D.I.Y Service

brorabongo · Post by **brorabongo** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:06 pm

Depends how strong your wrists are. I have manged to do it by hand.

I just got oil for mine at the weekend, so planning to do it end of this week, weather permitting

alphabetter · Post by **alphabetter** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:33 pm

My filter came off by hand as well.

There is a fact sheet on changing the oil which is worth a read.

To the advice above I would add the following:

Make sure you cover plenty of space under the bongo to catch drips and spills (there will be plenty the first time). Thick corrigated cardboard is good because it absorbs small spills and won't blow around like newspaper etc. Have lots of paper towels and stuff to hand.

The clearance under the Bongo is very bad. Make sure your bowl will fit under the sump before opening it! Also you might find that the arm of the spanner is too long to turn in the space available. This is very annoying!

You will spill oil when you take the filter off. Use take-away trays to catch the spills.

Don't drain the oil with a hot engine (obviously) though a very short run to warm it up a bit seems a good idea.

mister munkey · Post by **mister munkey** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:34 pm

Cheers alphabetter.

Top tips.

This kinda thing is exactly what this site is all about. !!

brorabongo · Post by **brorabongo** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:51 am

I would never of thought about using cardboard, and a take away tray. Guessing I'll be having a takeaway tomorrow then.

Thanks,

alphabetter. You might just of saved the stones on the driveway from being lubricated again.

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:56 am

If you are really keen to get into this get yourself a socket set (not sure you can get at the sump plug with a spanner). Also, a large plastic cement mixing tray from Wickes for about £17. That protects your drive nicely from drips and has a bung wall in case of any major spillages. Alas mine is redundant now since I bought a pela

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:05 am

brorabongo wrote:

I would never of thought about using cardboard, and a take away tray. Guessing I'll be having a takeaway tomorrow then.

A takeaway in a whopping great box, so it can be unfolded for the cardboard...

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:35 am

Hi
I don't know if it's helpful, but we use polythene disposable decorator's throws. They are often big enough to cut in half for 2 services. Weight it down with bricks, drive car on, remove bricks, service car, and throw away....no mess. Also superb for waxoiling. The wheels just hold it in place.
Helen

egor110 · Post by **egor110** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:51 pm

Right so filters ordered and a pela pump, what kind/quantity of diff oil do i need and i'm going to renew the brake fluid is there a special kind i need, also when i renew the coolant what should i replace it with? Just antifreeze? I'll be shopping at halfords or morrisons if i can get the stuff there.
Many thanks

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:52 pm

Unless you've done a brake fluid change before I'd leave it to a garage/expert. You could invest in a fancy pressure fed system but that would probably cost more than an hours labour.

You'd be changing the fluid in all the brake lines and ANY air trapped in there at all will result in brake problems .

Rhod · Post by **Rhod** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:31 pm

Mike wrote

If you can afford a Pela pump (£30 or so), the job becomes a doddle

Just wondering... Does a Pela Pump remove all the sludge, or do you still need to drain the sump conventionally every other oil-change or so, to clear it out?

Rhod

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