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MG MGA - What I learned in Twin Cam School today

Now that I was sure I had the correct amount in the sump, it was time for everyone’s favorite chore...changing the cartridge in the hanging canister. Jack up car, get 'er on the stands, remove wheels, remove access panel. Get out the 5/8" and turn the large center bolt 1/4 turn at a time till finally, it lets go from the block. Now I needed to maneuver an oil filled container like a blacksmith's bar room puzzle, between the frame and the starter motor for extraction. After a few different positions with oil pouring everywhere and finally realizing that the bolt had to be shoved all the way back up, the oil soaked mess departed the car. The adapter for hanging filter stays behind, of course; attached via hard piping to the rear of the block. YD3 818 didn't come with an oil cooler so there's just the round aluminum adapter head, and a 1 1/8 banjo bolt and connection braised onto the feed pipe.

I noticed before the removal process began, that there was a small oil leak coming from behind the canister. "Ah ha!" I said to myself. "A chance to fix another leak." Knowing I personally had never changed the rubber o-ring gasket up in the block, I had decided it was going to get done today. But the darn adapter head would not budge due to the rather large, hard pipe keeping it in place. No big deal, I'll just remove the banjo bolt and drop the adapter head out of the way. I got out my big wrenches and just as I put force on the banjo, a small fleck of intelligence fell my way. "Stop!!! You'll break the braising on the pipe" And I put my big wrench down. I tried slowly bending the pipe away from the union and finally, the adapter head was ajar from the block. Enough so that I could get a small pick up where it needed to be. I picked and picked and picked and picked...for at least twenty minutes and finally gave up. The old o-ring was just too hardened to the block...comfortable in its home for the last 7000 miles since restoration. "I'll just stick a new o-ring on top the old one...damm I'm good!" Or so I deluded. I fiddled with the new ring for another 10 minutes wishing I had baby fingers and three hands. At last, I admitted aloud what I had figured out early on. It all had to go back together as only with the center bolt tightened fully and the canister itself back in place would there be sufficient support to wrench the large banjo bolt off without damaging the fitting.

But now the adapter head and pipe are slightly bent and the canister won't go back into place anyhow. I contemplated even dropping the starter for better access when finally I remembered my earlier lesson. Center bolt in first, thru the canister--all the way up and in. Presto, the canister is in place and pipe rebent enough for the center bolt to catch. Tighten everything back up. The banjo bolt now pops right off, taking care to catch the brass washer on each side of it. Now I get to start all over again by doing step one! Remove center bolt and drop canister. The usual 1/4 turn at a time and struggle to get the canister out is next and viola! The adapter head drops to the floor spattering oil right where I needed to work next. No biggie, by this point I'm filthy anyway and a quick wipe up and I'm under the car ready to attack the errant o-ring. Pick, pick, pick again but it still wont budge. "Enough!" I shouted aloud. I went for the pointed Exacto in the top drawer of the tool chest. Back under the car, I sliced on it for another 5 minutes or so and finally, it was relived of its home. Doesn't take much from here to finish. Stick new o-ring against the block. Wash out the canister, reassemble the inner pieces along with a fresh cartridge and second o-ring. I hung the canister first--loosely, as the banjo bolt--with brass washers on both sides--had to also be aligned.
A quick alternation between the banjo bolt and the center bolt to snug, and I was finished! Turn the engine over with key off to fill the canister and to check for leaks. There were none. Fire up the car to check for leaks under pressure. "Its hard to be humble..." I sang to myself at the perfection of my leak free work. Ok, we're coming to the end...replace access panels, replace road wheel and jack up the car to remove stands. Lower car, final tightening of the wheel. Total time expended to change oil filter: 2.5 hours!! And a set of pants and my new MGB Experience T-shirt. I guess an M.G. T shirt should have oil stains on it.

If this car wasn't so darn good looking and such a pure joy to drive none of this nutty work would be worth it...but it is...

Remember...Loosen that banjo bolt first and shove that center bolt back up when loosened!

Safety Fast!

Paul
Paul Hanley

Paul, if you take a small flat bladed screwdriver that has a tip about the width of the O ring and give it a tap lightly with a hammer against the old hardened O ring, you'll cut it and be able to use the screwdriver to lever it out quite easily.

And if you fit an oil cooler, you won't have to fiddle about with the external oil pipe.....;-)
Bill Spohn

Hi Paul. Given the nature of your post, I thought it would be apropriate to include a poem I wrote some time ago, regarding this very topic. Remember, the oily boid gets the woim! lol Glenn



MGA Oil Filter HELL

With more apologies to REAL Poets


Changing the oil filter on an MGA
Can sometimes take the best of a day

Silly filter hanging down
Need to be careful one does not drown

Loosen the bolt that holds all in place
It then becomes a hurried race

To move away before the oil
Which is almost at a burning boil

Runs down your arm and into your shirt
Ouch, damn, darn, that really hurt!

Draining oil missed the pan
Mess on garage floor, man oh man

Soak up mess with kitty litter
Now I’m just a little bitter

Need some parts to finish job
Go change clothes so not a slob

Need new element for filter cannister
Run to parts store like Roger Bannister

Come back home after getting stuff
I’m tuckered now and feeling rough

Time to reassemble the damn oil filter
The boys at Morris, they really built her

Feed pipes, washers, and other bits
Can sometimes give you awful fits

Getting all the parts correctly in line
Can sometimes take a lot of time

Pry hard o-ring seal out of the block
Be sure to replace or engine will knock!

Be negligent and forget just one seal
And you the owner will surely squeal

As oil pumps out, squirtin
Your pocketbook really hurtin

My oil filter woes are now all gone
Cause I converted to a simple spin on!

Written by Glenn Hedrich

glennsmga@operamail.com
Glenn

And now I know why I have a spin-on filter adapter - originality be damned!
Joe Cook

I am with Joe. When the oil dumped on the garage floor the second, off and into the trash can went the original filter set up. I ordered the Moss spin on within the hour. Spin on works great. I generally don't like aftermarket stuff but the original filter set up is awful. IMHO
Bill Haglan

There's also a serious improvement in the filtering performance of a spin on filter, leaving aside the other convenience factors
dominic

Some of the new filters have magnets in them to enhance the capture of material, like the magnetic drain plugs which are great too.

Also I've seen these heat sync's available too, which would be great for those without an oil coolers.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/images/oil_circulation/cool_collar.jpg

Cheers <MARK>

Mark Hester

This thread was discussed between 07/12/2005 and 08/12/2005

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