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Last Updated 07/09/00

Servicing A K-Series

I bought my car 2nd hand and did not get much of the service information for my K series. After discussion on the e-mail the following was agreed upon - it is based on the list given in the owners manual with a few additions and modifications due to experience. Wear and tear can also be reduced by driving gently until the engine has fully warmed up, this will take approximately 3 times as long as it takes for the water temperature to rise with an Apollo tank and perhaps only twice as long without (the Apollo greatly increases the oil capacity). Gently means low revs (I tend to keep the revs below 100 times the temperature from a starting minimum of 40 degrees C being 4000 rpm), no labouring or full throttle.


Regularly

  • check tyre wear
  • check tyre pressure - around 18psi
  • check oil level

Every 6000 miles - £80
  • check brake fluid level
  • check all suspension bolts are tight
  • check for play in wheel bearings
  • check sump foam baffle
  • check Coolant level
  • check clutch cable for wear
  • check all gaiters (half shafts, rack and rod ends, front ARB)
  • check jubilee clips on coolant hoses
  • check pads/discs
  • change oil with a quality synthetic
  • change oil filter
  • change Spark Plugs
I have an Apollo tank so need about 9 litres of oil (£60 of Mobil 1) - the level should be up to the notch on the dipstick when the engine is hot and running. Oil filter and spark plugs add up to about £20. Check the gaps on the plugs, mine are 0.6mm but the new ones were 0.7mm. Total is £80


Every 12000 miles - £80 + £5 = £85
  • check alternator and cam belts
  • check ECU diags
  • check Gearbox oil level (EP80)
  • check Diff oil level (EP90)
  • check Coolant hose condition4
  • check brake lines and unions
  • check Exhaust security
  • check Engine mountings
  • check brake pipe unions
  • change sump foam baffle
  • regrease half shaft UJs
  • regrease steering joints
  • regrease ARB joints (they just pull out)
  • regrease and retorque all wheel bearings
Grease is a £5 for a big tub. Torquing the rear wheel bearings will require a 41mm socket about £10. The 250 ft lb can be done by standing on an 18" bar (for a 160 lb person). The foam baffle is £5. Total is therefore £5 of expendables.


Every 24000 miles - £80 + £5 + £145 = £230
  • change diff oil
  • change gearbox oil
  • change brake fluid
  • change coolant - use a *propylene* glycol based fluid only
  • change fuel filter
  • change cambelt
  • change suspension and ARB bushes
  • clean air filter. See the K&N air filter page for instructions
The diff takes about 1.3 litres of EP90 at £6 a litre, the gearbox needs nearly 2 litres of EP80, about £20. Coolant is £15 for 5 litres and then top up with water. Fuel filter £10, Cambelt £20, bushes are 11 x £6 + 4 x £3 = £78. This comes to a total of around £145. I need to find out what brake fluid and air filter cleaning fluid and filter oil cost.


Other things to think about

On top of these minimum costs there will be replacement of some of the items that are checked. For example the coolant hoses will last a few years only, brake pads/discs will wear according to usage etc. Also:

  • After about 6 years the springs may start to sag and need replacement
  • Similarly shock absorbers may need rebuilding - or replacement with nice new shiny adjustable platforms :)
  • Clutches wear depending on use. Replace it if it starts slipping or if its more than 10,000 miles old you may want to replace it whenever you next have the engine out.