[V8] V8 therapy (long)

[pdlord at talent.com.au]

My V8 is not my daily driver, and I bought it 2 days before out first-born
arrived, so in the months since I haven't had a great deal of time to fix
everything on it, often the best I could do was read about it on this message
board...

Well last night I rounded up the last few jobs that were bugging me because they
simply hadn't been done - o2 sensor change, engine and trans oil change and oil
filter.

It was so easy I couldn't believe it! I was expecting the worst with getting the
o2 sensor out - have read plenty here about seized sensors, stripped threads...
so was pleasantly suprises when I got the 22mm closed ring spanner around the
sensor (did cut the old sensor's wires, but later realised if I'd disconnected
them I could've threaded thru the spanner), got a rubber mallet I had handy and
with a firm whack the sensor came loose. I lay there for a second not believing
my luck. I was worried about anti-seize compound for the thread (I did not have
any) and then realised that the new sensor had grease already applied.
Excellent! Threading the wires up was the worst bit only because it's pretty
tight geting arms and elbows in there and I didn't have safety glasses to stop
old grease from dropping down in my face, and the sensor's wires needed
zip-tying as it is a generic VW/Audi unit which was too long for the V8 (and
the zip-ties supplied with the new sensor were tiny, used my own). Total job
time? 40 minutes, max, because I wanted the wires to be perfect and not
anywhere near the exhaust and wanted to crimp the wires in the original tangs
without damaging them. Could've done it quicker.

Next up, the oil/oil filter change. Thanks to previous posts here, I made sure
to check for the old oil filter gasket staying up on the mating surface... and
sure enough, there it was...

The trans oil was even easier; I'm trying the oil flush method rather than the
whole pan off and new metal filter change (I'll leaver that for next time).
Only thing that worries me is that there was 4 litres in there (it should be 3,
from what I see in the service manual). Refilled with 3 litres (1 quart = 1.13
litres)
Finished up 3 hrs from start to finish with the greatest sense of satisfaction.
You probably think I'm mad but I am really enjoying working on this car - it's
theraputic. Of course if it was my daily driver it'd probably drive me mad...