5000 mile oil change - doing it myself

big alluminum bakeing pan catches every drop from all three holes & filter at the same time. spray degreaser and rince area under oil filter.
 
many many ways to do it. The idea is to try to NOT get oil on the engine mount. The oil will slowly break down the rubber over time causing premature failure. At the least use some sort of grease cutting agent to clean it afterward. I use simple green. I figure if it's biodegradable it can't be too bad for the rubber, I may be wrong. Oil tips: Dexron ATF in the primary, belray or redline in the tranny, amsoil 60 in the engine year round. Got that info from an older hd mechanic. He said the atf in the primary is probably the best to use since it is gm clutch plates, but he said hd won't tell you that cause atf is 2-3 $'s and the hd is $10. So they lose money. His bike has over 140,000 no problems so I will use his info. That's just me. Stay thirsty my friend.
 
Just spread out some newspaper and do it. Youll never be able to stop all the oil from dripping so i just let it drip as I take off the filter and clean it off real well when done. For my oil drip pan. Took a 5 gallon bucket and cut it down low enough to slide under the bike. Enjoy the extra loot in your pocket
 
Be sure to watch the torque on the drain plug when you are putting it back in... more than likely it will not appear very tight when you remove it as the O-Ring is usually pretty trashed, but the torque spec is pretty low when replacing the plug...
 
Yes, I also use the gallon freezer bag to take off the filter. I have tried all the other methods mentioned (aluminum foil, soda bottle, flexible funnels) and the bag is the least messy for me. Also you don
 
No matter haw good you are, you are going to spill oil removing the oil filter.
I buy break cleaner by the case.....99 cents/can
That is what cleans up my mess.
 
I just did mine last weekend. This is my first HD and I was somewhat intimidated to do it as well. Just take your time and read the manual. It is pretty easy and next time it will take me half the time.
The hardest part of the whole deal is trying to keep your bike and driveway clean.
Good luck and follow "harley badboy's" advice as well
 
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