1. Don't be self taught. When you learn from the masters, you get started on a higher plane. The more you can learn from the masters, the sooner you start producing top quality work.
2. Start with basic assembly. Vince Lombardi taught that football was a series of simple steps, blocks, tackles, runs, etc.Learn how to change tires, align chains, torque fasteners, clean parts, change fluids, etc. All while keeping your tools organized.
3. Keep your tools organized at all times. Organizing the workspace is crucial.
4.The secret to working on modern machines is the ability to anticipate what parts will be needed so that you are not tempted to reuse seals, fasteners, shims,or connectors that should be replaced. You are able to have all your parts cleaned and organized ahead of time to get the job done. Unlike older 50's and 60's cars
where almost all parts were reusable.
5. The secret to trouble shooting modern electrics is to park the same model machine next to yours and start intelligently swapping parts. The computer seldom makes a correct diagnosis.In the future, car and motorcycle clubs will organize to help make it possible for members to swap parts with others who have the same car/bike.
6. Factory parts have a lot more durability/reliabilitytesting than aftermarket parts. They also fit much faster. You need really compelling reasons to deviate from stock.It is almost always MORE expensive to use aftermarket components. The four common exceptions to this rule are tires, shocks, lights, and radios.
7. When working on older machines, it is VERY valuable to know exactly what "factory stock condtion" was. The majority of wierd problems on older machines are because the original parts/assembly have been altered. Very close scrutiny of the parts manuals is necessary before doing any job.
8. If you cannot afford the proper parts for your machine, you really cannot afford the machine. Find a cheaper machine. Please do not take offense with this. It is not personal it just another version of Murphy's law. A mechanic who insists on replacing components is not ripping anybody off. That's just what it costs to get consistent and reliable results.
9. Speaking of Murphy's law, Rockwell's Law " If a harmonic frequency exists, it will always occur at the optimum cruise speed".Remember you heard it from me first
10. The heart of older machines used to be the drivetrain.The heart of a modern machine is the wiring harness. If the wiring harness starts aging and giving trouble, you practically have to throw the whole machine away.
11. To be a great mechanic at affordable rates you have to do jobs several times before you can get it 100% right. Doing custom work is pretty much writing a blank check to do the job over and over until it really works right. Don't be ashamed of this.If you expect to get something 100% right the first time you ever do it be prepared for disappointment.
12. Older machines get problems that you will never see in a troubleshooting manual. Like the reason your Lotus Elan has a soft brake pedal is because the fiberglass footwell is water logged. Troubleshooting is ONLY SIMPLE IN RETROSPECT.It is maddenly infuruating in real life. A top computer troubleshooter for IBM said that 95% of all problems he found were things that had already been checked and previously found to be okay. The customer never wants to pay for diagnostic time!
