Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: RonaldMcBurger on 28 September 2006, 19:16:10

Title: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: RonaldMcBurger on 28 September 2006, 19:16:10
Take one car you have sold. Change the oil and job done.

Only, you know it won't be that simple!!!!! This is my W-reg, sold yesterday for a song. I had some engine flush in and needed to change the oil/filter one time before seeing it go. So, on jack, up go, under stands, down go, under sump, undo bolt, splosh oil, half done.

Now, under back, cartridge change, er no. Nightmare start!

Problem started with undoing the cartridge. Some numpty with a 16ft scafold bar had done it up, so when I tried to undo the 27mm nut, the whole cartridge started turning. And turning, and turning and turning. What happens is the cartridge housing is bolted from the inside onto the engine. the cartridge goes in the housing, the cap is screwed onto the housing. Without the cap coming off you cannot get to teh internal bolt and around you go all day.

So, off I went and bought a new oil filter strap, as I couldn't find mine. Brought it back, got under car to find the strap was soi big, it gripped the cap as well as the housing. Oh Bow locks. So, off again for a small chain one. Got back, doesn't grip the now slippery outside of the housing as the oil has been seeping out from the now broken seal.

In comes Marks DTM to offer some friendly help (after he stopped laughing). He has the mother of mole grips, so Off to his Mrs to borrow I went.Came back, canot grip - space small, and cannot get the leverage I want.

So, kept turning and wiggling the housing and it gradually got looser and looser until - 45 minutes later it came off.

Now, stage 2. Split the housing. I held the housing with the molies and used my mega torque wrench to try and undo, but as said it was done up by Geff Capes in a bad mood, so it wouldn't budge.

Picture the scene. Car up in the air at a funny angle, bonnet open, tools everywhere, oil spilt, car looking a bit dead, me trying to split the oil filter housing and some guy on his way to collect the car!

I gave it one last heave before giving up, and it moved. A lot of heaving alter and it was undone.

Now, I have got to post a pic of the cartridge!!!! No wonder the previous mechanic did it up tight! You don't want people to see this!!!!!!!!

Anyway, that done, on with the housing base, in with the cartridge, on with the top, in goes the oil and job is done.

And you know that noisy tapping sound? Guess what???? Still there.
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 28 September 2006, 19:19:20
Sounds like you've had a great day of it fin!

Maybe you could get some new cam followers? :)
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: STMO123 on 28 September 2006, 19:23:45
Now do you see why I'm a bit dubious about tackling these "simple" jobs you keep saying I should do myself? I haven't got a captain marvel locally so I would end up having to phone my garage and they wouldn't stop laughing till christmas.....and charge me a recovery fee :(
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: omegaV6CD on 28 September 2006, 19:32:51
Quote
Take one car you have sold. Change the oil and job done.

Only, you know it won't be that simple!!!!! This is my W-reg, sold yesterday for a song. I had some engine flush in and needed to change the oil/filter one time before seeing it go. So, on jack, up go, under stands, down go, under sump, undo bolt, splosh oil, half done.

Now, under back, cartridge change, er no. Nightmare start!

Problem started with undoing the cartridge. Some numpty with a 16ft scafold bar had done it up, so when I tried to undo the 27mm nut, the whole cartridge started turning. And turning, and turning and turning. What happens is the cartridge housing is bolted from the inside onto the engine. the cartridge goes in the housing, the cap is screwed onto the housing. Without the cap coming off you cannot get to teh internal bolt and around you go all day.

So, off I went and bought a new oil filter strap, as I couldn't find mine. Brought it back, got under car to find the strap was soi big, it gripped the cap as well as the housing. Oh Bow locks. So, off again for a small chain one. Got back, doesn't grip the now slippery outside of the housing as the oil has been seeping out from the now broken seal.

In comes Marks DTM to offer some friendly help (after he stopped laughing). He has the mother of mole grips, so Off to his Mrs to borrow I went.Came back, canot grip - space small, and cannot get the leverage I want.

So, kept turning and wiggling the housing and it gradually got looser and looser until - 45 minutes later it came off.

Now, stage 2. Split the housing. I held the housing with the molies and used my mega torque wrench to try and undo, but as said it was done up by Geff Capes in a bad mood, so it wouldn't budge.

Picture the scene. Car up in the air at a funny angle, bonnet open, tools everywhere, oil spilt, car looking a bit dead, me trying to split the oil filter housing and some guy on his way to collect the car!

