| Author | Message | ||
     Jerome |
The Mobil 1 15W50 seems to be a most popular oil for Buells in the USA. Here in France I have a hard time to locate a place where Mobil 1 oil is available with such viscosity. The most common viscosities are 10W50 or even 5W50. Any reason why to avoid such viscosities in Buells ? Any tendancy of oil leaks at cold temperature due to fluider oil ? Regarding engine wear, a W5 or W10 rating should be even better than W15 at cold temperature, and the W50 rating remains the same at high temperature. Comments appreciated before I start to fill my oil tank with 5W50 or 10W50 Mobil 1... | ||
| Jsunstar |
I need the oil capacity of s2... ok, i dont have a manual yet but i wanna ride tomorrow and i need to change the oil... how much oil does a 95 s2 take? i got a filter for my 94 sporty, i am pretty sure its the same filter,,, thanks manual coming...soon, but not soon enough... jason | ||
| Ara |
Junstar: Yes, the sporty filter is the correct one. How much oil your S2 takes will depend on whether you got the big or small filter. Doesn't really matter, you can still change your oil and go riding today. - Warm up the motor well and drain the oil. - After the oil is drained start up the motor again and run it very briefly to scavange the rest of the oil out of the motor. -Just before you spin the new filter on, fill it half-way up with new oil. This primes the oil pump and shortens the amount of time it takes for the oil to first circulate when you start the motor back up. - Fill the oil tank to one-third to one-half of the way up the dipstick. Start the motor and run until you see evidence of oil circulation. Then use the dipstick again while the motor is running to ensure that your oil level is one-third to on-half way up the dipstick. - Go riding. (Don't forget that you haven't fully surviced the bike until you've changed the gear oil in the primary and adjusted the clutch.) Russ | ||
| Jsunstar |
ok, i did similar...i think i had the large one on and i have the small one to replace it. is the large one better? i warmed it up and drained it... i think i got most of the old oil out...i got most from the drain plug then some from the filter...i made a mess. i added about 2.5 quarts of oil, i think i read that thats the capacity... it was about up to the halfway mark...at first... its spewing oil though from somewhere behind the rear jug i think... theres a hose barb coming from the case behind the rear jug with no hose on it...i think thats where its leaking from... it sticks up almost directly under the battery... what hose is supposed to be on that barb? i need my manual! i checked the oil after the ride and it was under half way up the stick... good ride today...about 110 miles...about 200 more on the breakin and i can open it up a little. im gonna take it in for the 5000 mile service and get all the fluids changed and have it inspected (requirement in Pa.) and have it looked over real well... thanks for the info russ, i think i added a little too much oil but i think i did OK... ill keep yinz posted! Jason h 95 S2 94 XL (my buddy rode the sporty today with me, he hasnt been on a bike since he owned an '85 intercepter in '86, i think hes gonna buy a fat boy now! hes 290 lbs, he looked like a shriner on a mini!hahahaha) layter | ||
| Blake |
Jason: Sounds like your tranny vent hose is missing. Look in that same area (below battery) for a 3/8" hose end that is looking for a mating nipple. If you find one and the other end vents to atmosphere in front of the rear wheel, that's probably the one you want. | ||
| Jsunstar |
Hmm. i stopped at the dealer today (new to buell so not much help) and they said to put a hose on it... they didnt say where to connect other side to... so i just vent it to the ground? i think i must have used too much oil and its coming from there? i hope so...no leaks, no leaks, no leaks... i didnt find a loose hose anywhere... i need a manual!!!!! its sposed' to be in the mail. | ||
| Blake |
That is the TRANNY breather hose. You have two separate oil systems, one for the engine (dry sump, most oil is in tank under seat) and one for the primary/clutch/transmission. The screw-in drain plug underneath the tranny, just hovering over your muffler is the tranny drain plug. The engine oil drain hose is attached to the frame just ahead of and below the lefthand passenger peg. Sorry if you already understand this, just want to make sure. It is not intuitive if you are not familiar with American motorcycles. | ||
| Jsunstar |
i figured that, should it have a hose going somewhere? no hose on it now... i drained oil from the res. under the seat and out of the filter... how much oil does a 95 S2 take with a change? thanks for the help! jason h | ||
| Blake |
