Real Mechanics?

[Crispywombat]

Apologies, I've already posted this in the Range Rover section but as I have an Disco V8 on SU's I think I may also need some assistance. :roll:

Does anybody know if there is such a thing anymore?

Just taken a friends 1991 3.9 efi Bobtailed Rangey in to a garage local to me to have the timing and perhaps the dizzy looking at, left it there half a day for them to give it a once over only to be told that's it's too old!! Apparently they don't have anything to plug it into so can't help! I asked them just to take a look at the timing to be told "All of the lads are young, they don't know how to repair them"

I am astonished, I really used to rate this place but have lost all faith in them, they've also lost the chance to service my other two vehicles plus my friends, so I'm looking for a decent mechanic in the Leeds area? Any recomendations?


Thanks,

Rob

[Disco Matt]

Yep, they do still exist, I know one. Unfortunately he's in Mid Wales so not much use to you!

I suspect they are more common in rural areas where they are likely to have all manner of vehicles in varying stages of disintegration brought to them by farmers requesting that the vehicle be MOT'd. I know our local one does a lot of this sort of work.

[landymadjay]

Thats the problem with these new cars you can plug a laptop in and it tells you the problem and mechanics are getting used to that so they dont want to work on old stuff where they HAVE to work .

Sorry just my opinion


Jay.

[Crispywombat]

I think you're right Jay, problem is we're losing mechanics and all we have are fitters!!!

[landymadjay]

Yepp that is the problem .


Jay.

[craig_midz]

ive been messin with cars since i was 13-14 an now im 25 so decided to go to college an get a piece of paper to say i could do the job an the first 6 months of course we didnt touch a spanner we where shown how to use different software an as u say it tells u then u change the part so in my eyes u not a mechanic u are a fitter i asked instructor what do u do with an older car ie no diagnostic plug an all he said is either struggle or dont take job on :( but lucky i been workin on old cars an prefer workin on the older cars then the new ones

[Bulli]

whats wrong with it? as the timing is on an internal chain if its slipped your motor will be pretty much dead.....so what are the symptoms?

and yes most modern mechanics are fitters rather than able to solve problems....not a good state of affairs imho

[andyb]

If you mean the RR on SUs is lacking power and seems to be missing then I would suggest the ignition amp. It is most often the problem on this motors.....espcially if old.

Also like to take the oppotunity to say......"I am a proper mechanic" :) ....have work on Series as well as later coilers. I agree with the above comments. Too many fitters and not enough repairers. But you do have to be able to do both normal spannering and be able to work diagnostics kit now-a-days.

[freelanderpx54]

Why not try a rolling road tune up? There is a guy in Bury who used to race MGB and MGC's who has a pretty good set up. I would imagine that you will have something similar near you.

[whits]

hello mate I'm a mechanic / mot tester at a old fashioned garage we do have diagnostic equipment but we also have timing lights etc for the older stuff. i Have had a 3.5 rrc on carbs and know they can be awkward.
i work at hill top garage, burley in wharfedale, ls29 7hx, 01943 863202. open 8am to 6pm Mon to Fri,  just outside leeds on the way to ilkley or pm if you need my no,
cheers mark

[LeanneNCharlie]

hi, we do still exist in the mist of modern technology. I'm 28 now and started messing around with cars when i was just 9. My first project was a little old grey fergie tractor. I've done cortinas, morris minors and plenty of land rovers. I did my 5 year apprenticeship and got NVQ's and city & Guilds level 3's. At the time it did include diagnostics but not like today's cars. Granted i opted for the commercial side of the industry but at the end of the day its all the same, just a little bit bigger. I use diagnostic equipment on wagons but its not always reliable as it can't tell you its drawing in air through a fuel pick up line, it tells you there is low pressure at the at the fuel pump/common rail pump and its that that is bringing on the engine warning and turning on the limp mode!  How would that be solved by a fitter? £800 new pump first may be?


charlie.

[northumberlad]

just to be a pedant, a in the old scheme of things a mechanic was junior to a fitter (fitter as i understand it was a mecanic that was expected to make parts if necessary)
on the same scale some of the employees that some garages have these days are junior to chimps, on the other hand thier lack of knowledge keeps my local 4x4 specialist going so it's not all bad

[boss]

tuning a carb fed v8 is piece of [throw it], there are some pretty good guides on how to do it on line. and you dont need to many special tools(go to one of the monkeys and ask if you can borrow there DTI probably never even been used!) but you need a place to do it really. not something you can do in a drive way.

[Ja1983]

.."computer says no"

the answer is learn to do it yourself... saves a few quid, and gets you out of housework, winner all round i`d say!