I FINALLY got a job at a repair shop
 

Feels good honestly, been dreading the restaurant industry, 7 years of food service is enough, too much for me.

It isn't any place special, a do it all chain shop, but I can't complain I'm in. I have a feeling I can take on and soak up all of the engine performance diagnostic work as well as electrical. (I can do the basic stuff as well too)

One of the managers already hinted at that potential, "We have a few guys in our shop who have been doing this for 20 - 30 years but they refuse to adapt and learn new things on how modern cars work."

I know at the end of the day this career is just a job, it won't be rose's all the time, if at all depending on how it's managed. Pretty much learned to not let my expectations to get to high when I started working at a pizza shop and I was let down (I'm an expert pizza maker btw).
The expectations and reality where totally different.

If I truly do get the job there, I'm definitely going to have an all diesel fleet!

Good for you, congratulations.

Thanks, there are so many tools I've wanted to buy but couldn't justify it lol. First thing I'm getting is a Butterfly air impact wrench and SP Air 7770 and 7772, they seem to be intuitive tools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceXw_d9aM34

Buy assorted extensions and QUALITY universal joints... nougat the square style, get the round ones with the bearings....

This style right? https://www.amazon.com/SK-Hand-8-Inch-Universal-Retainer/dp/B00062LNSU
I'm going with SK as my brand of choice for just about all sockets and wrenches.

The "butterfly" air wrench is a waste of money. It is too easily triggered in my opinion.

Y.M.M.V., of course but I prefer the control of a positive moving switch.

SK is a decent brand but pretty soon, working at it professionally, you'll become a "tool snob" like the rest of the professionals.

Tool storage? Matco or SnapOn. Matco's are less expensive but still high quality. A collection of tools quickly becomes HEAVY and the cheaper boxes collapse and warp.

Heavy duty stuff? Look for OTC.

Klein, Ingersoll Rand, Chicago Pneumatic, Central Tools are all brands you will be getting familiar with.

One rounded bolt/nut on a customer's car negates any money you "save" on a bargain tool.

WELCOME To The Madhouse !
 

I hope you enjoy the career change, it's a challenging and rewarding job *if* you allow it to be .

Plenty of good tools to be had cheaply, Kennedy rollaway tool boxes are top notch if prolly all 40 years old .

Pawn Shops, craigslist and bankruptcy auctions etc. will be your best friend ~ Don't buy big combined all in one tool sets, just get the basics and add as you go along .

LOCKS on everything ! .

Don't go down the rabbit hole of rushing every job, therein lies frustration and misery .

I don't own a butterfly air tool and rarely ever used my air ratchet either .

Take the time to learn how and why things work, don't be a parts changer .

Time will tell .

All great advice.

That's what I love about this forum.

Good luck to you.

Plus one on that! Don't be a "good guy" and let people borrow your tools. This ends up being a "It was like that when I borrowed it" situation. Shop mechanics have notoriously bad memories when it comes to borrowing tools.

My favorite tool box sticker was from Snap-on.

"I make my living with Snap-on Tools. Please don't ask to borrow them"

Attachment 151267

Many places have been moving away from air tools....you can get the same if not more power and control from modern battery powered tools....with no compressors or air hoses. I recently added a 3/8 electric ratchet to my tools and it is better than the air powered version I have. Air tools do have the advantage of toughness and no batteries though, so there's pros and cons to each.

Tools
 

In 1984 I helped out two Mexicans in a junkyard, they thanked me by following me and stripping my truck of every tool & box in it, a week before I began work at a heavy duty truck shop, what to do ? .

I borrowed $1,000 and began buying used tools and the same Kennedy rollaway I still have .

Over the decades I was able to replace almost all of those stolen tools, many were German car specialty tools those a-holes would never have been able to use :mad: .

If no casters on the old box (how I got a top quality box cheaply) just take it to a Weld Shop and have them make up a base with BIG casters (bigger rolls over bumps, cracks, air hoses etc.) and a loop on the bottom out of angle iron plus a flat straight piece to go through all the drawer handles, it slips over the loop at the bottom and you use a padlock .

Always beware of the loudmouths with the biggest & flashiest tool box, they never know the job well and are compensating .

They all laugh at my collection of old and new Japanese / Chinese tools but not a one of them could ever diagnose / repair as well/quickly as I could and that's the name of the game : quality works, not speeding through every job .

