5000 mile oil change - doing it myself

A

AlmaaPattinson

New member
I've decided to do the 5000 mile oil change myself instead of taking it to the dealer to save some $. Is there anything that I should pick up to help make the process easier (tools, drip pans, funnels)? I have a jack already that I've used when I change the pipes. I've done oil changes on my cars/trucks, but is there anything I should know to make the bike's oil change easier? thanks.
 
A disposable baking sheet works to catch any oil that misses the pan. You need an oil filter wrench to fit the smaller bike filter. One that attaches to a socket/ratchet works well. Funnel is good too. You save even more on the bike by doing it yourself. The dealers want $75 - $80.
 
Easier than changing it in your car...Forget the jack. It is only in the way....You can cut the side out of an antifreeze jug for a catch pan that will slide right under the bike.
 
Someone on this forum suggested punching a hole in the filter to drain it before removing. Otherwise the filter is a full mess. You can try to wedge a sheet of aluminium between the filter and the bike and leave it long so you can funnel the oil into a pan. I don't recommend doing this on the driveway.

Also, doing your own oil change at 5000 is good, but the dealer also checks on other stuff. You should read the manual and see what needs to be looked at. Good luck.
 
Eh, just time an oil change before a wash and don't worry about the oil mess. Once you pull the filter off, rinse the oil with a blast of WD-40. Most of it get wash away with the WD. Anything left over will come off in the wash.
 
i stuff some rags under the filter and cut a two liter soda long ways to make a funnel so the oil drains out the side into the drain pan.I know it's a couple of bucks,and other members always say, buy a service manual. I use mine more for torque specs than anything else, but if i get in a bind it's there to look at.
 
I've have and have looked at what the service manual says, but wanted to know if there were any tips, not in the manual, to keep oil from dripping everywhere when I drain the pan and remove the filter. The 2 liter tip sounds like a good one for the filter.
 
I use a large freezer bag to wrap around the filter as I unscrew it and pull it off. It catches all the oil and keeps my motor mount from getting soft. No jack needed for changing fluids. Make sure and tilt the bike to the right when draining the tranny to get all the oil out. Finding the right filter wrench makes the job much easier. I use a billet one i found on the net.
 
The newer bikes have an O-ring gasket on the derby cover. Your Dealer parts dept has a gasket kit that includes 3 O-rings for the three drain plugs and this derby gasket. Walmart has a small end funnel about 10 inches long that works great for putting oil back in the Engine, primary and tranny. I found that I spill less oil from the filter if I drill a small hole in the end at the top, then turn the filter until that hole is at the bottom and drill another vent hole at the top. Make a drain pan out of a two litre coke bottle and slide that under the oil filter first.
 
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