| Author | Message | ||
     Mike_bolts |
Time for an oil change! I figure I'll do it myself, can you guys give me a shopping list, I would like to go the Wally Mart route: Filter type / no. Oil type / no. of quarts. Finally without looking at my owners manual, where is the drain plug? Oh... I checked the knowledge vault so don't flame me too badly for asking a basic question. Many thanks in advance. | ||
| Gearhead998 |
Mike, I use Mobil 1 15/50 in the engine and Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear lube 75/90 in the primary. I use the buell filter, so I can't help you there. but the drain plug is on the left side of the swingarm for the engine oil just inside if where the curve stops, and the primary drain plug is on the left, pretty much under the foot peg, just a little further under. Hope this helps. | ||
| Rhost |
I use mobile1 15w50 in the engine and 75/90 in the primary as well, the difference is night and day in how it runs. Here is a list of oil filters Manufacturer / Model HD / 63806-00Y AC Delco / PF1233 Motorcraft / FL836 Purolater / L14476 <- I've heard good things about this one STP / S4967 Bosch / 3311 Mobil1 / M1-103 <- the one I use but I'm going to switch Fram / PH4976 <- Don't use this crappy cardboard one K&N / HP-1003 <- nice nut on the end of the cap. good for racing if you need to secure it Wix / 51394 Napa / 1394 On a side note, I've heard that the HD, the Bosch, the Walmart Supertech, and a few others are all made by champion, and are the exact same filters just re-branded. | ||
| Cmm213 |
Rhost I use the Purolater also, does the job and is cheap. From what I have heard is that this filter is the same size as ones that are used on older toyota camerys. | ||
| Re5rotary |
Hi nobody has mentioned what a pig of a job actually doing the job is. The drain bung is right over the muffler and its damn hard not to make a mess when draining the old oil. The filter is not much better and also wants to drip over the muffler when you remove it. I like my Buell and the majority is well made and technically clever but not much thought went into what should be a simple task. terry | ||
| Sgthigg |
Use aluminum foil to cover up parts that you dont want a mess on. It is pretty darn easy to do when you use it to drain the oil. | ||
| Moonrunrs |
I could have sworn I saw a site with pics that showed the step by step process of changing the engine oil on an XB. If I'm wrong, someone should do one. | ||
| 12r |
A two-litre plastic bottle with a section cut out of the side stops oil getting on the muffler. | ||
| Kdan |
After you're done changing the oil, you need a test ride...I find a spirited test ride removes all spilt oil from the muffler! | ||
| Mike_bolts |
 Many thanks guys. How many quarts of oil do I need??? I am changing out the muffler this weekend anyway so it's a perfect time to change the oil while I'm at it. | ||
| Blackxb9 |
Aluminum foil is the trick to no mess. Just changed mine this weekend in a matter of minutes. Hardest part was getting the old filter off, since I didn't have the exact size filter wrench. I practically squashed the old one but got it off. | ||
| Skyguy |
Blackxb9 I do not bother with a fancy oil filter wrench at all. I simply grab a large screwdriver and drive it through both sides of the filter and twist! Works every time! Be careful if the filter was overtightened though. | ||
| Blackxb9 |
Not a bad idea. Thanks! | ||
| Kootenay |
Leave the bike on the sidestand to change the engine oil. Yeah, it's a bit tricky to drain the oil without getting it on the muffler, but even trickier is getting the new oil into the fill hole--you'll want a very long-necked funnel for this. Of course, since the filler cap is located right where the rear wheel flings road crap over the "hugger," you should take some time to clean that area off before you even start. Then, you have to re-install and remove the fill cap to check the level... I like the location of the oil filter. Yeah, you have to remove the chin fairing, but it is mounted the way an oil filter should be--that is, facing down, so you can remove it with minimal spillage, and put clean oil into the new filter before installing it (a good idea, so the engine doesn't run without oil pressure while the pump fills the filter on first startup). One other thing, though--if you're gonna do the transmission oil as well, at least check your owner's manual regarding the fluid level. Sitting level (not on the sidestand) the level should be just at the bottom of the clutch cage, I believe. You may have to make up a special funnel to get oil into the clutch inspection opening, too--difficult to pour straight out of the bottle into there. I love my Buell, but I gotta say it doesn't appear the engineers were thinking much about ease of oil changes when they designed the beast. At least we don't have to remove the header to reach the filter... | ||
| Rhost |
I use plastic wrap and a couple pieces of tape, don't have to worie about punching holes in the aluminum foil and dripping oil on the muffler you so carefully tried to not get oil on. I bought a measuring oil funnel with hose and an on/off spout at walmart for $2.96. | ||
| Spike |
Not to hijack the thread, but I think the XB oil change is a cake job. Throw it up on the swingarm stand, stuff a shop rag in the exhaust, and you're good to go. Oil will still drain on the outside of the pipe, but it comes off easily with a quick spray of brake/parts cleaner. It's much easier than changing the oil on my old Honda which has two separate oil drain plugs and has the filter hidden behind the exhaust header, requiring you to drain the oil while the engine is hot, but then waiting for the exhaust to cool before changing the filter. | ||
| Cmm213 |
I'm with Spike takes me about 15 minutes I have a jardine I dont know if that makes a diff. If you guys have to use a wrench of stab the filter with a screwdriver its on way to tight. But thats my opinion, hand tight on hand tight off. | ||
| Kootenay |
...requiring you to drain the oil while the engine is hot... I always do an oil change with the engine hot. Is it a good idea to change the oil on the Buell with the engine cold? Will the oil drain as completely? I agree, the oil change doesn't take long--and I gotta say, the oil filter is a lot easier to access (and less messy to change) than the one on my Yamaha. Still, I kinda like the oil level window on the Yammi, and the oil fill hole is easy access, too, and doesn't collect nearly as much grit as the one on the Buell... I also agree about the oil filter being too tight, if you gotta drive a screwdriver through it to remove. On my bike, the filter was so tight when I first got it I broke a strap wrench removing it--the gasket was crushed so thin the metal edge of the filter was contacting the case. Dunno if this was from the factory or the dealer (I'm told the factory). Anyway, as a general rule a strap wrench works well for removing oil filters, but there should be no reason for installing more than hand tight. (Message edited by Kootenay on January 24, 2006) |
