Oil change tips & tricks

[zorkler]

Mr. cutter you will now be the proud owener of the golden centerstand award . You should recive it in the mail in 3 to 7 working days .

 

[Toecutter]

Mr. cutter you will now be the proud owener of the golden centerstand award . You should recive it in the mail in 3 to 7 working days .

:yahoo:

 

[KSFJR]

I had been setting the 2x6 down first, then humping it onto the centerstand/board combo, but that was back before, at 46, I'm now officially pushing 50. Us old guys have to work smarter, not harder. Thanks Mike! :clapping:

I know what you mean. Back in my 40's I would have picked up the bike and shook it to get the last bit of oil out. Now that I am in my late 50's it's all I can do to pick it up and hold it while it drains. :lol:

 

[S76]

for MADMIKE2 and TOECUTTER and anyone else that wants to do it.

1st put down a big enough piece of 2x6 for the center stand to go on and behind it put a piece of 2x4 about 8" or so long. now line them up as a "T" behind the rear tire with the 2x6 piece first going side to side and then the 2x4 piece 2nd going front to back.

now push the bike backwards and when you get to where you can put down the center stand do so, if you do it this way it is about the same as with nothing under it.

when you do it with just the piece under the center stand it is 2 inches higher you are trying to lift the bike and much harder.

I am 67 years old and do it my way easy and change all of my own tires, so far I have changed 12 tires on my 05'

Thanks Blue Devil! I just read this the other day and used it today to change out my tires. Worked great. As a mater of fact, with the center stand up on a 2X, I was able to but a block under the header pipes and take both wheels off. Rear came right out. Had to remove the fender on the front. Worked great.

 

[Toecutter]

As a mater of fact, with the center stand up on a 2X, I was able to but a block under the header pipes and take both wheels off. Rear came right out. Had to remove the fender on the front. Worked great.

I bought a kid's body board at the dollar store today to set on top of the block for header protection. Should work pretty sweet!

 

[FlyingLow]

"Oil changes, and the anal-retentives who lose sleep over it, on the next Dr. Phil"

 

[Toecutter]

for MADMIKE2 and TOECUTTER and anyone else that wants to do it.

1st put down a big enough piece of 2x6 for the center stand to go on and behind it put a piece of 2x4 about 8" or so long. now line them up as a "T" behind the rear tire with the 2x6 piece first going side to side and then the 2x4 piece 2nd going front to back.

now push the bike backwards and when you get to where you can put down the center stand do so, if you do it this way it is about the same as with nothing under it.

when you do it with just the piece under the center stand it is 2 inches higher you are trying to lift the bike and much harder.

Okay, I think I get it. You roll the bike backward, onto the boards, then put it onto the centerstand while the tire is on a 2x4. For some reason, it took a while to visualize that from the instructions. Sounds like a good plan!

I am 67 years old and do it my way easy and change all of my own tires, so far I have changed 12 tires on my 05'

12 rears? How many miles? What kind of tires? You sound like somebody with some real experience/opinions to share!

 

[bramfrank]

If you are really anal about getting *the most* dirt out of the engine, two-step the oil change. Drain and refill it with cheap (but spec compliant) oil, warm it up, then drain that, replace the filter and refill. I remember my dad's Cadillac dealer once recommended doing that because the engine was 'really dirty'.

Think about it - initial dirt levels will be reduced by a factor of four or more.

I am not that type.

I do use Castrol Grand Prix bike-specific 10w40 and do an oil change every 1500-2500 miles - in my world that's about once a month. Oil changes are quick and simple to do, it isn't rediculously expensive oil (C$3.60 a liter) and it can't hurt. It costs about the same as half a tank of gas once a month and keeps me off the streets for an hour at night.

 

[Toecutter]

If you are really anal about getting *the most* dirt out of the engine, two-step the oil change. Drain and refill it with cheap (but spec compliant) oil, warm it up, then drain that and replace the filter and refill.

Cheap (but spec compliant) oil is what I use, but I'm too cheap to use two gallons of it (at $8.50 each) at each oil change. Hopefully, every 4000 miles will be good enough to give the motor a good long, strong life.

 

[rontoride]

Good idea. That's how I get mine up higher to change the rear tire....I "walk" it up, 1st one side, then the other so that the rear of the bike is 2" higher to roll the rear tire out. I'd never thought of using your solution to drain all the oil from the bottom of the pan.
[SIZE=8pt]16 posts to go...and counting![/SIZE]

I cut off the rear fender 2", now the tire rolls out easy and I think the fender looks cleaner now.

 

[Ari Rankum]

Use some gloss black engine paint, it works good on any filter including the Fram 7317. Most engine paint will take up to 200 degrees and your filter doesnt get any hotter than that. I use Pure Ones and Frams painted and it works great.

Why I don't use Fram anymore: clicky numero uno

All you ever wanted to know about oil filters, including Fram: clicky numerativisimo due

 

[FJR Gary]

Not to hijack this thread, but I was reminded of an oil filter thread from the Maximum Suzuki board a couple of years ago which really bashed the Fram filters. This article was linked to in that thread:

https://www.tobycreek.org/oil_filters/index.shtml

Don't know how current this information is. I used the K&N filters on my Bandit 1200 because they had a nice little 17mm nut welded on the end on the filter which made it real easy to tighten and loosen it behind the headers. I use the Yammy OEM filter on the FJR.

 

[shuswaper]

Well, you guys ( Ari & Fjr Gary) have certainly confirmed my understanding (and long held beliefs)of Fram filters. Anybody still using them after all the info out there, must be on something or just plain cheap. Seems to me, filters are one area where quality should be striven for...if you love your machine that is. :assassin:

 

[C&C]

Let me post an alternate view. If these filters are so bad, where are all the articles of self destruction for the millions of engines that use them. I agree, by the sound of the write ups, that they may not be the best made filters but maybe it just doesn't make that much of a difference.

 

[weekend rider]

Interesting article about them there filters. Have used fram for many years now it istime to switch .

On my bike use BOSCH, now I will switch to bosch for rest of fleet of vehicles.

This is for FRAM :assassin:

weekend rider

 

[FJRandy]

Call me crazy...but I drain mine with the bike on the SIDE stand...no need for a 2x4.

You and I must be the only crazy ones, GunMD. I don't think I ever once changed the oil on the center stand. Side stand...start to finish. Clean lower fairing with brake cleaner. Job done. 10 minutes.

What's all the big fuss? Sounds to me like making three lefts instead of one right.

BTW....I've been using that 2X6 "T" trick to change the rear tire since my last bike. Works perfect. Only difference is I use 2X12's because that's what was laying around at the time.

 

[deanz4]

is that a pure-one (purolator) filter that you painted black? (noticing the red around the gasket)
If so -- what'd ya paint it with?

cant we changed our oil in side stand??

i have always been doin so

 

[Toecutter]

cant we changed our oil in side stand??
i have always been doin so

My way cool drain tub doesn't slide under the bike while it's on the sidestand so I came up with this as opposed to buying another one for the bike. I have enough crap to store in my garage without duplication. YMMV

 

[Toecutter]

Good idea. That's how I get mine up higher to change the rear tire....I "walk" it up, 1st one side, then the other so that the rear of the bike is 2" higher to roll the rear tire out.

I found out last night that the one-sided 2X4 trick, pictured above, puts the bike in perfect orientation for removing the rear wheel. Try it next time!

 

[RED]

The bike is too heavy, I cant turn it upside down and shake it, so I run a quart of oil through.