The good and the evil: engine bays

[Lacquer Peel]

Urgh. That's what puts me off 'cab forward' FWD vans.

[plasticvandan]

Have had many a swearing session trying to do number 8 tappet in this voluminous opening

[willswitchengage]

HMMWV looks a bit tricky - engine is miles recessed into the passenger compartment but gets good access from there too

 

 

 

I imagine engines on Delicas / Previas aren't exactly accessibility-central.

[Stixy]

 Magentis V6 are pretty good  once the engine cover is off 

 

 

 

Audi's seem to need the front of the car off or in "the service position " for everything 

 

 

 

[JohnDeere]

On some Disco models, body has to come off to change alternator, let alone clutch.............

 

In reality the Disco-body-off-fear is a bit overblown.  Firstly, lots of the jobs that officially need the body off (like timing belts) can be done without.  Definitely doesn't need it for the alternator. And lifting the body isn't such a horrendous job (and can be done by a brave DIY-er, albeit with a lift).  Owners that do have to lift the body normally get everything done in one hit while they're at it.  Given that these things can do 300k+ miles with maintenance it's worth doing if you plan to keep it, though not cheap.   And the vast majority are autos so not that many clutches to change...

[Lacquer Peel]

HMMWV looks a bit tricky - engine is miles recessed into the passenger compartment but gets good access from there too

 

I imagine engines on Delicas / Previas aren't exactly accessibility-central.

 

The Nissan Vanette with a similar engine layout is easy to work on - there's a similar sized hatch on the other side.

 

[Mr A Lawrence]

Jaguar S type diesel.

Not much better with the cover removed.

 

Jaguar S type V6 pez, left bank plug change involves inlet manifold removal.

Such a shit job even jag techies leave them alone!!

 

This one looks like a bit of a squeeze but once your in its quite comfortable.

[2MB]

^w201 4 pot diesel? 5 cyl is similarly easy to access but most of the times I've had to open to good on mine have been to jump start other cars!

[Mr A Lawrence]

Look closer!!

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

The six cylinder Jaguar XJ40 is an easy thing to work on - not that they ever go wrong really. Its is an attractive thing too.

 

 

 

[tooSavvy]

... my own troo luvv

 

 

&YES.... it is really easy to whip out if really ness

 

 

TS

[MrDuke]

Jaguar S type diesel.

Why does there appear to be an SU dashpot wedged between the cylinder heads?

 

 

 

 

 

This one looks like a bit of a squeeze but once your in its quite comfortable.

 

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!!111!!LULZZZZZZ!!!

[Lacquer Peel]

Oil filter housing, isn't it?

[tooSavvy]

This one looks like a bit of a squeeze but once your in its quite comfortable.

 

 

... 'self service' whore house (try B4 U buy) tag on leg...

 

TS

[MrDuke]

Oil filter housing, isn't it?

 

Aye, probably - seems an odd place to put it though. Presumably when it's changed, all the residual oil will run down into the V, be impossible to clean up due to lack of access, and smoke like a bitch for the next hundred miles or so.

[mouseflakes]

The Nissan Vanette with a similar engine layout is easy to work on - there's a similar sized hatch on the other side.

I wish the access on the Delica was as good as it appears to be on the Vanette.

 

It's not bad, but it's not great.

 

 

Renner 12 engine bay is not a bad place to work. Not that you often need to.

 

[fordperv]

Sierra's with a pinto are Nice and simple

 

[strangeangel]

I recall djimbob's old Reliant Robin not exactly being a barrel of laughs in the engine bay department.

[Tamworthbay]

4 pot capri is the easiest I have ever known. There is easily enough space for a big v8 so the tiny Kent or small pinto leave acres of space to work in. A bit more modern but same sort of thing is the four pot 3 series,rear of the engine can be a bit tricky but loads of space otherwise. Ford Ka is terrible for some of the simplest things like bulbs or oil filter.

[twosmoke300]

Ka pas pump , now that's a twat of a job .

Saab 9-5 - anything on the drivers side is bloody tight but passenger side there is loads of room

[D Spares & Tyres]

+1 on the Capri, easiest cars I've ever worked on.

 

Worst, VW Sharan V6

[Honey Badger]

Accord V6s have plenty of space to work round the engine.

 

[fordperv]

4 pot capri is the easiest I have ever known.

You can physically get in the engine bay with the engine and have room to work, i like how quickly you can swap swap pintos in and out of them, under an hour from start to finish, bloody brilliant

[Tamworthbay]

You can physically get in the engine bay with the engine and have room to work, i like how quickly you can swap swap pintos in and out of them, under an hour from start to finish, bloody brilliant

I always stand in the bay to clean it when swapping engines, but even with the engine in there is so much room that every job is simple. I can't think of a single job that is awkward.

[D Spares & Tyres]

The hardest job I had after removing gearbox and leaving it for a week was removing all the cat hair from the seats. I didn't expect them to climb through the gearstick hole!

[pshome]

Eurovan 2 ( Citroen C8 et-al)

Tighter than a nuns chuff, even changing headlamp bulbs requires the use of a small child with tiny hands.

Timing belt is (technically) and engine out job, but can be done by undoing the engine mounts and pulling the whole lot forward in the bay by a few inches - even then the use of small children to do the tensioners is a distinct advantage and will reduce the need for swearing.

 

sometimes they even forget to remove the kid at the end of the assembly line! Proof:

[sierraman]

Sierra CVH. Ridiculous amount of room to work round the engine. Easy access to timing belt and the plugs etc

[Junkman]

Who needs an engine bay?

 

 

But if it really must be:

 

[myglaren]

... my own troo luvv

 

 

&YES.... it is really easy to whip out if really ness

 

 

TS

Dead easy to drop out and just as well.

I used to have three engines for mine - on in, one ready to go in and one being fixed.

Used the kid next door but one's skateboard to drop it on and wheel it out.

 

The GS wasn't bad but all the bolts on the front were usually rusted solid.

Swapped the engine in mine as it was clattery and couldn't quiet it down. (Kids used to call it Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)

New one was just the same.Easy to do the belts too - although when I did them they were the first timing belts I had done.  Sat and looked at it for hours before daring to fire it up - all OK as it happened.

 

The Volvo I found had loads of room there - I could actually get in with the engine to work on it - handy when the camshaft sieved and snapped

Kadett too, engine looked lost in there

[Felly Magic]

Skoda Felicias trick you in to thinking there is plenty of room to work on the engine, but changing the rear engine mount/water pump on a car with PAS, there isn't clearance to get the pump out due to the inner wing, only choice is to drop the engine