Thread: Master or muppet

How does the moderator decide who gets promoted?
The moderator recently changed my rating to “master”. If he had watched me changing my TD5 oil filters this week, he would have rated me as “muppet”. It went like my home maintenance projects usually do, from bad, to frustrated, to angry… with myself. First the oil filter: finally find the right sized spanner and skin knuckles removing the sump plug. Drop the plug into the tray with the rest of the hot oil. This is OK, I always skin my knuckles and drop the plug. Next the filter. What? There are 2 of them? And one is hidden under the acoustic cover and the other hidden behind a searing hot turbine? Just brilliant design work. Anyway, one of my many oil filter tools gets the old one off and, just to ensure that the engine block does not rust, the thoughtful Rover engineers ensured that, to get it away from the car, I have to tip it over and spill the contents. Needless to say the new one does not go in the same way the old one came out. Is it just me that seems to forget, in the space of 10 seconds, the exact path followed to remove the old part? Or is it Murphy’s law that the new part cannot go in the same way the old one came out? Next the centrifugal filter. The acoustic cover came off easily and so did both the 8mm bolts holding the cover. Too easily. And one of them was much longer than the other. Hmmm. Now to replace the cover but I notice that the O ring has a big nick in it. Is this why there is oil all over the left side of the motor? I really want to use the car tomorrow but the discovery of the nicked O ring is at 9 o’clock at night. Living in a little country town means 2 or 3 days before I can source a new O ring. Finaly time to bolt the centrifugal filter cover back down. 1 bolt in. Second, longer, bolt goes in but feels a bit squishy. Of course it is stripped. It feels sort of tight….ish. Maybe I could just leave it? Nah; bad idea, better sort it properly. This might be why there is oil all over the left side of the motor.
I will not describe the fiasco in replacing an engine mounting and the gaskets on the bypass oil pipe. That involved replacing the radiator overflow hose.
Finally time to top up the oil. I have a nice 10 litre drum with a tap. Only problem is that it only has 4 litres in it. And I only find out after 8 at night. Ah well, before I go to bed, I’ll just pour the old oil into a couple of bottles for proper disposal. Set up the empty bottle with funnel precariously perched on top of it, sit in front of it to hold it with my feet, and start tipping old oil from the drip tray into the funnel. Funnel fills up, flops over, drops out of the bottle and into my lap. Surely I could have forseen this? After all, I have had the same messy debacle before. But noooo, Something made me think that this time would be fine, I would not make an unholy mess in the driveway and ruin another pair of trousers.
PS: it is all back together and running without oil leaks so far (at least 24 hours).
Moderator: I really am only a muppet sometimes.

Originally Posted by Bradtot

Hey Bilbo I did the same thing yesterday with my newly aquired Disco TD5 .
Oil filters ..who the hell put them there?
Give me a V8 anyday much easier.
I did mange to do it all and all is leakfree but what a easy job..NOT.
I got a new oring in the box with my rotofilter did you not get one?
I also spilt the old oil while transfering into a container for disposal.
The oil container I used to catch the oil is one of those round ones that has a lip to help pour the oil out, but if u tip it to fast it overlows around the edges as there is not really a spout!
Also it only holds 8 litres so it was full when I drained the oil. Carefully sliding it out from under the car you cant help but spill some as its too full.
So even though you want to be clean about it all YOU CANT!!
Bloody deisel oil stains the driveway as well so I found out
Gimme a V8
Brad

Yes, I learned a while back that these oil pans from the auto shops are useless. I cut down an old square plastic bin that easily holds the quantity of used oil and having rounded corners it makes poring the old oil into the disposal container a breeze. A funnel with filter traps the drain plug and all is good with the world.

I've even got used to the crappy oil filter placement and now that I've moved my second battery to the rear, it's even easier to get to. With an aux battery tray in place it's a real bastard!

Cheers,

Franz