MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGF Technical - Oil Change - easy job?

Seems straight forward(touch wood !) with sump plug / filter accessible from below, without the need for jacking up the car.
Any peculiar MG things to watch out for?
Is there a sump plug washer fitted?
If so,do MG specify washer replacement at each oil change?

Gaj


Hi Gaj,
as You said - fairly straight forward job. There is a sealing washer for the plug but really no need to change that one if not damaged. The washer is made of alu and IMO makes a perfect seal without overtightning the plug. Bee kind to the engine and fill the new filter with oil. You will be amazed how much oil it will hold ! In this way there will be oil pressure almost instantly upon first start... Filling up with oil can be a bit tricky if done via the proposed filling inlet. Rather slow and messy ,especially with cold oil. If You for any reason have taken the rear parcel shell and cover away (a lot of bolts but after that easy access to the whole engine ) the original oilfiller cap on top of the camcover is a much better place to use ! It is easy to overfill so check regulary on the dipstick at the end of filling.. You will need about 4,5 L in total for filter and sump.

Regards , Carl.
Carl

Beware!

If you try to refill through the top up pipe in the boot, this is connected to the dipstick tube. So it narrows down to a small pipe before entering the sump. If you pour oil into this pipe until it is full thinking it will slowly drain down into the sump you will find it comes back out of the dipstick hole and runs all over your engine.
It is much better to fill through the cap on top of the engine. The alternative being to pour the oil very slowly!
David Karle

and without the dipstick in (use a plug of kitchen roll instead)

Will
Will Munns

What u can do though is if u dont want to open the engine compartment get a coke bottle and cut the bottom off it.

This then screws with a perfect fit into the oil pipe.

U can then fill it up with nearly 2 litres of oil. go and a coffee come back and fill it up again!!
Chris Glen

Much appreciated advise. I had a feeling there would be a few quirks.
Filling up the filter in advance is an option new to me.

My main tip is undo everything - plug and filter - when the car is cold, slightly retighten by hand, warm it up, undo the bits, cup of coffee to allow to cool down, then refit new filter/plug.
Next time you do the job everything will once again be easy (how many garages overtighten !). We have time on our side, unlike a garage.
Cheers
Gaj

Just how do you manage to fill the oil filter with oil then screw it on without the oil draining all over the ground??? And in any case does this really make any difference. There should be enough oil in the lube channels and round the rings to prevent wear. The system will be primed in a matter of seconds when the engine is cranked anyway.

As for filling via remote filler, I just used a funnel and a little patience and care. No oil spilled or came back up the dipstick tube.

ME thinks mountains and molehills ....

Ewan Ramage

And another thing... if the only job you are doing is an oil change I suspect the time taken to remove hood, unbolt engine cover, fill oil, refit cover and hood will be greater than watching it slowly trickle down the remote filler!!
Ewan Ramage


When filling the filter with oil this can only be done via the centre hole (the one with the winding). Upon re-fitting the filter there will be no spillage if it is done with some speed as the bolt at the engine side will mate into the filter... As usual harder to describe than to do it !
Carl

I've watched a dealers mechanic add new oil.

They have the benefit of a huge drum of oil with a portable hand pump attached.

A flexible hose from the drum is inserted through the filler cap on camshaft cover.
5 or 6 strokes of the pump and it's all over in about a minute.

Never having any to hand I reuse copper sump plug washers, especially the one on my real TF - it's been on/off countless times.

jt
John Thomas

The sump plug washer is aluminum and if you compare a new one with a used one you will see that when used it gets compressed. So it is a good idea to change it if not every time then every second time. A flat washer still provides a good seal but will require greater torque which is not very good as the sump is also made from aluminum.
Spyros Papageorghiou

Change the sealing washer, it will only cost around 50p. But will save you having to repeat the process if it leaks. Alternatively pay a garage to change the oil for you.

Praveen
Praveen

This thread was discussed between 02/05/2002 and 10/05/2002

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.