Foiled while trying to change oil!!

I'm having a terrible afternoon, but that's a longer story.

What contributed is that I thought it would be a good time to change the oil on my wife's Discovery 1 V8 this afternoon, right after getting home from work.

Well, I can't get the damn drain plug off. I don't even have the right tool to remove it, and I have tons of tools. I'm not even 100 percent sure it IS the oil drain plug...big one in the worst possible place they could have put it? RIght next to the exhaust pipe, facing sideways?

I've never done the oil on this car before (her dad usually did it, but he's way too busy right now) and am thoroughly annoyed that I never even got the drain plug off.

What size is the little bastard so I can get a proper 6-point on there? I attempted to remove it with a crescent wrench (I know, I know...) and it started to round off. Forget it. I need the right tool.

walk a newb through a Disco oil change please...gawd I feel so helpless. I changed the timing belt on my car and I can't even change the oil on hers!!!

Reply to
Anthony
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Sorry I don't know, but I'd like to ask a question someone who does, might also know - the RR manual says change the oil first, then the filter (which is right at the lowest point). I have never heard of that before, but can't see how it would help and won't all the new oil just run out through the threaded spigot?

Reply to
jg

The issue is theoil pump which isn't self-priming.

This is from a chap working on a Morgan, but it's the same motor ...

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Reply to
William Tasso

Now, From what i remember its a bastard to do!

On my RRV8, i had to attack a socket with a grinder to make it a lot shorter.... If only i could remember which one i attacked.

It would have been an imperial one i think

Reply to
Mark Solesbury

Thanks very much for that, glad I asked.

Reply to
jg

wow! a job on a 101 that is easier than other vehicles?! I get a nice clear view of my drain plug and i can sit confortably behind the front wheel to get at it!

Just checked. Drain plug is slightly bigger than 27mm or 1+1/16th.

I assume it is the next imperial size up - so 1+ 1/8th or 29mm?

Mine has always come off with the adjustable spanner :)

Anthony - make sure you follow the oil change instructions to keep it primed - otherwise you will need to either strip down the pump and pack it with vaseline or take the dissy off and make a special tool to prime it with an electric drill (did mine last week!)

Reply to
Tom Woods

Where are you anthony?

I got a special socket for this job on ours - i'll have to go and dig it out on a mo. I've got a suction thingy now (screwfix) and its brilliant for oil changes (auto boxes too) shove it down the dipstick pipe and sucky sucky

Si

Reply to
GrnOval

Never had any trouble... just get on with it and don't sweat it :-)

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

What? I looked in the official service manual and couldn't even FIND the instructions to change the oil. That's why I'm not even sure I'm attacking the drain plug. How is this any different than any other car? Are you talking about filling the new filter with oil before screwing it on?

Reply to
Anthony

It's in my LR manual for '87 RR 3.5 efi - book 1 - data & maintenance section 10 (if it's the same or similar). Shows the plug, screws horizontally on the left side facing an exhaust pipe. It doesn't mention priming or special order of refilling etc, but the owner's handbook makes a point of saying drain and refill the oil before you touch the filter. Then says run the engine to fill the filter, but the advice here by others makes sense if it's an issue for priming.

Reply to
jg

I got a special socket for this job on ours - i'll have to go and dig it out on a mo. I've got a suction thingy now (screwfix) and its brilliant for oil changes (auto boxes too) shove it down the dipstick pipe and sucky sucky

Si

Like the idea of getting oil out of engine via pipe down dipstick. Does it definitely mean that sufficient oil remains in pump and not requiring priming?

Bob

Reply to
BoB-B

"Anthony" wrote.............

Are you talking about filling the new filter with oil before screwing it on?

It will certainly help.

Martin

Reply to
Oily

Probably, It also means all the crud stays in there too reducing the effect of the oil change, while the new oil may have improved lubricity it will also be quickly poluted by the last 3,000 miles plus of crud left behind.

I'll stick to the drain plug for now.

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

It's the only way to be sure.....

Reply to
Nige

You will probably find that with modern oils the crud stays in suspension with the oil and comes out ok whichever method you use but I think it's just that I like to actually see it come out. Yep, drain plug it is.

Martin

Reply to
Oily

drain plug is on the side of the sump. nowt else about on my engine that it could be mistaken for!

pump isnt self priming.

safest method:

- prefill filter. leave to soak in for a few mins and swill it about and fill more as required.

- swap filter.

- start engine and turn off as soon as oil pressure warning light goes out (you might just have to crank it without starting it)

- drain sump and refil.

- ensure oil pressure light goes out when started.

less safe method skips the restart in the middle and swaps the filters very quickly. read the morgan link posted earlier

Reply to
Tom Woods

On or around Sat, 31 May 2008 12:20:03 +0100, Tom Woods enlightened us thusly:

It's 1.1/8" IIRC.

Oil replacement on a V8:

Get new oil ready.

Drain old oil, replace plug and refill with correct amount of new oil. Don't leave it empty too long.

Get new filter and fill more or less full with oil

Unscrew old filter and immediately screw on new one.

Start engine and check for oil pressure (gauge shows pressure, light goes out).

Almost always, following that procedure will be OK.

If no oil pressure, you will need an 5/16" or 8mm 12-point spanner (not

6-point) and a tub of vaseline. Remove oil pump top (6 littlescrews, not all same length). Fill the space all around the gears with vaseline and replace the cover, wiht new gasket if needed.

Start engine and check for pressure as before.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

That appeals - at least it's old oil which will run out while you fumble with the filters. Anyone watching who didn't know, would think you were mad changing oil this way... I would have.

Reply to
jg

Its not perfect, but its preferable to having to re-prime it!

barring the wierd procedure, changing the oil on my 101 is probably the easiest of any of my vehicles as the filter is so easy to get at and is upside down so you dont loose any old dirty oil onto the floor! (though i gather that the RR/disco filter is the other way up?)

Reply to
Tom Woods

Mine screws up to the motor from under, is yours the other way? You would lose the pre-filled oil from the filter if you weren't quick?

Reply to
jg

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