General Basic maintenance tasks & one stalling question

[AndrewRL]

OK so from my previous posts you may appreciate that I am on a steep learning curve here and am just starting to learn about maintaining and keeping an old car on the road (I needed a hobby...or so I was told )

So two very basic questions:
Spark plugs - I have read here (and in Haynes) that you need a self gripping plug spanner to avoid the plugs falling into the cowling. What is a self gripping plug spanner? I have looked in shops and online and haven't found any called this.

Working under the car - there doesn't seem a lot of space even to do basic tasks (like oil changes); without a ramp/pit, how do you work under the car? I guess you can jack it up front or back but if you need it level (for engine oil/gearbox oil draining?) do you jack it up, pop it on axle stands then do the same the other end? Or can you do oil changes without raising the car?

And one current issue:
The engine often cuts out when coming to a halt at junctions; starts again fine. I have adjusted the idle screw which helps for a while but then the issue returns. Is it just that the idle screw works itself "loose"? If so, is there anyway to stop this? Or is there something else I need to look at?

Thanks for all your help and suggestions as always (I'm afraid there will be more... )

 

[Eklipze3k]

Self gripping plug spanner - most spark plug sockets (certainly all the ones I own) have a rubber insert which grips the plug to prevent it falling out.

If doing an engine oil change you should be able to manage by just jacking up the back end, but for safety and ease I tend (and admittedly I do this on modern cars as I no longer own a 126) to reverse the car onto a set of ramps and then jack up the front and prop it with axle stands. You could just as easily use 2 sets of axle stands (though for some reason the axle stands instructions say not to do this?) if you prefer.

 

[fiat500]

I changed the oil yesterday. No biggie, just lie on the ground....easy access to the sump plug.

 

[Bambino]

And one current issue:
The engine often cuts out when coming to a halt at junctions; starts again fine. I have adjusted the idle screw which helps for a while but then the issue returns. Is it just that the idle screw works itself "loose"? If so, is there anyway to stop this? Or is there something else I need to look at?

Thanks for all your help and suggestions as always (I'm afraid there will be more... )

Hi Andrew,

These screws do tend to loosen with wear and tear, vibration and time. Occasionally the tensioning spring gets lost as well.

Short of a new screw+spring and/or throttle lever, you can try wrapping the threads in plumbers tape, applying a little Locktite (to the threads only) or fitting an appropriately thick o-ring to the idle screw between the spring and the screw head. The latter is probably the best solution followed by the Locktite.

If the spring is missing they are easily available and once replaced, will fix your problem.

Chris