Techno

Buy a shop manual!
Do you have one yet?
You don't? Why not? You are going to need it- garranteed
You do? Then why aren't you looking in it for the answer? Your answer is right there, the one under fuel systems, or ignition or.... whatever. Believe me its in there. Why... it even has torque values!
It can be used as a rough mechanical reference so you can learn a mechanical system too. Or an electrical one, or a vacuum, hydraulic...
Its in there!

You do have one and do look in it? Then I suppose my critique isn't aimed at you. Your posts are then following a problem not covered in detail in a handy book with steps, pictures and diagrams.
Or they are trying to narrow down which chapter you need to follow.

To be specific----- I'm referencing the posts that can easily be answered with reference to a shop manual. If the person had bought one instead of the polished fuzzy dice they never would have asked the question.
Call it a pet peeve but a lot of the questions on this forum fall under open a shop manual and fix it.
A lot of the questions on this forum fall under open a shop manual and fix it.
A lot of the questions on this forum fall under open a shop manual and fix it.
A lot of the questions on this forum fall under open a shop manual and fix it.
A lot of the questions on this forum fall under open a shop manual and fix it.
A lot of the questions on this forum fall under open a shop manual and fix it.

Damned redundant isn't it?
Forget about doing a search how about searching the table of contents and finding the answer?

Jughead

Speaking of torque numbers, what's the torque on the lower control arm bushing bolts?

72-LT1

Man, Isn't the whole point of this forum to ask questions?????????

If you don't want to answer questions just ignore the post. In the grand scheme of things most people would have no idea how to do most repairs and it sure helps to bounce questions off of people, including myself.

AGVI

turtlevette

you must have got your torque numbers for head bolts from me. I forgot to mention them were small block numbers.

Sprzout

I love the 1974 Chevrolet Service manual. It does a WONDERFUL job of covering the vacuum lines. I have tried to look through that @$@# book for a reference on how to hook up the vacuum lines CORRECTLY to the Rochester 4MV, yet it does a wonderful job of leaving that completely out of the book.

I've looked in emissions, thinking because there are hoses attached to the A.I.R. pump that they might have a reference; nope. Checked Fuel system, thinking that because it connects to the carburetor, there might be something there. Nope.

I finally found a diagram for how it hooks up, but it was in a restoration book by Motorbooks, in a diagram under the Exhaust section, marked "California 5.7L Passenger car". And it STILL isn't right because I don't have a TCV or TVE or whatever the heck it is. I know it's not the PCV valve, because that's marked clearly in the diagram...

I'm loathe to pay somebody at the Chevrolet dealership to hook it up right, because I know that SOMEWHERE, there's a diagram that lays this out for a 1974 with a 350 SB!

Vette Gator

Another problem with shop manuals is that they don't always tell you the *real* way to do something. I was trying to remove the rear drums from my 98 F-150 for a brake re-build. The shop manual said to "tap" around the outer rim and they would come off. An hour worth of tapping and absolutely nothing happened. A friend showed me that "tapping" really means use the BFH. One hit and off they came.

Hwy St*r

I have a Haynes and Chilton's for my '78 and use for reference and diagrams or pictures but it's still good to get the extra tips and reassurance from someone that has actually done a certain job on their car. I'm no ace mechanic by any means and I have to rely on my local garage more than I like but this forum and it's members have helped me be a little less dependent on him. I like to do things myself but at present my Corvette is my daily driver and down time is a major inconvenience. I guess what I'm trying to is thanx, this forum rocks!!!!

-Pete. KEEP DRIVING!!!

Buffalo Dude

Sometimes the forum is a better resource, mainly because of all the experience. A lot of times I've come here looking for advice because the manual is just inadequate. I'll be trying to find the procedure to remove a part and it'll say "1) disconnect battery 2)remove part 3)all done" Well, it didn't mention anything about the small little nut on the backside of it that I just spent 2 hours figuring out why the part won't come out. This is also where AIM can be helpful.

For those that don't have service manuals, they're a valuable resource and can (usually) be had in original print on ebay cheaper than the repros that vendors sell.

lordmatt

The forum title does say "In the manual Basic Tech". So asking questions about problems that can be solved using the book are allowed here.

rihwoods

I'm here because of first hand experience across forum members......you can look at a trouble shooting chart and do some things that are unnecessary...you have to trust info here and make a judgement...I find input here very helpful and accurrate..I have learned a great deal that I could not get from a manual...

