Service time.......

[dave_aber]

To 'balance' my comment above - I have not tried an oil change without a pela on the Bongo. I was in a 'buying my new toy a lot of presents' mood and got a Pela early on.

Although it's slower than I thought it would be, it probably takes no more time for me than I would take to drain the oil in the traditional way. And, once drained you have the oil in a handy container to take to the tip.


That reminds me - I must take the pela to the tip and empty it before the next oil change is due!

[mikeonb4c]

Don't think that's an unbalanced view......just my way of doing things....peeps are intellegent enough to read all posts and work things out for themselves..

oxymoron - a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly.”

assume - a 6 letter word that makes an ass out of u and me

...fetches coat and dashes for the door

Dave - I agree. The time saving is in the less obvious areas: like you can leave the pump sucking while you sip a cup of tea and read the paper, and you don't have to put down cardboard (or get some from B&Q as I had to) as insurance against spillage from the sump, or wipe out/up oil mess from catch trays etc. and you don't need to put on your special old clothes etc. etc.

[dext924]

Wow, didn't mean to create a debate! I appreciate both sides here, but I dont have a pump, so it will be mucky clothes for me! lol
If the tray doesn't have to be removed, then that will be ok by me, just need to get a big tray to catch it all in.

Thanks for your help on this, one last thing, how much oil do I need to put back in it? Any particular type you recommend?

[mikeonb4c]

Wow, didn't mean to create a debate! I appreciate both sides here, but I dont have a pump, so it will be mucky clothes for me! lol
If the tray doesn't have to be removed, then that will be ok by me, just need to get a big tray to catch it all in.

Thanks for your help on this, one last thing, how much oil do I need to put back in it? Any particular type you recommend?

Oh you'll find we like a good old heated debate on here

..its the hallmark of a good owners club

I personally use 5W/30 semi-synthetic as I prefer lower viscosity/fuel using drag at low temps (I do a lot of short runs) but others happily use other types (10W/40 as an example). I think you need 6.9 litres if changing the oil filter and 6.2 litres if not but I can't quite remember so have a check on old threads.

[wonkanoby]

yep its around 7 litres

[dext924]

7 litres it is then!

Thanks for you help on this peeps, hopefully it will all go well

You'll all know about it if it doesn't.......

[maviczap]

Just to add my 2 peneth, I changed my oil yesterday. Filter was a piece of cake and hadn't been done up by a gorilla, why some folk have to over tighten filters is beyond me.

I'd bought a Pela pump to save the hassle of getting under the van, which I'd always hated doing, especially this time of year on both my other cars. I'd driven to Wilco and got a new filter, so the oil was warm when I got home.

Stuck the thing down the dipstick and pumped away, intitially the oil started to draw up the pipe and I thought it would continue. But no all I got was a trickle and not much more.

Pumped some more, got a bit more. Pumped some more, got a bit more, pumped some more, got some more and so on. I ended up getting about 5 litres out, but not all the oil I'm sure.

Compared to just taking out the sump plug and letting the oil drain into bowl, it was a pain in the neck

Maybe the oil wasn't quite hot enough?

Still with almost all the oil replaced, the engine sounds sweeter. So I'll do just an oil change in the summer, using the sump plug I think.

Unless I can rig up a Jabsco pump to suck the oil out. I know they can move water, and I've transferred diesel as well, but can they pump oil?

[haydn callow]

Just to add my 2 peneth, I changed my oil yesterday. Filter was a piece of cake and hadn't been done up by a gorilla, why some folk have to over tighten filters is beyond me.

I'd bought a Pela pump to save the hassle of getting under the van, which I'd always hated doing, especially this time of year on both my other cars. I'd driven to Wilco and got a new filter, so the oil was warm when I got home.

Stuck the thing down the dipstick and pumped away, intitially the oil started to draw up the pipe and I thought it would continue. But no all I got was a trickle and not much more.

Pumped some more, got a bit more. Pumped some more, got a bit more, pumped some more, got some more and so on. I ended up getting about 5 litres out, but not all the oil I'm sure.

Compared to just taking out the sump plug and letting the oil drain into bowl, it was a pain in the neck

Maybe the oil wasn't quite hot enough?

Still with almost all the oil replaced, the engine sounds sweeter. So I'll do just an oil change in the summer, using the sump plug I think.

Unless I can rig up a Jabsco pump to suck the oil out. I know they can move water, and I've transferred diesel as well, but can they pump oil?

I rest my case !!!

[mikeonb4c]

Just to add my 2 peneth, I changed my oil yesterday. Filter was a piece of cake and hadn't been done up by a gorilla, why some folk have to over tighten filters is beyond me.

I'd bought a Pela pump to save the hassle of getting under the van, which I'd always hated doing, especially this time of year on both my other cars. I'd driven to Wilco and got a new filter, so the oil was warm when I got home.

Stuck the thing down the dipstick and pumped away, intitially the oil started to draw up the pipe and I thought it would continue. But no all I got was a trickle and not much more.

Pumped some more, got a bit more. Pumped some more, got a bit more, pumped some more, got some more and so on. I ended up getting about 5 litres out, but not all the oil I'm sure.

Compared to just taking out the sump plug and letting the oil drain into bowl, it was a pain in the neck

Maybe the oil wasn't quite hot enough?

Still with almost all the oil replaced, the engine sounds sweeter. So I'll do just an oil change in the summer, using the sump plug I think.

Unless I can rig up a Jabsco pump to suck the oil out. I know they can move water, and I've transferred diesel as well, but can they pump oil?

I rest my case !!!