I hear you on that, I'll take it slow and buy cheap/used.

Not all used tools are good and not all cheap tools are bad, you must look closely and chose wisely, why Pawn Shops are so handy ~ most have large boxes of unsorted tools to dig through, the best ones are of course, always on the bottom.... .

Yes.
And I agree with everyone on the butterfly tool... never had one, I used one of my bosses, but it was pretty weak, only good for fast removal or install... after the bolts are loose, or up to torque setting, no power.

Congratulations!

Congratulations! Re SK tools, I have a SK socket set. About 10 years ago the 13 mm socket cracked and I needed a warranty replacement. The distributor told me SK has gone out of business but gave me a replacement anyway. Have they been bought out?

Question about pizza: Do pizza joints use extra virgin olive oil or just any cheapo veg oil they can find?

I have collected an assortment of tools over the years of working (I also have worked in a shop but not in USA). My tools are pretty old now but work top notch, I prefer to buy HD tools because I know I wont slip and break my knuckles. If you lend your tools out, be very diligent to get them back - Anyway, have a look at this site.

How to buy truck tools like Snap-On and Matco for 50% off - ToolChat.net

In diagnosing, understand the fundamentals of the working logic then apply derivatives and repair techniques. Thats where you will win in the repair, e.g. if a hall effect sensor has no ground circuit to switch itself on then replacing the sensor is useless.

Write down new stuff you learn, (writing with a pen on paper actually marks it in your memory forever).

Good luck with your new job, and always protect your most expensive tools, your hands - please use gloves, no matter how much you hear that you are weak if your hands are clean.

Awesome news on the career change! I plan to make the leap myself at some point in the (relatively) near future. Currently doing security, use to do pizza as well, and plan to go into mechanics for diesels specifically in the next year to two years. I eventually want to end up working on personal yachts, such as sailboats. But that's my long term goal... And of course I want to run my own business.. But who doesn't have that ambition? ;P

I don't know if I've ever seen one of those. I usually pound the square ones to keep them from flopping around.

Do you have a link or picture of one of the good ones?

I believe one similar to this is what he is referencing.

Proto® 1/2" Drive Impact Universal Joint - Proto Industrial

Attachment 151276

It is not as flexible as the floppy-doodle types but transmits much more of the torque.

I always liked my Dads sign above his main tool box

I WOULDNT ASK TO BORROW YOUR WIFE
SO DONT ASK TO BUY BORROW MY TOOLS:cool:

Pop was a diesel mechanic all his life, he worked on Tow Boats 40+ and some cargo ships.
Miss ya Pop;)
greazer2b

Some may disagree, but I like H.F. color coded sockets and gear wrenches. I have not broken one yet, and I use them nearly every day. I like these because being an old guy and don't have the best eye sight (can't see the tiny numbers on most sockets without my reading glasses), I just know the sizes by the colors. The gear wrenches are practically indestructible. Also, I don't EVER use 12 point sockets, always 6 point. Of course there are sockets that have big numbers engraved in them.

A handy little tool is a small lithium-ion screwdriver. I have a Skil IX02 model I've had for at least ten years and it still works fine. Don't get the higher powered ones because you'll strip out the plastic found in most modern dashes/consoles. You'll learn to appreciate them when you get into those tight areas where your screwdriver ALMOST fits.

Dewalt makes a handy bit set sold by Ace Hardware. Comes with a carry bag. Wait for their spring clearance sales. I picked one up for $14.99, usually about $40.00. It's got some stuff in it you will probably not need but you never know.

DeWalt Multi Size Drilling and Driving Utility Set Black Oxide 64 pc.

Item no.
2567717
|
DWA2BAG64A

Ok guys, how do I lock my up my tools if only 1 drawer has a lock?

Do I have to buy a new tool chest that has locks on all drawers?

Usually when you lock the one drawer, or lid as the case may be, it locks all the rest as well.

It doesn't on mine, the bottom lock doesn't even work. The top only locks the very top.

Make a bar that goes over all of the drawers, many factory locking systems can be pried.

Some people in a shop live to hassle others, be aware of that. ( grease in a tool box, throwing away tools and such. ) We aren't exactly dealing with MENSA candidates here so try to align yourself with people that aren't 40 year old children.

Given it is a chain store, you might be pushed into selling product. This is OK if the extra product makes for a better or more cost effective job. RE: new brake hardware is more cost effective than cleaning old stuff. Selling calipers when the old ones push back fine and don't have torn boots isn't.

