Which oil

Or they get overcome by fumes.

rog1963 wrote: ......surely all of those bolts on the engine cover aren't necessary :silly:

yes they are really, apart from as Clive indicates, it seals the cabin from engine fumes, the panel, when fully bolted, forms part of the rear end stiffness.

You'll find that you get really quick at removing them after a while. Believe me!:lol:

A lot quicker than filling the sump via the dipstick, eh Pete?:rofl:

rog1963 wrote: I did think of removing the dipstick ... but I needed to be there to pour.
And talking of patience, surely all of those bolts on the engine cover aren't necessary :silly:

The engine cover forms part of the stiffness of the car which is why it has so many bolts, you will also notice that it has been pressed with ridges to make it much stiffer. ~ the underbelly plate (which is also a stiffener) has 22 bolts holding it on. The seal around the edge of the engine cover plate also stops fumes from being drawn into the cabin. :ohmy:

to be honest, most of the bolts come out fairly quickly with a ratchet ... it was just the three awkward ones tucked under the t bar that required an open ended spanner that slowed me down.

Whilst underneath removing the filter I had chance to check out the underfloor coolant pipes. Both looked to be still in good condition with no obvous signs of rot ... and yes, I did notice all the bolts on the underfloor plate. I shall look forward to removing them when the time comes to replace with stainless pipes. :pinch:
Next on the to do list though will be the brakes.

rog1963 wrote: to be honest, most of the bolts come out fairly quickly with a ratchet ... it was just the three awkward ones tucked under the t bar that required an open ended spanner that slowed me down.

Whilst underneath removing the filter I had chance to check out the underfloor coolant pipes. Both looked to be still in good condition with no obvous signs of rot ... and yes, I did notice all the bolts on the underfloor plate. I shall look forward to removing them when the time comes to replace with stainless pipes. :pinch:
Next on the to do list though will be the brakes.

Ratchet spanner for the awkward three.

With hoops fitted it's a lot easier because you can't refit the speaker box, so I can use a 1/4 drive socket.