I gave it one last heave before giving up, and it moved. A lot of heaving alter and it was undone.

Now, I have got to post a pic of the cartridge!!!! No wonder the previous mechanic did it up tight! You don't want people to see this!!!!!!!!

Anyway, that done, on with the housing base, in with the cartridge, on with the top, in goes the oil and job is done.

And you know that noisy tapping sound? Guess what???? Still there.

hahahahaha, Sounds familiar to me, Exactly the same thing happened to me when i bought my car during the first service. My old neighbours can still remember some lunatic swearing in greek under a black car for hours. What i did back then was to drill as many holes needed to break the cup off and then undo the bolt, then off to the dealer for new housing and 40£ which apparently it is the new version which has a little extrusion that prevents the housing to turn in case some idiot overtorques the cap. Glad you fixed it though.
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: Kev on 28 September 2006, 20:26:14
I can picture a different scene....

"In comes Marks DTM to offer some friendly help (after he stopped laughing). He had his angle grinder..."  ;D
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: Elite Pete on 28 September 2006, 20:33:12
Theres nothing more infuriating than when you think you have to do a half hour job and it end up taking you a day. Why is it that your car runs great all year but as soon as you try to sell it, it plays up. Its as if the car is alive and thinking ive served you come rain or shine through thick and thin so if you think your gonna get rid of me that easy ;D
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: STMO123 on 28 September 2006, 20:35:21
Quote
Theres nothing more infuriating than when you think you have to do a half hour job and it end up taking you a day. Why is it that your car runs great all year but as soon as you try to sell it, it plays up. Its as if the car is alive and thinking ive served you come rain or shine through thick and thin so if you think your gonna get rid of me that easy ;D

It works both ways, if you mention the scrappy it seems to behave for a while ;)
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: RossPhim on 28 September 2006, 20:36:43
Quote
And you know that noisy tapping sound? Guess what???? Still there.
Maybe this could e-bayer lend you a hand.
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1159463775
 ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: Kev on 28 September 2006, 20:48:57
Quote
Quote
And you know that noisy tapping sound? Guess what???? Still there.
Maybe this could e-bayer lend you a hand.
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1159463775
 ;D ;D ;D
[smiley=thumbsup.gif]
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: Del Boy on 28 September 2006, 21:21:31
Sounds like u had a day of it m8
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: x25xe on 28 September 2006, 22:12:41
and why is it that oil filter straps ALWAYS dissapear??  I have purchased several only to have to buy a new one every time I want one!

WHY do people do oil filters up so bl***y tight anyway?
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: STMO123 on 28 September 2006, 22:19:16
I like the cannister type. rather screwdriver straight through it and off it comes! ;D
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: Kev on 28 September 2006, 22:23:41
Quote
I like the cannister type. rather screwdriver straight through it and off it comes! ;D
I done that with my cavvy and it still didn't budge, ended up with just the base left! Stayed with my folks at the time. My dad was suitably impressed with the state of his newly laid monoblock. ::)
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: sounds2k on 29 September 2006, 01:14:08
yep, I had a similar experience when I went to change the oil on my current miggy. When I (eventually) got the filter housing off, I ended up putting it in a vice and using a 2 foot breaker bar and socket to undo the top, even then it took a fair bit of force!!

Had to leave the car up on stands overnight ... no-one complained though ;D

Fook knows what torque it was done up to initially ... and it does have "15Nm" cast into the top - so it doesn't wear off ::)
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: RonaldMcBurger on 29 September 2006, 08:15:15
I used a torque wrench to undo in the end yesterday. My torque wrench goes up to 80Nm, and it clicked a LONG time before it undid!

Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: Matchless on 29 September 2006, 10:49:10
Has Laidback been around your place?  Thats where my strap wrench dissapeared to, found it in his boot weeks later. That mans car boot is a disgrace. ;D
Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: Admin on 29 September 2006, 10:53:09
Oi!!  >:(

I am usually carting round various tools and other bits!

And you lent me the strap wrench!!  ;D

Title: Re: How 2 make an easy task into a nightmare!
Post by: Kev on 29 September 2006, 10:54:25
Quote
Has Laidback been around your place?  Thats where my strap wrench dissapeared to, found it in his boot weeks later. That mans car boot is a disgrace. ;D
That's called 'organised chaos'.  ;D