Oh no!, not again!

[zetor160]

3/4 socket..hmmm - I like your style..!!

['88740GL]

Originally Posted by James A

I remove the sump plugs on my cars with a suitable 3/4" socket attached to a big breaker bar. Effortless, no matter how tight they are, and no skinned knuckles

Its a big drain plug...its an inch!

[amaz'in]

I'm certain 10w40 is the oil for B230 series...on my 15th Volvo now....although I put 15w40 in the Amazon..

0/50 etc is certainly like water...thats for the modern engines..mostly around 2005 onwards...but with only 40k on the clock..you should need 15w40 for another 100k.

The larger number is the temp once hot....so the thinner oil doesnt get thinner when hot as such.. first number is cold viscosity..second number is Hot... so a 0/50 oil and a 15/50 oil have the same viscosity once warmed up....but a quite different when cold.

My 96 940 uses 10/40 (or written 10w40) and has now done 188,000..still doesnt burn any oil...

However...you would possibly use 15/40 if in very hot conditions...maybe Florida...saudi...or under more demanding performace conditions...

In cold weather..you want the 10/40 even more so...

J

[scapa]

Im not that fasr from you you can borrow my tools if you wish no crap all stahlwille /snap on /britool etc, got a nice big 3/4 snap on breaker bar that will sort it

['88740GL]

Originally Posted by scapa

Im not that fasr from you you can borrow my tools if you wish no crap all stahlwille /snap on /britool etc, got a nice big 3/4 snap on breaker bar that will sort it

Thanks, thats a very kind gesture, i shall keep that in mind!

[MTerry]

Originally Posted by monman

I had the same problem changing my oil, some numpty overtightening the sump plug. I ended up lending a stilson wrench off a plumber mate of mine.

Remember if possible to fit a new washer to the sump plug.

This is what I do. I keep it handy and if I need it it's there. I also have a large breaker bar with a socket end. It's pretty much eliminated the need for the stilson.

[johnjp]

I do my oil change with this (which is what many garages do these days)-
http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=p...ed=0CCoQzAMwAA
Simples!

[johnjp]

And you can change auto trans fluid, brake fluid, pas fluid etc.
It`s so easy it`s almost a pleasure to do the job more frequently.

[Choc]

If you need more leverage, slip a big ring spanner on the end of the ratchet and you've got about twice the distance so twice the force.

Giving the head of the drain plug a few taps with a hammer can help to loosen threads sometimes. It also shows the car who's boss and that you're not afraid to come back, Basil Fawlty style, and give it a good whipping with a branch

[Diesel-do-nicely]

Originally Posted by '88740GL

I attempted to do an oil change yesterday, i went out on my travels and bought my usual (15W/40 Semi synthetic) and i had a genuine volvo oil filter at hand, on my back on a thin wad of cardboard in the slush, got my wrench socket set, (more precise my dads, he hardly uses them)......

Could i get that sump plug to move? Did i heck, i decided then to give up rather than slip and crack a knuckle on something sharp underneath my car, so swearing and growling, getting out of now diry clothes, i put everything away into the shed,

......remembering that the first time i wanted to do an oil change, i did the same, bought the oil and the filter etc....only finding out that i could change the oil..... i had to take it all to my mechanics who happily changed the oil, used my oil and filter i'd bought, then i requested him to fit 4 new plugs....he charged £40!! in total.. pure labour charge!

I'm sure a sump plug shouldn't be torqued down any tighter than hand tight with a ring spanner....the washer on it should do the rest.....instead mechanics like to overly use their impact air wrench and torque 'em down to probably 300 ft.lb!!

so now i'll have to find a small plan or pay £30-40 to someone to do a job that i can do for fun....

**my dads tools aren't very varied, just a load of metric and imperial open and ring spanners, a few pliers, pinch grips, mole wrench and monkey wrench, spark gap feeler gauges and a load of metric and imperialo sockets....

I always put the sump plug in tight, for safetys sake, but i never realised how tight untill i had to undo one that i put on a Triumph Diff 17 years before during a restoration.
So i did the bathroom scales squeeze test , we could all get the pair in the workshop "round the clock to 20 stone" by squeezing it with our hands, holding it like a steering wheel, now after 12 years of retirement from t' trade i tried today with my ikea digital ones, and managed a very sad 14st or 90kg.
What i am saying is i now have begun to know what pen pushers feel like .