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re: What are some of the biggest mechanical jobs you did at home?

Posted on 7/17/25 at 6:19 am to
Posted by tigeraddict
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
14319 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 6:19 am to
Changed gas water heater in attic
Changed gas range
Changed wall oven
Added a gas drop for dryer in utility room
Changes power steering pump on wife’s car
Replaced water level sensor on washer
Replaced igniter and gas valve on dryer

That was in last 3 years since moving into current house.

(Disclaimer: I was a licensed plumber in college and my dad was a mechanic offshore so I was raised under the hood or in an appliance)
Posted by ChineseBandit58
Pearland, TX
Member since Aug 2005
47751 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 6:44 am to
Restored a 3-story (+basement & attic) >100 yr old house in 2000-2003. Aside from the carpentry, I also totally replaced the wiring and the plumbing, from the meter thru-out the house. Also hired a company to re-level the foundation - large portion had rotted away to the extent that the north side of the house was had to be raised about 5 inches - (could have gone another inch but the interior walls began severely cracking - and since walls were all lath and plaster that was a "bridge too far" to replace - had to live with it.)

The original home was on the National Registry of Historic Homes, but had been allowed to deteriorate for the past 50-60 years - Leaks had been allowed to rot out the flooring and north side of foundation to the extent there was a 5 ft. diameter hole from the attic all the way to the bottom of the basement == had to hire a contractor to replace the flooring thruout - was way too big a job for me to attempt. Ditto with roofing - total replacement and contracted that out also.

Everything else I did myself - I did hire a skilled carpenter for some detailed work (rebuilding window frames for instance) and two "step & fetchit" assistants. Took three full years ===> happy retirement!!!!

When I got done, the wife decided I had too much idle time on my hands so she suggested I go volunteer to substitute teach al local high school. (We had retired from careers at NASA and a photography business in Texas to go back to our home town)

My substitute role soon turned into permanent job as math teacher - spent 10 years full time & finally retired for good in 2013 as Dept Head.

Posted by Gorilla Ball
Az
Member since Feb 2006
12762 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:14 am to
Installed a motorized screen
Hired a electrician to hardwire the unit
Posted by LSUDad
Still on the move
Member since May 2004
61729 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:19 am to
Built homes, too many things to list. One house I did for my sister, we poured the slab, in 46 days, got the final inspection and she moved in.

Use to build and flip houses.

Was a machinist in my younger years. We did autos, motorcycles and boats. So we did a bunch of race products.

This post was edited on 7/17/25 at 7:21 am
Posted by Tempratt
Member since Oct 2013
14871 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:22 am to
Replace light switches.
Install toilet valves
Swapping out water pump on washing machine for my mom.
Changing elements in oven.
Posted by Metariemobtiger
Mobile
Member since Aug 2019
578 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:26 am to
Where to start..
I’ve sawn up most of all the lumber used to frame my chicken coop, pole barn and shop, then built them pretty much by myself. Had to use a crane to lift my trusses I made. Working on an addition to it now for my paint booth.
Ran all the electrical in it as well.
I can do basic plumbing and automotive work(going to change my blend door actuator on my truck today)

I actually worry about people that have to call someone to do the most mundane tasks around the house ..
be a man and figure it out.
Posted by lowhound
Effie
Member since Aug 2014
9476 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:29 am to
Replaced a dishwasher, fixed the dryer, plumbed a few sinks and toilets that were replaced. Replaced many light fixtures with either ceiling fans or LED fixtures. Patched two holes in the ceiling because I obviously didn't learn the first time, and I hate sheetrock work. Built fences and gates. Ran a 220 outlet onto my back porch and added a breaker for it in my electrical panel. Car wise, biggest thing was replacing an alternator or the radiator thermostat.
This post was edited on 7/17/25 at 7:37 am
Posted by Steadyhands
Slightly above I-10
Member since May 2016
7112 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:31 am to
I am a jack of all trades, mostly. I do 100% of residential electrical, plumbing, etc. Have built and more so, remodeled more houses than I can remember. The only thing I don’t work on too much of is the hvac systems, which I could probably figure out if I wanted too.
Outside of the home, I have done just about every repair that can be done to a vehicle and smaller equipment like mowers/tractors, including engine and tranny swaps, not including engine and tranny rebuilds though. If something needs to be done, I figure it out and very rarely call someone else, unless it's a reasonable price and/or I don’t have the time.
It amazes me how little some people know and how simple some people's lives are.
Posted by XenScott
Pensacola
Member since Oct 2016
3936 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:32 am to
My first house, I framed it. Also hung the doors and windows, and did the interior trim.
Posted by Steadyhands
Slightly above I-10
Member since May 2016
7112 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:33 am to
quote:

