Source
r/Cartalk•
subtlefarts

Anyone know of a good wiki resource for working on cars?

I've lately been working on my truck quite a bit lately and I was wondering if anyone knew of a wiki-style website that contains resources for working on a particular car or motor... i.e., a wiki-style shop manual... I sometimes find myself wanting to rewrite parts of my haynes or oem shop manual, or sometimes there's a better way of doing something, and you only learn about it once you read through an entire car-specific forum.

Most of the time, I've just been searching specific forums, but this process could be way easier if there was a single wiki with a page specifically on a certain car or motor.

Edit: it's for an 84 Ranger 4x4 with the 2.8L motor

Posted Feb 5, 2016, 4:16 PM UTC · edited

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sexandliquortransmission rebuilder•

You're asking the wrong question.

There's not necessarily a wiki for all cars. If you gave us your engine model and the make and year of your truck maybe someone could help.

AllData would be what you're looking for but it's a paid program and not a free wiki.

If you're smart and tenacious enough you can find information or a service manual for just about any motor on the Internet. You just have to look hard enough.

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el_muerte17'87 Camaro Z-28, '89 MR2 Supercharged•

I think Crankshaft Coalition is about as close as you're going to get. For most engine or vehicle-specific tasks, you're going to be much better off using the most popular forum for that vehicle or searching YouTube videos.

The existence of factory service manuals kind of makes the existence of wikis for the exact same thing a bit redundant...

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larrymoencurly•

I think Crankshaft Coalition is about as close as you're going to get.

Includes articles about Buddhist meditation, Christian drug rehab, chiropractic, and trimming the nails of dogs.

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headmustard•

youtube

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redditandpoop•

You should buy a repair guide for your car. If your lucky you can find the original factory service manual someplace.

Other than that, just youtube whatever you are trying to do. If your vehicle has an enthusiast following there will be a forum or two with very knowledgeable people on it.

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HanzG•

That's a very specific niche vehicle being 32 years old. You're likely best served by a model specific owners forum. They're also more likely to have info like where to find obsolete parts. Wiki articles are like the library; they touch on many articles but they're not interactive. I've worked with young guys who passed the book smarts and had no idea what working on cars entails.

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sexandliquortransmission rebuilder•

I've worked with young guys who passed the book smarts and had no idea what working on cars entails.

That's usually my problem working with guys that went to UTI or any other automotive school. I didn't go to school, I just jumped in and learned on the job. Most guys i've encountered from UTI really didn't know anything about working on a car. I'm sure they could tell me about what they learned via the classes and books, but putting that to use and actually grabbing some tools and wrenching something and they're lost.

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Amblonyx•

But... Why are hands-on shop portions not half of the curriculum? I mean, even my basic Bio 101 class at a regular university had labs to do things like dissect. I can't understand why a freaking automotive mechanic school wouldn't emphasize hands on experience. It's wholly something else to work on a car vs reading about doing so...

Not blaming you/doubting you that this is true, just perplexed at it.

I'd rather wrench to learn than take a classroom course any day.

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sexandliquortransmission rebuilder•

From what I understand the hands on stuff at schools IS part of the curriculum, just not enough. Probably not 50%, anyway.

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HanzG•

Canadian schooling required 9000 hours (paid) of shop time before you're allowed to write for your Certificate of Qualification. Depending on the province you're in that's either issued by the Ministry of Training (federal) or a College of Trades (provincial). The tests are uniform across the country and updated every year to reflect changing technology. The problem is kids can get away with being a oil & tire guy for 4 years and qualify their hour requirements. I'm working with one guy now who simply cannot pass the test because he didn't work on cars enough. It's unfortunate, and the test has changed enough now that he's running into questions on technology he's never heard of.

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jollyjerry•

I was thinking the same thing for my 98 Chevrolet K1500. I keep notes and photos for myself and post the outcomes to forums, but find that many stickied posts lose their images or get filled with off-topic comments.

I found a few wiki's but they tend to explain general repairs rather than walk through specific models.

Have you found anything better? I might start one for my truck since I plan on keeping it for a long time.

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subtlefartsOP•

I haven't really found any good wikis yet :/

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jollyjerry•

Thanks anyways. Good luck with your truck

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low_altitude_sherpa•

I think I just came up with an idea for a great website. sponsored by parts geek/napa/autozone, etc.

hmm.

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