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hey guys, well short story is I know here and there of a engine and cars etc., I know most that I can doing things by myself with constraints of budget limitations and also not being able to mess around to much on the cars I have around because 1 - no space or enough tools and 2 - there used as daily so I cant afford to strip and do whatever. So I thought id enrol in a mechanic course that has sufficient practicals and enough theory to teach me and help me go to the next step/level.

Anyway its going to be a bit difficult as I go to uni as well but I was hoping you guys could help me out and suggest a few courses that I can take that would be helpful before I get stuck into Google and search for things + im capped atm so it would be quicker for suggestions rather than wait 10 minutes for half a page appear. Im thinking a tafe course or something like that or along those lines? - links to anything good would be very helpful. I am in Liverpool area so the closer the better.

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Unfortunately in the last decade or so TAFE has axed many of it's short courses that it was so famously adored for. I wanted to do a similar course as well as the Foundry/Intro to Casting course which I learned has recently been cut. It's a real damn shame, if you find a good course let us know....

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dont bother with a TAFE course mate, most of the guys on here are backyard mechanics who started by reading around several forums, asking the tough (dumb) question and giving it a go themselves. 99% of a time you'll already find the answer to your question by using the search function on here (as well as google). pretty much all mechanics went to TAFE, and pretty much all mechanics are shit. theres a reason why they do 4 days a week at work and 1 at TAFE. to get the experience/confidence/knowledge first hand.

my suggestion would be to buy a motor - probably something like an rb30 (because they're really cheap and simple) and fit into a lot of different cars so you could always throw it into something if you ever got into track work. start a build thread, ask whatever you feel you need to get you started but common sense will prevail. a workshop manual will help a lot too (i can help with that).

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dont bother with a TAFE course mate, most of the guys on here are backyard mechanics who started by reading around several forums, asking the tough (dumb) question and giving it a go themselves. 99% of a time you'll already find the answer to your question by using the search function on here (as well as google). pretty much all mechanics went to TAFE, and pretty much all mechanics are shit. theres a reason why they do 4 days a week at work and 1 at TAFE. to get the experience/confidence/knowledge first hand.

my suggestion would be to buy a motor - probably something like an rb30 (because they're really cheap and simple) and fit into a lot of different cars so you could always throw it into something if you ever got into track work. start a build thread, ask whatever you feel you need to get you started but common sense will prevail. a workshop manual will help a lot too (i can help with that).

bahahahahahahahaha

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dont bother with a TAFE course mate, most of the guys on here are backyard mechanics who started by reading around several forums, asking the tough (dumb) question and giving it a go themselves. 99% of a time you'll already find the answer to your question by using the search function on here (as well as google). pretty much all mechanics went to TAFE, and pretty much all mechanics are shit. theres a reason why they do 4 days a week at work and 1 at TAFE. to get the experience/confidence/knowledge first hand.

my suggestion would be to buy a motor - probably something like an rb30 (because they're really cheap and simple) and fit into a lot of different cars so you could always throw it into something if you ever got into track work. start a build thread, ask whatever you feel you need to get you started but common sense will prevail. a workshop manual will help a lot too (i can help with that).

would love to do that man but thing is i dont have proper tools and biggest problem there is i dont have the sufficient space

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if you're keen enough you'll find a way. you only need a space of around 1m x 1m for an engine stand. put some planks of wood across the bottom of it and it doubles as a table.

when you bag and label all of the nuts, bolts and random pieces of engine you'll be able to store them in a box in your room. same goes for the head.

if you dont intend on buying tools then whats the point of you learning all this stuff?

Edited by SECURITY
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Don't even have 1x1m, garage is full and shed is full, but your idea is great and I have thought about it before. I'm going try to build a shed out in the backyard or extended the current shed and do it in there (which iv been meaning to do), then get a engine and tools etc. But I was thinking before then is there any thing I can take which is for noobies and would benefit?

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i think the best you'd get is a car maintenance course - things you'd do in a service + brakes.

with some common sense and a bit of research you'll be more than capable of doing these things yourself.

either way, the most essential tools you'd need are:

- 3/8" rachet set (preferably with a 1/4" adapter + sockets)

- pliers. long and short nose

- allen key set

- spanner set

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I want to do a similar thing mate, ie learn a lot of this mechanic-craft stuff. Have always figured I'd just wait till I have the garage room to strip a car down, buy something with a head gasket issue or big end fail and spend a ridiculously long amount of time slowly rebuilding it haha.

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might see how things play out because there was a plus today - got a 92 maxima which is kinda having its time (but still runs) and when its out of rego it will be okay to strip etc.. so have the car, i might go bunnings tomorrow and check out some corrugated iron sheeting and some other things to fix up a shed in the backyard.

LOL @ that book

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