Who did you get your wrenching skills from?

amudzen · Post by **amudzen** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:25 pm

This isn’t something that runs in my blood so I have to learn it from scratch.

Those of you who work on their scoots, did you go to school or just spent countless nights in the garage working on your scooters hoping that there isn’t any spare parts left after you are done putting everything back together?

I have seen some workshops where they teach you basic maintenance and working on scooter/motorcycle but there isn’t anything in my state, short of enrolling in fulltime school to be a mechanic.

Any pointers on self education, good books etc. to get started?

goldscott · Post by **goldscott** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:55 pm

My father taught me simple car stuff like changing oil and replacing brakes.

Most of what I know, I learn online. I come here for Buddy maintenance advice.

I like wrenching and working with my hands. It's fun, satisfying, and a lot cheaper than paying somebody else to do it.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:10 pm

I'm certainly a junior wrencher at best, especially since I have no place to do any really ambitious wrenching, but coming from zero scooter knowledge, most everything I've learned either at or via MB and the VooDoo Crew. Through MB I've also found a number online tutorials etc that have helped me learn. I also learn a ton by osmosis from watching Mike and the mechanics at NoHo. They are very generous with helping me. Personally, I think there is nothing better than watching someone who knows exactly what they are doing to help you get a feel for how to do things.

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:34 pm

Like you, I had no mechanical experience until owning a scooter. My father taught me plenty, but he wasn't exactly handy when it came to these things. Mechanics were essentially alchemy as far as I was concerned—one step away from being magic.

It's not, though. There's a logic to it; how it works just makes sense. There are still huge gaps in my knowledge, but I'm competent, have taken most things apart and put them back together and understand how most of it works.

So, from someone who started as a complete noob:

Read the forums, then learn to read them critically.
I hate to say this, but there's some bad advice out there and a lot of people parroting what they've read without really understanding it. (Most of us are all guilty of this to some degree.) There are also many who will dispense advice despite never having picked up a wrench themselves. Before doing it yourself, make sure the advice you're getting won't get you in too deep.

Find a good mechanic who's willing to show you things, even if it's just pointing out what's what and how it all fits together. My mechanic is pretty much a sensei when it comes to these things. He still talks over my head sometimes, but having him available and being friends with him has paid off in spades.

Get the right tools before doing anything. There are a few shortcuts and workarounds but if you're on your own, you risk doing more harm (wasting time and money) if you don't have the right tools from the start. There are a few places you can skimp, but investing in good ones will pay off.

Start small. Oil changes are easy. My first few gave me a huge feeling of accomplishment and pride. They emboldened me to go on to screw up other things. From there, move on to the transmission or carb. Then valves and engine work.

Knowing is not enough. As I learn over and over, having a detailed understanding of human anatomy doesn't qualify someone to be a surgeon. Read the tutorials, study the diagrams and photos, but realize that those just prepare you to gain experiential knowledge and that when something goes wrong, you could be on your own.

When you screw up or something goes awry, take a step back before proceeding. (How many times do I have to learn this one? Someone should keep my Dremel under lock and key!) Before you go for extractors, taps, liquid steel, welders, etc., take a pause and think about it. Go watch TV for a bit, then come back. Running to Pep Boys doesn't count as a pause if you're still focused on "fixing" your problem.

Don't be too embarrassed to admit defeat and ask for help or call in the pros.

I've had to run to the forums, tail between my legs, on a couple of occasions. Most people are willing to help. Others will be jerks and say, "Shoulda just gone to a mechanic!" Ignore them.

Use your best judgment. I've pretty much violated every piece of advice above at some point to get here. Live and learn, I guess.

Hwarang · Post by **Hwarang** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:48 pm

Mostly I throw money at a guy, preferring to keep my supple "computer guy" hands clean and rested. But, what I have learned, I learned from my friend who has a shop. I get to bring my scoot there and do the oil changes and other maintenance myself. When I replaced a few body panels, he helped me pull the fork off and stuff. I also bought the service manual.

Leif · Post by **Leif** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:11 pm

I bought a cheap Chinese scooter that needed a new drive belt and then started taking it apart from there. I am still scared to bust into the Buddy I am also not having any problems so no need. Eric's post really rings true for the knowledge shared here.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:31 pm

I first learned to work on mechanical stuff when I was eight years old. I taught myself to fix my own bicycle. This led to taking our television apart. My father came home one day to find the TV scattered all over the living room. I have no memories of the next two weeks after that...
The weakest excuse I hear is "I don't know how". No one is born knowing how to do anything. You just have to go out and learn/try. I'm not afraid to fix/modify/take apart/muck-up anything. I can fix anything in the house including electrical, plumbing, etc. If I took it apart, I can put it back together. My current challenge is cooking. I eat mostly out of boxes and bags (my microwave is my best friend), but I'm teaching myself how to do things with the other stuff I see sitting on the shelves at my local grocery store. One very useful lesson I've learned is to not microwave potatoes, eggs, bananas and stuff in jars with the cap still screwed on.
Anyway, bottom line is, don't be afraid to try. Don't be afraid to learn. Ask questions if you have to. Ask for advice. But don't make an excuse by saying "I don't know how".

