O.T. Rant - Chilton manuals

[Ross]

Had to bitch about this as I know I'm not alone and perhaps will save someone from wasting their hard earned cash.
Has anyone ever gotten any useful information from a Chilton's repair manual??
I know better than to use these for anything automotive but needed snowmobile info and went to the public library in search of answers. All they had was a Chilton repair manual.
Most worthless bunch of crap I've seen in a while. Absolutely no diagnostic information of any merit to anyone who can tell a spark plug from a gas cap.
Page after worthless page of how to store shop rags or riding apparel choices. Really!
Hot tips like checking resistance in certain components but no specs given.
I don't know a ****ing thing about two stroke motors or snowmobiles, and still don't.
These books make a Haynes manual look like factory stuff.
So, unless you are a complete friggin' idiot, in which case leave the service to the pros, don't ever waste your time with one of these awful wastes of paper and ink.
Thank you, I'm better now.

[Dave M]

Glad you got that off your chest ;)

First. Snowmachines are meant to be repaired without a manual, after a significant number of alcoholic beverages.

Second. I have the Bentley, the Haynes and the Chiltons for the e34. While few would disagree that Bentley is best, the Haynes does have nice pretty pictures and half-decent body/trim type 'stuff'. The only saving grace for the Chiltons is the information on bottom end repair (not hemorrhoids), which is an area that Bentley falls short.

Dave

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

started more fires with these volumes of toilet paper.

[Ross]

You have tipped your hand dear Dave. Sounds like you have carnal knowledge of said conveyances. Thunder Bay in your profile seals it!
Care to help? Old Kaw, no sparky.

[DaveVoorhis]

Has anyone ever gotten any useful information from a Chilton's repair manual?
Yes! I learned that they are...


... awful wastes of paper and ink.
Exactly.

[632 Regal]

I learned about the chiltons back in the late 70s, they were oil soak items back then too...they are so bad that they wont burn unless you presoak them in oil too.

[Ross]

Hey, are you the astronaut the the astronaut chick in pampers is in trouble over?

[KenB]

Hey, are you the astronaut the the astronaut chick in pampers is in trouble over?

LOL...Houston, we have a problem...;)

[brick8]

Glad you got that off your chest ;)

First. Snowmachines are meant to be repaired without a manual, after a significant number of alcoholic beverages.


Second. I have the Bentley, the Haynes and the Chiltons for the e34. While few would disagree that Bentley is best, the Haynes does have nice pretty pictures and half-decent body/trim type 'stuff'. The only saving grace for the Chiltons is the information on bottom end repair (not hemorrhoids), which is an area that Bentley falls short.

Dave

The Clymer's manual for my 1989 Polaris is about 560 pages. When you are out in the middle of nowhere and it is 10 below it is nice to know that you fixed it right. I also have the Bentley and Haynes manuals for the e34. The Bentley is very good and the Haynes less good. Chilton's have always been kind of useless and lately they have gotten worse, IMHO

[Bill R.]

manuals are pretty good, they have info in them that i haven't found anywhere else.

[jbourke]

Has anyone ever gotten any useful information from a Chilton's repair manual??

The Chilton manual for my (sadly gone) '72 Buick is way better than the E34 Bentley I have to say ...

[Ross]

Yeah the pro books are better (but inferior to Motor), too bad nothing seems to filter down to the "civilian" volumes.

[Hector]

Chilton manuals as long as I have the dealer service manual (for my Mazda)and the Bently manual for the M30. I find that whatever information/illustrations are missing from the Chilton is found in the service/Bently manual and vice versa. They compliment each other, and the combined information from both sides has bailed me out on several occasions.