Hey Captain...good to hear!..i am also glad to hear you are taking a part in learning a little about the way this stuff works..
NOTHING WRONG IN BEING A DRIVER EITHER...but i think as you do a little more and a little more you will get as much if not more pleasure out of tunning as well as driving..its a good package deal for me anyhow..
You don't have to be a motor builder to tune these things....if i had to give any person advise on starting out with tunning age 15 to 100...here it is
1- Don't be scared of it...
2- Know the basics of what makes an engine run
FUEL
FIRE
AIR
Most all of your trouble shooting problems will fall in 1 of the 3 categorys
(your last problem invloved a fuel issue)
3- Listen to people but don't beleive or try everything someone tells
you..take bits and pieces of what you read and hear and apply it to your hands on experience....
MAGAZINE MECHANICS normally do not fair too well in real life..ONLY ON FORUMS !!!!...lol...
Only thing left to do is DO IT !
Brian