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:37 pm

i have no wrenching skills but am learning. i go on an "as needed" basis and so far the two scooters i maintain have only needed engine and gear oil changes. so thats all i have done. very, very simple to do. enough so that even those who take their scoots to the dealer to have it done (even if they claim to do it to "support" the dealer) would be better off doing it themselves and spending the money at the dealer in a different way. could be a fun way, an upgrade, or an extra bit of maintenance. but i just spent 15min and $2.50 to change my oil, and my dealer is almost an hour away. soon i will check and adjust my valves if need be. so long as i have the right tools i am not too intimidated, and i grew up watching carbs get adjusted all the time. the fact that in Cali the fuel / air mixture screw is "capped" also eliminates one of those adjustments, but most likely complicates matters if something does need adjusting

anywho i have no skills, but am confident nonetheless. i think this comes from working with computer hardware. i know nothing about computers, really. but i can tear one down and put it back together. its just like a puzzle. you take a part out, you put one in, and it works. you may have to install some drivers, change some settings, but it is designed to do what it does. same thing with scoots. be careful, be aware of what you are doing, "no square pegs in round holes," and all should go well

the only thing i feel would limit me is something that needs extensive troubleshooting or intimate knowledge of how the scooter works. things which can be gained only from knowledge and experience. also limiting, a lack of required tools and equipment. but taking apart and putting a CVT back together, etc? heck, i watched a girl on youtube do that who had no idea what she was doing, much less skilled at it

she finished and it fired right up

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:46 pm

By watching endless hours of the "Red Green" show.

ericalm wrote:Start small. Oil changes are easy.

As luck would have it, they have a tutorial for that:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E_b2xIEfj2Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Dibber · Post by **Dibber** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 9:16 pm

A very long time ago I went to a Recreational Vehicle Repair Vocational course where we repaired boat motors, lawn mowers, chain saws, snowmobiles and such. Then I bought a cheap Chineese scooter for $500 and went to town on it. Now my son rides it in a big city and it is getting beat by living out doors, cars bumping into it, and squirrls eating the seat and back rest. But it still runs. Oh ya, a repair manual helps too.

Bcon · Post by **Bcon** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 10:13 pm

My dad and grandfather taught me how to fix things on the farm growing up. We also had dirt bikes, and if you wanted to ride them you needed to know how to keep them running. No way my dad was going to pay someone to fix anything. I can tell you that a kid with a non-running dirtbike and lots of time on his hands will figure out how to get it running.

Now that I have no requirement to fix my machines, I do it as a hobby. Model specific stuff I glean from the web, friends, etc.

One of my goals raising children in the suburbs is to teach them basic mechanical skills by having them help work on the motorcycles and scooters. Their reward is that I take them for a ride.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 10:35 pm

Go to Goodwill/Salvation Army and buy the cheapest lanwmower there.

Take it apart and put it back together again. Check for leftover parts. Repeat, this time looking for things that are obviously bad. Engines have lots of moving parts. Moving parts should not have dings and scratches and gouges on them. Then maybe try to fix it. Most newer mowers will be 4T, so many of the basics will be similar to your scoot's engine.

Get comfortable with the feel of it. I don't mean in a Zen way, I mean in the way engine parts look and feel. How hard it is to take something apart. How filthy working on engines is.

[personal experience]
Oh, and don't work on your engine in the open in the dirt in windy conditions if you can help it. And don't try to fix a bad crank with a hand file.
[/end personal experience]

HowHH · Post by **HowHH** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:05 pm

Self-taught starting many years ago. I started in a small way with my first car, a '68 Beetle, then more seriously with my first new car, a '78 Corolla. My reason for doing so was that I was a poor student at the time and discovered that dealer repair and maintenance put way too big a dent in my very limited budget. I started with oil changes and tune-ups and gradually built knowledge; learning and doing timing adjustments, valve adjustments, brake jobs and so on.

Much frustration, swearing, and skinned knuckles ensued during the learning process. At that time all the reference material and manuals were in print only. No internet. It's so great now to go on-line and quickly find how-to's, and with step-by-step illustrations to boot!

I'm pretty comfortable with my skills by now, and during test rides after fixing something, I feel reasonably confident that something won't fall off and cause serious destruction.

At this point I pretty know the difference between what I can do, can't do, and that which is so much trouble to do that I'm happy to pay someone else to do it.

