How did you learn to wrench?

i can clean and adjust a carburetor, but i’m Pretty lost when it comes to actual engine internals, and what’s involved in “rebuilding” an engine.

I think the biggest obstacle is not knowing what a “healthy” engine looks like, to spot what needs to be fixed or replaced.

I’m looking to learn as painlessly and as cheaply as possible. Am i going to be shopping for an air-cooled 2-stroke single?

In a perfect world, whatever i buy to learn to wrench on would be street legal and cart-track worthy when complete, and suitable for a 10 and 12 yr old to learn on.

Realistic budget for a non-running project would be $600ish, i hope... any more than that and i can just buy a Chinese grom clone and treat it as disposable.

 

Seems like everyone has a dad or friend who helps them. I don’t have that.

 

Started as a kid, on bicycles. Seems like everrythang that has two wheels also has a chain that needs adjustin'. Plus, got to play with spinnin' the wheels in my hands after I removed 'em. Learned about gyroscopic effect too soon...cried for the moon, too.

 

Start with a lawnmower engine if you want to learn about engines. The basics are the same. I learned a lot from my dad and through necessity. I’ve also bought non-running bikes or cars with issues as opportunities presented and got them fixed up. If you get stuck with car stuff head over to your local Napa and talk to an old timer. YouTube is also an excellent resource these days.

With the bikes I approached each one as a learning opportunity and nothing else. Worst case being that I’d part it out if I couldn’t fix it. I learned how to rebuild and sync carbs, fix crash damage, flush and rebuild brake systems. I’ve even rebuilt a set of Honda V4 carbs. It was intimidating but I took my time and it turned out great.

And you do have help available through forums like this one. Get something that fits your budget and maybe stretches your abilities a little and see what you can learn. Building confidence is all it really is.

 

It was always an interest when I was young. I watched a neighbor rebuild his Vespa Scooter was I was Really young. Mid 60's?
Worked on bicycles
Lawnmowers
Did maintenance on families cars.
Rebuilt, worked on my own motorcycles growing up.
Rebuilt my families car/truck engines sometimes.
Rebuild my larger street motorcycles as older to make them faster, yet streetable, etc.
all this before the internet.
All this was also because I or we couldn't really afford to pay someone else to do it.

There are things I do now pay a shop to do. Like my Trucks Rear End bearing replacement.
My trucks new clutch- that's about it? If I don't have the lifts, tools needed is a factor too.
It's hard finding an honest shop too.

Nowadays, just find a good forum and or Youtubes, etc.

 

break it down to systems
-fuel
-ignition
-charging

I like the lawnmower suggestion for basic theory. Especially now with OHV type motors.
Im a sucker for folks curbing a perfectly good mower. Hadnt paid for one in years... typically just the cost of a pull cord, fuel line, carb clean new plug or airfilter gets em running. Then you can move to blade balancing or sharpening...lol

 

Any of you mower guys suggest a use for a vertical shaft Honda engine? The deck and drive are scrap, the engine needs a main or rod bearing and I'd hate to think it was worthless.
Could be the crank is bent, tho', at which point I'd call it all an anchor.

 

with a wrench




starting with RC cars age 7-8, taking radios apart, building skateboard stuff ... later , most wrenching was on my VW Vanagon Syncro, when the head gasket blew and i didn't have the $ to fix it.

hardest (mentally) was working on an Aisin transmission valve body. when i split those cases and the balls and springs fell out, i thought that was it. but i got it back together and running well since 80k miles

 

Same as others: My dad was a mechanic (of sorts), he grew up watching his dad fix things. Necessity for me, as I had no job but aptitude (and a little bit of fibbing on experience). I will say that getting paid to work on things and not eff them up really raises your game.

I suggest getting anything with a frozen or broken engine for free or less than three digits and don't expect it to work after you dismantle it. Learning on a working or "ready to run" project won't teach you how an engine or system fails, and if you have intentions of the project "working" when you are done, then you will be worried about attacking a part or piece on the project. There is a big difference between beating the living crap out of a stuck piston knowing that it doesn't have to work vs worried that you are going to destroy something that you want to have work.

Reduce the cash outlay and increase the sweat equity. If it works after you are "done" then that's an unforeseen bonus!

 

My Dad, Mom, God rest soul, and my older siblings always came to me when something needed fixing.
I was the little brother.

 

Learnt from my dad, brothers and friends but also a hell of a lot from workshop manuals, factory ones plus Clymer/Haynes ones too.

The one thing I do is take my time and clean everything thoroughly as I take it apart, that way it can be inspected for damage or wear. I'm a bit Broome when it come to rebuilding, all parts spotless upon assembly and add oil to relevant surfaces as I go along.

 

I literally dragged a seized wood-chipper to the curb yesterday.

Shit.

Guess i need to just get in over my head and let YouTube bail me out. I’ll likely try to find a non-running street bike and hope to sell it if i can make it run.

 

You're in Cleveland. You can wait to see when the next Skidmark Garage event will be (whenever we re-open). Use CB350 engines for the engine classes.

Not entirely sure 2-stroke is the way. Guy in there is rebuilding a DT250 engine that had issues, and has not had a good time with it. Think last I talked to him a ring was catching on the port.

If you really want, I have a VTR250 engine thats probably FUBAR. Probably broke a valve, maybe worse. You can mess with that thing all you want. If you're actually going to fix it, we can work something out. Picked it up for nothing thinking F-SS until I got 0 compression on a cylinder, then shoved it in a corner.

 

As far as what a "good engine" looks like you need some diag tools. Leak down tester for one then measure as you pull apart unless you find obviously failed parts. Just have right manual and it will list the specs. Be clean and patient and you will have success.

 

Perfect plan. Fail upwards. You can't lose when it's already toast, but you can learn so much.

 

Seized how? Engine? chipper shaft? When we moved into our place I found an old troy built tomahawk chipper in the woods left to the elements for who knows how long. It was rough, didn't run but engine wasn't stuck. Replaced all the bearings, sharpened the flails, new belt, new carb and fuel lines, and was back in business for under $100 Everything is just a collection of parts. The cheap harbour freight engines are actually pretty good, if it needs a whole new one.

I learned from my dad. Long multi year apprenticeship of holding the flashlight, and tool fetcher. Now he's my flashlight holder, and over the shoulder heckler. He drinks more of my beer on the job than I did though.

 

My dad moved out when I was 10. After that, if I wanted it fixed, I figured it out...

 

No one in my family ever wrenched or changed their own oil. I was always just interested and learned on my own. Back when I was starting it was mostly forum help and then videos online started getting better. Best way to learn in my opinion, is to buy a lousy but running (this is key) 2 stroke. You already know carbs and they are cheap to pull apart and rebuild. Pull it all apart and replace the internals and get it running back as new. Starting with a non-running hooptie is always a pain in the ass and you spend needless time hunting BS down.

 

Fixing stuff was just what we did when I was growing up. My Dad built tons of stuff. I took metal shop classes because I just liked it. Then my brother bought me a brand new YZ125G when I was 17 and told me if I didn't take care of it he'd take it away from me. I believed him so I followed the shop manual and learned how to do everything on that bike. I'm thankful for my childhood that was an excellent foundation for a career as an engineer.
In college I had a good friend who was an honors engineering student and I was shocked that he didn't know how a four cycle engine worked. He was way smarter than me and wound up going into the Navy nuke program so he was no dummy, but I have to say that the practical knowledge that I gained when I was young paid off in spades for me.

 

Pop, and his cousins were all automotive mechanics and/or autobody techs. Grew up with it.