How did you get over DIY anxiety? I want to work on my cars but I'm afraid I'll break something...

How did you get over DIY anxiety? I want to work on my cars but I'm afraid I'll break something. Have only changed my own oil recently but am thinking about changing my break pads and rotors, any tips to stop being a pussy?

Start small and work your way up. Fluid changes are a good place to start. Then maybe serpentine belt replacements and brake pad changes. Google and YouTube are your friend.

Basically just suck it up and start.

Oh, and if you're doing something like brakes, do one side of an axle at a time so you have a reference if you don't remember how to,get it all back together.

a service manual can really help, as that will show you every step you need to take. however, it will also "show" you that every single bolt and nut on the vehicle requires a specific torque value. if you're not a weakling nor a gorilla, you can torque 90% of the bolts on your car w/o a torque wrench just fine.

brakes are a great thing for a beginner to diy. the hardest part is usually pushing a gunked up brake piston back into the caliper if you don't have a clamp or big-ass channel locks. after that, it'll be trying to get the caliper aligned just right so that it will go back over the disk without the new pads popping out.

if you're really scared, only do 1 axle at once. that way, if you do mess something up, you'll still have braking at 2 wheels.

You just tear into that bitch. No ragrats style.

Watching a shipload of YouTube videos and reading as many forums and threads on the topic as I can find. If you can find a friend who works on cars to help, you'll learn the most by getting your hands dirty. I used to not know shit about cars. Paid a shop to install a new radiator when it was actually probably just a split coolant hose. Over the past few years I've taken on bigger and bigger projects.

Pic related, I'm getting ready to rebuild the Ford 8.8 axle under my Wrangler and am installing new bearings, gears and an ARB air locker. Last of the major parts arrived today. I've never installed gears before, but I worked in a machine shop for 5 years and am familiar with most of the tools so I'm fairly comfortable taking on this job.

This is what you don't do because then people like me wind up with half a car and a box of parts in front of our shop on a tow truck and we charge double the labor to put it back together.

do as much research prior as you can until you feel like an expert at it.

and just remember there's not alot of things you can fuck up and cause permanent damage. Might waste your wallet, but just about everything is fixable. Snapped bolt? bolt extractor kit/welding nut/replace the whole part where possible.
cracked plastic? Buy a new piece.
my friend and I snapped a bunch of bolts in the head of his Z31 nissan.
What did we do? Buy a new head.
unless your car is a bitch to find parts for, or they're not stupid expensive, I wouldn't be worried too much about working on it yourself.

>Go to change broken part
>Completely mangle several other things in the process
>HAHA! Time for upgrades!
>Car remains on jackstands for several weeks

Wow you really got swindled. You already did half the work.

Just do it, but make sure you have a pretty good idea of what you're doing before you start. Pads and rotors are a good start. Hardest part is getting the rotors off, but that just requires a lot of banging on the fucking thing. To do mine I took a 3 foot 2x4 and used it as a battering ram against the thing and it still took 20 minutes to come off.

And if something unexpected comes up, you can find it online, guaranteed. My dad and I replaced my CV axles using internet knowledge. He had never done them and most I ever did was an oil change, but we fixed those up. Recently I was inspecting my rear brake drums and I couldn't get the drum back on because I had pressed the brake pedal and the shoes had come out. The unexpected twist was my car doesn't have the usual star wheel for adjusting brakes. So I'm fucking around with the thing and then I just sit down and start looking online on my phone. I probably looked stupid to passersby, but the internet helped me and got the shit back together.

A little warning I've got is be prepared to purchase new tools. Just about every job I've done on my car involved a trip to the store to get a new tool. I just replaced my exhaust pipe and muffler and I got a vice grip and hacksaw out of it, and that was another problem situation. I dove right in, ordered the parts, and was ready to do it, then I found out the bolts connecting two sections of the pipe were these sadistic pressed in bolts. I was about to get a grinder but I've got a friend who lent me a hand with his grinder and we got it done.

So we've got tools, internet, and if you need it, help from parents or friends.

