Home service diy kit

bungaro79

nearly finished my car maintenance course so i'm not half as nervous at the thought of doing a basic service on the car (08 1.4l opel astra) now! so for an oil, air and pollen filter change, an oil change and maybe spark plugs i think all i need is listed below. let me know if there's anything else i need to have or any basic tips a first timer should know!

kit:
gloves
car jack
axel stands
tray for oil
funnel
appropriate sockets
all filters & oil
filter wrench
magnetic tool for spark plug removal
copper grease (or is this just for the bigger bolts & nuts)

tips:
don't over tighten the spark plugs (1/4 turn extra after hand tightened i think)
rub a bit of new oil on the new oil filter at the bottom


car experts feel free to add, modify or remove any of the above!

cletus

Fill the new oil filter 3/4 full before fitting

biko

Something to transport old oil to recycling in. I use a few old 2litre milk jugs

Toyotafanboi

you will need torx drives to do pretty much anything on an opel. i think the sump plug is a torx or an allen head i can't remember.

you also wont need a filter wrench, it's a huge socket you need (the size is written on it, around 30mm iirc).

a lot of motor factors do a cheap spark plug tool, just like a long composite tube which has a little rubber piece inside it that grips the spark plug head when you've finished unscrewing it, it's probably your best/ cheapest option.

Charlie19

biko wrote: »

Something to transport old oil to recycling bin. I use a few old 2litre milk jugs

That would be a handy way of dumping it:P

I cut the side off the 5l oil bottle to catch the old oil.

Esel

biko wrote: »

Something to transport old oil to recycling in. I use a few old 2litre milk jugs

I just use the now empty container(s) the new oil came in.

Charlie19 wrote: »

I cut the side off the 5l oil bottle to catch the old oil.

I use an old basin, but that's a good alternative!

Chimaera

If you're serious about DIY maintenance, invest in some good tools:
A good socket set, a good set of spanners (ratchet ones if you can afford them), philips and slot headed screwdrivers, rubber mallet, breaker bar.

A set like this one is really useful too: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-Expert-21932-40-Piece-Tx-Star/dp/B0001K9R6W

I have that set myself and it's proved itself time and again. A torque wrench is useful as you get into more advanced jobs as certain things must be tightened just so, particularly stretch bolts and crush washers.

Stella Virgo

biko wrote: »

Something to transport old oil to recycling in. I use a few old 2litre milk jugs

wud that be full or low fat milk...;)

bungaro79

@cletus i didn't know that about filling the oil filter, thought it would automatically fill up once you ran the engine. thanks for the info

@toyotafanboi i got a set on offer in halfords recently, they were half price and i got 120 bits in the set including torx pieces coz like you said under the bonnet seems to be all of that. i think a 24mm will do the oil filter from the looks of things

@chimera can i ask you what do you use a breaker bar for??


thanks for all the info lads!

Chimaera

A breaker bar is a really long spanner - they usually come with a 1/2" square drive fitting to allow you to use your normal sockets on them. It's for opening really tight fasteners where a normal ratchet won't give you the leverage.

Here's a selection: http://sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode=DoProductSearch&method=mProductSearch&productdescription=socket&productcode=&category=7&catgroup=123&analysiscode=&requiredresults=&grouplevelonly=0&fulltext=1

cletus

Theory is that filling the oil filter reduces time for pressurisation of oil in the engine, as most of the wear on an engine occurs at start up, however there is a lot of conflicting thought online re. if it actually makes any difference.

If the filter mounts vertically, then I'd be of the opinion that it cant hurt to do it, and it might help

biko

Stella Virgo wrote: »

wud that be full or low fat milk...;)

Low fat, have to watch the pounds

jimmyw

cletus wrote: »

Theory is that filling the oil filter reduces time for pressurisation of oil in the engine, as most of the wear on an engine occurs at start up, however there is a lot of conflicting thought online re. if it actually makes any difference.

If the filter mounts vertically, then I'd be of the opinion that it cant hurt to do it, and it might help

Yeah, if the oil filter is vertical then you can easily fill it with oil before installing but otherwise you cant.I dont know if its the right thing to do, if it would damage anything, I have done it,but leaving off the HT leads and turning over the engine until the oil pressure light goes off or even turning over the engine for 30 secs or so and then reconnect them will build up pressure and fill the filter before starting.

cena

T45 torx needed to remove to sump plug

bungaro79

jimmyw wrote: »

Yeah, if the oil filter is vertical then you can easily fill it with oil before installing but otherwise you cant.I dont know if its the right thing to do, if it would damage anything, I have done it,but leaving off the HT leads and turning over the engine until the oil pressure light goes off or even turning over the engine for 30 secs or so and then reconnect them will build up pressure and fill the filter before starting.

i'm assuming you mean vertical upside down?! mine is vertical alright but is pointing up so any oil i'd put in it would pour out when reattaching it! so you're also saying if you change the oil filter without filling it with oil then you don't have to take out the ht leads?? is there anything else you're supposed to do while the oil pressure light is on?

bungaro79

well just completed my first oil, oil fliter, air filter and pollen filter change and the car is still running!! thanks to all on here in this thread and the motor section in general for all the advice.

jca

Don't get too worried about priming the oil filter. When you start the engine after the work is done, start it without touching the accelerator. Let it idle until the oil pressure light goes out and for about 30 seconds afterwards, then give it a few small revs. With the engine still running have a good look around the oil filter and the drain plug for any leaks.

sebastianlieken

I use a disposable aluminium turkey tray to catch the oil. you can empty the oil when it's hot to get rid of as much sludge as possible without the tray melting. They only cost a quid and you can bend the lip into a sharp shape to pour like a funnel when the oil has cooled down.

Sidewayslarry

Modern engines generally have no need to fill the oil filter with oil before fitting them to the engine. Especially with the advances in modern oils, the old oil will still cling to bearings and surfaces in the engine meaning that no bearing will be running dry.

The best advise I ever received when doing my apprenticeship was to rub some oil on the rubber seal of the new oil filter before fitting. This allows for easier removal on the next service