Everytime you do something yourself the involved stress increase your self confidence to no end. Thats exactly how we learn. Enough things tackled and you become self confident even. Little or no actual stress up to a certain point is experienced. I guess this means you are in control. Most people never do get started yet it can start with something as straightforward as changing an ignition tumbler out.

If a job is too involved most members will mention it based on your experience. With this site your car should be able to miss most mechanical labour bills if you wish. The retained money usually always finds another place so it is not really a problem.
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Also it does make you miss the times when you are ripped off bad on occasion. They leave a real sour taste when you are aware of them. Most people are neither aware or try to justify what happened or bought the B.S. There is enough out there to go around. Thats how it all thrives it seems.

There are so many ways you can justify doing it yourself. My personal favorite is you almost always save enough to pay for any of the new tools you aquired. You pay for them the first time you do a job with the labour and parts savings. After that they are basically free. For the rest of your life.

Also your incidental knowledge has to expand. This type of car is probably as good as it gets to get started with. For most owners the garage option is not a good choice with a vehicle this old anyways.

Next thing to become familiar with is how to source parts economically to meet your needs. Learning how to equate quality at the same time.

Worthwhile in my opinion and you can refine it up to any stage you want. It in many ways is an art form. The other part is you will eventually influence others to be more self sufficient as well. Absolutly best of all these aquired skills are transferable to other areas of your life. They all tend to become cumulative.
Anyways glad the change out went well. I thought it should. I felt as I always do. If you got enough encouragement to do it yourself you would reap the rewards in some fashion. In my opinion you did. Congratulations and remember most people out there do not have the backup this site presents. That is also priceless in my opinion.

I've done the full monty replacement job on my girlfriends '77 240D. Car came with one original key and multiple brass keys. AARRGGGHHH. Keys started sticking and had to replace tumbler. Steering lock was also sticking so I had to replace the lock mechanism as well. Since the car was a '77, I had to upgrade all parts to the upgraded replacements as some had been phased out. The longest part of the job was transplanting the pre-glow microswitch from the ol assembly to the new one (had to make a tool so that I could remove it without destroying it). Two weeks later Worldpac started stocking new microswitches for about $12.

Now lock, tumbler and column are very tight and reliable again.

I appreciate the encouragement. Next thing you know, I'm gonna be doing brakes and suspension work But first I need tools

I have no problem taking anything apart, it's just getting things back together without breaking something that usually worries me. That's okay, because sooner or later, I'll get a camera and document my adventures

Thanks again!

__________________
1982 240D, sold 9/17/2008
1987 300D TurboW124.133 - 603.960, 722.317 - Smoke Silver Metallic / Medium Red (702/177), acquired 8/15/2009
262,715 and counting

you should already have the tools necessary to change the brake pads on your car, and flush the brakes too, it's worth it. for that you will need a 8 or 10mm box end wrench. I would buy a set of gearwrenches in metric, they are awesome and well worth it... DON"T buy the store brand of gear wrenches... very annoying!
to do the brakes right, you should really have a floor jack and a pair of jack stands. but you can do it one wheel at a time with the car's trunk tools.
all that's required to get the pads out is a screwdriver and a nail or those needle nose pliers again...

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I have access to a floor jack and jackstands when I get back up to MA. We also have a bit of tools, but I'll probably get a set of my own (Craftsman, perhaps?)

When I do my brakes, I want to put new rotors on as well...and fix the e-brake (which doesn't do a whole lot at the moment).

If I do a lot of stuff myself, I can rationalize more tools (and my girlfriend can't argue with the money I spend )

I think something like this would be well within my price range. Should I find a torque wrench, too? http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00934239000P?vName=Tools&cName=Tool+Sets&sName=Mechanics+Tool+Sets

__________________
1982 240D, sold 9/17/2008
1987 300D TurboW124.133 - 603.960, 722.317 - Smoke Silver Metallic / Medium Red (702/177), acquired 8/15/2009
262,715 and counting

Craftsman are fine tools! and they are made here in Gastonia NC...

an impact wrench is best tool to have for changing the rotors, but if you don't have one, be sure and bolt the hub back on the tire after you have pulled it from the car so you have more to work with for loosening the bolts back there.

um, you don't actually believe there is any way to prevent a woman from arguing with you over money you spend do you?


ooh that's a good set, I have the same one... well most of it...
and for a torque wrench, I would get a kobalt from Lowe's if I were you. and get a tube of loctite Blue paste for the bolts on the rotors!

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

All depends on your financial circumstances what and how to buy tools. Or the old expression is there are more than several ways to skin a cat. I always have to add a disclaimer when using certain expressions.

Anyways you require initially a set of metric allen key sockets. Three eighths drive ratchet with deep and shallow sockets. Assortment of screwdrivers. Plus a set of metric hand wrenches that feel comforatable in your hand.

I personally like the longer variety of wrench chrome plated. A cheap digital meter for twenty dollars or less and learn to use it. If you become familiar with it. Future savings on many electrical things is unbelievable.

I would put off buying certain things like a hand vaccum pump and gauge until the need arises. A cheap but careful selection of harbour freight 1/2 inch power bar and rachet plus a set of metric impact sockets is useful as well. Very hard to impossible to damage them or wear them in any fashion when used as a hand tool over an air driven impact wrench.

If you are comforatable with the price of the sears set thats okay too. It does include a good assortment of sae size tools as well as metric. From time to time you need those as well. I just seem to use mine less and less but I still need them.
Pliers like needle nose and diagonal cutters plus more conventional types are an absolute requirement as well as a good vice grip brand vice grip plier. Never ever buy another brand of those. I have yet to find another companies copy of them that are anywhere near their strength. Keep an eye on ebay for tools as well. Plus occasionally yard type sales etc turn up good stuff.

You could mention casually to the girlfriend. We saved 105.00 labour when I changed out the lock asembley on the car. That was about 1/2 the cost of the sears tool set. The next small job if I do it instead of paying labour the tools are basically free after that or even present a surplus af cash. Use what works. Woman do tend to respond well to good financial decisions. Makes the next aquisition of tools easier to sell as well.

Actually my wife put it all together herself years ago. She would rather see me buy tools than not. Fully aware they more than pay for themselves. Usually many many times over and over. Then when I kick the bucket she gets the salvage value I suppose.
I do not know the salvage value of all those tools aquired over a lifetime but it is probably substantial. My only request was for her not to give them to the next guy that comes along after me. She told me not to concern myself about that. Harry cannot really repair anything.