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MG TD TF 1500 - Oil Change Proceedures

This was on the "B" forum but could apply to "T" series as well.

Step 1; Take a half a quart of oil and pour it all over yourself. This just gets the inevitable over with early.
Step 2; Take the other half quart and pour it in the location you will be laying in. Bonus points if you can also cover every tool you are going to use with it also.
Step 3; Since you forgot exactly which size the drain plug is, and now have a half a dozen wrenches covered in oil, realize that NONE of them fit. Go to tool box and spend ten minutes looking for the right size wrench, only to realize its on the workbench.
Step 4; Take the drain plug off. Since your doing this right and the oil is hot, it is super thin and immediately splashes out when it hits the bottom of the pan, further covering you and the the floor with oil (glad we got THAT over with in steps 1 & 2).
Step 5; Remove all the paper towel rolls from the kitchen to clean the mess.
Step 6; Attempt to remove oil filter, but it is stuck on. Ram a screwdriver through it for leverage. It begins hemorrhaging oil so you work quickly to spin it off. The centrifugal force spins the oil out coating the side of the engine. It's OK, since you forgot to pack rags UNDER the housing the entire side of the block will be coated evenly!
Step 7; The filter is now "loose" and you lift it up, but realize how hot it is and fumble it - draining the remaining oil evenly on the distributor and the right side frame rail where you drop it open side down and hear it drain - glug - glug with all the oil vanishing down into the front subframe leg (where it will ooze out for years...).
Step 8; Put the new filter on. Bonus points equally awarded if it screws on clean OR strips the threads out of the adapter!
Step 9; Find drain plug. It is in only one of two locations - either the bottom of the drain pan which is now full with scalding hot oil (where you dropped it because it was hot) OR it rolled to the most difficult to see and reach spot under the car.
Step 10; Put in new oil (special mention if you do this step PRIOR to Step 9). Always seems to take less than you got out? Hmmm.
Step 11; The grizzly clean up. Every rag in the shop will be unusable after this if you do it right AND you will be completely out of paper towels.
Step 12; Start er' up! Oops, distributor covered in oil from step 7. Pop the cap and commence with the clean up...
Step 13; Notice about ten other things that need attention while cleaning the distributor.
Step 14; NOW you can star her up! Check for leaks (yeah, like they'll be visible after this reenactment of the Exxon Valdez grounding...) Step 15; Clean and put away tools and supplies. If done right, you will have almost every tool you own out and laying on the floor somewhere!
Jim Neel 53TD28423

That is worthy of a re-write for XPAG & XPEG engines.
Something like:
Step 7A; Digging out the old rubber seal (horizontal filters) without stuffing the housing.
Step 7B; Inserting new rubber seal and discovering it is slightly too big/small.
Step 15; Discovering rubber seal is not seated properly and is leaking.

More thoughts?
Although humour, this is actually good advice.

Matthew.
M Magilton

I read a better one a while back...the annalegy had a lot to do with money and beer involved in the oil change.
MG LaVerne

Why would you change it?
Easier just to add a quart now & then....
http://youtu.be/DM6x1iK-XY8
David Sheward "IZZY" TF 7427

An important step easily overlooked: Refill your XPAG with expensive high end Castrol 20-50. All six liters done when you discover that you forgot to reinstall the sump plug. Been there, done that.

regards

Jan
JE Kristoffersen

In the pre-environmentally correct days add steps: 8a) dispose of the old oil by throwing/dumping it into the briar patch out back. Continue to 9) add option 3- spend the next hour digging through sharp, prickly plants to find the drain plug. I proved this around 1982 with an MGB! George
George Butz

Also... prime the pump and forget to put the plug back in. You are amazed how high the oil shoots in the air. Done that one and it really makes a mess.

Bill
TD 24570
Bill Brown

This thread was discussed between 26/01/2014 and 27/01/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.