I agree with having the right quality tools for the job, it makes things so much easier. I kinda decided that if I bought the tools and did it myself, having the tools at the end of the job was my pay.

 

I've has a similar experience I came up as an engineer having first worked on motorcycles and aircraft. That experience has proven invaluable to me and I apply the hands-on things that I've learned every day on the job.
However, looking down on "book" engineers doesn't mean that they can't be good engineers. I had a college buddy Dave who was in the Engineering Honors program at Michigan State and I was very surprised that I (Definitely NOT in the honors program!) had to explain to him how a four cycle engine worked. Dave was no dummy though. He wound up going into the Navy Nuke program.

 

Ditto...

Aw geez, now I got this stuff dripping all over my keyboard. Must be the humidity...

 

Not often, but i might for that. Not sure i want to deal with the title hassle, but free is free.

 

At age 7 i had a bachelors in illumination technology, my master's at age 8 in illumination and wrench management , and had a full blown ph.d upon completing my research in optimizing angles of photon incidence on a target with fresnel equations within the confines of minimizing reflectance. :lol:

 

Had the kids out in the garage making a mothers day gift last weekend and Jr earned his first blood blister. He was pounding some copper pipe flat on the anvil and smashed his finger, but was too embarrassed to tell me so he toughed it out and kept going lol. Welcome to the club pal. The first of many.

He did about 60% of the work involved in making this, my daughter did about 1% and I filled in the rest.


We will be pulling the engine from my scrap g6 later this week and tearing it apart for the casting scrap. The home school curriculum is a bit different between the wife and I lol.

 

Wow, that's really awesome looking. Very cool you can make something like that and teach the kids too. I'm sure your wife will cherish that forever since the kids made it.

 

Thanks Rob. Just having some fun with the kids and teaching them how to make stuff and use their hands.

 

Gramps ran a shrimp boat his entire life. Always something to be fixed. Dad never let anyone work on anything for him. Both of those meant we were constantly working on something. The 2 stroke diesel in the boat, a work truck, lawn mower, generator, and pretty much anything else around them. Between the two of them almost nothing was unrepairable. As a kid I took enough working things apart that didn't work when I put them back together until I started to figure it out.

Gramps also gave me the best piece of advice I have ever gotten. If someone will take their time to teach you how to do something then I should take the time to learn how to do it. I've taken advantage of every one of those times that someone was that generous. Being friends with Charlie for 20+ plus years hasn't hurt when it comes to all things mechanical either.

 

Going back to the question on the title, I started turning wrenches and breaking shit. Over the years, I learned what not to do. Now I'm perfectly comfortable to take apart just about anything and put it back together again.

YouTube & forums offer good hints that I utilize when in unfamiliar territory.

 

That explains everything, Moo U is a agricultural college, and he went to nukes, interesting

 

Be nice, not everybody gets accepted to the University of Wisconsin.

I learned to wrench by taking stuff apart and making lawnmower engine powered minibikes as a kid.

 

Royal Enfield. That sums it up.

 

I learned wrenching initially in the mid 70's on a Hodaka, that the kick start broke, and my dad wouldn't come look at it. So I started taking stuff off and he came out and guided me. Most all my work was on a wide variety of Japanese motorcycles and then helping dad work on our car when needed.

Funny when I first worked on a BMW motorcycle I was amazed at some of the stupid things they did compared to the Japanese stuff. Felt the same way in the 90's when I first worked on a Harley Davidson.

Did the Royal Enfield scar you? I've never worked on one, but if I had started on a BMW or Harley I may have thought that was good design. LOLOL

 

It was a total POS from brand new. No matter what we did to it or what was upgraded, it was a nonstop project that at any given time it felt like leaving you stranded.........it would. When I finally got my first fzr400 11 years ago, which was itself a project bike in boxes,that thing was space age in comparison and I never looked back.So yes, the Enfield scarred me

 

I bought a '73 Hodaka Wombat out of a chicken coop. Absolutely covered in Chicken sh*t. The toaster tank was amazingly in decent condition! Rebuilt it and it ran but the queer transmission was never really right. I did it all by quesstimate, no manuals, no previous experience with the brand...just sort of figured how it must work.

 

It was my first dirtbike and it was a Hodaka engine in a Bultaco frame. My dad boought it from some guy that raced flat track back and I think this was just left over stuff he had around. I do remember the Hodaka shifted GP shift style. My dad had a Husky at the same time that shifted on the right side instead of the normal left side.

 

I was born a gear head. Didn’t have a father or anyone in my life that was interested in motor sports. Born in 61 and torn into the lawnmower around 9-10 years old. Started reading tons of magazines and a few books and never owned something with a motor I didn’t tear apart. Your Very fortunate to be wanting to learn in this era where anything you need to know can be pulled up on your phone in the garage. Start by messing with stuff that’s inexpensive and work your way up. I would Not buy a complete junker and try to fix it out the gate. Buy something complete and runs ok then try to make it better. Good luck and don’t be afraid to ask questions and screw up. That’s all part of the fun.

 

Sorry for the late reply,

Bike is still here and yours if you want it. Title is a clear KY title, but I have it set as inactive. I can easily have it reactivated once the CH opens back up. Send me a PM and I will give you my contact info.

I had a few bites from GS aficionados, but nothing too serious. If you are building it wit the kids, I will even kick in a new battery and oil filter...

 

Took the boys to Nelson this weekend, and their mom just moved the zero turn into the shed and said, “we could totally fit a race bike in here.” Don’t hold onto it for me - i am looking at V8 era 600’s to be a C class backmarker, and not get totally frustrated at track days.