Re: Basic Mechanics Info

[tsm1@domain.elided (Tom Mandera)]

>Pardon my saying so, but you're asking some really basic maintenance
>questions, so I'm going to assume you are pretty new at this.  I'd like to
>make a friendly suggestion (offered in the spirit of help) that you
>seriously consider buying a few good books on basic auto repair that will
>really help you properly learn all this in the long run.  If you can afford
>of this, you may also wish to buy a Haynes or similar aftermarket repair
>manual.  They assume less mechanical knowledge and cover basic auto repair
>concepts better to help you get started.

I'll add to John's comments my own endorsement.  As was recently revealed to
everyone, I'm not the grizzled old veteran some may believe (Just hit 21
this September).. so I don't have the experience of most others.. 

But, I make up for it by watching everyone else's problems closely (might
have that one of these days.. better keep my eye out), and reading my
various shop manuals a LOT.

My first truck was a '76 Chevy Luv 2wd (I really worked it hard.. rebuilt
the front end one year.. one year later, needs it again! heh).. I have a
Haynes and a Chilton manual for it.  Very useful.  The Haynes is generally
much more useful than the Chilton ever was.. complete with loads of diagrams
and good information.

I also have a set of the Reader's Digest car care books (mom's actually)
that give me another view of whatever it is I'm doing.

With some experience gained by doing things WRONG to my Luv.. (Hey, I always
jump up and cheer when my vehicle runs *BETTER* after I work on it! heh...)

I now have my two Scouts.. and the IH Factory Service Manual.  I also bought
a '72-79 Chilton Truck manual (Julie likes those Chevy pickups (doesn't have
one.. yet), it also covers a little on my Luv, and we have a '76 Olds
Cutlass and '77 Monte Carlo.. along with a '67 Chevy and a '69 GMC pickup so
there's plenty of cross-over info).

I've been known to use ALL of those books before tearing into something..
yes, even the Luv manual (no Haynes available for the Scout II).  Usually
one of the books describes what I'm after in better detail or in a different
way than the others that makes it easy for me to understand.

A lof of the information in the Luv Haynes manual is basic mechanical
stuff.. which (at least in theory) can be applied to my 'Binders.  

The IH Shop manual goes into some nice detail on doing things.. but I don't
always understand what they're talking about (need some more vocabulary to
understand some things still), but if I go to the '72-79 Chilton, it
describes the process in a different (usually more general) manner that
gives me a new light on it.. maybe enough that it all clicks and "Oh.. I GET
IT!" and it's so simple then.

Still other times I look at the *really* generalized functional diagrams in
the Reader's Digest books.  Heck, I've even learned non-motorcyle things
from my '72 Honda CL350 shop manual.

Okay.. get to the point, right?

You can (almost) never do too much homework or research on something.  Look
in 3 books.. then look in the 4th.. it just might be the one to "turn the
light on" for you.

Even if you can't get a book just for Scouts or Travelalls, some of the more
generalized books, or a book that is very specific for a different (but
similar) vehicle come in handy.. for instance, I would bet a CJ5 or CJ7
Haynes manual would come in handy... wanna tear down that Dana 30 front axle
or Dana 44 rear axle (or even the '44 front, they're close 'nuff).. I bet a
Haynes CJ manual will tell you ALL about it.

I don't suggest running out today and buying every book in sight.. obviously
a Dodge Colt will have little in common with a Scout or T'all.. but a Dodge
truck / Jeep CJ / Jeep Pickup manual would be a lot closer to what you're after.

READ READ READ.. watch the digests (Off-road and IH) just in case you might
encounter the same problem as someone else later on... If you still don't
know, or you have a question.. THEN ASK!  

Whew.. sorry for the long-windedness.. these fingers just love to type.. :-)

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout
'72 and '77 Scout IIs, '76 Cutlass, '77 Monte Carlo, '76 Luv (x2), '67 Chevy
1/2t 2wd, '69 GMC 1/2T 2wd, Subaru Brat, Pinto, '83 Pontiac 2000, '85 Honda
Civic (w/ 2.2L.. heh heh), lots of parts, '72 Honda CL350, Late '84 HD
Sportster 1000, another HD 1200cc bike (year/model?), '66 HD M50 Mini-Harley
one of 5500, with 350miles, Oh.. '48(?) Willys All-steel Wagon 4wd.