Oil Dipstick Tube And Filter Woes

[McDude 33]

It's a nice day in London to work on your car; I thought I'd do a nice easy one today - Change my snapped dipstick tube and do an oil and filter change whilst I'm at it:

 

Problem 1: My neighbour gave me abuse for working on my car in the street. She said I should take it to a mechanic! Perhaps she was right though: see problems 2 & 3

 

Problem 2: I managed to get the old dipstick tube out, but bent it doing so. I can't get the new one in as the exhaust manifold is in the way - AR5E! Any suggestions? And if I do have to take the manifold off, any tips?

 

Problem 3: The oil filter will not come off, no matter what I try. Usually they come off by hand, but no joy. I tried a chain type removal tool and that just burst the filter. Double AR5E!! Any tips here - I'm putting so much force on it to shift it, I'm now worried about doing some serious damage.

 

 

I really don't want to sheepishly go to the mechanic down the road to ask to remove my oil filter - but it's looking like I might have to.

 

Baguette du merde!

[jonnie205 1]

if you cant get filter off then punch a screw driver through the centre of it and twist, i think the dipstick tube is a manifold off job on an 8v

[McDude 33]

Thanks for the swift reply - stupid question, but the filter is a regular right handed thread? The amount of force I'm applying makes me think otherwise!

 

As for the dipstick - Any tips for manifold removal!!!

[CosKev 16]

Manifold off job could be an arse if its never been off before,how rusty do the nuts look??????

 

If you are goin to tackle it I would get new studs and nuts ready to go in when you do the job,spray plenty of WD40 on them the day before and leave to soak helps.

 

As for oil filter I use an old large long screwdriver and use it like a chisel on the metal lip of the filter where it sits on the block and tap the filter round.

 

[McDude 33]

I have no idea how tight that frickin filter was, but it is finally off and the new one on.

 

The exhaust manifold looks like 8 nuts to undo, but will I need a new gasket? Haynes says so, but sometimes they are over cautious.

 

I guess it is a good idea to remove the downpipe first too.

 

Finally, the nuts have a split in them, like a diagonal slash through them. I assume this is to keep them tight under vibration.

 

 

Why did I think that this would be easy?

[McDude 33]

Coskev - we were clearly posting at the same time - manifold was off fairly recently as I got the engine rebuilt by Skip Brown in spring. Nuts look sparkly!

[CosKev 16]

Thats good that theres no rusty nuts involved!!!!!

 

I wouldn't bother removing down pipe,you don't need to move the manifold very far to get dipstick tube in.

 

If the gaskets come off in one piece I would just put a smear of exhaust sealer on them and re-use seein as they are not very old.

 

[McDude 33]

Okay - job done! Thanks for the advice dude!

 

What a pain in the A-hole to do a frickin dipstick tube.

 

Only problem now - the manifold is cracked. On days like these I hate the French. I've put the old one on so I can drive it, but clearly I need a replacement. The crack is around a previously repaired weld.

 

If anyone has one PM me!

[willmounsey 1]

Okay - job done! Thanks for the advice dude!

 

What a pain in the A-hole to do a frickin dipstick tube.

 

Only problem now - the manifold is cracked. On days like these I hate the French. I've put the old one on so I can drive it, but clearly I need a replacement. The crack is around a previously repaired weld.

 

If anyone has one PM me!

I've a similar problem with my dipstick luckly tho the engine is out and the manifold off but who ever had the car before has screwed a bolt into where the dipstick goes thus tightening the remainder of the dipstick into the hole, i cant get a drill straight down at it and cant get at it from the sump can anyone have any ideas???