Monthly tech tip : Oil changes.

I am going to try and come up with monthly advice/help on how to do simple stuff, that just about anyone can do at home and save some time and money.

These directions are very basic, and since most bikes are the same in general, this will apply to most bikes.

*disclaimer* If for some reason you mess up, its not BARF or my fault. These are guidelines only.

First off, make sure you have all the necc. stuff.

*Oil drain pan that fits under the bike
*Oil filter
*Oil
*Clean rags
*Tools for drain plug and fairing removal (on some models)
*Oil filter wrench of some sort, either the socket type or a band wrench that fits.
*A can of carb cleaner. (for cleaning up any parts/spills/hands)
*Rubber gloves if you want.

You need to get the bike up on a stand or center stand, if you can only do it on the side stand thats OK.

You need to remove all fairings or lower covers so you have a straight shot from the drain plug and oil filter to the drain pan.

Find the drain plug and remove. be carefull as there will always be a gasket of some sort, do not loose this gasket.

Pull the plug and let all the oil drain out. Now there are some people that say it has to be warm to get all the oil out, my personal opinion it only makes the oil come out faster, you are dealing with a minute amount of oil left behind, but if you want to work on a hot engine, warm it up first, its up to you

If you are working on a side stand its a good idea to stand the bike fully upright to drain any extra oil thats hiding off to the side of the case.

Now replace the drain plug after the oil has quit running out and tighten it. Most drain plugs are tightened to about 15 ft. lbs. If the drainplug had a paper or fiber gasket, its a good idea to replace it. If it had an aluminum or crush washer and you can get one or have one, change it, but they usually last quite a few oil changes.

It is usually a better idea to not use a TQ wrench, just be careful tightening the drain plug. Please use your common sense, do not use a 2 ft. long breaker bar and both hands, this for sure will strip it out. You just want it snug enough to not leak or come loose.

Once again, make sure the gasket is in place.

Now move the pan under the oil filter.

Some of these can be a real PITA, and I will not get into other methods of driving a screwdriver through it, lets just stick to the wrench methods

Use oil filter wrench and remove filter.

Some bikes have a "canister" type oil filter and this requires you to remove an aluminum housing where the paper element filter is, no biggie, just be carefull and keep track of where the rubber O ring and spring go, and re-install just as it came out.

filter off

Make sure you remove the old oil filter gasket, sometimes they stay behind and stick to the block, if you forget it and you install a new oil filter, the new one will leak.

And compare the old filter to the new filter, they should be exact. Some times different brands will be a little different size, and may require a different wrench. You basically want to make sure that the new filter gasket surface is the same size around and that the new filter threads on easily without cross threading.

Put some grease/old oil/new oil/spit/whatever on the new oil filter seal and install the filter. If the filter has directions, follow them as far as tightening.

Install the filter by hand and turn it about 1 full turn after the rubber gasket touches the block surface.

Never use an oil filter wrench to tighten the filter.

Usually as tight as you can get it by hand is plenty tight enough.

After the oil filter and drain plug are both tight, you need to find the fill plug. They are usually on the right side of the bike (sitting on it) in an engine case cover like this one.

Use a small funnel and pour in your favorite flavor of oil (thats a totally different and long post )

Most bike are about 3.5 quarts with a filter, but always check your manual or ask the dealer for your capacity.

You want to find the sight glass in the lower side case (once again right side) and fill the case with oil until it reads at the upper line on the engine case. There should be 2 lines, one upper and one lower.

Make sure you check the oil with the bike in the riding position, not on the rear or side stand. Bike should be upright and on both wheels.

Fire the bike up and let it idle while you check the drain plug and oil filter for leaks. Never rev the piss outa it until you have full oil pressure. If you have no leaks turn the engine off and double check the oil level in the sight glass. The oil level should be in the middle of the glass or on the top line, add oil accordingly to achieve this.

Thats it, you just need to re-install any body panels you had to remove.

Take it for a ride and enjoy.

Its always a good idea to keep an eye on the oil level, depending on how much you ride. I say check it at least every week.

Special thanks to Mike (ZX7Biker) for letting me take photos of his sweet ZX7 (duh) while he performed the oil change.

Please feel free to PM me with any questions.

Next month : Front and rear wheel removal.