Old DIY skills..

Just before I depart for a while to be DIY Dad in Bristol ( other thread refers) I got to thinking:
Who on this forum could do the following, second nature to 1970's car botherers:

I can do them all, but mention MEMS etc and I'm fcucked. :yesnod:

Change a set of points and set the gap and check dwell angle.
Balance twin carbs. By ear.
Set the correct fuel/air mixture on an SU carb. By ear and feel.
Hotwire ( your own) and start car. With one bit of wire and a screwdriver.
Split a taper joint with two hammers. Not with a girlie ball joint splitter.
Lap valves in by hand.
Set valve clearances with feeler gauges: tappet and OHC. Shim calculations!!

I suspect that our senior fraternity would be able to do these in their sleep, as can I. How about the youngsters?

I could, though to be fair I only learned to do anything with SU's recently as my B is the first car I have owned with SU's

Craig.

not a chance...but hey, I'm just a girlie...what would I know about the workings of the Internal Combustion Engine???!!!

Those were the days :yesnod:
When I was an apprentice, I had to change the big end bearings on my 1947 Standard 12 every month as the camshaft was US & it was the cheapest solution, until it finally gave up the ghost coming back from Torquay. Talk about a knocking shop :hgf:

John and Sue wrote: Just before I depart for a while to be DIY Dad in Bristol ( other thread refers) I got to thinking:
Who on this forum could do the following, second nature to 1970's car botherers:

I can do them all, but mention MEMS etc and I'm fcucked. :yesnod:

Change a set of points and set the gap and check dwell angle.
Balance twin carbs. By ear.
Set the correct fuel/air mixture on an SU carb. By ear and feel.
Hotwire ( your own) and start car. With one bit of wire and a screwdriver.
Split a taper joint with two hammers. Not with a girlie ball joint splitter.
Lap valves in by hand.
Set valve clearances with feeler gauges: tappet and OHC. Shim calculations!!

I suspect that our senior fraternity would be able to do these in their sleep, as can I. How about the youngsters?

Thanks for that John now i can't class myself as a youngster any more :bat:

Well I think I may have done most of that over the years but how about change the points on a Citroen 2CV? If you think that sounds simple you have clearly never done it - especially if you add 'August Bank holiday' 'ford somewhat deeper than expected' 'very basic tool kit' in to the equation.

Thinking back to the 2CV it reminds me a bit of working on the MGF - yes, really! For example, the easy way to change the oil filter was to remove the right wing first.

Other lost skills are swinging the engine on the starter handle. I had to do that with my series 1 Land Rover (80 inch wheel base for those who care to count rivets) for the best part of a year when the starter motor gave up and I couldn't afford to replace it. It was very easy to swing but if you don't know what to do with your thumb it could hurt.

Richard

Thanks John now I feel old

Done all of the above but for some reason shim calculations didn't come easy to me :bang:
You could add honing wheel cylinders, and adjusting Lucas control boxes to that list for us ol' farts!

My first job in a garage when I left school was lapping the valves in a viva head.

Lol that's brought back some memories, I seem to recall having to adjust the tappers on some engines with the engine running !

I've had to buy new feeler gauges mine had rusted for not being used for so many years. I know I should have greased them when I last used them !




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