The pace of work is going to be, get the car in , throw parts at it and get it out. They aren't likely to battle through the difficult to diagnose jobs as those are money losers.

It is good you are getting started however don't consider this the final stop, always keep an eye out for better opportunities.

Oh no, this is far from the last stop, I'll keep learning and studying as much as possible. I don't want to work there any longer than need be.

How do I make back bar around the tool chest? Ropes or chains?

I have a four drawer tool box which locks all drawers with one lock. To get it to work properly, I have to make sure that all drawers are pushed all the way in when I lock the single lock.

Some bottom boxes have a flat bar that drops down from the top. I've seen guys bolt / weld a tab to the top of box shelf and bottom then drop in a 1/2" ( 3/4" od ) pipe that blocks the drawers. Other times I've seen the drawer handles drilled and a rod dropped through.

A similar technique can be used for a top box by adding a hasp to the lid.

I'd also consider chaining the box to a fixed location in view of surveillance cameras as well.

If someone really wants in, torches / grinders are a shop tool, you want to stop crimes of opportunity. I'd be asking the shop what their policy is concerning theft by employees / building break-in is.

Be sure to have a identified place for each tool and check it after every job before the car leaves the bay, sometimes tools get left on a cart / in the car.

Find out what scope of work you will be performing, no use getting tools to rebuild an engine if the most a shop will do is change an easy valve cover gasket.

Locking Your Tools
 

As previously mentioned :

Take the rollaway to a Weld Shop and have them make up a base out of angle iron that has a loop in the font bottom edge and a flat 1/4" strip of steel that slips over the loop and is help in place by a padlock .

The sad fact is : if they want your tools bad enough they'll get them one way or t'other, I can tell stories of heavy duty truck shops completely cleaned out and no insurance ever paid....

Sometimes even your creeper will be stolen, my son bought a fancy one and marked it, another Mechanic took it, so he retrieved it, re marked it and locked it to the side of his rollaway, the same thieving a-hole stole it and stripped my son's name off it then locked it to his rollaway, the next day my son went to work early with a sledgehammer and while the thief was still there, my son removed the stolen creeper from the thief's rollaway using the sledgehammer, at the end neither creeper nor thief's rollaway were any good, no one ever stole a tool from my son again .

Not the way it should be, we're just prepping you for life here .

It's nice that you like working on boats, I know a few Journeyman Boat Mechanics, all are currently unemployed as so often happens when you get old and begin to slow down, beware .

Good on your son, No Half measures. People fear real action and consequence rather than any paperwork bull****.

Good luck on the new endeavor. I can't stress enough the need for high quality safety glasses and the wearing of gloves. Keeping a box of nitrile gloves of the correct size is so important. Good ones don't shred too badly. I'm kind of a fanatic on lighting. I own a bunch of different trouble lights. Nowadays the LEDs are great and cheap. Someone earlier mentioned air vs electric impact. I'm an old air impact guy, but the new electrics are pretty fantastic and its great to not have that damned hose trailing...
I was at Northern Tool recently here in Vegas and it used to be a low quality junk shop for the most part. I was actually impressed with the quality of tools. Seems the Chi-coms are making a better grade of tools these days.

Thanx .

That was when he was a fairly new hire over at City San, he's currently at Motor Transport and got promoted Friday .

This is a key point for any job that is physical. Always look towards transitioning to a less physical job as you age.

I got out of the day to day auto repair biz and moved into industrial machinery when I was 35. This was a factory not a steel mill so the work was less physical and more intellectual. After this factory closed, I moved to another facility that was more like a machine shop ( they made their own product from scratch so still technically a factory )

Work at the 2nd shop was more of an engineering position where I might spend 2 weeks in my office researching / designing something or prepping for a major machine move. I was not tied to an office though, there were times I'd be on the shop floor for a couple of weeks.

A year ago ( at 55 ) I took early retirement and am now consulting for an auto repair shop and a machine shop.

Always be looking for the next thing and never live beyond your means. The $ you save when young will pay off later.

The JOB
 

A guy I know is an Industrial Mechanic, he works on commercial packaging machines, mostly shrink wrapping machines, they're much more complicated than I ever imagined, cleaner too, he doesn't evr get all oily/greasy/filthy like I do .

