Check your local community college- many have evening adult education classes. A good book that I reccomend to any friends who are clueless about their cars (but want to learn) is "Auto Mechanics for Dummies." (seriously, no offense intended.) I have been around engines since I was a wee lad. I was always with my father and helping him out whether it was riding with him in is F Model Mack tractors making deliveries, or operating light and heavy duty tow trucks at nights and weekends, or riding on firetrucks. I was always with him helping out handing him wrenches, slinging chains, or just plain watching. Sometimes dad would let me turn wrenches under his supervision. I remember to this day him teaching me dwell and timing and how to use a timing light. When I was about 12 or 13, I started taking apart lawn mower engines using Dad's tools. That came to a sudden halt one day when he found a wrench in a puddle of water. After a severe talking to (him talking to me LOL) he dragged me over to Sears and bought me one of those 150-piece Craftsman basic sets. Advised me to "never, ever ever buy a cheap tool made anywhere but the USA. And if you loose any of these, dont come crying to me. You have more respect for your tools when they are your own." After that his box was locked from that moment on. I continued to take apart lawn mowers and put them back together. And when I say take apart, I mean all the way down to the bare block. I wanted Briggs and Stratton Service manuals, so Dad took me to a local B & S shop, and the guy behind the counter (who was also an auto-shop teacher at the local technical school) gave me one off the shelf and wouldnt take any of my Dad's money. I read that book front to back and learned even more than when I was just taking apart and putting back together. Then I had ambitions for something bigger and better. Thats when Dad got an old Crosley 4-cyl engine from a guy who had it in a boat. Learned all about multi-cylinder timing and fuel intake. Learned about overhead valve trains. Learned about mechanical governors. We ran the tow trucks for a family who had a service station in town, one of the last, true full-service pump your gas, check your tires/oil/etc and wash your windows service stations. I started working for them when I was 14 on weekends. Then when I got my license worked at nights and weekends. When I turned 18 and had 2 years of driving under my belt, started running the tow trucks. Eventually got a 69 Mustang Grande Coupe with a 250 6-cyl and a 3-speed. Wanted more CID just like any other 17 year old kid, so I got a hold of a 302 which needed a full rebuild. Dad and I spent a lot of hours on that engine. Still have the engine, too. The car eventually failed inspection due to too much rot and I didnt have the $$ to fix her. All throughout my life I have had a thirst for books. I have all kinds of books all over the place, including many many automotive and heavy truck books. Books are your friend. Do like I did- start simple and take apart an old lawnmower. See how it works, and just use your imagination and figure out how it translates into 4-6 or 8 cylinder engines. As far as fuel injection and computers and all these modern fuel system do-hickies, I am lost when I open the hood on my 2008 Chevy Silverado. So you are on your own!!!!!