How to learn car engine repairs like timing chains and flywheels
Complex car repairs require hands-on instruction and guidance from an experienced mechanic, which leads some people to offer to pay a professional to teach them in person. Without direct expert help, DIYers get stuck on unexpected mechanical damage like milled locating pins and flattened dowels, leaving them unsure whether parts need to be drilled out or professionally repaired.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Trying to find a local mechanic or person willing to teach the repair process for payDid this help you?
- 2Pushing off the ring gear to expose the back sides of the holesDid this help you?
- 3Putting the flywheel in a BBQ to heat it up so components might fall offDid this help you?
- 4turning the engine over manually by hand twiceDid this help you?
- 5checking the damper notch alignment against the timing cover arrowDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I want to do it myself or learn I will pay well for someone to teach me and even bring any tools needed.”source ↗
“turns out, when a previous owner had the flywheel milled the dowels got milled alongside them? each of the three locating pins are flattened and i can see the little ring where they are.”source ↗
“so am i looking at taking it back to get the pins drilled out?”source ↗
“Is rotating two full rotations necessary after head cleaning?”source ↗
“You're good but always rotate it by hand twice, that's the only way to be sure nothing is touching inside”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Camshaft timing off by half a tooth after rotating engine
- 9Why is my engine pulley wobbling and making a grinding noise?
- 15How to tell if a worn timing belt actually needs replacing
- 12Did my timing belt slip or did I mess up the install?
- 3Can't get the serpentine belt back on the alternator pulley
- 3How long before an engine fails with worn cam lobes?