Just do it.

>How did you get over DIY anxiety?
I don't have DIY anxiety per se, but I tend to go "LET ME DO THIS OTHER THING WHILE ALL THIS OTHER SHIT'S REMOVED." Then my car becomes a paperweight as I dismantle the entire thing and slowly put it back together then forget shit during the process. Don't do this.

If you need to do multiple projects at one time to satisfy whatever ADD you have, do only one or two mechanical things you need to take care of, then make the rest of your projects things like cleaning the interior, fixing door panels, etc. Make your extra busy work shit that won't cause the car to be down for weeks. I learned this the hard way, and I still have problems with it sometimes.

Buy a manual, read it a ton of times for whatever project you're doing. If you have questions, consult the internet. I like having a manual because there's always something I forget, and it's easier to use than digging for your phone while covered in grime and trying to find things on the internet if you didn't save it. Write things down from the internet if you must or print them out.

If you break something, junkyards are your friend. Just go and pull the part, pay whatever small fee, then be on your way instead of buying something you broke new in box. You'll help your wallet in the long run.

>To do mine I took a 3 foot 2x4 and used it as a battering ram against the thing and it still took 20 minutes to come off.
Did your rotors not have holes in them? Usually they'll have a hole, then just take a non-self tapping screw, screw it in, and the pressure pops the rotor off.

>So I'm fucking around with the thing and then I just sit down and start looking online on my phone. I probably looked stupid to passersby, but the internet helped me and got the shit back together.
I do this a lot if I forget a step or just something all together. I'll take my phone out, grab a smoke, look up the stuff while taking a breather in the process.

do what the user's in thread are saying but here's how i got started.

1. Research your job. Get a repair manual for your car and try to get an OEM manual. They are generally better than the haynes/other manuals. In my case I have a bentley manual to fix my 540i.
2. Start taking shit apart and understanding how it works. Don't rush anything, it will only increase your chance of breaking something.
3. Always consult the manual/research material if you get stuck. Join a forum that deals with your car/manufacturer. I have joined 2 bmw forums to fix my e39.
4. Buy some quality tools. If you have good tools, you are less likely to get stuck on something. Tools are an investment so invest wisely.
5. Don't be a little bitch.

cont

6. Don't let a rounded bolt stop you. Show him the way of the torch or a big fucking impact gun.
7. Don't be afraid to bang on shit with a big hammer. Generally, car parts can handle that kinda shit. Obviously you gotta figure out whether you can beat it with a 40 lb hammer and if it will survive.
8. Find a buddy to help you out. Its always handy to have a friend helping you out. To hold shit while you do something etc..

By being a poorfag.

First mechanical job involved doing a clutch change on a FWD shitbox.

At that time I never even did an oil change. Took me three weeks to tear it apart and put it back together. Ended up having a buddy come by and help with reassembly as I couldn't figure out how the spline alignment tool was supposed to work that was supplied in my kit. Turned out the nylon tool wasn't compatible and that was the cause for my issue.

After that it was smooth sailing.

Hardest part was trying to figure out where to jack the vehicle up and support it on stands. I was extremely paranoid as I had no idea what I was doing.

I remembered trying to remove the tires. I didn't know about hubcaps so I kept trying to unthread the plastic lug nuts. Eventually I figured out that a plastic cap was concealing the actual lug nuts.

Oh don't worry, you won't get over anxiety until you fuck up and learn the hard way.

I was 17 at the time in highschool. I was out there nearly everyday as it was my form of freedom.

After school I spent my time working on the shitbox. I remember breaking a CV axle as I just kept yanking on it, broke the rubber brake hose as I accidentally supported it with the hose, over torqued the wheel hub and it went out early, put a dent in the driver side floor as I didn't know where to put the jack, accidentally used my old throwout bearing, and messed up lefty loosey righty tighty when working upside down.

The throw out bearing bothered me the most as it started making noise 20k miles later.

