Will I screw something up...

[CHollman82]

If I just start taking stuff off my engine? I mean, Im not stupid, and I want to learn about engines so that one day I will be able to work on them and add performance parts to them and stuff, but the only engine I have to learn on is the one in my car. Like, for instance, I was thinking of taking off that ribbed metal plate that says 2.4 twin cam on it just to see whats underneath it, I mean, I know the spark plugs are under their, but I learn best by experience. I am worried about things like if something is spring loaded and shit goes flying everywhere when I take it off (exagerating, but you know what I mean) or if there are wires or something connected to it that I don't know about that get pulled off and then I don't know where they go, or stuff like that, Im just worried about ****ing it up, since I kind of depend on my car to get to work and school and stuff

[ironray75]

Well the best way to get rid of this prob is to get go and get a crappy engine from a junkyard and buy a rebuild kit..Then you can learn how to do it and rebuild it at the same time..Get a service manuel for that engine and you are all set..THey are like "How To" for that engine.

But for the 2.4 when you take the cover off the only thing that might happen is that the boots to the pulgs might come off and stick to the plug..Nothing is springloaded on there..Good luck..Just because and get all the manuels and service books you can..

[matts]

he gave some good advice. seeing as how that's your mode of transportation that you rely on i wouldn't start tinkering with it to much. IF you do start playing with it i'd make sure i had a ride to the local autozone just in case.

[sween67]

My only piece of advice is don't do anything that you haven't researched enough to undo what you do. Also, don't do anything that you can't aford to have someone qualified fix.

[ferran586]

Ryan, IMO, gave great advice if you want to learn. Go out and get a junk motor and learn off of that. That way you won't screw up your daily driver.

[wiccanferret]

Personally, I'm learning by removing things when they break. But I have plastic to back me up if I need to get it fixed, and a mechanic who will advise me. I don't have room to rebuild a motor, otherwise I would. Kind of hard to do something like that in a one bedroom apt and not even a carport. :(

[CHollman82]

Yeah, I don't have a garage or anything either, just a gravel driveway. Okay, so if I took off that metal plate (what is it called?) and the spark plug boots do stick to it or whatever ironray75 said, would that be a big problem, or could I easily figure out how to put them back where they go? Another question I was wondering about was if I remove my wheels I know that I would have to put them back on with a torx wrench and that each lug nut requires 100 lb-ft of torque, but would I have to tighten them down in any particular order, because I know that for a lot of engine parts there are certain patterns that you are supposed to go by when tighting down bolts. Thanks