How many grease monkeys in here!!??

[critterbug]

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I don't know about ya'll, but I LOVE working on my truck. I am a wanna be grease monkey, but I love working on my own cars. I change my own oil, and do most routine maintenance myself.

This weekend:
-replace fuel filter
-clean throttle body

I hope I will get some time to clean the rear differential and replace fluid.

I am no expert by anymeans, just enjoy doing minor mechanical work on my truck 👍

Any other dental students have a passion for mechanical work?

PS. Gavin, please don't use your newly mod powers to delete this thread

 

[esspressive]

You can count me in as a junior grease-monkey.

I am always working on my car when i have a long break from school.
winter break- replaced transmission
summer time- going to do the timing belt, water pump, radiator.

cant wait-->>> ONE ORAL Bio test to GO!!

 

[Bcat]

Well, I wouldn't call myself a wannabe grease monkey rather a have-to-be grease monkey. Boston mechanics are insanely expensive. This was a record cold winter and I had to replace the powersteering box, and hoses in my 93 Rover. However, 11 hours and borderline frostbite later I was glad to have saved a grand.

 

[drPheta]

<---- right here

 

[flat4]

I'm probably more of a tuner than grease monkey. I have a Subaru WRX (non STi) that I've been tweaking to get more power out of. I'm currently at stage II and I've installed all the mods on my own. I do all the regular maintenance work b/c I hate going to the dealer unless it's warranty work. I guess I'm kind of a grease monkey but I'm pretty new to the game and taking it small steps at a time. It's definitely nice to work on my car and forget about all the stuff going on at school. When I'm done tuning, I want to be at around 300-350 whp but it's gonna be a while ($$$$).

 

[drPheta]

flat4, that makes you a grease monkey. If you're adept enough to do more than change your oil, you're a grease monkey. Sweet car by the way.

 

[GoGatorsDMD]

I wouldn't say I'm a "grease monkey", but I do love knowing how everything works in my car and try to do most maintenance stuff myself. Change oil, tranny fluid (messy pain in the arse, don't think I'll do that again), plug wires, fuel filter, etc. I wouldn't know how to change something like my clutch though.

Doing stuff like this I think helps one appreciate cars that are engineered better than the others. I love it.

If you don't already know, this site rocks:

www.howstuffworks.com

 

[drPheta]

how stuff works has always been an awesome site. You guys will also like this. http://www.autopia.ws/

 

[critterbug]

WOW. I feel like a freakin amateur. Someone up there replaced their transmission 😱 I wouldn't even touch that

I have a GMC Sierra Ext cab w/ 5.3 L V-8 (its a beasst) I have always tinkered with vehicles since I was in high school, but never anything major. Lets see. I will try to list a few things I've done in the past:

-alternator change
-thermostat replacement
-few battery changes (really shouldn't even mention)
-installed a few car stereos
-most fluid changes
-brake change -both pads and rotors
-I know I'll remeber something later, but I'm sure I've done more...haha

On my current truck:

-installed new mp3 CD player and replaced all factory speakers


really thats it, except for the things I mentioned in my first post, which I still haven't got to by the way. Been too busy watching Phil Mickelson kick some azz in the US open. Go Phil

But I agree with most of you, it is just too darn expensive to get a mechanic these days. I prefer to work on my own stuff. Just a hobby I guess. I try to research stuff, and read manuals on how to do things. Most of the stuff is pretty straight forward if ya got the right tools. Plus I guess I'm kinda a perfectionist, and I know a lot of auto mechanics won't take the time and effort to do the job right. Some do, but alot of times you never know whos working on your vehicle in those garages.

 

[critterbug]

Oh, and to relate this to dentistry, being a greas emonkey sure does sharpen your manual dexterity skills. haha 😀 Turning a wrench in some tight spots is not easy.

 

[drPheta]

Haha, I put it down on my AADSAS app. But man, some of those parts are tiny, and those spaces they lie make you wonder how the hell they got the tool in there in the first place.

 

[flat4]

Dr. Pheta-thank you. It's not the best looking car out there but it's good bang for buck and all around performance (the beauty of all wheel drive!)

Howstuffworks is an awesome website. I especially like:

Flat4 baby!!!

 

[c132]

I built a dune buggy a few years back and it rocked! It had a porsche engine in it, which is compatible with most VW parts. I pulled all the guts out, put 92mm jugs and pistons in it, roller rockers, lightened flywheel, GREAT clutch, and dual 44 weber carbs and man it made that thing like lightning. I had to sell it to get the money to put a payment down on my house once I got married, but still, it was the funnest toy I have ever owned. It was street legal and it got too many looks!!!!!

 

[E Z Daring]

he he, I'm a med student (what am I doing browsing your section???) and I love to work on my baby - 99 eclipse. she's getting to the point where I need to work on her all the time now

put on cross-drilled slotted rotors, new brakes, oil/tranny/coolant changes, throttle body/cai/catback install, UDP install & cam gears - as well as the timing belt change (which is a b@#$* on the 420a engine)

if med school wasn't so expensive, I'd have a stage III HRC turbo kit on it by now, CP pistons/crower rods, standalone bla bla bla.

right now, I hope she just last until I can pay off these loans! 🙄

 

[Thaxil]

I just keep my car running. It is a 1990 ford Ranger with 190000 miles. My other car was a 1983 Jetta, and lost it in an accident. Surprisingly, my car runs excellent. I replaced almost everything in that freaking car. I am very amateur. The hardest thing I did was replaced the head gasket after the jetta overheated.

 

[critterbug]

The hardest thing I did was replaced the head gasket after the jetta overheated.

Thats a tough job, specially for a foreign car. I bet you had to take alot of stuff apart just to reach the head gasket.

 

[blankguy]

Anybody try to fix wiring issues? A few years back I had an SUV that would not startup. What a pain 😡

 

[critterbug]

Anybody try to fix wiring issues? A few years back I had an SUV that would not startup. What a pain 😡

Anytime I have electrical issues, I always check fuses first. There is a fuse for almost everything in your vehicle, including your ignition. If all fuses are good, I take it to a professional, as electrical problems can be a PITA