and automotive work(going to change my blend door actuator on my truck today)


You drive an older chevy truck?
Posted by Metariemobtiger
Mobile
Member since Aug 2019
578 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:54 am to
2012 Silverado 2500 6.0
Posted by SingleMalt1973
Member since Feb 2022
21697 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 7:59 am to
Replace a coach light, pole and all concreted into,the ground. This spring I took dryer apart was making an awful noise. Ordered belt and rollers from Amazon for $30 and replaced. App,i ace company wanted to charge $299 for it. Took about an hour.
Posted by Babewinkelman
Member since Jan 2015
1411 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 8:01 am to
I screened a porch me
Posted by scott8811
Ratchet City, LA
Member since Oct 2014
12988 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 8:10 am to
Honestly.... work on my son's ride on truck. A fuse went out but it was built ti where they couldn't be replaced...but see I only figured out the fuse was the issue after getting new drive motors. We'll the drive motors I got were accidentally too powerful for the battery and easily drained it so I switched a 12v to 24v but the realized that the motors were too powerful in general...sent my then 2 year old flying at speeds thats scared the shite out of him... so I found some lower speed drive motors but we're wired a bit different than the old ones which I found to be incompatible with the reciever....which of course I replaced.

By the time I was done the only think left that was stock was the acceleration pedal.... which my son after running into a wall pressed down and spun the tires until he burned the new motors out to a crisp..... yea
Posted by Potchafa
Avoyelles
Member since Jul 2016
4140 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 8:49 am to
- Replaced the dishwasher. Never ever ever again.
- Ran all my own electrical to the outdoor chimney pavillion. Did not terminate though. Had an electrician do that.

I'm pretty handy. But I can afford to pay people to do it right now days!
Posted by HeadSlash
TEAM LIVE BADASS - St. GEORGE
Member since Aug 2006
54549 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 8:59 am to
Built my first house with my step father's help
Posted by CaptainsWafer
TD Platinum Member
Member since Feb 2006
59032 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 9:04 am to
Bunch of things already listed here but the most recent one was replacing the marker bulbs in my wife’s (no pics) 4Runner.

Had to take off the front bumper and grille and half of the bolts for the fender liners to be able to get the headlights out to change the bulbs.
Posted by Fachie
Magnolia
Member since Mar 2017
525 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 9:27 am to
LS Swap a Jeep TJ.
LS Swap a Volvo wagon.
Did not do the wiring on either.
Super Duty axle swap on a new JL with a 3 link front and 4 link rear.
Various crossmember and fab work on Jeeps and Toyotas.
Rebuild a Cummins out of a 96 12 valve I had.
Posted by saintsfan1977
Arkansas, from Cajun country
Member since Jun 2010
9819 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 9:29 am to
Rebuilt a v6 in an S10 in the early 2000s.

Changed numerous transmissions out.
Water pumps

Swapped engines.

I wouldn't mind it as a hobby but to have to work on shite, no. I don't have the patience to be a mechanic.
This post was edited on 7/17/25 at 9:32 am
Posted by Nursie21
Member since Nov 2018
219 posts
Posted on 7/17/25 at 9:40 am to
Replaced the brushes in my golf cart electric motor.
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