I'm changing the oil on my 2004 GS500F tomorrow and just wanted to see if y'all had any suggestions for me. I've never changed the oil in a motorcycle before, so I'll just be adapting my knowledge of changing the oil in a car to a bike.
One other question...can you buy the correct oil filter for my bike at most auto stores (advance, autozone, etc)?
I recently stopped at an auto parts store and they didn't carry the filter. I only checked one store however, maybe others would have it.
Also one word of advice, the three bolts the hold the oil filter cover can easily be broken! BE CAREFUL WHEN TIGHTENING THEM. Use a screw driver driver to tighten them.
Nick
That's great to know, I would definitely not have known that
Fram # ch6000 @ Autzone/Advanced. Don't know the equivalent for carquest/napa.
Be careful tightening the oil drain plug, I stripped mine out last oil change, I helicoiled it and everything is good but it's still a pain, just to be extra careful I'm now using a reusable rubber washer since it'll seal and prevent backing out at lower torques.
I got the fram filter at oreilly's, I think it comes with a new gasket, I also got one at autozone(i think) and the brand is WIX part number 24931 but it didn't have a gasket.
I have done 3 oil changes on my bike and each time the oil filter cover has leaked.
To fix this I run a very thin (use as little as possible) continuous bead of black RTV silicone along the groove in the filter cover before sticking the gasket in it.
I have tried doing without the rtv all 3 times and each time it leaked until I drained all the oil and reinstalled the cover with the RTV.
So really I have done 6 oil changes, I just did the latest one yesterday.
That sucks Da-b. Have you tried replacing the rubber gasket yet?
I keep a box of nitrile gloves in the garage for messy jobs. When changing the oil, it's nice to be able reach down into the pan of dirty oil and dig around for the nut you just dropped in there. You can also turn the glove inside out over the dirty oil filter to keep from dripping oil on your way to the trash can. The crush washer on the oil drain plug is designed to compress, but only so far. I change it every third or fourth oil change, along with the o-ring seal on the filter cover. I've had both washers and o-rings that lasted over 15 years/50,000 miles without problems, but they're cheap. I figure it's good karma to treat the bike nice.
I would say definitely read through the wiki page a few times before you do it, and get all the stuff ready to go in one place before you start. The more prepared you are, the smoother it will go and you will be able to remain calm.
I printed out a copy of the instructions too.
I like the wiki instructions because they tell you things that the manuals may skip over. For example, what a great idea to crack the oil filter cover nuts and drain plug (but don't let oil come out) BEFORE you warm up the engine, reason being that you do not want to struggle with a stubborn, tight nut when you have hot pipes right there. Those kind of tips are invaluable, especially for a guy like me who doesn't know many people who are willing to get grease/oil/dirt under their fingernails.
Another good tip from the wiki: remove the lower acorn nut first on the oil filter cover, that way the oil will drip into the pan and not hit the pipes.
Good luck.
Quote from: Big Shot on May 18, 2009, 09:18:01 PM
That sucks Da-b. Have you tried replacing the rubber gasket yet?
Yeah, i'm not sure what the problem is but The silicone works fine and keeps it from leaking.
It is super easy. I think it was my noobiest first maintenance ever. Buy filter from dealer or internet. Don't assume dealer will have it for sure though. Check if it's the right part before u take it home.
Biggest danger is stripping your drain plug bolt. Hopefully nobody overtightened anything. Just be careful with the wrench and just tighten 1/3 of a grunt past hand tight. If paranoid or the corners on the drain plug bolt are a little pushed over, buy a new drain plug bolt so you can replace it now.
Put down plenty of newspaper. A smaller drain pan might not cover the distance btwn the drainplug and the oil filter, so do the plug first and then get ready to take the filter cover off.
Funnel helps but you can make one out of a to-go plastic box and some scotch tape. This helps you get your old oil out of the drain pan and back into the bottles so you can take the dirtyness back to pepboys or whatever store you bought your oil from.
Use latex/plastic gloves. An extra one wouldn't hurt. Have a few more paper towels than you think you'll need.
Have that extra bottle of oil for that last .1-.4 qt since filter changes tend to take out all of it.
Don't wear your diesel or designer levis.
Quote from: sankyo on May 18, 2009, 10:46:28 PM
Another good tip from the wiki: remove the lower acorn nut first on the oil filter cover, that way the oil will drip into the pan and not hit the pipes.
+1 : This worked well for me.
Quote from: nightrider on May 19, 2009, 02:06:25 AM
Just be careful with the wrench and just tighten 1/3 of a grunt past hand tight.
Make sure you torque the bolts to their proper German specifications.
hahah dont forget to add oil when your done. A guy I used to work with fried a 2001 ford mustang (this was in 2001) because he droped plug and filter, then got sidetracked checking breaks and never put oil back in the car! He started it up and let it run for awhile and answered the phone. Needless to say, he wasn't employed very long lol
bump on this thread for good knowledge....
Changed the oil today, did a quick search on here and learned about the "fragile" state of the oil drain bolt and oil filter plate nuts (when tightening)...that helped a lot, thanks.
Oil change took 20-30 mins, just because I started removing the fairings and then realized I didn't need to. :woohoo: Having a catch pan with a good screen makes it easy to just let the bolt(s) fall out (if necessary) while the oil drains.