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MG TD TF 1500 - Oil change question

Noting that the oil pan (sump) has the drain plug located toward the rear and near the bottom, will most of the oil drain out when using simple portable car ramps for the front wheels, which lifts front of the car 8 inches off the ground? Rear wheels are left on the ground of course and sump is therefore at somewhat of an angle.
R.A. Olson

Works for me on a lift or ramps, I can not get under the car without raising the car somewhat. PJ
PJ Jennings

Get the oil as warm (hot) as possible before draining, remove oil cap, towards the end of the initial drain pour in some warm fresh oil to act as a small flushing drain (oil could be warmed by standing in the sun or warm water), then leave to drain for as long as possible.

The more existing oil and muck you can get out the more fresh clean oil you can get in and the less dilution of fresh oil from old oil and muck.

Refill with about two-thirds of stated capacity and top up slowly in stages as required after leaving each stage to fully sink, easier to add a little than remove a little, or a lot.

This also applies to gearbox and rear axle.

Always check you can remove and refit oil filler plugs before you remove their drain plugs - and remember to refit drain plug (and new washer if required) before putting fresh oil in, even experts sometimes forget!
Nigel Atkins

Nigel: Some great tips. :-)
Christopher Couper

Thank you but all unoriginal from me other than the adding a bit of fresh oil at the end of the drain, my signature flourish. :)

But I bet someone now sues me for not getting to the patent office first. :)

I see in America particularly the 'major' is on regularity (probably over regularity) of oil change but I think the thoroughness of the oil change is often more important. Do it well so you need less often,a nd I like high quality oil, which can extend oil change period, and give greater margins of use, abuse and with engine faults and breaks.
Nigel Atkins

It does not have to be original to be useful. :-)

Many people are here to learn from each other and even try a new thing or two, even after decades of doing the same thing.

I like the "flush" too.
Christopher Couper

Thanks, good of you to say so.

Though, the flush bit worked against me only last month when I done the annual oil change. As there wasn't enough oil in my opened and used 5 litre can to anywhere near complete the change and I'd have to open the other 5 litre can I had in stock I was quite generous with using it as flush oil.

Of course despite looking three times in the place I thought the unopened can was it wasn't. It was actually the opened can now with only about 1.5 litres oil left in it. So another self inflicted delay to get a job finished on the car whilst I ordered and waited for delivery of the fresh oil. :)

A couple of years earlier I'd bought two cans at once though I only need less than one a year, so I had a rollover stock of one unopened can, until I didn't, but in my mind still did.

Lesson there was to follow my own advice and "check the bleedin' obvious" (that the oil exists in reality) and re-check what you've already double-checked (which I did when looking for the missing can but not when I only done a mental stock check of service items required) - My wife calls the searching "a man-look" when I say I've looked for something and can't find it, then normally she finds it straight away.
Nigel Atkins

At the risk of being labeled a contrarian, It appears to me what is presented above to be a bit of over kill regarding oil changes in a hobby car. These cars are so lightly used nothing mentioned here as a tip could possibly extend the service life of these cars by any measurable amount. Five owners into the future will see no benefit. This opinion is based on 40 years as a licensed mechanic.

I would suggest conserving your efforts for something more beneficial to extending the service life of the engines...like routine oil changes seasonally as we don’t typically drive them enough to hit suggested mileage interval changes. Also do a good job of cylinder lubrication (fogging) before the winter lay up. For the rest of the car, use the service manual and owners manual to lubricate the chassis points seasonally, routinely check your fluids and service the wheel bearings as recommended.

Regards, Tom
tm peterson

It's good to have a range of views, opinions and beliefs on subjects.

I totally agree that with cars that have very light use to forget mileage and go more with time and conditions of use and storage.

I do stand by the idea of doing better oil changes than just quick, cold, drains regularly. Getting as much existing oil and muck/crud and oil contaminates out so that you put back in as much good fresh oil must be good especially as it's only a little more effort. To get the oil warm could just mean, warming the engine or better still going for a pleasure drive, part of the ownership surely (unless the owner's interest is as static art piece, which is fine and up to them).

What I suggest takes very little extra effort, I loathe doing any work on my car so would never do stuff on it for 'fun', for me the only fun is driving a car nothing else. It does take a little more time but if you're not paying anyone but doing it yourself you can, at suitable intervals, wander off and have a mug of tea, bottle of rice beer, fine wine, read a book, watch sport, come back to it the next day, whatever you prefer.

Tom and I will never persuade the other of their belief on doing the oil change this way but that's fine as others can pick the belief they prefer, ot try both, or alternate both, whatever they prefer.

ETA: Another thing we do agree on, very strongly from my side, owners using (reading and referring to) the Driver's Handbook for servicing (more so than the WSM for me). If you search Driver's Handbook on the forums on the BBS my name will very often be very nearby.

Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 18/09/2020 and 21/09/2020

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