According To You: Things That Make You “Call It a Day” on a Project
Last week we asked the Hagerty Community about when they decide its time to take a break from working on a project. Not necessarily quitting, just merely quitting for the day.
Your answers were insightful, and are likely to give everyone reading some personal validation in their own circumstances. One particular response was aimed directly at my comment about throwing in the towel when a hydraulic lift fails. Hagerty Community member JW suggested a better alternative:
Lifts are a frustration that I don’t want to deal with if I don’t have to. Which is why when I design my dream garage it’s going to have an inspection pit so general maintenance things are free from the stress of worrying about 4000 lbs falling on my head.
Not going to lie, my dream garage would have enough space for both an inspection pit and enough vehicle lifts to store all the cars I wanted as a child. If only dreams could come true … in the meantime, let’s get back to the things that make you “call it a day” on your project:
Don’t Try To Get It Right
Jeepcj5: Dread. I never understood “running when parked” until I did just that because I dreaded a complete front end rebuild on a car. I was afraid of it snowballing into more, so I kept putting it off. Time, life, kids, etc. and before I knew it 10 years had passed and the car hadn’t moved.
My 12 year old son had no memories of the car ever running. One day last year I decided it was time to do the repair and either drive it or sell it. I think it took a Saturday and a few evenings and it was done. We’ve been enjoying it and aren’t going to sell it. I try to take Freiburger’s motto to combat my dread now—don’t get it right, just get it running.
Take a Break and Tough It Out?
(Several interesting points came out of this particular thread, so we are publishing them in series, unedited.)
hyperv6: My limits are general: Lack of parts at 1 AM and no one open, or the major loss of blood or related major loss of flesh.
Otherwise just keep on trucking. You can’t let things rattle you or you will never get it fixed. If frustrated, just stop get a drink of cold water, look for advice on Youtube and get back at it. If I had things going wrong rattle me too much I would never get much done. All 15 min jobs take an hour.
Joe King: Agreed with parts availability and tending to a wound, but I don’t know that I fully agree with that last point. There is little glory (or sense of accomplishment) to me in toughing it out when something just won’t go my way, unless that means I need to hitch a ride to work the next day. I can’t tell you how many times not calling it a night has resulted in something even more broken than when I started.
hyperv6: Well, my mind set comes from making a living working on cars. You just can’t walk away from a customer’s car. It takes a degree of emotional intelligence or maturity to keep things in check and you just have to learn it when working on cars for a living. Walking away is not an option.
Joe King: I honestly didn’t get the impression that was the mindset from the “lack of parts at 1 AM piece”. I know few mechanics who are that dedicated or hate their families that much to stay at work that late.
Anyways, I think 99% of the readers here come from a hobbyist background and the professional mechanic mindset doesn’t need to apply and the “some people can and some people can’t” comment somewhat gives me the impression that your view is that if you can’t tough it out, then you shouldn’t be in the shop.
Either way, I get your view, but I am just not sure it is applicable to most of the people in this space. If you have the luxury to walk away, regroup and hit it again fresh in an hour or two or even the next day, then there is a lot of honor in that.
Know your limitations
hyperv6: The greatest key to success here is also know your limitations. Be it knowledge or even the lack of correct tools to do the job. Know the job before you take off the first part. Today Youtube is a great help, as are forums and other sites that hold info. Like taking a trip read the map before you go not after you get lost same here on working on the vehicle.
“Frustration is what you make of it”
BMD4800: When I used air tools it was time. Now with electrics, it is mostly dictated by what is happening the next day. Frustration is what you make of it. Laugh it off, take a moment and re-examine the scenario.
I keep a box of pawn shop tools that can be cut, welded, bent, or modified for specialty purposes. Fabricating a solution makes it enjoyable too.
Frequency of Cuss Words?
DUB6: There are so many examples and variables that I can’t just cite a “general rule—” but for the most part, I will just know that the limit is reached, and it’s time to stop “for now”. Often, my level of cuss words is an indicator.
Maybe Do Something Else To It Instead?
DUB6: Just this past weekend, I was struggling with removing a buggered key-lock hood pin mechanism. After breaking a drill bit and nearly scratching a shiny hood, I put the tools away, wiped off my fingerprints, and just took the car for a drive. I don’t really need under that hood for awhile, unless I get an engine fire!
Yesterday, a calmed-down me successfully drilled out the offending hood pin and installed a new one. It was obviously the correct thing for me to stop wrestling with it for a few days and go back to it when my frustration level had subsided. I was so happy that I decided that an under hood detailing session was in order!
Well, What Time Is It?
TG: 7:00 PM is my general cutoff point for wrapping up a project for the day. I have enough toys to drive that there is never an extreme need to finish a project today.
When I Feel Like a Kid Again?
Craig: I know it’s time to stop when I start to feel like I’m an inexperienced angry teenager again. Back then I had to fix it to get to work and there was no YouTube for help. I used brute force and stupidity when anger took intelligence out of the equation. Ha.
Now I have so many luxuries. Time, experience, the internet, alternative transportation. When I start to feel like I did as a kid and this fun hobby isn’t anymore I realize how silly I’m being and take a break. I call a buddy, watch a YouTube video, finally feed myself. I like to channel my inner Stacey David from the show “Trucks!” back in the 90’s. That guy was so prepared, patient, happy, and dedicated to doing a good job. He is always my ideal when I lose my crap.
