Saturday, February 18, 2012

Strangely Unfamiliar - First Oil Change

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming. When I first bought the car I checked the oil level and color. It had plenty of oil, but it looked new, though that told me nothing about the condition of the engine. After a month or so of owning the car and seeing regular but not extreme evidence of oil drips I figured it would be smart to check the oil level again. To my horror I discovered I was already low on oil, and the oil was already looking "used".  At this point I might have put a few hundred miles at most on the car. I suppose the previous owner could have just topped up on oil without changing the filter, so it was time to tackle the first oil change.

Like no oil filter I've ever seen...

Now, this is the one piece of car maintenance that I had the most experience with.  My first two or three cars I routinely changed my own oil until I found that the newer ultra-reliable Japanese cars I was buying required your arm to have two elbows to contort sufficiently through the jigsaw puzzle engine to get the oil filter out. At that point I left the oil changes to the "experts" who had power tools and lifts for better access (and began regularly abusing cars by skipping oil changes when I got busy).

Unfortunately this was like no oil change I'd ever seen.  Apparently the invention of the standard spin on type oil filter most of us are familiar with did not occur until the mid-50s and hadn't yet made it to the MG. My car has a permanent metal canister that holds a replaceable felt or paper filter. Less convenient, but still didn't seem like a big deal.  And as you can predict by now I kind of like the uniqueness factor.

I ordered a filter and a spare from Moss Motors and they arrived the next day (they ship from Richmond, so I get next day delivery for standard Ground prices).  I researched oil options and took Barney "MGA Guru" Gaylord's advice to get the cheapest 10W40 oil I could find and not worry about it. Oil Trivia - did you know the "W" stands for Winter and the first number tells you the equivalent weight that the oil behaves as when it's cold? Standard weight oil (which you can hardly buy anymore) would be so thick in cold weather that it was hard to get the car running so people had to change oil weight/thickness/viscosity with the seasons. I looked up in my show manual how much oil my engine needs to fill back up from empty, and I was ready to go (or so I thought).

The scene of the crime. Just on the other side of the black
drain pan it looked like the Exxon Valdez disaster.
I warmed the car up to help the oil drain faster, shut the engine off and jacked the car up onto sturdy stands under the front suspension.  I placed the plastic drain pail under the drain plug carefully so that the final drips would just land on the close end of the opening and the first flow should have plenty of room to form its nice graceful arc from the drain plug. This wasn't my first time at the rodeo. I put my wrench on the drain plug, and used a short length of pipe to give a little extra persuasion. The plug loosened up nicely I spun it the rest of the way off by hand. Unfortunately, the oil shot just past the edge of the drain pail and I soaked the floor in dirty engine oil until I shifted the pan.  First the Exxon Valdez, then the spill in the Gulf, now this. Oh well, put some cardboard on the floor and get on with it.

To be continued...

5 comments:

  1. I immediately ordered a spin on oil filter adapter for my car - so much easier using the modern filters! To use the adapter I had to chase the threads up in the engine first, but no problems in use at all. Keep the blog posts coming! JIM in NH

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  2. Looks like your filter made it onto the underside of this contraption: http://wondermark.com/799/

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  3. You sound like a professional! I guess you have been dealing with these kinds of problems on a regular basis. Well, I commend you for taking the time to know about car repairs and replacement. It surely helps you to do your own repairs and replacement. I’m certain that this vehicle is already running smoothly on the road. Thanks to your DIY job!


    Michelina Douglass

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  4. You need to take into consideration the type of oil, since oil heats up and changes its viscosity through running engines.10W40 oil is recommended when having problems with engine leaks because it provides more protection and escape slowly through wears. For first timers, these are the tools that you must have when changing oil: a ratchet, oil filter wrench, recycle container, funnel, new oil filter, new oil and a clean rags.


    Patrick Montgomery

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  5. You clearly know how to handle cars by the way you changed the oil. It is great that you maintain your own car, as this can certainly save you money compared to hiring someone to do the job. But, like what you said, some engines are not that easy to handle. So, it would still be better if the task will be carried out by professionals from a reputable dealership. Otherwise, you may risk damaging your car, which will certainly be costly.


    @Timmy Radloff

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