Car Maintenance/Repair

[arctic]

Well, I finally replaced my car with a Civic Hybrid for the gas mileage. Anyways, I have decided to keep my old car though, a 1998 Chevy Malibu 3.1L V6. I hope to turn this car into my project both for fun and education. Anyways, I am completely lost when it comes to servicing cars. I know all the physics about the parts of a car, but I have never actually serviced/replaced anything in my life. So what I am looking for is advice on how to get information on what I am doing.

I already have purchased the GM Service Manual for my specific car, but I also think I need a book to go along with the service manual to help explain what I am doing. I am not worried about equipment costs or anything of that sort since I have access to a friend’s garage that from what I can tell has almost everything I could ever need. So what I need is recommendations for book/books that explain everything about servicing/repairing a car.

What I need this book to cover is some of the following:

- Simple Things like changing the oil, oil filter, spark plugs (which I still haven't figured out how to access the back three easily), spark plugs wires, and things like that.

I also want it to cover:
-Tuning the Suspension (replacing shocks and struts)
-Replacing the brakes (disc brakes, drum brakes, and even the master cylinder)
-Changing the Tires
-Replacing the Alternator
-Replacing the Water Pump
-Replacing the Fuel Pump
-Checking Every Fluid Imaginable
-Replacing the Muffler/Cat
-Replacing the Starter
-Replacing the Air Filtration System (such as adding a K/N, not just changing the filter)
-Replacing/Checking Radiator Hoses, Brakes Lines, ect.
-Recharging/Checking/Replacing all parts of the A/C (mine hasn't worked for three years, so I'm thinking I may fix that if possible)

I would also like to have material on rebuilding both the engine and the transmission.

I realize this is a lot to cover and I will probably need a dozen books to cover all this, but if you guys can recommend anything that would be great. Also, I realize this is going to end up being a long project (years in fact), but that is okay, I'm just doing it so when all is said and done I will actually know what I'm doing.

I know I am an amateur, but this is really just for educational purposes. If I end up destroying the car so be it, so please give me any recommendations you have I am just trying to learn as much as I can.

I would also like to learn about painting the car, doing work on the frame (taking care of any rust spots and such) so any recommendations there would also be helpful.

Thank you for any help you provide.

[DanD]

I wish I had an avenue for to that kind of library but most of the things you mentioned are in the manual that you say you have. The things that are not covered, experience is where you lean that from. I’m not saying books like what you want are not being published by someone but who I don’t know.
Dan.

[re-tired]

considering what you want to learn and lack of knowledge on the subject (hey-at least you admit it) i would suggest evening classes at your local jr college or vo tech school. They have courses on basic auto mechanics and up. usally you end up with a lot of tech books to boot.