Breaks - help!

Litch said:

Why devalue the importance of a workshop manual?
Workshop manuals (usually) written by qualified specialists with years of training & expereince.
Questions on forums answered by anyone who has access to a keyboard and an interest in the subject, some experienced, others less so.

A manual not only shows you how to tackle a task but also gives you the correct terminology. Handy for when you come across something you don't understand, you can ask a question safe in the knowledge that you are calling a squidget by the correct name and not the "thingy that connects to the doobry behind the pipe whotsit"! Saves confusion.
A manual also allows you to assess a task from the comfort of your armchair and make a decision of whether you want to tackle the task yourself, ask for assistance or pass it onto a specialist.

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He weren't we was simply pointing out that having a manual, does not mean that a job is easier to do or should be attempted, Just because you have a manual. As said earlier there are manuals on brain surgery and limb amputations. But should I require either. I'll leave it to a specialist..

Litch said:

Why devalue the importance of a workshop manual?
Workshop manuals (usually) written by qualified specialists with years of training & expereince.
Questions on forums answered by anyone who has access to a keyboard and an interest in the subject, some experienced, others less so.

A manual not only shows you how to tackle a task but also gives you the correct terminology. Handy for when you come across something you don't understand, you can ask a question safe in the knowledge that you are calling a squidget by the correct name and not the "thingy that connects to the doobry behind the pipe whotsit"! Saves confusion.
A manual also allows you to assess a task from the comfort of your armchair and make a decision of whether you want to tackle the task yourself, ask for assistance or pass it onto a specialist.

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+1, and a manual is authoritative source for specs, capacities, torque settings and the like, a million stupid questions that members get bored with answering would never be asked if people read manuals.

Litch said:

the correct name and not the "thingy that connects to the doobry behind the pipe whotsit"!.

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FFS its Duberry ...

Cheers Steve

Litch said:

Why devalue the importance of a workshop manual?
Workshop manuals (usually) written by qualified specialists with years of training & expereince.
Questions on forums answered by anyone who has access to a keyboard and an interest in the subject, some experienced, others less so.

A manual not only shows you how to tackle a task but also gives you the correct terminology. Handy for when you come across something you don't understand, you can ask a question safe in the knowledge that you are calling a squidget by the correct name and not the "thingy that connects to the doobry behind the pipe whotsit"! Saves confusion.
A manual also allows you to assess a task from the comfort of your armchair and make a decision of whether you want to tackle the task yourself, ask for assistance or pass it onto a specialist.

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I’m not trying to devalue the worth of workshop manuals and of course they act as a valuable reference for procedures and torque values etc. But on their own, like the gruff orthopedic consultant and the anatomy atlas, they are only part of the solution - especially for someone who is learning.

I imagine training to be a mechanic isn’t too dissimilar to learning to be a surgeon and the old maxim of ‘watch one, assist one, do one’ is probably as true to mechanics as it is to medicine.

I have a manual and I’m not ashamed to say that I find it confusing at times and, as a beginner, I struggle to know which parts of it are relevant to which situations, especially when it comes to diagnosing problems.

I’m a firm believer in learning from other, more experienced people and then reinforcing this with your own reading (manuals, text books, what ever), which is what I try to do. Yes I didn’t know what brake linings were, but after this thread and knowing which part of the manual to read (which calls them shoes not linings), I now do.

Your point about forums allowing anyone who can use a computer to throw in their 2 cents is true, but I’ve only ever found sensible, helpful advice on here.

I take your point about asking stupid basic question and I'll do more research before posting....or at least learn to spell

payydg said:

Your point about forums allowing anyone who can use a computer to throw in their 2 cents is true, but I’ve only ever found sensible, helpful advice on here.

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To be honest, I think your are completely delusional and should not even be allowed in public unaccompanied, nevermind work on a vehicle.

trax said:

To be honest, I think your are completely delusional and should not even be allowed in public unaccompanied, nevermind work on a vehicle.

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Ha, ok. Only once I've filtered out the abuse.

payydg said:

Ha, ok. Only once I've filtered out the abuse.

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that makes more sense

For quicker learning I use the watch one, do one technique!
:-D

flat said:

For quicker learning I use the watch one, do one technique!
:-D

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sure it isn't the watch one, break one, do one again approach?

Quite