He's also a Motocycle Enthusiast and brings his work habits to his vintage Honda Motos so they all look like new .

Rolled the tool chest into the shop, it's official guiys. I start tomorrow at 8am. Thanks everyone, we can get back to diesel discussion now.

Right on man, good on ya. Feel free to keep posting updates.... we've all become a little invested in your life now :) Good luck with your first day.

Ok dude, I'll keep everyone tabs, I start tomorrow morning.

NOW The Fun Bgins !
 

As you're going to discover that a large part of the job is correcting other's mistakes....

We'll be here with pop corn awaiting your shop tales.....

WORK SAFELY ! .

Job is trash, cooperate bs slows everything down you have to rotate tires, check a MILLION and one things in an attempt to nickle and dime customers.

Well, it's exactly what I expected.

Oh I forgot, dumbest part is someone else has to double check you on OIL CHANGES AND TORQUING OF WHEELS!

Well, this was a mistake. Oh yeah I need hearing protection, bringing some to work tomorrow

welcome to life.

I did nothing but oil changes, feels scary because it feels like a dead end job. I need to get my ASE certs and get the he'll out of there and into an independent shop.


I don't want to do oil changes all my life lol.

i finally got a job at a goodyear retailer and it was a lot of the same stuff, especially at first, but once they trusted me i got some more complex jobs....there were some challenges for sure but it is a decent stepping stone if you want to keep working in the industry.
comb craigslist and you can get all your tools cheap (or even free by selling off the stuff you get but don't need) and get a decent LOCKING box.

Yup, "new guy" always gets the short end of the stick. Welcome to life.

Don't get a chip on your shoulder and expect that you will automatically be treated as a master craftsman. Show them what you are capable of doing and the work will begin increasing in complexity.

Look at it from their point of view. They don't know you from Adam, you have no previous work related experience and they don't know if you are reliable. Learn the golden rule of working with shop mechanics. "Trust no one else's work, Double check your own".

Of course they are going to double-check torque values, etc., It's THEIR asses on the line if you forget to tighten up a lug, drain plug, brake pad etc.

Bear with it, practice good work habits, learn something every day and the respect will come your way.

ASEs get you nowhere and do nothing. Waste of money. I’ve worked at two Mercedes dealerships and now work at a Freightliner dealer and never had any ASE. I remember asking Mercedes Benz when I got hired if it mattered if I had any ASEs, they had told me no. It’s just a bragging point. I have a Mercedes service of excellence award, didn’t get me money at Freightliner.

You’re also the new guy on the block, they have no idea of your mechanical capabilities, or what you can do and your experiences. You’re not going to get a head gasket the first day. When I started working on cars professionally, I did tires and oil. Then I worked my way up to brakes and moved from there.

You also need to get used to the shop environment, ROs and doing stuff differently than what you do at home. It’s a lot different than being a shade tree mechanic. And the good habits help you at home. I work a lot differently than when I was your backyard mechanic.

Earn your keep!

Ok I see.
Well, this has pushed me to study automotive electrical religiously, either I learn great info to prove my worth or I sink.

It's all clear, I'll just grind through.

Finding things to fix is why they offer free tire rotations.


Forewarned is forearmed. It is good you went in knowing what to expect.

That is a liability thing to protect the company from " you didn't add oil" or " left my wheels loose".

Be aware if you change oil on a newer Corvette, they are dry sump ( tank on the passenger side firewall ) and apparently some oil can be drained from the engine oil pan and refilled at the valve cover. This supposedly leads to oil overflowing into the air inlet tract and possible hydralock.

Think of this as a resume builder, just work through it for now on the way to the next big thing.

Get a decent pair of ear muffs, not the dollar store type as they are about useless. Ear muffs are better than plugs because they can be put on and off rapidly.

I need to save some money, for now I'll use plugs.

The tire rotation does reveal problems, my FIRST car, a Toyota Camry had a torn FR outer CV boot AND a torn FL outer CV boot.


We notified the customer but they declined a rebooting. It still had plenty of grease left too.


In the meantime, I'll stick to cheap tools, however I am saving for a big boy scanner and a big boy scope by the end of this year or the beginning of next year.. I need to learn and study the concepts of electrical, can bus, and diagnosticts as much as possible before i even touch either tool.

Ok Jake, the ASE's will be on the backburner UNLESS my job gives raises for ASE certs OR they're free classes via my job.