Oil Change

[Jim M]

I seem to be the one willing to admit my inabilities so here goes another one. The weather here in Oklahoma is now approaching 100 degrees. So I thought if I ever want to ride in the middle of the day and not between 2 am and 4 am, I ought to change back to 60 weight oil for the summer. The old toothless parts guy at the local harley shop recommends using 90 gear oil since it is so "dang blasted hot". I always ignore him anyway. Got home. assessed the situation. I have always managed to spill a little oil when I change oil in the knuckle so this time I was striving to have a "no spill" oil change. I set up a funnel with a cardboard tube from the bottom of the funnel to the middle of my plastic tub. I was proud of myself for devising this system and knew it was the way to go. I opened the drain plug on the bottom of the stock oil tank. Dropped the drain plug splattering oil everywhere. I looked down and it was at that time that I realized the drain hole in the tank was allowing more oil out than the funnel drain hole was. Oil quickly overfilled the funnel and spilled out over the top down the top of my tranny along the frame bottom and out all over the newly painted workshop floor. Looked like the exxon valdez dumped its load in my workshop. Lesson learned...use a bigger funnel and no matter how hard you try you WILL spill some oil.

Jim

[k.perry]

I cobbled a drain funnel for the big twin oil tank and hornets nest filter. I found that you can use a funnel as long as you have a minimum of 3/4" copper (plumbing) tube soldered to the funnel bottom.the funnel should hold at least a 1 pint. In order to get any funnel to work you have to have a lip that sticks in, under the drain plug. The drain plug doesn't hang in the tank and allow only a reduced flow of hot oil to escape. The plug drops out without warning and you get a gallon. I use a 1" (disposal size) hose that fits over a funnel nipple. The end of the hose goes directly into a jerry can. Or, you can always park it outside and lean it to the right against a tree, with a folded piece of cardboard and direct the discharge into a shallow tub. The drain plug is directly in line under the frame, so if upright, once oil hits the rail, gravity takes it to every frame tube it can. Big mess. Our big funnel works, barely, but it works. The filter funnel works absolutely. An expensive item to plasticize, injection or blow-mold. Too wierd to "kit", as a copper plate "do-it".

[inrustwetrust]

My favorite is doing a flawless tank drain, then getting distracted and forgetting to put the plug back in, getting distracted again and returning to see the last quart of fresh oil in the shop dripping off the bike.

[AdminGuy]

Your not alone.
I just picked up a fancy funnel with measurements on the side of the main, a shut off drain spout w/ screen, and one foot of clear plastic tube attached to that. Clear tube has close off cap (bottom) and top of funnel has plastic seal lid. Like tupper-ware.

I got fed-up with the mess also. Also having to clean the old ones before use. I figured the volume measurement on side of funnel would allow me to find many uses for it. It's been handy so far.

I dumped straight 60 into some 20/50 that I was burning off. It was a long hot one. And I was not thinking a head.

The straight 60 is COOOOL!!! You could cut it with a knife and serve it up on toast. It's sooooo thick. I think the NAPA I was in had 70 and 80 also. Your machine will love the 60 w in the heat. Nice and quiet.