What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Reckless Rat]

Those of you that know me, are aware that I can be tighter than a submarine's window. Now today's report isn't really anything to do with Austin Sevens, but I was at least standing next to it this afternoon when I did an oil & filter change on the Ark Royal. I'm not really able any more to crawl under cars because I get vertigo, and to get to the oil sump plug on the Merc would mean putting the car on the ramps and then getting underneath to remove the undertray. Fortunately the oil filter is on the top of the engine next to the diesel pump and easily accessible (once the plastic engine cover is removed). Whilst browsing on t'Amazon I spotted a very reasonably priced 12v pump, set up to do oil changes by sucking the contents up through the dipstick tube. I guess I will be able to use the equipment next time I do the Seven, but via the oil filler pipe.

The pump worked fine. It's probably not as speedy as what you'd find in a franchised garage, but for 20€ (£16.66) I wasn't expecting much. It did the job nevertheless and I completed the task for the princely sum of 75€ (£62.50), which included buying the pump, an oil filter cartridge and 6 litres of MB approved 100% synthetic 5W30 oil. The Uber Barge is now service interval free for the next 20,000km. That would have been a £400 job at a Merc dealer, and I reset the service lights too while I was at it (the handbook tells me how).

I've uploaded a short video of the pump in action (13 secs) - here:

https://youtube.com/shorts/qSAQ5Ea484I?feature=share