DIY builds and maintenance. Who works on their own rigs?

[Charlie Toner]

Who here works on their own rigs? How far will you go before taking it to a shop?

I grew up on a farm in Northern New Brunswick Canada on the NB/Maine border and we always did our own maintenance and repairs. My rig has never been to a shop since I bought it. All mods, repairs, and maintenance have been done by my son and I. This week has been a re-gear to 4:88 from stock and replacing all bearings and ball joints.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Only thing I’ve ever taken a rig in for is a transmission , was worth the couple hundred to have them install It .

 

[RJCanyon]

I have done everything to mine myself with the exception of having tires mounted and balanced simply because I dont have the tire machine or balancer. I would pretty much do everything unless its internal trans work, I can do it. i dont WANT to though

 

[astroflashjones]

When I was 18 and broke I banged my car up pretty bad. Bought a Chiltons manual and went on over to the local junkyard. Been doing my own work ever since. I think for a lot of people its intimidating at first but once you get a few projects knocked out that quickly changes.

 

[rho]

I generally don't take my stuff into a shop unless a job involves tools I don't have or requires taking stuff apart to the point where a secure shop is needed. I had to take my jeep to a shop to do the gears in it because of a lack of tools and I didn't have space to take the axles fully apart.

 

[Correus]

I did a chassis off rebuild on mine. The only things I did not do myself - lack of proper tools and knowledge - were the following.

Sandblasting
Final paint job
Original dizzy rebuilt/recurved
Original radiator refurbished
Cylibder head refurbished
New tires mounted on rims

I did have some help, from the father-in-law, with installing the new wire harness.

Everything else I've done... no small feat considering the fact that before I bought the Rover about the only thing I knew how to do was put gas in a vehicle and change the oil.

First few pics are "before"; quality isn't the best, they were taken before smartphone cameras.

Grover's only been drivable for the past several months and there's still more to do, including the tropical roof.

 

[haaken675]

Who here works on their own rigs? How far will you go before taking it to a shop?

I grew up on a farm in Northern New Brunswick Canada on the NB/Maine border and we always did our own maintenance and repairs. My rig has never been to a shop since I bought it. All mods, repairs, and maintenance have been done by my son and I. This week has been a re-gear to 4:88 from stock and replacing all bearings and ball joints.

IS that gray stand a harbor freight stand? If so better check if it was part of their recall!

 

[Charlie Toner]

Who here works on their own rigs? How far will you go before taking it to a shop?

I grew up on a farm in Northern New Brunswick Canada on the NB/Maine border and we always did our own maintenance and repairs. My rig has never been to a shop since I bought it. All mods, repairs, and maintenance have been done by my son and I. This week has been a re-gear to 4:88 from stock and replacing all bearings and ball joints.

IS that gray stand a harbor freight stand? If so better check if it was part of their recall!

Nope, I believe it is from Princess Auto (Canadian version of Harbor Freight...Eh?) I wasn’t completely comfortable with that one because the handle was bent so I had a backup beside it. Also put big wooden blocks under where I might be working. (Ex fire fighter/military infantry officer... seen my fair share of stupidity caused death...)

Anyways BAAHBAAA is back on the road late tonight. Will drive to work all this week to break in the new gears, change the fluids and inspect both differentials, and off to the trails this weekend!!!!

 

[Sparksalot]

I grew up in a shop, and learned to rebuild engines well before I earned a driver license. These days I take one in when I don’t have the time or specific tools to do it.

 

[M Rose]

I grew up in a shop like @TahoePPV, then worked in Several auto and diesel shops. Had my own road side repair business while I lived in Colorado, then ran my dad’s shop for several years before we decided to retire. Now do I still do my own work?

you better believe I do... now I actually enjoy it again.

 

[systemdelete]

I do everything on my vehicles from tires, to engine swaps and transmission rebuilds unless the cost of the special tools is just flat out silly. (A particular ZF trans comes to mind, as did the timing belt on our 2.7 biturbo Audi)

 

[EXPO_D1]

Never, ive been in the automotive repair business for too long(ase master tech) to pay someone else. its a trust issue. I just ignore paint and body problems

 

[Atc210]

If I can do the work I do will. I enjoy upgrading and making the vehicle better and maintaining my own toys. But when something brakes, regardless of how easy the fix I struggle to "want" to fix it. I have tried to help the local economy and find a trust worthy shop but most times it don't work out. I have a handful of guys I will let touch my truck though. The paint issues I am trying to ignore, but here in the Midwest mother nature will eat your rig alive.

 

[MOAK]

It’s only been since I retired that I will allow my very trusted mechanic to do heavy major repairs. I have done and will do everything else as long as I can remove it and replace it. Before 2015, I did all of my own work, except machine shop, differential work, or body repair and paint..

