I now officially hate working on my cars.

After putting it off for 2 years, I finally tackled the leaking valve cover gaskets on my 99 4runner.  I spent 6-8 hours spread over 3 days removing all the extra crap, cleaning lots of stuff and installing the parts.  I was installing the lower intake manifold runners and torquing fittings to 13 ft/lbs.  Funny...the bolts don't seem to be tightening and the studs are tightening, but not clicking the torque wrench.  Then BANG, the lower stud snaps!!   I had to take everything off that I had just reinstalled.  I have maybe 1/4" of the stud sticking out of the intake.   I put everything down and walked away.   Now I get to figure out how to attack this.   I'm not sure the studs thread in, but sure hope so.  I really do NOT want to have to take the manifold off, but that may be what I am facing.  I didn't even look to see if the bolts stripped the threads. 

I feel you buddy.  My hand slipped Saturday and I cracked my pinky fingernail.  I spare you the pictures.   
 

My wife reminds me "you know there are people that have mechanics work on their cars"?  

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Yup, my hands are torn to crap.  

Working on cars is my relaxation... even when it's an oh E36 M3 I need to goto work tomorrow repair...

We just dropped my son's Lexus at the shop; leaky heater core and front wheel bearing need doing. Neither job is hard but I don't have a press or the desire to pull the dash apart...........$1300 took care of it.

Ranger50 said:

Working on cars is my relaxation... even when it's an oh E36 M3 I need to goto work tomorrow repair...

I have better luck with British cars.  Less aluminum on them.  

In reply to spitfirebill :

I still do the race car stuff but the daily drivers go to the shop if it's anything that can't be fixed in a couple of hours.

I only woreked on cars to save the money for racing. Now that I have the money to pay people I do.

Why I only wrench on project cars. All the DD vehicles go to my local mechanic. 

I'm wrenching on the Morris, since it's a challenge car, but the Miata got dropped off today to get the the timing belt, water pump, motor mounts, etc. 

If you don't feed them blood, a sacrifice, the repair is incomplete and the automobile will resent it. 

I like the way this thread is going. 

For me it depends. 

My daily goes to the shop for anything beyond normal maintenance. It's company owned, but either I or one of my guys does the oil changes. The timing belt job went to the shop.

My wife's cars either I fix or my sons do. There are several spare cars she can drive so I can fix them on my schedule.

All the toys, I fix. 

dean1484 said:

Why I only wrench on project cars. All the DD vehicles go to my local mechanic. 

This is my path as well.  I will be working on the Camaro and Boxster this weekend but it's low stress when you can walk away or take breaks whenever.  The other thing is to have and use the right tools for each task.  

I've never really used a mechanic outside of warranty stuff. I hate being screwed so bad, that the idea makes me irritated enough to just do everything myself. I mean I love screwing, but you know. 

I work on everything we own except the new Volvo.  berkeley that.  I'm a programmer and that thing frightens me with its 100+ computers.

Appleseed said:

If you don't feed them blood, a sacrifice, the repair is incomplete and the automobile will resent it. 

From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me. I craved the strength and certainty of steel. I aspired to the purity of the blessed machine. Your kind cling to your flesh as if it will not decay and fail you. One day the crude biomass you call a temple will wither and you will beg my kind to save you.
But I am already saved. For the Machine is Immortal.

The beast of metal endures longer than the flesh of men. Those that tend the beasts of metal must labour long to learn its ways, for a single beast must suffer the mastership of many men until ready to shed its vorpal coils. Those that seek apprenticeship must attended closely to the runes of mobilisation, the rites of maintenance, and the words-of-power that describe the parts of a beast. Nor must they neglect the tutelage of the Adeptus Prefects, nor the casting of the proper roboscopes.

This machine is discharged into your care. Fight with this machine, and guard it from the shame of defeat.

Serve this machine, as you would have fight it for you.

When uttering the incantation, mark well that the rod is upon and not within the intake. The second incantation should not be uttered until all the fumes have come forth, then the way shall be clear for the sacred words to penetrate unto the heart of the engine. If the mounting be hot say the third rune, if it be cold the fourth rune is more appropriate. For then the wrath of the engine will be aroused...

