On 11/16/98 -0400, Preston Smith wrote:
".... 62 MGA 1600 MK II has not run for 3 years, I am changing the oil and .... Is this approach sound?"

Yes.

"In which direction do I crank the engine with the crank (first experience with a crank)?"

The only direction the drive dog will engage, clockwise.

"Can I remove the oil pan without removing the engine?"

Yes. And if you don't want an oil bath, do drain the oil before attempting to remove the pan. The front 5 bolts are hard to get at, but still can do. I get to the three bolts in the middle with a 7/16" 1/4" drive socket, u-joint, and drive extension. For the two bolts at the front corners, I use a 7/16" box end wrench with an offset head. You go one flat at a time there for a while, but about 5 minutes gets them both out. You also need to remove the two bottom bolts from the bellhousing, as these will interfere with dropping the back of the pan after you get the bolts out. When the engine mounts are in reasonably good condition the pan will come out with no problem. If you can't get the front of the pan out past the front suspension cross member, then the engine mounts are sagging excessively and should be replaced.

".... Also the manual refers to a 'flushing oil' in reference to flushing the engine lube system - what is flushing oil?"

It's a lot like kerosene with lots of solvents and not much lubricating capacity. It also can be not so good for the engine if it dislodges chunks of old gunk that can get caught in tight places when it starts to float around free. The practice is now generally obsolete, as modern engine oil is high detergent type and keeps most of the sludge in suspension for filtering and drainage. Older non-detergent oil would allow the gunk to settle out in the bottom of the oil pan. About the only time that happens these days is if the oil doesn't get changed for a very long time.

If the thing has been sitting for years, or if the past maintenance history is unknown, it would be a good idea to remove the sump for cleaning. If you really want to flush the engine after cleaning the sump, I'd recommend two quarts of oil and two quarts of Rislone®, then let it idle until it's up to running temperature, then let it run another half hour or drive it gently for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain it while it's still hot, and change the filter again at the same time. Beyond that, any modern high detergent multi-grade oil will wash it and keep it pretty clean inside with regular oil changes. Rislone® is a lot like automatic transmission fluid, loaded with detergents to keep the gunk in suspension until it gets to the filter.

"When I removed the oil filter .... I ended up with the filter canister, and a 2" thick cylinder like object which is attached to the oil cooler (I assume this is the valve assembly)."

If there are three tubes connected to that "valve assembly", it could be a thermostatic flow control that bypasses the oil cooler until the oil is up to running temperature. If there is just one tube connected there, then it's just a flow-through adapter, no valve other than a pressure relief valve.

"In the new filter box there are three o-ring type gaskets.. When I removed the assembly from the car there was no o-ring between the 'valve' and the block."

Take another look. Probably the original rubber o-ring is still in there, squashed paper thin and nearly hard as a rock after decades of service. Get a sharp pointed awl and dig diligently in the grove in the engine block to remove all traces of the old o-ring.

"One easily removed gasket between the canister and valve, and what appears to be another gasket deeply inserted into valve assembly beneath the easily removed gasket. Is this correct? should there be two gaskets between the valve and canister?"

No, and no. Some times people ignore the old gasket and put another o-ring on top of it, but that's courting disaster, because it is then known to blow out the o-ring while you're driving. There should be one o-ring between the valve body and the engine block, and another o-ring between the valve body and the canister. Otherwise, the spin-on filter adapter is a really nice accessory, with one o-ring on top and a spin-on filter underneath.

Filter descriptions, original MGA type - - Filter Descriptions, original variations
Filter Cartridges - - Filter Seal Rings - - Spin-on adapters, Aftermarket
Spin-on adapters, MGB - - Filter types - - Frequently asked questions
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