Wrenching makes me so frustrated

[Kathy]

I am so proud of myself when I accomplish a new task on my jeep seeing I’ve never used tools up until a couple years ago. BUT, when I can’t get something I get so frustrated! I’m not a crier, but I get so mad I just want to cry! And then dave saying that’s easy adds salt to my wounds(could be literally seeing I have cuts and bruises all over trying to get my hands where they don’t fit!). I don’t know how you guys do it without losing your shit. It’s doesnt help that most the tools are up in the new workshop and I was tuning up my atv in the lower garage. Then I don’t know what tool I need for the millions of different types of screws and plugs and bolts and crap that just adds to the frustration. I so wanted to do it on my own, but now I have to wait for Dave to get home to get a screw off the air filter clamp, screw off the brake fluid cap( I know seems like a no brainer),and get the spark plug cap back on. Oh, and I first gapped the spark plug to .8 inches instead of .8 mm. Suprised I didn’t snap the piece off. I. Sure if someone was videotaping me it would be quite the comedy skit. I’m better now, and will chalk it up to learning and hoping soon this will all get easier for me! Rant over .

 

[Rob5589]

Deeeep breath in through the nose, out through the mouth. Grab a cocktail and hit that hot tub. Everything will be ok

 

[glwood]

Seeing as how I know -0- women who work on their own vehicles, I applaud you for what you do know, and want to learn. Time will add to your knowledge as you try different things, i'm no mechanic myself, but always have had a mind for seeing how things work, and willing to try stuff. I'd love to live closer to some of the TJ gurus on here, and get in on a wrenching day...

 

[Kathy]

Deeeep breath in through the nose, out through the mouth. Grab a cocktail and hit that hot tub. Everything will be ok

Great advise. A Week long vacation starts today and that sounds like the perfect remedy.

 

[Kathy]

Seeing as how I know -0- women who work on their own vehicles, I applaud you for what you do know, and want to learn. Time will add to your knowledge as you try different things, i'm no mechanic myself, but always have had a mind for seeing how things work, and willing to try stuff. I'd love to live closer to some of the TJ gurus on here, and get in on a wrenching day...

Thank you. I do enjoy it when it goes smoothly . I would love to live closer also. Not just for that but to ride in their Jeeps, see how they run, and see how they take it off road.

 

[Chris]

Patience and lots of breaks. I find when I pace myself, keep my cool, and go slow, the job gets done so much smoother. You have to be willing to take breaks every so often, it really helps to clear the mind!

 

[Drizit]

Keep a fridge of cool beverages handy, it helps. When something isn't working, stop. Step back and start look at the system in question bit by bit and see where you are missing something. Or go online and look for instructions or a video. Get an alldatadiy account or at least a Haynes manual to look things up in. But most of all remember it's supposed to be fun, keep it that way. If it starts to suck too badly do something else for a bit and then come back.

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.

 

[Squatch]

@glwood is dead-on about your willingness to tackle some of these things...any of these things, yourself. You have no idea how cool that is to grease monkies like me.
Hang in there, @Kathy! We got your back!

 

[Flib]

Sounds like you experienced what most people don't account for, the realities of mechanic work. Removing three 22mm bolts sounds easy enough until you realize they have not been off in 10 years and there is no room to get the breaker bar in there (that was just an example by the way). Or you break off a bolt and need to know the tricks to remove it, or how to fix stripped threads etc.
All that comes with experience so just keep at it!

 

[Kathy]

Sounds like you experienced what most people don't account for, the realities of mechanic work. Removing three 22mm bolts sounds easy enough until you realize they have not been off in 10 years and there is no room to get the breaker bar in there (that was just an example by the way). Or you break off a bolt and need to know the tricks to remove it, or how to fix stripped threads etc.
All that comes with experience so just keep at it!

YES. And every step feels that way to me because I don’t know the basics. So then I text Dave and have to wait till he’s not busy at work to tell me the answer. Or like @Drizit said, go online to find the answer.which has been helpful. My saving grace is bit by bit I retain more and more and now know some tool basics. But my gosh, how many tools for different stuff is there? It’s seems like a conspiracy. Let’s make some new type of fastener so we then can sell the new tool to remove it . Lol. Example below.

