This is my first bike with a crush washer at the sump and I would like to get it right next oil change. This is for a GS 500.
For the last change, I started to tighten the bolt up with a new crush washer and then realised that I hadn't seen the old crush washer yet. Assuming the lip around the drain was the old one, i stuck with it. No leaks so far.
My questions are:
- Does the crush washer tend to stick to the engine? If so, how should I remove this?
- The crush washer goes on flat towards the engine and convex towards the bolt, right?
- I read somewhere that bonded seal (dowty) washers can be used instead, and are reusable. Is this the case for the GS 500?
The crush washers that are like a c-shaped cross-section (open doughnut) I find all stick to the sump bolt. I grab them with pliers and turn the bolt out with a spanner.
The washer that you're describing, which is like a flat washer but very slightly coned shaped, I have had them stick to the sump side. If you can't get it off with your fingers then a bit of a push with a flat-bladed screwdriver normally does the trick.
Of course the real classic is having the bolt and washer disappear into whatever you're dumping the oil into only to have to go rummaging around in black oil for it! That's how it usually goes.
Thanks.
To make sure, around the sump hole it should be flat, right? If there's a ridge, it's the crush washer?