Jerome: Go for it, the 10W50 will work fine. And with it, you will have no added risk of leakage. sorry for not replying sooner. Jason: yeah , the tranny breather usually vents behind teh battery, in front of your rear tire (nice huh). I routed mine up to the back of the tail section. If it is like my '97 M2, your S2 should take no more than 2.5 quarts total including filter and residual oil. Using the dipstick to check level is okay as long as you do it imediately following shut-down of a warm engine. This minimizes the slight seepage of oil from the tank back into the crankcase. Sounds like your level is fine to me. | ||
| Fresh |
Blake/all others, 10W50/15W50 Mobil 1, you guys mean the car engine oils from Mobil huh. Are these types a cheaper alternative for the Mobil 1 motorcycle oil 20W50 V-Twin or do you consider the Mobil 1 20W50 V-Twin superior ? Thx. Fresh | ||
| Blake |
I was using the 15W50 long before Mobil launched the 20W50 V-Twin campaign. I'm well satisfied that it provides superior protection vesus any conventional oil. Mainly I'm looking for peace of mind going with 5000+ mile oil change intervals and the extra high heat protection afforded by a good synthetic. I can't say whether the V-Twin version is superior or not. It sure is more expensive! | ||
| Oldman |
is it going to make a difference if your still under warranty | ||
| Blake |
Yes, it will still do a better job of protecting your engine even when it is under warranty.  You warranty will be fine. It would be illegal for Buell to require the use of only HD motor oil. Your owner's manual even allows for the use comparable grade non-HD oils. | ||
| Bam |
I work at a Buell dealership in Wisconsin. I know by "Harley" standards I'm supposed to say use HD 20W50 and HD sport-trans fluid. I heard that Brian Nallin reccomends a certain brand and type of engine oil and primary fluid that works great. I have a customer that pops in once in a while and he told me about it and said I should try it. He loves it, but I don't remember the name. Well, I'm up for suggestions and I was wondering if anyone here remembers or knows what Nallin or I are talking about. I also want to know where I can get some. Thanks | ||
| Rempss |
Royal Purple. Get it from Brian. $5.95/Qt - motor oil, $8.95/Qt - gear oil. Also stocks Denso plugs $12.95. Jeff | ||
| Blake |
I think NAPA sells it too. | ||
| Srl |
I just picked up 10 qts of the V-Twin Mobil 1 at a Walmart in South FL for $5.00 per qt. The price was $6.88 but when they rang up for five I went back for more. It didn't say anything about a sale so maybe the price is dropping. The car version is only $.50 cheaper as I recall. They don't carry it at any of the Daytona area Wal-marts for some reason. SRL | ||
| Onlyblue |
So, everyone's got OIL questions again? These links ought to be posted every 3 or 4 months and required reading before getting into discussions about oil (#3 link was down when I tried it). 1.)http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm 2.)http://www.hdcycles.com/motvsaut.htm 3.)http://www.northendcycle.com/oil.html 4.)http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/oilreport.html. | ||
| Henrik |
Never mind links ... here's the true story about synthetic oils: Beware of synthetic oil, it can do terrible things to you and your beloved motorcycle. It will not only leak out of your engine faster than you can put it in, but it will also cause your oil filter to clog and implode, dumping debris and dirt into your lubrication system. It also will make every part of your bike permanently slippery because of its linear molecular chain dispersion action. Then it will leak onto your kickstand causing it to retract automatically, dropping your bike on the ground! But that’s not all... Synthetic oil will round off your gears and spin your bearings. It will also splatter onto your seat causing your girlfriend to fall off in the apex of a turn and she’ll never ride with you again. Synthetic oil coats your sight window and your timing window with a whitish pro-emulsification additive that is both non-removable and highly corrosive. Synthetic oil will completely leak onto the ground overnight and your dog will drink it and die. Synthetic oil will wear out your tires and make your battery leak. It will give you the desperate need to urinate after you put your full leathers on and then jam your zippers shut. It will contaminate your gasoline causing your bike to stall on railroad tracks and accelerate uncontrollably near police cars. It will make it rain during rallies and on weekends. It will lubricate your timing belts causing them to jump teeth and break your valves to bits. Synthetic oil chemically weakens desmodromic valves and causes the clearances to change every six miles. Then it melts the black soles of your riding boots right before you walk across your new carpeting. While riding past groups of attractive women it will cause both of your handlebar grips to slip off at the same time so you smash your windscreen with the bridge of your nose. It also causes your swingarm to crack, your studs to break, and your rotors to warp, and then it voids your warranty by changing your odometer reading to 55,555. It also dries out your wetclutch and wets your dryclutch. It makes your clutch slave cylinder seal fail in the heaviest traffic on the hottest day of the year while putting an angry wasp in your helmet for good measure. Synthetic oil hides your 13mm socket and puts superglue on your earplugs. Synthetic oil will scratch your faceshield and make your gloves shrink two sizes night before trackday. Synthetic oil stole your neutral and sold it to the Chinese for $1.25. Synthetic oil will make you grow a tail. Synthetic oil will write long crazy e-mails to your Internet friends and then sign your name at the bottom! Henrik | ||
