Mk1 Atom Oil Change Service

[benyeats]

Has anyone done the above as a diy job ?  I am going to be trying it tommorow eve any hints or tips welcome, for instance where is the sump plug ?

Ben

[FAST BUCK]

under the car near the back

[benyeats]

[quote="FAST BUCK"]
under the car near the back
[/quote]

Ah and their was me looking at the front on top

[benyeats]

Right job done.  More of an oil transfusion than a complete change, fading light meant I just used my dipstick pump thing to get most of the old oil out, swapped the filter and filled up with new oil.

Quite a simple job, difficult parts were

i)  Cleaning the oil from the dining room carpet
ii) Calming Clare down after said carpet incident

Ben

[wisp]

Ben,

What oil did you use and do you have a part number for the filter.
I take it that you can get the filter from any motor parts shop and not just Rover or Ariel.

wisp

[Bruce Fielding]

Ben's car is different as it's a bruntingthorpe car with a filler going to the sump through the dipstick as well as the conventional route.

To change the oil on a Mk1 you need to remove the panels on the back of the car (inculding the one with the fuel filler on it).

Here's how to do that (from the new handbook):

Removing the airbox isnâ??t as easy as it looks! In fact, you need to disassemble most of the body panels on the rear of the car to do it. Start by disconnecting the fuel filler from the fuel filler pipe. Iit should be held on with a jubilee clip. Then remove all the panex and dzus fixings that hold on the cowl and the tea tray. Then the bolts that hold the main rear panel to the chassis. By now you have a large bowl of bolts, but you can remove the panels, and most importantly, the rear cowl easily. Once removed, you have access to the oil filler cap and the engine coolant cap, as well as a visual idea of your coolant levels and a birdâ??s eye view of your engine! The Rover engine is mounted pretty straight (unlike the Honda which requires the front of the car to be raised), so draining and refilling is easy. Filters and spare sump plugs and washers are  available from the factory or your local Land Rover parts stockist.

I did mine twice (once with the assistance of a Kwik Fit)

It's not difficult, just tricky. Especially because you really should change the oil on a hot engine! Two pairs of axle stands are a good idea...

The factory recommend Castrol GTX Magnatec 10/40, but feel free to research the forum for more options.

[wisp]

Thanks Bruce.

I guess it would be best to ID the filter and see if I can find a Rover parts stockist first.
Or an equivalent.
On mine you can get to the air filter and water header tank (with filling cap) by removing the air scoop. The air scoop can be removed by taking out 4 dzus fixings. I take it that this is not what you mean by the airbox. The oil filler can be reach through an opening below the water tank (barely large enough for you hand) and filled with a funnel.

It has been suggested that I flush the cooling system as well. Does any one know what the ratio of glycol to water should be?

[Bruce Fielding]

[quote="wisp"]
The air scoop can be removed by taking out 4 dzus fixings.

[/quote]

You sure?

That's been modified if you can...

[wisp]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
[quote="wisp"]
The air scoop can be removed by taking out 4 dzus fixings.

[/quote]

You sure?

That's been modified if you can...
[/quote]

Shot out to the garage and did this. It longer to find a light and get the pic from my phone to the PC than it did to take it off.
(The Bt dongle in the damn PC is stuffed so I had to Bt to my PDA then sync it.)
I hope we are talikg about the same parts.

[wisp]

You can see the oil filler cap. It's yellow.

[Bruce Fielding]

Been a modification, then - must be later than mine was! Simon obviously fixed that - I'll ask him. Mine was a very early Mk1. I might need to revise that in the handbook... bugger!

Makes changing the oil a LOT easier!

[wisp]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
Been a modification, then - must be later than mine was! Simon obviously fixed that - I'll ask him. Mine was a very early Mk1. I might need to revise that in the handbook... bugger!

Makes changing the oil a LOT easier!



[/quote]

Paper work puts it as being made in 2000. .........RAM013.

I asked in another post if anyone knew how many Mk1s were made. I'm still keen to find out.  What number was the 1st Atom Mk2?

[benyeats]

Mine is a 2001 car (I think) and does not have that feature, would be very interested to see some detailed pics of how the airbox cover fits.

The modification to allow me to put fuel in via the dipstick tube is not as useful as it sounds only really good for top ups, an oil change would take about 2 hours this way as opposed to about 10 mins if you remove all the bodywork.

Ben

[wisp]

[quote="benyeats"]
Mine is a 2001 car (I think) and does not have that feature, would be very interested to see some detailed pics of how the airbox cover fits.

[/quote]

Are we talking about the green air scoop in the previous picture. Or the black portion under the air filter?

[benyeats]

[quote="wisp"]
[quote="benyeats"]
Mine is a 2001 car (I think) and does not have that feature, would be very interested to see some detailed pics of how the airbox cover fits.

[/quote]

Are we talking about the green air scoop in the previous picture. Or the black portion under the air filter?

[/quote]

Yep the airscoop.  On my car (an every other Mk1 I have heard of) it requires removal of all other rear panels to remove it.

Ben