Some of the most valuable things I've learned is that if you do your own work you will take far more care in your vehicle than anyone else generally will. You will also discover that there are some who call themselves professional mechanics who are incompetent, careless, or just don't care enough to do a good job. I can't tell you how many times I've corrected other's mistakes.

lmyers · Post by **lmyers** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:30 pm

I bought a Corvair and a service manual when I was 17. It was kinda like being thrown in a lake to learn how to swim.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:47 pm

I forgot to ask: Is there a Community College near you? They may have a small engine repair class that won't last/cost much.

jasondavis48108 · Post by **jasondavis48108** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:58 pm

my dad taught me some stuff about working on cars. Just simple stuff like alternators and starters. I also had two years of auto in high school but we mostly did brakes & oil changes on teachers cars (kinda sucked and didn't learn much). I learned mostly from taking stuff apart and putting it back together. I was that kid who would take apart anything I could get my hands on just to see what was inside. We also did a lot of tearing bicycles apart when I was a kid. As for scooters, this forum is freak'n awesome as folks share what they learned and are generally very giving when it comes to us less knowledgable folk. I don't know if I would have had the guts to start f*cking with my carb if it wasn't for the good folks here at MB.

Smiley13 · Post by **Smiley13** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:00 am

Me , Myself and I

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:24 am

Watching the motorcycle mechanics who worked on my first scooter, then buying the metric/SAE toolkit I still use. Segue into the first successful oil change...and then into a horribly botched gear oil change...and screw ups and successes along the way.

I can't do advanced work like working on the clutch or changing a tire. But I can do enough basics--spark plug, oil changes, and the odd valve clearance--to save myself a $65 hourly tech charge.

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:46 am

well you could say i was born a gear head

my uncles inlaws owned a junk yard and his brotherinlaw raced dirt tracks

so as soon as i could walk i was out in the garage

and with my dad being in the navy i learned to take care of the maintnace on things for him at a young age

i think i was about 10 when i rebuilt my first engine on my own

KRUSTYburger · Post by **KRUSTYburger** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:58 am

Growing up I never got any engine experience, but used tools to build stuff and help my dad work on the house. I was really interested in learning how to work on cars, so in high school I took a small engine repair class. We took apart lawnmower engines and put them back together. Unfortunately I didn't remember much from that class... I did pick up the basics of how ICEs work. As for scooter work, mostly trial & error, and tips from friends. I'd still like to learn more though.

Howardr · Post by **Howardr** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:45 am

charlie55 wrote:By watching endless hours of the "Red Green" show.

ericalm wrote:Start small. Oil changes are easy.
As luck would have it, they have a tutorial for that:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E_b2xIEfj2Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

+1. Thought I might be the only Red green fan. Because, if women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

Howard

jasondavis48108 · Post by **jasondavis48108** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:54 pm

jmkjr72 wrote:well you could say i was born a gear head

my uncles inlaws owned a junk yard and his brotherinlaw raced dirt tracks

so as soon as i could walk i was out in the garage

and with my dad being in the navy i learned to take care of the maintnace on things for him at a young age

i think i was about 10 when i rebuilt my first engine on my own

My dad and his brother were gear heads and they were actually going to start a repair shop together. My uncle was going to do all the mech work and my dad was going to be the paint/body repair guy. Unfortunately, by the time I was old enough to learn much my dad had gone back to college to get a bussiness degree and didn't do much wrenching himself. My uncle became a teacher but now he's retired and collects lawn tractors to work on as a hobby, he actually went to one of the lawn tractor races last year

I'm hoping that if he does get into modding his lawn tractors he'll let me come out and help/learn some stuff. Still the best way to learn is to break sh*t and then work on it till it either explodes or isn't broken anymore. That's how I learned to build computers back in the day

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 2:40 pm

My grandfather owned a garage that my father worked at when I was growing up, but a lot of my skills are self inflicted. Its all very logical. I took it apart and paid attention to how it came apart. It always goes back together in reverse of that. I read a lot and experimented more. I wasn't affraid to break things. And at first, i usually did. And sometimes still do

I've also driven classic cars for years as daily drivers. That's a good way to have a ready supply of issues to figure out

Tenchi · Post by **Tenchi** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:07 pm

It was a 1961 Falcon wagon. It was a company car, and at 60K the oil hadn't been changed since day one. My Step Dad got permission to take it, we towed it home, we rebuilt the engine, put in new brakes, got it running with oversize rings. It was a two door and I wish I had kept it. Painted it maroon. But these days I take the family car to Jiffy Lube for oil changes, getting too old to crawl under the beast. I have managed to change fluids on my Kymco 150, a bit easier...no crawling. My daughter, whom I call "Squid", still brings her Acura over to me for maintenance. Like lifting the hood is a unique experience to her....go figure! Kids....

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:10 pm

I don't know nothing about no wrenching.......

Growing up my father always had someone else do things like that, "Even the Mechanic has to support his family"

What I've learned over the years is truly by trial and error, if I attempted to fix something and it worked, win, if not, well............

What I know about my Buddy and other scooter, I've learned from, HERE

Modern Buddy

Who did you get your wrenching skills from?

Who did you get your wrenching skills from?

My stepfather and I rebuilt my first car...