Online Small engine course suggestions.

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

I’m new to small engines, but I’ve gotten into them a lot over the last month or so. I’m a stay at home dad, so my FIL suggested doing online courses in Small Engine Repair. I know not everyone here’s a hobbyist, so I’m hoping some one has a recommendation or two for online courses, both in regards to cost and quality. TIA

[ebinmaine 67,266]

 

I have learned Sooooo much here on Redsquare.

I'd be interested to see what the answers are as well.

 

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

9 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

I have learned Sooooo much here on Redsquare.

I'd be interested to see what the answers are as well.

 

I’ve learned a lot as well, but it would be nice to not have to run to the computer to figure out everything haha! Like I’d said in another post when I first joined Red Square “I know more than nothing but that’s about it” 😂😂

[Rob R 966]

In the New York, Putnam county area Boces has some great basic engine courses for minimal cost and they will get you going but in the end you really need to jut get the courage to dive into all aspects of engine repair up to and including rebuild. I had a friend who simply put out a sign wanted old not wanted small engines.... in a matter of weeks he had like 10 mowers and tractors. Started tinkering and taking them apart fast forward to today and he is a respected small engine repair guy...… just saying...… 

[WHNJ701 4,165]

over the years I picked some really good service manuals and basically taught myself.  one thing I tell people if they are interested in learning is find old engines even if they are incomplete or broke.  just take them apart and try to troubleshoot what happened to it.  unless you plan on setting up a machine shop it's the basics fuel snd spark.  biggest thing to learn is carb rebuilding.

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

@Rob R luckily, I just picked up a machine for that very purpose. Which, @jabelman, needs the carb rebuilt haha.

Im reading up on that now.  

Im not ashamed to admit that I learn best with step by step instruction. Part of why my FIL had mentioned it is because he’d been thinking about getting into it as a side business to fill time and make some extra cash, but I don’t think he thought I’d take the idea and run with it haha. I like the idea of going to work in my garage. 

[KC9KAS 4,741]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Cd9kKYXFakV7ChvU_rjKw

[953 nut 55,065]

If you read and comprehend all the information @prondzy has given us in this thread you will be on your way to success.

Many Vocational Schools and Community Colleges offed evening adult continuing education classes on small engines. You get to use the tools and determine what you will need to buy and what you can do without.

 

[ebinmaine 67,266]

3 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

If you read and comprehend all the information @prondzy has given us in this thread you will be on your way to success.

Many Vocational Schools and Community Colleges offed evening adult continuing education classes on small engines. You get to use the tools and determine what you will need to buy and what you can do without.

 

@Lengerich8  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

No joke...

THAT is your online course. Free of charge.

All the technical support you could possibly ever need.

Positive, helpful group and expert teaching staff.

 

Solved !!!!

 

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

Thanks fellas! I appreciate the help

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

 You might check YouTube on some videos as well I do know that Irestoretractors.com  has a lot of good videos and is very helpful on some things 

[oldredrider 2,548]

While YouTube does, occasionally, provides some education, I view the instructional videos to be mostly entertainment.

More often than not, the videos are posted by Jack Legs who think they know what they are talking about and don't cover all aspects of a repair or rebuild.

For a quick fix or simple "how to" perspective, I have learned a few tricks.

 

A hands on class at a local community college would be best...IMO.

[WHX?? 48,764]

23 minutes ago, oldredrider said:

A hands on class at a local community college would be best...IMO

Mine too, like a night course where mom might be home to watch the kids. Trouble is many CCs or tech colleges do not offer a hands on power mechanics course. Not enough interest  or "gear heads in the younger generation.. ..go figure...

[953 nut 55,065]

2 hours ago, WHX21 said:

Not enough interest  or "gear heads in the younger generation.. ..go figure...

When I was a kid you could work on a car with hand tools, now all the kids can do is put in a new computer chip.   We gear heads are an endangered species!               

[Pullstart 62,783]

On 10/28/2018 at 3:55 PM, Lengerich8 said:

I’ve learned a lot as well, but it would be nice to not have to run to the computer to figure out everything haha! Like I’d said in another post when I first joined Red Square “I know more than nothing but that’s about it” 😂😂

 

I know most of what I tell you!  

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

@The Tool Crib, YouTube actually helped me earlier today with my Snappers Carb lol

@oldredrider, @WHX21, that’s a good point as well. 

@pullstart, I’d sure hope so! 😂

 

While im still kicking around the schooling idea, I found a book I’m going to order in the morning that I think will get me started. It’s a Chilton manual on small engines up to 20 horses made by B&S, Kholer, Kawasaki, and Techumseh. I think, for the time being, that will get me through. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by Lengerich8

[r356c 375]

Compression, spark and fuel. 

Pick your favorite subject and work outwards from there. 

[Pullstart 62,783]

3 hours ago, r356c said:

Compression, spark and fuel. 

Pick your favorite subject and work outwards from there. 

 

The four stroke cycles as my shop teacher taught me, are suck, squeeze, bang, blow.  Give ‘er some fuel and a source of ignition and hope it pulled in enough air to blow it all up and you’ve got an engine!  

[Howie 886]

Here are three I found; eVoc Learning, Penn Foster Career School, and Stratford Career Institute. When I was just out of high school I started one

with Lincoln Technical. Belsaw used to have one, father-in-law took it when he retired.

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

17 hours ago, Howie said:

Here are three I found; eVoc Learning, Penn Foster Career School, and Stratford Career Institute. When I was just out of high school I started one

with Lincoln Technical. Belsaw used to have one, father-in-law took it when he retired.

Stratford career Institute is where I was leaning. I remember going with my dad to a Lincoln Texh class, a buddy of his was going through it and he needed something done to his truck, so we took it over there for the class to work on it. 

This is the same truck my Cub Scout Troop rotated the tires on and changed the brake pads on 😂😂. Dad fixed his own stuff most of the time, but that truck always had something wrong with it, old 84 Nissan King Cab haha b

[r356c 375]

Undoubtedly, my favorite ballad to the mysteries of the internal combustion engine.

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

On 11/4/2018 at 1:50 AM, r356c said:

Undoubtedly, my favorite ballad to the mysteries of the internal combustion engine.

That’s a good one😂

i was taking a drag off my smoke when I hit the link and bounced my cigar off the back of my throat from sucking it in laughing 😂🤣

[bc.gold 3,403]

Check out a few of the local small engine repair shops and dealers in your neighborhood to see what brands they're selling. then focus on those engines and brands. You can purchase repair manuals directly from the manufacture or settle for generic literature such as that published by Chilton's or Haynes.

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by bcgold