Repairing car by me: Making messy job even more messy

[Miyuki]

I was caught when disassembling engine (to change piston rings) It look like in cartoon there is parts everywhere 
It take me half a day after that just to find all tools

I always wonder how some people can keep everything nice organised and tidy during this jobs

[The Soulman]

I'd advice to use a table and put the parts in the order of disassembly, use a tray or a magnet for each mayor part to hold the bolts and rings.
Use a separate table for your tools to keep them organised.
Also it will help to keep the sand out of your valve cover and cylinder head. 

[Miyuki]

Also it will help to keep the sand out of your valve cover and cylinder head. 

Sand is no problem as I must already wash everything

[razberik]

My friend with his Peugeot 405 was a legend on dormitory parking lot (PPV Brno). He repaired absolutely everything there. Including clutch.
"What ? How did you change a clutch on parking lot ?"
"Normally, you put some wooden planks under the engine, slide under the car and then you change it".
 

[CJay]

My friend with his Peugeot 405 was a legend on dormitory parking lot (PPV Brno). He repaired absolutely everything there. Including clutch.
"What ? How did you change a clutch on parking lot ?"
"Normally, you put some wooden planks under the engine, slide under the car and then you change it".
 

Pfft, trivial.

I've done a few clutches on the road, driveway etc. Even changed an engine and gearbox on the drive with not much more than dirty looks from the neighbours and a trolley jack.

[GeorgeOfTheJungle]

See where's my clutch, wahaha

[P90]

looking at those pictures, I'm so glad I don't work on cars anymore...

[Ampera]

You call that messy?

Work on a computer. It's like someone took a big lego house and smashed it onto the floor. Especially if you have tons of drives and cards. That will just go everywhere.

Don't forget about the numerous screws.

[Miyuki]

Its not a work it is a hobby (a work so bad you'll newer do it for money  )

What a relax to can beat and kick piece of steel after staring whole day to terminal window and "working" with hardware far far away

[CJay]

See where's my clutch, wahaha

Well there's ya problem, it's not in the car.

Used to drop the engine out of the bottom of those diesel Fords, much easier, disconnect the pipes and cables, put it on axle stands, take the wheels off, disconnect steering rack, lower ball joint and pop the CV joints then you can pull the drive shafts out, put it in gear, disconnect the gearstick linkages and put your trolley jack under the sump, undo the engine mounts and drop the jack, simple.

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly as all the best maintenance books say

[yada]

Take a piece of cardboard and stick each bolt through it in order writing down with a marker what went where. That way you can start where you left off the next day or week.

[rdl]

I've always been impressed by people that could do major engine repairs in the backyard or on the street. The worst I ever had to do was replace a driveshaft on a 1970 Ford Galaxie which was 15 years old at the time.. That car had so many things go wrong that it made me decide to never work on cars again and never own another that wasn't reasonably new. When it finally broke beyond my ability to repair I gave it to Goodwill and rode the bus for the next six years.

[vodka]

I've always been impressed by people that could do major engine repairs in the backyard or on the street. The worst I ever had to do was replace a driveshaft on a 1970 Ford Galaxie which was 15 years old at the time.. That car had so many things go wrong that it made me decide to never work on cars again and never own another that wasn't reasonably new. When it finally broke beyond my ability to repair I gave it to Goodwill and rode the bus for the next six years.

I am surprise that these guys(so lucky) never catch the municipal guard or the police, they are fined with a 1000€.

[james_s]

I replaced a clutch in a parking lot in the winter one time, that was really no fun at all. When it comes to internal engine repairs, it really is SO much easier to just pull the whole engine out and put it on a stand. You will save a lot of time by being able to get to everything. In my experience by the time a modern engine needs rings, it needs a lot of other stuff too, might be easier to see if you can find a good low miles engine from a salvage yard and drop it in.

[GeorgeOfTheJungle]

@CJay I've had to remove it because it's not only the clutch.

[SeanB]

Saw a guy do an engine overhaul at the side of the road. drop off the passengers, then there and then take the engine apart ( Toyota E20 minibus), replace rings, bearings, seals and water pump, and then put it back together. Sump came off with all the oil still in it, and it went back with the same oil in it ( seems it was still good, it was not totally sludge), and the bus left after 4 hours to go on it's merry way moving passengers again.

Me, I have a liking for many small cardboard boxes, and some larger ones to hold complete assemblies as you take it apart. that also allows you to put the boxes inside the car as you go, making it easy at the end of the day ( or when you call it) to close the door and have all the parts of the engine in a single place, so nothing goes missing overnight. As well you really want to have some cardboard to put bolts in, in a rough drawing done with a marker, so that you can put them back in the same position on assembly, as you often find each position has a different length bolt in it.

[Miyuki]

I am surprise that these guys(so lucky) never catch the municipal guard or the police, they are fined with a 1000€.

You are not allowed to repair cars ?

[CJay]

@CJay I've had to remove it because it's not only the clutch.

I like a bit of heavy metal 

[Gyro]

@CJay I've had to remove it because it's not only the clutch.

Ok, I think we've seen both extremes of workspace floor surface now! 

[Tom45]

Roadside repair

[rdl]

Roadside repair

Proof that some people really don't know how stupid they are.

[eugenenine]

I always used a scrap piece of wood, drill some holes in it to stick parts in and label with a sharpie.
Careful choice when buying a vehicle makes it easier too, I avoid timing belts, sideways engines, etc.

[james_s]

Timing belts aren't too bad if the engine isn't sideways. I can replace the timing belt in my car in 30 minutes. I've actually done it on the side of the road once. What I don't like is the combination of timing belt + interference engine.

[eugenenine]

Timing belts aren't too bad if the engine isn't sideways. I can replace the timing belt in my car in 30 minutes. I've actually done it on the side of the road once. What I don't like is the combination of timing belt + interference engine.

Even if they are getting easier it's still an un-necessary complexity, keep it simple so you down-to-earth have to deal either it.  But I also have land in WV so I need low end torque for the mountain drive so engines with timing belts and ohc are not a good fit anyway.

[P90]

Timing belts aren't too bad if the engine isn't sideways. I can replace the timing belt in my car in 30 minutes. I've actually done it on the side of the road once. What I don't like is the combination of timing belt + interference engine.

I hate those zero clearance motors...
Not a fan of timing belts in general...