Haynes or other manual?
10-23-2013, 07:16 PM
#1
Haynes or other manual?
I'm gonna be doing alot of work on the car in the next few months. I searched the forum a bit, and found little discussion about it. What kind of manuals do you all have? Whats your take on them? Easy to use? Which ones to stay away from?
10-24-2013, 03:00 AM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 552
I also have the Haynes manual but there is also this...
http://iihs.net/fsm/
P.S. I've found that simply googleing or looking for similar projects that you are going to do, in forums such as MF is often a better resource than the Haynes manual or Ford Service Manual. Pictures and accounts of personal experience is a great bonus.
http://iihs.net/fsm/
P.S. I've found that simply googleing or looking for similar projects that you are going to do, in forums such as MF is often a better resource than the Haynes manual or Ford Service Manual. Pictures and accounts of personal experience is a great bonus.
Last edited by Murphdog; 10-24-2013 at 03:03 AM.
10-24-2013, 05:27 AM
#4
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 355
I also have the Haynes manual but there is also this...
http://iihs.net/fsm/
P.S. I've found that simply googleing or looking for similar projects that you are going to do, in forums such as MF is often a better resource than the Haynes manual or Ford Service Manual. Pictures and accounts of personal experience is a great bonus.
http://iihs.net/fsm/
P.S. I've found that simply googleing or looking for similar projects that you are going to do, in forums such as MF is often a better resource than the Haynes manual or Ford Service Manual. Pictures and accounts of personal experience is a great bonus.
10-24-2013, 11:21 AM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: WV
Posts: 750
I'm on the fence about these manuals.
The Chiltons manual I got years ago for the Fox Mustang is awesome. I used it on my old '90 and on my Thunderbird a lot (because they were the same platform). I got a Haynes manual for my Thunderbird and I didn't like it.
However, the Chiltons I got for '87-96 F-series trucks just plain sucked. There were lots of things it didn't even cover, and complicated exploded parts diagrams (like the front suspension) that were shown at about the size of an index card. It was about worthless.
Anymore you're about as well off to just look stuff up online.
The Chiltons manual I got years ago for the Fox Mustang is awesome. I used it on my old '90 and on my Thunderbird a lot (because they were the same platform). I got a Haynes manual for my Thunderbird and I didn't like it.
However, the Chiltons I got for '87-96 F-series trucks just plain sucked. There were lots of things it didn't even cover, and complicated exploded parts diagrams (like the front suspension) that were shown at about the size of an index card. It was about worthless.
Anymore you're about as well off to just look stuff up online.
10-25-2013, 11:52 AM
#7
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 4,491
The Haynes manual is fine for most basic stuff. It will tell you how to get to what you need to get to for just about anything structural and a few things mechanical, but for the real tough jobs, it advises you to let an experienced mechanic handle it. (For example, it's not going to tell you how to rebuild your transmission.)