Strike the first rune upon the engine's casing employing the chosen wrench. Its tip should be anointed with the oil of engineering using the proper incantation when the auspices are correct. Strike the second rune upon the engine's casing employing the arc-tip of the power-driver. If the second rune is not good, a third rune may be struck in like manner to the first. This is done according to the true ritual laid down by Scotti the Enginseer. A libation should be offered. If this sequence is properly observed the engines may be brought to full activation by depressing the large panel marked "ON".

Thus do we invoke the Machine God.
Thus do we make whole that which was sundered.

Was it a 3/8" click torque wrench?

I have not found one yet that consistently clicks in actual use. 1/2" fine, 3/8" nope. I will ONLY use a beam-type torque wrench for the small fasteners.

SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) said:

Was it a 3/8" click torque wrench?

I have not found one yet that consistently clicks in actual use. 1/2" fine, 3/8" nope. I will ONLY use a beam-type torque wrench for the small fasteners.

Really? I've never had an issue.  I am fairly anal about my care for mine, even if its a cheapo.  The following come from a standard we followed in the USAF.

1) store in box it came in always

2) unscrew it so that all tension is released every time it goes into storage

3) setup a test stand that allows you to click it a few times before use to ensure all is functioning properly.  Testing should be on highest torque setting.

You don't just grab your Mitutoyos and go slapping them on everything you need measured, you make sure the surfaces are clean, everything zeroes properly, and you put them back carefully.  Torque wrenches, even the cheap ones, are the same.

I drove my Ram pickup all winter with "mildly warm-ish" output from the heater. Now I have a right front wheel bearing singing me a song on even the slightest left hand turn. I really don't want to tear the truck apart, but I guess it's time to make a "to-do" list and take a few days to get it done. The truck has been good to me, so I guess it's time to give back a little bit.

I am frightened with all of the posts lately detesting working on your own vehicles. Is this the woke culture or cancel culture I have been hearing a lot about recently?

This is not better homes and gardens, this is a website/forum dedicated toward making motorsports out of junky E36 M3. Yall need some motor oil added to your coffee in the morning otherwise you will end up staring at your iphone while laying in your casket wishing you had spent more time under your oil pan getting soaked in ATF.

I've been wrenching less and less over the last decade. I finally figured out it wasn't me so much as the cars I was working on. Modern vehicles just suck. When I started working on old things again I found my joy. One just needs to be careful not to take on hopelessly rusted garbage.

The remaining problem, however, is getting non-stealerships to work on some of the repairs that need doing. My local garage has become highly skilled at 'putting together a quote' for work that never happens. Or, other shops that will take on something and then do a halfassed job of it. Which is why I ended up fixing the oil leaks on the wife's Jetta...something that gave me zero pleasure and a lot of hatred for the Germans.

Similar place mentally. I detest paying crazy amounts in labor, but still get annoyed doing it myself. Just did both door actuators in our Odyssey (broke within 2months of each other, so I guess Honda's consistency is pretty good) and just rebuilt the AC in Towpig2 which was more involved than I wanted as the compressor fragged and needed to clean it out really well. Quoted repair price minus parts is about $3600 on just those three things, so I guess it was worth my time but it's getting harder and harder to justify.

dean1484 said:

Why I only wrench on project cars. All the DD vehicles go to my local mechanic. 

Same. I learned quickly with my 2008 Grand Caravan the mechanic I go to can fix anything in that van faster and for less money than I can trying to do it myself. They see so many of them on a regular basis any repair is one they've done dozens of times. 

Teh E36 M3 said:

I've never really used a mechanic outside of warranty stuff. I hate being screwed so bad, that the idea makes me irritated enough to just do everything myself.

You may hate potentially BEING screwed, but screwing yourself over as in the OP is just as bad, if not worse.  And then you have no one else to blame for the screwing over. ;)

I don't have the time or patience to do things 3 times when the parts are being recalcitrant like that. I worked on my own cars for so long because I was poor and had to. Wasn't therapeutic, nor was it necessarily fun when it was repairs that were necessary to get you on the road again. As many have said, a project car that you bought specifically to work on is one thing. Under a car in the rain in nearly freezing weather at night because you have to get to work the next day? Forget it.

In reply to ddavidv :

That foto is the "put in service position" VW repair talk.