At Home Mechanic

That principle also applies to the At Home Mechanic, it is pretty easy to take a car apart but it can be a lot harder to put them back together. More specifically, putting a car back together so that it runs right is a challenge greater than merely stripping the pieces off. There are very few things in life more satisfying as hearing your engine roar to life with the first twist of the key after you have done a major repair or improvement. And the most gut twisting moment you can endure is turning that key and NOT hear that engine start.

I generally judge a project success upon the number of left over parts that remain after I finish the job. The ideal is to finish with no left over parts, however an extra washer or two with no apparent place to go is OK. A bolt that cannot be identified is worrisome but probably not fatal. But a few bolts and a gasket that did not get fitted deep inside the replaced part is enough to make a grown man cry.

Detailed notes are always a good idea before your tear something apart; I note the location of major components and the bits that hold them together. My dad is a big fan of old fashioned paper tags that look suspiciously like the toe tags used by the coroner's office to identify bodies in the morgue. He makes a notation of the tag and then ties it to the part he is removing.

In this age of digital cameras it pays to take a few pictures as the job progresses so you have a visual reference to getting the complicated projects back together.

I firmly believe in collecting the little bits (bolts, nuts, washers, etc.) that come off of a job in small plastic containers. Margarine tubs are particularly handy for this chore. And inexpensive disposable aluminum roasting pans make great collectors for all the slightly larger loose parts that a job may yield.

Finally, take your time. If your hobby car is not a daily driver and you are not depending upon this car to get you to work in the morning, there is not reason to hurry thought the either the dismantling or reconstruction process. Remember, this is supposed to be fun.