Then I completely destroyed the car after trying to do a timing belt job myself. I started it up, went for a drive, and the first redline shift it sounded like a box of tools with a big puff of black smoke coming out the exhaust. I had a feeling it was the timing belt so I smashed the plastic cover as I didn't want to remove the engine mount again. Sure as shit the belt came off. Must've over torqued the tensioner pulley or something. Car is rotting on my mothers property outback.
>Some day I'll swap a ga16 into it

I bought a torque wrench after that fuck up.
>we all know someday is a dangerous word

OP here, replaced turn signal bulb today, progress! Bump for more stories

Buy a back up car. You can break shit and still get around to work so you can pay for the extra tools and parts to fix all the shit you broke.

Yes, serious.

No, I'm the guy putting your failed project back together.
If you've ever done it you'd know that it's twice the work of doing the job start to finish.

Open the oil reservoir cap before you push the caliper back in. Don't break your wrists.
Type in your car model and whatever you wanna fix on Youtube. Thats how i learn.

You've swindled me!

Scotty and Robert will show you the path to Veeky Forumstism

Basically just do it. You'll probably fuck up alot too but you'll also learn from those fuck ups. I started knowing nothing and struggling with the most basic of wrenching on a car, but in time I was pulling transmissions, doing electrical and a bunch more. Now I dont have any anxiety I just say fuck it and tear into it. Im planning on my biggest challenge yet, drum brakes.

One thing i would really recommend is having backup transportation if your doing anything big for you.
Also pic related

>Im planning on my biggest challenge yet, drum brakes
Aren't those filled with asbestos?
That's why I'm afraid to do drums.

>V6 firebird

Kys

You shouldn't have fucked everything up.

my butt hole tightened looking at that
I've only used pneumatic socket guns and never thought that could happen

>air leaker
Not even once

The real danger is over torquing

....just DO IT!

Make. Your dreams. Come true.

>Implying

How hard is it to change own brakes?
Looks easy!?

Cars are super easy to work on.They're essentially a big lego set designed for serviceability. Anyone with 5th grade reading skills and/or an internet connection can completely tear down and rebuild any car with relative ease. Making car from scratch is the hard part.

Cleaned my MAF today, gained 2 mpgs. just unclip a wire and loosen two clamps to get the MAF out. At least my I get to spend a teeny bit less on gas now.
All you need is a wire coat hanger to hold the caliper up and a c-clamp to depress the pistons, wrenches/ratchets obviously and a jack, just need tools is all. Don't forget to torque your wheel nuts when done, if you don't have a torque wrench, tighten them good with the tire iron or breaker bar.
You can apply brake grease to the back of the new pads to prevent them from sticking to the pistons, the next time you do a change.
When jacking up the car make sure you are contacting the oilpan when jacking in the front or underneath the rear axle when jacking in the back.
Pretty simple, you can youtube it if you're confused.

Also a flat head screwdriver to pry out the old pads if they are stuck.

You cant hide your other firebird.

The v6 you were dumb enough to mod

Go out to your car right now and smash out one of the headlights. Dead serious. Now you've broken something, so there's no need to worry about it anymore because it's happened.

Click and Clack said it best.

"Your goal is to fix the stuff you broke while fixing it, without anyone noticing"

>Cars are super easy to work on.They're essentially a big lego set designed for serviceability
You might wanna dial that back a bit.
Some cars are meant to be worked on at a dealership.
For example theres some shit american car that requires you to drop the front bumper to change your fucking lightbulbs.

Cclamp doesnt always work. Some calipers are threaded so you actually need a tool to depress/thread them. If you dont do it correctly you're liable to strip your piston, then youll have a useless caliper

I do my own fluids belts and brakes.
Battery spark plugs wires and sensors.
Anything like timing belt and water pump I pay a shop.

Same. If it involves anything deeper in the bay than changing a belt, valve cover gasket or distributor, i take it to a shop.
Brakes, suspension, and fluids are all stuff i do myself. Thats mostly because at this point in my life i can only afford one car at a time, so i dont want to risk breaking shit that i cant fix.

great, if you got one of these winding pistons just hope your local parts/tool store offers tools to loan/rent