When The Instructions Become Contradictory
Not old not grumpy: If I am diligently following directions and turn the page on said directions to find they directly contradict what I was told to do on the previous page, I take a break.
When Something Intervenes
John: Actually it’s quitting time when I need a part and can drive another old car to the auto parts store, or when it’s too cold to keep going or when lunch or dinner is prepared by family and continuing would jeopardize that situation.
Cars are fun, getting old cars going is fantastic but rushing to the finish line more often than not results in time wasted, pointless arguments with loved ones and less focus on better fixes, which come from enough time to plan and mentally rehearse an operation.
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Here’s one, captured too many cars, 1980 Trans Am Pace Indy 500 Pace car all original numbers matching and needs major restoration, 68 Firebird to go with 68 GTO and an old 80’s vintage wrecker. Exceeded shop capacity for 2 years so going to let the pace car go for 12k or best offer.
Sometimes, calling a Yoda mechanic can make all the difference:
A few months ago, was rebuilding/replacing most of the brake system on my 97 Thunderbird LX Sport that was still all factory original with 60K miles and at almost 30 years of age. The brakes worked fine, but the age concerned me, so I decided it was time.
I was going to rebuild all four calipers with new brake hardware/seals, replace all four rotors, replace all brake pads, replace all the rubber brake lines, replace the master cylinder, and flush out/replace the old brake fluid with a few quarts of fresh brake fluid…and using all Motorcraft parts unless they were obsolete/unavailable.
I’ve always done the basic maintenance & fixes to her, but I had never done brakes before, so spent a lot of time reading the Ford Service Manual, watching Youtube vids, reading Bird forum postings, etc.
When I felt I was ready to tackle the job, ordered all the parts & tools that would be needed, then began what I thought would be a weekend job in the garage. It ended up stretching over two weeks for various reasons.
So…first issue:
I’m replacing the brake rotors and after removing the calipers, the rotors won’t budge off the hub. I have no idea what to do to get them off, so call Yoda…he says to get a small sledgehammer and swing at it like your lady just came home and told you she’s cheating on you.
So I head over to Harbor Freight, buy a small sledge, come home and take a swing at the rotor…and it banged loose just that easily. The same with the other three rotors that were frozen to the hub.
Second issue:
I’m rebuilding the front calipers and have all the kit parts/seals…but after cleaning, prepping, and lubricating all the parts with brake fluid, I can’t get the caliper piston to re-seat into the cylinder bore. It’s a delicate move with those tight tolerance to make sure you’re lined up properly to get the piston to slip into the bore…but after two days of trying and throwing tools, I can’t get them to go together.
I finally gave up and called Yoda. He says to coat the seal, bore, and piston with a very light coat of Vaseline.
The hell? Vaseline? What magical property does Vaseline have that lubing with brake fluid doesn’t have?
Ok. So I do that…and the piston slipped into the bore so easily & quickly, that my only response was, “WTF just happened? Are you kidding me?”
And after two days of hell, could finally move forward to the next stages of the brake job.
Third issue, but not last issue: Rebuilding the rear calipers
Little did I know you need a special Ford tool to reassemble the rear caliper piston parts, once you’ve disassembled every single part. After days of trying, I called Yoda…he said a Ford-only tool is needed to reassemble the piston/bore parts. I didn’t want to spend days finding/ordering/waiting for a tool I’d only use one time…so I paid Yoda to rebuild them because he had the Ford tool. If I have to rebuild rear calipers ever again, like 30 years from now, I’ll just buy remans…LOL.
Sometimes, you just got to let the Yoda fix something for you, when you don’t have the tools or experience to do it yourself.
In the end, after two weeks of this brake job, everything came out well, I learned a lot, and brakes are no longer a mystery that I try to avoid working on.
In summary, when you can’t get something to ‘go’ and can’t figure out a solution, call a Yoda.
They’ve usually seen it all & done it all and have all sorts of little tricks gained from years of experience that will make your day easier…and prevent you from teaching your tools to fly across the garage or street.
And always gift your Yoda afterwards…mine loves Harbor Freight gift cards.
Being a body man and painter for over 45 years I can say there has been more than once I had to walk away, take a break, and stay away from caffeine. Come back a little later and tackle it again. No sense beating yourself up
I know it’s quitting time when my frustration level gets to a point where I realize I’m exhausted, and if I continue to try to make headway I’ll likely break a part, a tool, or myself. Sometimes, it’s good to just go in the house and wash my hands and face and get a drink of water; it’s like I washed off all that nastiness from before and it marks that I’m starting fresh.
To me wiring is not difficult – I installed telephone equipment for 40 odd years. When you have seen cables full of 100s of little wires 7 feet deep, automotive electrics are simple. Whenever I add to existing circuits, I use grey tape so I can find my repairs if necessary. Open/intermittent circuits are often where the wire is kinked – broken inside with the insulation holding it together. And remember, the ground side is just as important as the hot side in a circuit. I had my transmission changed and starting became intermittent and unreliable because the paint on the bell housing was not conductive. A #6 cable between a starter bolt and the battery + post solved that one.