 

[madcratebuilder]

I built a one man shop in to a 6 employee biz over twenty years, I no longer do much work myself, just too damn old.

 

[Boucher]

I do everything myself with the exception of gearing, never done it before, so that I will take to shop. I have a long list of items waiting to be completed on the H2 when I return to the states next week.

 

[tjZ06]

I suppose I'm well-suited to reply here. I did/do a lot of work on my rig and on my past race cars, off road toys, etc. If you skim through my thread you'll find lots of things I did myself and a TON lately I've been having done. I do stuff like the motor swap (and the t-set etc. on the OG motor that immediately failed... which I still wonder if was "my fault" but all indications including taking it apart some after removal, show it dropped valve seats, and all of the timing stuff was still perfectly in time), repair after the wishbone bolts sheared, the more bolt-on suspension install, winch mount/winch, wiring (like fixing the battery terminals, e-fan setup/swap, wiring up the winch, etc.), and lots of things like that. In the past I've done heads, cam, etc. swaps on a variety of LSs, and going back far enough I've done full motor builds (traditional small block Chevys, I haven't built an LS myself yet). I've done a clutch in my old race car (long gone now, but it was a '02 Z06 hence my screen name) track-side at Thunderhill in 100+ heat on jackstands - that was not fun. My RZRs I've blown basically everything apart and put it back together other than engine and trans internals.

However, I still haven't taken the time to learn to weld. I want to "someday" but I haven't done it. As such, the current build that took some very specialized welding (welding to the tin-can unibody, welding to cast iron center sections on axles, etc.) went to a pro. It also needed lots "figured out" and dialed in properly, as it was far from a bolt-on situation and we made lots of changes on top of that. The suspension needed constantly cycled (where a lift and tall screw-type stands are crucial) to figure out where entirely custom pieces needed to land (like bypass mounts, hydraulic-bump stop mounts, entirely custom trackbar etc.). In other words, it was just way, way, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond my skill/knowledge/tool set. But a buddy and I will be putting everything that came off my WJ onto his ourselves in one of our garages.

That, and time is just a big limiting factor right now. For quality of life reasons for my family, I live far from where I work (about to be further) and travel in for Monday-Thursday in the office. That has led to me farming out more than perhaps I wanted to, since I need/want to go enjoy the rig on my weekends, not work on it. Perhaps it's just an excuse now that I've moved into a stage of life where I can (mostly) afford to pay for repairs/mods to be done and that has made me lazier, perhaps not.

-TJ

 

[MazeVX]

Doing a lot of stuff on my own, except things that require expensive tools I don't have or things that really get pricey when not done right the first time, like gears or engine internals.
My dad was a master mechanic for air-cooled VW's but he unfortunately left us to soon.

 

[genocache]

I got out of the USN in late July 73, in Aug I bought a 64 Land Rover and got my drivers license. In Jan 73, traded in the 64 for a new 73 at the dealers. Drove it home 45 miles. In the morning there was a puddle of oil under it. Called the dealership and they said "Drive it back and we'll fix it." Though young and dumb I knew that was a bad idea. Investigated the leak to see the cannister oil filter was loose. Walked to the nearest Grand Auto and bought a Lifetime socket set, came home and tightened the filter housing. Next couple of days I ordered a repair shop manual and never looked back.

Now I am on my fifth Land Rover and have done a frame up resto-mod doing most of the work myself, 4 wheel disc brake conversion, petrol to diesel engine swap, power steering, oil cooler, rear locker w/air compressor, paint was done by a friend(cause he wanted to help).

I have tried to keep the original look while upgrading what I can and adding overhead bins and a 2 cot sleep system, made my own roofrack and designed and made my propane bottle holder and sand mat mounts. The lights are all converted to LED except the dash lites and those will be when the time comes.

All in a dirt/rock driveway.

It can all be found in my blog that I started to help those who were looking for help rebuilding their Series Rovers.

Welcome to Genocache!

This is my place to put down the things I like and pictures of where I have been. Mostly it has to do with my 1960 Land Rover 109 ...

poppageno.blogspot.com

 

[Billiebob]

I do all my own mods including lifts or winch installs and I built my own Aquare Drop. But routine maintenance including oil changes and tire rotations I get done in a shop.

Shop oil change includes a 60? point check up, loghts, brakes, steering, driveline. Well worth having a professional eye check all those items 2/3 times a year.
Tire shop for rotations cuz they catch warranty issues like tread delaminations or odd wear which I might miss. And they do tire rotations for free if you bought the tires there.

Fixing things I mostly do in the driveway.