Cars where performing a task that's normally a total pain in the arse is actually a piece of piss.

[warren t claim]

Prompted by @New POD posting this on another of my threads...

...I thought I'd start a thread on giving two and a half cheers to those cars that make tricky labour intensive jobs a doddle.

I'll start with this example. When the alternator belt shredded itself on my W124 in the middle of nowhere I Googled the nearest motor factors and managed to buy a new belt off the shelf. Fitting it was made easy because not only had Mercedes Benz taken the time to show how the belt should be routed in the owners manual, they also fitted a spring loaded tensioner on the alternator meaning I could fit a new belt without needing any tools other than a snapped off tree branch.

[FakeConcern]

 

[warren t claim]

On the subject of clutch replacement on old style Vauxhalls. 

When I was collecting the 1300 petrol Bedford Astravan belonging to the bailiff firm I worked for after it needed a new clutch I got chatting to the mechanic. I mentioned to him that these Vauxhalls are supposed to be the easiest cars ever to do a clutch swap. He replied telling me that the Austin/Morris 1800 Landcrabs were even easier to do a clutch replacement on. Does anyone know if that's true?

[Christine]

Mk2 Cavalier and Astra  mk1  clutch  relacement .  

Saying that , i saw a friend  (pro mechanic)  with  a  mk1 escort race car with a cosworth  engine ,  do a   clutch change  at Brands on his back in a similar time ..

[warren t claim]

 

Dedication's what you need.

[Jazoli]

12 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

 

And mk2 focus’s

easiest ever.

[warren t claim]

Just now, Jazoli said:

And mk2 focus’s

easiest ever.

Mk1 Insignia is even easier.

[IronStar]

Replacing dash cluster on Alfa 156. 3 accessible, normally sized bolts and a clip-on connector per clock. 5 minutes. Done. 

[stuboy]

changing door speakers on mk2 and mk3 mondeo's, ie removing the door panel

[IronStar]

Clutch or really anything transmission on 2WD versions of vans that share the floorplan with 4WD ones. So much space to pull it back and drop the box! 

[warren t claim]

The lack of replies on this thread compared to the other speaks volumes.

I do like how the modern diesel engine doesn't need to be bled after running out of fuel.

[catsinthewelder]

The headlights on the mk2 Focus have already been mentioned but the rear fog needed replacing a few years back and was surprisingly easy.  Handbrake cable adjustment is so simple I last did it without leaving the drivers seat.   A shame the same can't be said of the oil and cabin filters.

[HMC]

Heater matrix on a mk1 v70 (and presumably 850?) remove a few bits of trim and bolts, and slide it sideways into the footwell. 10 minutes.  about the same to put it all back together.

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

pollen filter vectra b & spaceship civic

 

[Matty]

Fan assy on a z4 coupe. Two plugs two set screws and lift up. Shame the same couldn't have been said about the expansion tank. And bleeding the fucker 🙄

[Asimo]

Thermostat on O-series Princess / Ambassador.

Remove coolant fill cap. Lift out thermostat. Drop in new one and replace cap.

[rainagain]

As mentioned old vauxhall four speed gear box clutch changes. I had a Nova, to change the clutch you unscrewed a plug on the side of the gearbox and slid out the input shaft. Then you removed the plate under the gearbox, unscrewed the bolts holding in the pressure plate and dropped the clutch out the bottom. 

[derskine]

Oil filter on an old Mercedes diesel is in a canister on top of the engine, no fucking about smashing screwdrivers through one that you can barely reach on the side of the engine.

Likewise compressing a spring on an old Mercedes is much easier/less dangerous than most other cars using the special tool that goes through the wishbone.

Unfortunately pretty much everything else is 10 times more difficult that it is on any other car though.

Also, removing a Hillman Imp engine by taking the rear panel off and just sliding it out with a trolley.

[chodweaver]

On the subject of clutch replacement on old style Vauxhalls. 
When I was collecting the 1300 petrol Bedford Astravan belonging to the bailiff firm I worked for after it needed a new clutch I got chatting to the mechanic. I mentioned to him that these Vauxhalls are supposed to be the easiest cars ever to do a clutch swap. He replied telling me that the Austin/Morris 1800 Landcrabs were even easier to do a clutch replacement on. Does anyone know if that's true?

Don't know about Landcrabs but the ADO16 was a piece of piss iirc - the bell housing being about as shallow as a pan lid and holding only the slave cylinder, release fork and thrust bearing... Unbolt that and you're looking at the clutch, and you can pretty much stand in the engine bay next to it.
This would have been about 1978 though, when i helped my dad do one. Can anyone who's done one more recently confirm?

[Jenson Velcro]

Never done it, but a mate says removing the engine on an original Beetle is really easy

[eddyramrod]

23 minutes ago, derskine said:

Also, removing a Hillman Imp engine by taking the rear panel off and just sliding it out with a trolley.

