# mechanic wannabe



## mda (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello.. I just found this website. I'm thinking about going to vocational school to became a small engine mechanic. Can anyone gave me info on being a mechanic from their experience? I took a couple of shop classes back in high school. I live in an apartment so I don't own any outdoor power equipment right now. But I'm interested in mechanical things.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

well learn yourself. schools one thing but buying or finding a used old engine will help you considerablly. i'd start with a little 3 to a 3.5 engine. they are simple and easy. and of course there's a book. i think it's the hanes small engine repair book. try that that contains mostly what you should need and what to do. i've read em and they are pretty good. and oh you live in an apartment well then if you can't work outside i'd find a place to or rather where ever is alright to. somewhere where oil is not a problem to spill. me i learned myself. and mostly from racin em.


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## bbnissan (Nov 7, 2004)

You could take the route that I took....

I started out by getting a job in a small engine shop as a parts manager back when I was in high school. After about a year of observing the mechanics and learning about equipment by helping customers with parts, I was finally given the chance to work on some stuff myself. I never really went to school (until much later on) and never really read any books on the subject...I just learned from the other mechanics in the shop. The guys I learned from were great teachers and they all had more experience than you can imagine (in fact, I learned more from them than I ever did in any of the vendor schools I went to). One of the mechanics began his career as a cheif mechanic in the Air Force during the Korean War. This guy had more tricks up his sleeves for fixing stuff than everyone else in the shop put together. Another one of the guys was a master machinist and maintenance guru who worked for Makita power tools, but worked in the shop part time. He is probably the best 2-cycle mechanic within a 100 mile radius of where I live and the guy can usually tell you what's wrong with a piece of equipment by pulling it over a few times and listening to how it sounds!

Which ever route you choose, just remember one thing...being a small engine mechanic is a seasonal thing, especially when living in the south. You'll end up working long hours between April and October, and spend the rest of the time doing nothing. If you live in the south I suggest you have a back up job for the winter months so you don't go broke.


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

It's seasonal in the North too. Our shop goes from a high of over 100 techs in the summer to about 20 in the winter. Our service area covers all of MI, Northern IN and northern OH.


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## mda (Jan 2, 2005)

Thanks for the replys. I was thinking about getting an engine to tear down then put back together. Read that a chainsaw has a pretty simple engine in it. I live in the north, so I was thinking I could work on lawn mowers and such in the summer and then snowblowers and snowmobiles in the winter. I thought that it might be a seasonal job. Chances to get layed off in the winter. Know of one shop that is closed until spring.


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## mda (Jan 2, 2005)

I went to the tool supply store picked up a repair manuel. It was for Biggs & Stratton engines. Told how to repair parts on the engine, I thought it would be good to read. But it didn't tell how the basic engine works. So I went down to the local lawn mower dealer and found a book on how small engines work and what every part does. This is more of the book I was looking for. The book is put out by Briggs & Stratton. Looks like very informative reading.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

hey briggs sells a cd with them all on their site if you feel like getting em. oh and a chainsaw engine, simple due to a 2-cycle engine, learn both and your set for a little buisness, 2 cycles are the easiest but can be very picky sometimes, a good briggs 4 cycle are not very picky except on oil, i recommend a non multi viscosity 10W-30 oil with detergent. and multi for winter use reason being they say not use it in them but thats for summer, in the winter its good, gives cold starting protection and engine protection


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## roperdude91 (Nov 10, 2004)

get an old briggs 3.o or 3.5hp to start
ya will figure them out pretty quick aftter that


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