You would. But then if you rested your case on that, you'd have to accept that the one person who found the LCA let them down had proved it was useless.

The words 'shoot' and 'foot' spring to mind here

[bigdaddycain]

Predictable.

I did not say either way was better than the other.
It is quicker without the Pela.
No need to be sarcastic. Why you have to have a "dig" whenever the oppertunity arises is a problem that needs addressing.

you do things your way and I will do as I please.

Sorry but i'm going to say this... i think we all know mike well enough to know that he isn't "having a dig" Haydn... You put forward your preference, mike put forward his! Simplezzz!

And this thread isn't even concerning the coolant system or alarms or anything like that! SHEESH!

It's bad enough i have to um and ah before i post on a coolant thread without the possible onslaught of your superior (hence ONLY method of doing things) Do i have to make a point thus far of making an absolute point of not daring to post on any thread you participate in for fear of being singled out as "having a pop/dig/sly remarks/poke/snide/insighting a riot? This is an open forum Haydn, one in which i can say that blancmange fuels a bongo well if i want to! why do you read something into everything that anybody says that may differ slightly with your cast in stone beliefs? And no i'm not having a dig either... Just saying that at this rate people will just stop posting rather than risking you picking holes in their own (and just as valid) points of view.

[haydn callow]

Whatever !! If you read this topic from the start ...all I did was answer the question in a strightforward manner (3rd post)......What came after was not down to me......

It all gets a bit silly really.

[bigdaddycain]

And back to the subject matter.

DISCLAIMER: Under no circumstances must any party herein take the following points of advice as "gospel".

The points i make are of my own opinion based on limited experience without the detriment of exterior influences affecting upon one's actions.

Should anybody chose to follow the points i make in the following post and find a slight discrepency in anything i say, plaese don't report me to the authorities, it is after all only my most humblest of humble opinions.

I am human, thus so i make mistakes, and have errors of judgement also.

So... For what it's worth (bugger all) here goes!

I buy my oil in bulk. Here's the ethos behind MY thinking.... Bongo oil change intervals is supposed to be every 3000 miles or so... I don't stick religiously to that, mine gets changed around every 3 months or so regardless of mileage, because it's economically viable for me to do so because of the 25 litre drum of oil i have. I don't use the very best grade oil, but i get the best that i can for the best price that i can. I consider that the frequency of changes exceeds the need for an all singing all dancing,super duper, makes your brew in the mornings type oil.

Expensive oil tends to make one "get one's monies worth" out of it... (just my opinion)

I do a "full" oil change every other change... Here's the scenario... I'll roll up in the bongo (when i have a bongo to roll up in) Pull up, get out, nip in the house for a brew or a cig, whip out my pump (the pela) Whip the seat up on the bongo, remove dipstick, stick the thin pela tube in, pump 20 or so times, let the pela do it's thing... During this time i may top up the screen wash, check the tyre pressures or whatever,i return to the pump... Maybe half full. Pump another 20 or so times etc etc... I keep pumping and adjusting the tube in the dipstick to extract as much oil as possible, i take note of how much oil i discard into an old container, then add that amount via the filler tube with fresh oil from my big drum. I check the level using the dipstick after about ten minutes. Generally it's bob on the level, there you go, an interim oil change.

The next time, i still use the pump, i extract as much oil as possible, then jack the bongo up,remove the tray (thanks Rita, i never noticed the hatch) Remove the sump plug, slide the tray under trying to minimise spillage, wait, remove filter, dump that into the catch tray (whilst rummaging around in the warm oil trying to retreive the sump plug which naturally fell in there) I wait till the bongo has finished weeing into the tray, replace the sump plug, fill the filter with fresh oil, dip my finger in the fresh oil and run it around the rubber seal on the filter, then carefully screw the filter back into place, taking care not to cross thread it. I do a "wet hand" tighten, wipe my hand, then get another 16th of a turn on the filter completing the tightening procedure. I then repalce the oil with fresh gloop,take my time checking the almost invisible oil line on the dipstick repeatedly, start the engine without any revving till the oil light has extinguished. With engine running i check for weeps at the filter and the sump plug,i run her for ten minutes or so, check for leaks again, check the level again, clean up, go indoors and make a pot noodle. Then hoover up, wash the dishes, make the missus a brew, all good things to do before she spots the oil on the driveway.

[bigdaddycain]

Whatever !! If you read this topic from the start ...all I did was answer the question in a strightforward manner (3rd post)......What came after was not down to me......

It all gets a bit silly really.

See what i mean? WHATEVER EXCLAMATION MARK is no way to speak to people!

I read every word TWICE! And i'm sorry but you came over all defensive. Please feel free to PM me any further points concerning your paranoid delusions Haydn. I for one, will not respond to anything posted by yourself thus far. Cheers, Ste.

[Tessie]

This reminds of the days before I retired. Me and a work colleague had very similar opinions about life in general but one of us would always take the opposing view just so we could have a good argument......sorry, I mean heated debate. Thank you ALL for your help and advice to those of us who are less Bongo competent, keep up the good work

Very thorough description of your methods BDC but you missed one important detail.....what flavour of Pot Noodle does it have to be?

[dext924]

Er.. anyway, I think this is getting off topic a little.

I am no expert on the Bongo, which is why I read this forum daily. I appreciate all views and advice, whether other people see them right or wrong. I have always changed oil the mucky way, and I am afraid it will be this way again.

Thanks to all for you advice, and my question got answered: I can change the oil without taking that tray off. I will be attempting it next week, so i will let you know if it goes wrong!

Thanks again