Turning wrenches for the first time

Hi,

I live in Toronto, Canada, and I'd like to start doing my own basic maintenance and servicing on my miata.

I have loved cars for years and been a lapping day driver for the last 4 years but now I want to start doing basic maintenance myself. Things like changing the oil, changing brake pads and rotors etc.

I have the miata performance projects book by Keith Tanner, but would like to find a class or something for someone to show me how to do the spanner work. I need to confidence to know I'm doing things correctly (and am not going to have an accident on the track due to my poor wrenching.)

Can anyone recommend a class, school or similar to learn the basics, please? If anyone knows somewhere near Toronto then all the better.

Thanks, Simon

Why don't you talk to some of the people you've been driving with? Some of them may do their own minor maintenance. Offer to bring beer and help/clean up with them. Changing oil is pretty darn basic. There must be a miata based web page somewhere with step by step destructions on oil and/or pads. Like, "Pick up the 14mm combination wrench with your right hand. Place the box end on the oil drain pan bolt and turn in an anti-clockwise fashion."

Befriend a good mechanic and hang around, help out, and keep your ears and eyes open. Learn the tools and the terms and the tricks a little at a time. It worked for me.

I learned everything I know beginning with a Chilton's(!) manual and the help of online communities. The manuals do a pretty good job of showing you how the parts fit together, and how a procedure will unfold. The user communities then fill in the gaps, such as telling you, "Sure, the manual says to do this, but what you really want to do is this." And of course, there will be trial and error along the way.

Over the last ten years, I've graduated from changing oil & spark plugs to swapping transmissions and rebuilding engines.

Another good source for all types of Miata wrenching adventures is the garage section at miata.net

http://www.miata.net/garage/

And their forums are the next best thing to a good mechanic friend (and a 6 pack).

+1 on the forums - all the better if it's a tight-knit community that has get togethers and meets. My dakota club not only has a parts train, there are regular get togethers where we work on each others trucks. I learned a lot that way.

How do you like that book written by Keith Tanner? Does he seem to know what he is talking about?

John

'90 Miata

Or the flip side; get a set of metric tools, and just dive in. Camera phones are your friend, for your first couple jobs take pictures at every step so you can reference what things looked like when you go to put them back together.

In reply to sihinch:

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm pretty much the only gearhead I know. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to find a local gearhead friend to help me with my RX-7 project car and maintaining my Subaru daily driver.

Definetly join a model-specific forum and try finding a regional section (like one for Eastern Canada in your case). I found another RX-7 owner with the same year and trim level as mine living in my town on the rx7club forums. Turns he graduated the same year as me from high school, too.

Try finding a factory service manual (FSM) for your specific model. They can be expensive, but they are an invaluable resource when working on your car. Chilton's and Hayne's manuals vary in how helpful they are depending on model, but they try to explain everything in layman's terms; you should view them as a supplement to the FSM.

But most important is to just do it. Unti this year, I've never done any work to any of the cars I've owned. This last year, I've done spark plug changes, oil changes, coolant changes, transmission fluid changes, installed a new thermostat, chased down electrical gremlins, replaced accessory drive belts, and I'm in the process of repairing a theft-damaged interior. Part of the reason I bought my RX-7 is to have a project car to wrench on. I've got a lot more to do, but I'm a lot more confident I can do it.

Most community colleges have some kind of basic automotive maintenance class as part of their continuing education program. That will give you plenty of info on how a car works and basic maintenance and give you a good base to build on to tackle the tougher things.

Bob

jrw1621 wrote: How do you like that book written by Keith Tanner? Does he seem to know what he is talking about? John '90 Miata

He doesn't know squat

For those who don't know, try to guess what my last name is...

There are two Miata clubs in the GTA, from what I understand. Stop by a meeting or two and see if anyone is willing to take you under their wing. For a more formal atmosphere, hit up the colleges.

RX-7 huh? Out of necessity, you'll be a pro mechanic with one of those in no time.

Just do it :)

I started by replacing the suspension on my NA, and have progressed to motor swaps and other "non-routine" maintenance. Read everything you can -- and make sure you have good tools. Don't rush anything. Find someone to help (you can come to Kingston, and I'll help, but that's not as convenient).

Miataphiles, a TO-based club, has regular tech meets. I've enjoyed their group at track days and autocrosses. Their site is www.miataphiles.ca

Rob

BTW, Keith's book is an excellent read -- and I've found it, with the other manuals I have, to be confidence inspiring. I used it as the primary "garage" reference for my 1.8 conversion, my roof installation, and my roll bar installation.

Thanks, Keith -- I feel like I owe you some beer :)

One small tip: they are called wrenches. Spanners are used only on small, underpowered two seaters that leak oil and won't start. The Miata is too reliable and therefore requires wrenches.

In reply to Appleseed:

The OP has a Miata. I'm the masochist who took on the RX-7.