Jughead

I think they were 75 for the long bolts and 65 for the shorites.

DR.Jay

I have been making a living as a professional mechanic for 10 years. I have worked on weedeaters, 410'000# Hitachi ZX 1100 hydrualic excavators, Corvettes, WWII tanks, Air planes, Trucks, Farm tractors, and even my kids bike.
The one thing I have found out is that the manual is only as good as the editor who has never changed his own oil. Let alone done any trouble shooting or repairs.

MY $.02

DR. Jay

BigBlockk

I know what you mean Techno. I fully expect to see someone come on here and ask "where do I check the tire pressure". We've already had one ask where to check the oil. Why would someone buy a high maintenance vehicle that they know absolutely nothing about?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for people learning to work on their cars but a 35 year old Corvette is not what you start your studies on.

There are some threads that I do pass by because it is obvious that the person is looking for something for nothing. These people need to go out and spend the money on manuals like I did. You can tell they don't have a manual because they don't even know the names of the parts they are asking about. Now, I know that some aren't as mechanically inclined as I am and I'll be more than happy to help when they don't understand something but when they come on here and don't even know how to hook up a timing light! Come on!!!

Oh well. I better stop. Going to have to change into the Nomex as it is.

BigBlockk

Later.....

76project

manuals, we don't need no stinking manuals....

Like when I needed to figure out how to remove the rivits on the front wheels, the manual says "remove them" but doesn't actually tell you how to "remove them". I took asking the question on the formum from someone who had done it to help me.

big_G

Try to think of the manual as a tool. The more you use it, the better you will be at repairing things. It does not tell you how to use tools and equipment, that is where the forum members should help out.

Truck Guy

Geez...take a pill

I've been working on my own cars for over 30 years and know most of them inside and out.
(yes, I know the torque numbers for most of them )

But I'm new to Corvettes in the last 5 years. I just bought my first "old" Vette..... a '73 L48 Roadster.

You know what I know about that car? NOTHING......diddly squat!

But....I DO know how to work on cars and have a friggin' shelf full of shop manuals.

And I know how to use them.....but, with this '73, I'll need all the help I can get until I get to know it better.

So forgive my "newbie" questions for a minute and please answer my question about a repair, because maybe,
just maybe I couldn't find it in the manual or figured after taking a look at the problem, that someone here on the
Corvette Forum would know how to diagnose or fix it easily or maybe point me in the right direction.

Isn't that what a forum is all about.

BTW.....I've already bought the Haynes & Chilton manuals, the GM assembly manual and an GM Owners manual

Oh yeah.....here's a smilie for you.....

JPhil

Amen, Techno. There are also an awful lot of other books and info out there that have a plethora of information, and almost invariably I learn something else I wasn't necessarily looking for in the search for a specific answer.
That said, "What's the little **** under the dash below the steering wheel for?"
Gotta take it all with a grain of salt.
John

Techno

Apparently either some people can't read or my ability to communicate sucks. Probably the latter.

Maybe this says it better. A manual is a very useful TOOL. Its just as much a tool as any chrome plated clickety thing you got in your tool box. That timing light bought along with the plugs, wires filters.... but you don't know??? fill in the blank. At sometime in your future of being a Corvette mechanic you will need this, if not more than this one book.

Most of the negative posts didn't understand that of those things in a manual it is much better to have one than to try telling someone how to do this on the forum.

For example try telling me how to adjust my carb. How are you going to do this? From memory or are you cracking open your own book? There are very specific distance settings and a set order of procedure for doing this but your all for the person asking on a forum how to do this?
Tell me how- without opening a manual and try doing it in less than the several pages the manual does it in.

Truck Guy
Finally I can scan past the posts. I do. When you've scanned all those posts and some day thats about all there is.. this is what the forum is for? To be someones private mechanic? I can look it up but they can't be bothered?
Again I'm talking about the easy stuff, easily referred to, easily found. That is if they had a manual. For those who were so negative about this concept do you have one? I bet you do.
Did I say anything about non manual items? NOPE not a thing.
Anything about being confused about what the manual says? Again NOPE. You have to have a manual to be confused by what it says.



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Yellow73SB

My dad used to punch the glove box in his 66 you should see the dents