It looks so simple. But nope. You need some special tool that looks like a screwdriver but isn’t and not sure where Dave’s are . Plus I can’t get anything in there longer than an inch due to the space I have. After what seemed like eternity using the head of of a detachable screwdriver and killing my hand I was able to loosen it just enough to think I could get it off. Nope. That waited for Dave to get home and of course he got it off in a couple minutes. He did agree it was a pain which helped a bit . Thanks for the support.

 

[Kathy]

@glwood is dead-on about your willingness to tackle some of these things...any of these things, yourself. You have no idea how cool that is to grease monkies like me.
Hang in there, @Kathy! We got your back!

Thank you . I really do like the feeling of being able to fix my own vehicles. I just wish the learning curve was shorter.

 

[Flib]

YES. And every step feels that way to me because I don’t know the basics. So then I text Dave and have to wait till he’s not busy at work to tell me the answer. Or like @Drizit said, go online to find the answer.which has been helpful. My saving grace is bit by bit I retain more and more and now know some tool basics. But my gosh, how many tools for different stuff is there? It’s seems like a conspiracy. Let’s make some new type of fastener so we then can sell the new tool to remove it . Lol. Example below.
View attachment 41107
It looks so simple. But nope. You need some special tool that looks like a screwdriver but isn’t and not sure where Dave’s are . Plus I can’t get anything in there longer than an inch due to the space I have. After what seemed like eternity using the head of of a detachable screwdriver and killing my hand I was able to loosen it just enough to think I could get it off. Nope. That waited for Dave to get home and of course he got it off in a couple minutes. He did agree it was a pain which helped a bit . Thanks for the support.

for those hose clamps, get your self a small 1/4 drive ratchet and use a socket, much easier than getting a screw driver on them. be careful not to strip them if using the socket to tighten them, very easy to over torque, just a little past snug will do.

 

[Kathy]

for those hose clamps, get your self a small 1/4 drive ratchet and use a socket, much easier than getting a screw driver on them. be careful not to strip them if using the socket to tighten them, very easy to over torque, just a little past snug will do.

Yes, that was one of the suggestions Dave had, but I didn’t know what a 1/4 drive ratchet was so thought my idea was better. Not so much. Thanks!

 

[Flib]

1/4 inch drive refers to the square that the socket attaches to. If you have a look at your ratchets you will notice the square parts are of different size (most likely, most people who wrench have an assortment). 3/8ths drive is your standard and most typical size, they also come in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" drive. 3/4" and 1" drives are more common when working on heavy equipment.

 

[Kathy]

1/4 inch drive refers to the square that the socket attaches to. If you have a look at your ratchets you will notice the square parts are of different size (most likely, most people who wrench have an assortment). 3/8ths drive is your standard and most typical size, they also come in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" drive. 3/4" and 1" drives are more common when working on heavy equipment.

View attachment 41109

Love it! Thank you. Now I know and can wrap my head around that. Problem is Dave has like 5 or more of each size and extensions and adapters and on and on, makes my head spin. I’m starting to get my own tools so I can know what and where they are.

 

[JMT]

I wish you the best on getting up the learning curve. And I really appreciate that you appreciate what you’re up against. See, here’s a woman who actually sees that we are doing something! But what you’re doing Kathy, is cool, and fun (when it all comes together!)

 

[Sancho]

My biggest sources of frustration:

1. Trying to get my meathooks in tight spaces, while putting a nut and bolt togethor... only to drop the tiny nut. Ex.. radiator housing nut and bolts.

2. Not so much the jeep.. but cheap Chinese screws and bolts getting stripped out, or rounded out. Ex... daughters Huffy bike, or futon from Walmart.

Breaks are good.. so is prayer.

Also.. I have to slow down and not "brute force" my way through everything.

 

[Sancho]

Delete... hit reply by accident.

 

[Drizit]

not "brute force" my way through everything.

However sometimes brute force and ignorance is the answer. Remember, if you can fix it with a hammer... You didn't use a big enough hammer.

All those sizes, adapters and extensions give you options to avoid smashing your knuckles off things, or sometimes let you get into tight spaces where you would otherwise have serious problems. Sometimes they let you cheat and reach a bolt you would otherwise have to remove another part to get to. Be creative with em.

Oh and gloves can be a life saver. Quality well fitting mechanics gloves will save your knuckles when the wrench slips... And. It will slip.

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.