17 replies to this topic

[panky]

DOHHHHH

[ADRay]

I learned the hard way that the driver’s side (LHD) rear hub has a reverse castle nut. luckily I didn’t destroy anything before figuring it out.

[Cooperman]

One summer evening last year I came back from a run an thought I’d change the oil, 30 minute job. Assembled the tools I needed and my oil/sump drainer thingy, unscrewed the sump plug and once the oil was pouring into the drainer I realised I hadn’t removed the plastic plug from the drain pan! Doh, in my blind panic with 4.5 litres of hot and very thin engine oil gushing out of the sump I dropped the sump plug behind the oil pan and just had to watch the entire sump drain onto the garage floor. It was all over in a flash.

My 30 minute oil change became a full couple of hours clean up!

 

I know how you feel.

 

A little story from a long time ago:

 

In June 1964 I bought my very first new car, a Red/White 998 Cooper (had the roof re-painted white before delivery).

At around 1500 miles I decided to give it its second oil change and decided to try the latest Mobil 20w50 multigrade as a replacement for the old Castrol XXL 40-grade. It was expensive oil but my new car was worth it.

 

At the time I was an RAFVR gliding instructor and I decided to do the oil and filter change whilst we had stopped flying for lunch. My great friend Stan offered to help, so we drove the Cooper to the edge of Her Majesty's aerodrome and whilst I removed to oil filter, Sten took out the sump plug. I had the new filter fitted and Stan said to put the oil in, so I did. However, he had forgotten to re-fit the sump plug so the new and expensive oil went straight onto the grass (in those days no-one would have considered it pollution).

 

I said that we should review the situation. We have 2 gallons of oil in the grass and none in the car, in fact none anywhere.

 

Stan had an idea. We took the empty can, got into an RAF Land-Rover and drove to the MT section. Stan found 'the man' and said that one of our glider winches was a bit low on oil. The 'erk' filled our can with an RAF oil which was labelled OMD110. Back we went onto the airfield and filled the Cooper with this OMD110. I said that I didn't like putting this oil in my new Mini-Cooper but I had no option. I started it up. The oil pressure was great and kept high as the temperature increased. After that I always 'blagged' a gallon of OMD110 whenever I needed an oil change. It was a really super oil.