Ditto on the old air-cooled Fiat 500, and the late (plastic grille) Bedford CF, although obviously that's at the other end!

[Dan the van]

31 minutes ago, derskine said:

Oil filter on an old Mercedes diesel is in a canister on top of the engine, no fucking about smashing screwdrivers through one that you can barely reach on the side of the engine.

Likewise compressing a spring on an old Mercedes is much easier/less dangerous than most other cars using the special tool that goes through the wishbone.

Unfortunately pretty much everything else is 10 times more difficult that it is on any other car though.

Also, removing a Hillman Imp engine by taking the rear panel off and just sliding it out with a trolley.

Same on the older V6/V8's as well.Takes about 1 minute.🙂

[Timewaster]

206 heater motor.

Was expecting a dash out 2 day nightmare.

A quick YouTube watch (as is the norm now) and it was done in 10 minutes.

Glove box out, plug off. Turn motor 45° and out it comes.

Refitting actually IS the reverse of removal.

[Ohdearme]

Cabin filter on a MK4 espace.

Open bonnet, rip out old, Hoover crap, put in new.

[Scruffy Bodger]

On 24/08/2024 at 21:08, FakeConcern said:

 

They did however restore the balance with the sidelight bulbs that are so deep inside the unit you need fingers like a fucking Aye-aye to change or ultra long nose pliers. Twats!

[MrBiscuits]

On 26/08/2024 at 09:10, chodweaver said:

Don't know about Landcrabs but the ADO16 was a piece of piss iirc - the bell housing being about as shallow as a pan lid and holding only the slave cylinder, release fork and thrust bearing... Unbolt that and you're looking at the clutch, and you can pretty much stand in the engine bay next to it.
This would have been about 1978 though, when i helped my dad do one. Can anyone who's done one more recently confirm?

That sounds about right, I did a Mini clutch in an hour when I was younger (post 1978, but probably a good 25 years ago...). They are just a bit tighter and require the engine to be jacked up a bit. You need a special tool to pop the flywheel off but there's no faffing about with driveshafts and ball joints like modern transverse stuff.

[FakeConcern]

6 hours ago, Scruffy Bodger said:

They did however restore the balance with the sidelight bulbs that are so deep inside the unit you need fingers like a fucking Aye-aye to change or ultra long nose pliers. Twats!

I didn't know that, my C30 is a facelift and they (sidelight bulbs) aren't a problem.

[Scruffy Bodger]

3 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

I didn't know that, my C30 is a facelift and they (sidelight bulbs) aren't a problem.

Lucky you. Maybe the factory fortnight 16 year old stand in replaced your design, or I'm a fucking retard, one or the other lol.

Always sort of liked those, they stand apart.

I found out when my very local MOT station declined to change a bulb for a fail, I found out why...

[EyesWeldedShut]

15 hours ago, chodweaver said:

Don't know about Landcrabs but the ADO16 was a piece of piss iirc - the bell housing being about as shallow as a pan lid and holding only the slave cylinder, release fork and thrust bearing... Unbolt that and you're looking at the clutch, and you can pretty much stand in the engine bay next to it.
This would have been about 1978 though, when i helped my dad do one. Can anyone who's done one more recently confirm?

Did a Wolseley Six LandCrab many, many moons ago (around 1978 ) and that was easy enough for three teenagers to do with a little supervision from Farmer Evans ('dad' to the other two) - I think you pulled the plate out a bit like the aforementioned Novas except it came out upwards???
The 1800 LandCrab, though, involved some sort of fuckaboutability akin to changing the sidelight in a Citroen C3 - my other job on the side (lust of my life back then's father was the village mechanic) was automotive tinkering and we did the clutch in an 1800 LandCrab - day and a bit to get everything moved, shifted and jacked out of the way then popped back in.
Given it  was a FWD car in the era of RWD then it probably is an undeserved opinion?
Mostly we'd be splitting a RWD engine/gearbox by dropping the prop, undoing a few bolts then pulling the gearbox back. No droplinks, driveshafts etc etc.

I also think we should just go back to sealed beam headlights - they were easy to do  

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Oil filter and fuel filter on a VW PD lump.  The oil filter is at the top.  Just unscrew the plastic cap, replace the cap seal and the other seal, pull out old paper element, replace with new and replace the cap.

Likewise the fuel filter just consists of removing a clamp screw and a couple of clips on the fuel lines, then pulling out the filter.  Put in new filter (priming optional) and replace fuel lines.

Each job is about 3 minutes if you’re doing it at a leisurely pace…

Changing the intercooler hose to the EGR is easy too.  A couple of clips.  Less than 5 minutes and it’s right at the top left-hand side of the engine bay.  Which is convenient when the metal lugs wear out and it pops off on the M23…

In the other side of the equation, changing the cabin filter on a MK2 Focus.  If you know, you know.