Hi Mike,
For $20 it's worth it to have someone else change the oil. I still do
it, but every time I realise the truth of what you said.
One example, though, of why one might want to DIY---Ingrid, Kristen's
older daughter and my dearly-beloved step, took her Honda Civic to a
Jiffylube (or something) a couple of years ago. A few weeks later, I got
a call from her. She was stuck in Hamden, car wouln't roll downhill, etc.
Investigation at the Honda agency, which followed my investigation and
efforts to drive and, finally, a flatbed truck, etc.,----someone had put
auto trans fluid into the MC.
Well, of course, since AT fluid has something in it that keeps the
high-pressure seals tight, it swelled up all the rubber parts in the
brake system and, you got it, every one had to be replaced. That was
hoses, MC, proportioning valve, calipers, cylinders, the lot. It was a
number of $$. I was surprised at the number of pieces in the Honda
system. On the invoice was noted the number of hours taken to do the
work. That was a surprise to me---I know I could not have done the work
nearly as quickly. BTW, he saved a pint of brake fluid for me to see,
there was a golf-ball sized sphere of red ATF resting in the bottom of
the jar.
And then there's the story told by one of my former drinking buddies
who, when working in a shop during his college years, drained a Porshe,
refilled with the measured amount. Owner picked up and drove away-walked
back. Drain plug was on the workbench; the five quarts were in the drain
in the service bay....
He spent a lot of volunteer time rebuilding one litte air-cooled engine.
Bob
On Sun, 15 Mar 1998 22:09:27 EST miker15@juno.com writes:
>
>On Sun, 15 Mar 1998 17:10:43 -0600 "Dan Ray" <danray@bluegrass.net>
>writes:
>>Well listers, I changed the oil in both engine and trans for the
>first
>>time
>>today.
>>The motor oil was fine, no biggie, piece of cake. The
>>tranny.....GRRRR.
>>Yep, the checker/filler is in FRONT ie FORWARD of the radio console,
>>not
>>"behind" the Console as I was thinking (and Haynes said! grrrr,
>>again). I'm
>>not a Navy guy or I'd use the more descriptive Aft and Astern or
>>whatever,
>>confusing terms for a land lubber. The bung cover was easy, the
>>dipstick was
>>easy, getting the oil OUT was easy (and it looked almost NEW!).
>>But man, what a messy, god forsaken job getting the new oil back in
>>was!!!
>>As an NOF (Non Old Fart) or "tweener" (?!) I duly ignored the advice
>>of
>>getting a pump device to get the oil in there, I found a tube like
>>device at
>>Autozone that allows you to connect one end to the oil bottle and
>>close/open
>>the flow...ahhh, but the rub is, folks, no air = no flow! so here I
>>am, on
>>my knees, ass waving to the other bemused patrons of the Auto Craft
>>Shop,
>>with my "handy" $4 device, trying to hold the one end in the open
>>filler
>>hole and attempting to poke a hole in the (now slippery) oil bottle
>>with a
>>phillips...no nail handy...Worked great, until the bottle is about
>3/4
>>empty, then El Halto, and how do you get the bottle, and "handy
>>device" out
>>of the car without spilling? You don't, especially since I poked a
>>hole in
>>the bottom of the bottle...
>>moral of the story to the uninitiated: Get a pump device, or a funnel
>
>>with a
>>LONG tube and a friend to hold the free end in to the filler hole so
>>you
>>aren't lubricating the outside of the tranny instead of the inside...
>>Just thought I'd share....
>>I'm still smiling, and so is my B! And I only cursed once - when I
>>couldn't
>>find a dustpan to clean up all the dry-sweep! I'm learning. :)
>>
>>Dan
>>'73 B
>
>At the risk of appearing like a total check-book enthusiast (which i
>resist vigourously)
>There are just some jobs that one gladly pays somebody else to do!
>Oil changes of any description fall into this category as far as im
>concerned - especially transmission oil - its a downright shitty job -
>always has been
>Ive "tried it/didnt like it" and i'd just rather spend the time on
>something else.
>So for twenty bucks I get it done at my pal Alex's shop and HE has the
>problem of getting rid of the old stuff - Sorry lads, this one is a no
>brainer!
>
>mike robson
>69 roadster
>70 BGT
>72 roadster
>(all with nice clean new oil in both engine and trans, none of which
>changed by Y.T.)
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