A few weeks ago, I wrote about knowing how to change a tire and change your oil but that isn’t all the mechanical knowledge you might need on a homestead. It really helps if you also have a basic understanding of how an engine works.

You could just call up a mechanic or get a tow truck to haul your vehicle, truck, tractor, etc. down to the shop. If you know how to do some basic repairs, you won’t have to spend the money on the mechanic or the tow truck and you’ll save yourself the downtime too.

Sure, you might not get to sit on the recliner and tell your wife that you can’t finish the chores that she wants to be done because the tractor is broken but you can fix that tractor, get those chores done, and have the satisfaction that you just saved your family both time and money.

I started my interest in engines, cars, and other mechanical things when I was just a little girl. My father was a mechanic and he loved Volkswagons. I spent a lot of my time in the garage helping him fix up his cars. I learned about voltage regulators, carburetors, air intake, exhaust systems, and much more.

It’s a lot of information to learn but you can begin to learn it before you even move out onto your homestead. I’m not about to give all that to you in just one blog post but what I am going to do is point you in the direction of that information. The best place to use the information you learn is on your own vehicle.

For this reason, I love older model trucks. I especially have a soft spot for diesel vehicles. Older vehicles are just tougher and easier to work on. There is much more room to work in. Newer cars require you to remove things like intake manifolds just to get to the spark plugs. A job that should take less than 30 minutes now takes more like 2 hours!

You know who charges by the hour?

Mechanics.

Tell us about a repair you did yourself no matter how simple. How did it go?