| Ara |
GADZOOKS! Who knew? Thank you Henrick for putting the word out. This BBS is the greatest. You find out things here that you can't learn anywhere else. Russ  | ||
| X1glider |
I can tell I'm gonna love working on my Buell  . Disassembly: 1. remove chin fairing 2. remove muffler 3. if necessary (remove all kinds of brackets.) change primary fluid (yada, yada, yada) reassemble: 1. Put on all kinds of "NEW" brackets 2. put on muffler (use permatex gasket sealer) 3. put on "NEW" muffler clamp 4. put eveything else back on Enjoy There's gotta be an easier way than disassembling everything to change fluids. Hopefully the XB9R is more maintanence friendly. | ||
| Blake |
After the initial break in tranny lube change, I use a pump via the clutch cover. Remove drain plug every 20K miles thereafter to clean metal particles from magnet. The truly paranoid may object.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
There was discussion a while back (search the knowledge vault) about creating a fitting and drain tube that makes this much simpler. Somebody had a very elegant setup with a 90 degree fitting and tube setup, so changing the primary fluid was just as easy as changing the oil. I didn't bother, as with the M2 I can get the plug in and out without pulling the muffler (though it is annoying). Sounds like it would definately be worth the work for you. Blakes approach would work well also. If you are worried about sludge on the bottom, I suppose you could pump out the old fluid, pump in and out a very lightweight oil (or maybe even diesel or gas or something) a few time, then pump that out and put the fresh primary fluid in. A little work, but easier then pulling the exhaust. After break in, I have very little metal on the magnetic plug, even after breaking my primary tensioner. | ||
| Ara |
Rather than removing the muffler, you might want to try what's been working well for me for several years. I took an exacto knife to a 1/2 gallon plastic milk jug to make a special purpose funnel/tray thing to direct the flow the tranny fluid into a catch basin without having it gunk up the muffler. Russ | ||
| X1glider |
All good suggestions. I had already considered a right angle fitting and tube just like the oil drain line. But I worry about the exhaust frying the tubing. I really like the milk container idea. Perhaps a 1 qt jug would be better. If I can remove the plug without all the disassembly, I'll give that a shot. | ||
| Hans |
X1 glider: If you ride still without mods, you will have the full advantages of the genious engineer: No need to remove the muffler. The muffler has a dimple in the backside and you can pull that magnetic drain bolt sideways to clean it. Piece of plastic foil keeps the muffler clean. To insert the bolt: Use a flat piece of metal: Table knife, painters knife or ruler to bring the bolt on its place and keep it pressed up with your left hand till you managed to catch the first screwthreads from behind with your righ hand. Easy the peasy. Hans. | ||
| X1glider |
Still no mods. I noticed the dimple in the muffler. I thought it was was there for clearance for when the engine moves under acceleration. Maybe not tho, I haven't gotten around to learning how the drivetrain mounts to the frame on a Buell yet. The Harley will bang the exhaust against the frame under hard acceleration. But it's a different animal isn't it. Do you not have to get the primary lube up to operating temp? I'd hate to scald myself by muffler and lube, messing around in a tight  spot. | ||
| Ara |
Naaaa, you can drain the tranny lube cold or lukewarm. BTW, Hans' putty knife method of drain plug installation is right on the money! When you cut the milk jug, make a tray with maybe 1/2 inch sides that's just long and deep enough to fit between the muffler and the engine. Do it with the loop up for ease of handling, and leave the mouth of the jug as is - that's your pour spout. Russ | ||
| X1glider |
ccryder put a good trick in tools, tips and tricks. Looks like $180 from the Snap-On truck. If I knew how to link to another message I would have. Someone will have to tell me how. | ||
| Ccryder |
Like this  TrannyTrick Page down to the pictures of fluid being drained where I want it to go  Time2Ride Neil S. |
