Oil Change- Part 2

If you missed Part 1 here it is:

As promised, Oil Change- Part 2!!!!!!!!!!!! No chit chat this time, were just gonna get right into it.

WARNING: This is a long post!

First take the bike out for awhile and warm the engine up to running tempurature.  I dont use a bike stand or front wheel ramp, it would be nice, but I dont want to spend the money on it.  Take out the crankcase and tranny dipsticks.  This will help relieve any vacuum and let the oil drain well once the plugs are removed.  The tranny will require a 3/8" allen wrench to take out.  Loosen the crankcase drain plug located on the front of the oil pan with a 5/16 socket, slide the oil pan under the bike and remove the plug.  While its draining inspect the plug for metal shavings and wipe them off if there is any on it.  The end of the plug is magnetic and will catch any shavings from the motor.  Clean all of the drain plugs well in preparation for putting them back in later.

Crankcase: Filler Cap

Crankcase: Drain Plug

Tranny: Filler Cap

Drain plugs: Inspect magnetic tip for shavings

Now pull the pan back a bit keeping it under the dripping crankcase drain and remove the transmission plug located through a hole in the crossmember on the bottom of the frame.  This is also a 5/16 socket.  Get it loose enough to where you can make the last few turns before it comes out and put that pan under it.  Remove the plug and let it drain.  Now you've drained both crankcase and tranny all at once!  How easy was that!

Now you gotta get that oil filter off.  Im not going to downplay this part though.  It's messy, period.  Stuff some of the shop towels underneath the filter down into the frame area and around the oil cooler.  The more the merrier on this because once you break that rubber seal on the oil filter, the oil in it is gonna spill down onto everything underneath.  The towels will at least catch the bulk of the oil and keep from getting it all over the place.  Use your oil wrench and turn counter clock wise just enough to break it loose so you can turn it with your fingers.  You can then spin it off really quickly and since your bike is on the jiffy stand (which causes the bike to lean left a bit) it will cause the oil to flow to the sealed end of the oil filter and you wont get as much leakage.  If your careful when you pull it off you can tip the open end up and keep whatever amount of oil is still in it from pouring out all over the place.

I use this type since Ive had it forever but you can buy a nice one at harley that will snap onto your socket and fit the filter perfectly.

Shop towels stuffed all around the bottome of the filter

Now remove all those dripping shop towels and clean the parts that might have gotten oil on them.  Then take a clean towel and wipe the connecting plate where the oil filter connects to.  This should be shiny and completely free of oil.  Pull out your new filter and using your finger wipe a bit of clean oil around the rubber seal.  This will keep it from drying out and provide some lubricant that will keep the seal from tearing off or bunching up when you tighten it.  With your fingers, do NOT use the oil filter wrench anymore, spin it on until you feel the seal touch the plate.  At this point you might want to make a mark on the filter with a marker or chalk.  Anywhere around it is fine.  What your gonna do is tighten the filter 1/2 to 3/4 turn with your hand for the final tightening.  The mark will give you a reference of where you started your turn from.  If you made the mark on the top of the filter, then turn it until the mark is at the bottom or at the 9 oclock position.  If you go past that you've over tightened the filter and the seal might leak.

Wipe the seal with a bit of clean oil

Check the Orings on the plugs making sure there is no wear from previous oil changes and replace if necessary.  An Oring kit is available for $5 at the dealership and gives you the seals for all 3 drain plugs plus the clutch inspection cover.  You wont need one every time so inspect the rings and reuse them if they are still good.  Now take a bit of the liquid teflon and lightly coat the threads of the plugs.  This will provide a bit of extra leak insurance and it will help with the plugs vibrating loose once you've got them in.  Wipe the contact surface clean where each plug is to go and put them in.  If you have a torque wrench you can follow the factory recommended specs for tightening.  I have one but prefer to tighten by feel. (NOTE:  Start each plug by hand to insure they are threaded properly, you dont want to start turning them in with a socket and jimmy the threads or crossthread them)

Inspect ORing

 Thread Sealant

 Ready to put in

Now that all the dirty work is done you can fill the crankcase and tranny.  Use the funnel you got with that autozone kit so you dont make a mess.  Put 3qts in the crankcase and check it by tightening the dipstick and then removing it.  It should show right at the top of the dipstick marks that read Full When Hot On Jiffy Stand.  Once you start the bike the level will go down since some of it will end up in the oil filter.  The end result should read right in the middle of the dipstick.

Initially add 3qts according to owners manual.  I have found that after riding for a day I have to add about 4 more ounces because the new oil filter you put in will fill up and lower the reading on the dipstick.

The tranny is supposed to take 28 fluid oz according to the owners manual.  Since the first oil change mine has taken exactly 32 oz (1 qt.)  Start with the recommended 28 oz and add if necessary.  To check this level just set the dipstick down in the hole without screwing it in.  Remove it and add if needed until it falls right in the middle of the X.  Ive always had a bit of visual problems here since the tranny dipstick is chrome.  I cant seem to see where the oil level is very easily with the new clean oil on it, but, youll be ok, just look real hard.

Initially add 28 oz according to owners manual

Check Oring and replace if necessary.  You can clearly see this one is damaged and I had to replace it.  It cost .95 cents at the dealership

 Check oil level

ALMOST DONE!!!! Wooooot!  Now its time for the primary.  I empty the old oil into a milk jug before doing this part so as not to overflow the drain pan.  Then do the same thing as before.  Use a 5/16 socket to remove the drain plug located under the left side of the bike.  This plug is the easiest to get to as it is at the outer edge of the primary.  Now you'll get a T-27 Torx wrench and remove the clutch inspection cover.  Wipe it clean but be very careful with the seal.  The first time I did this I removed the rubber seal and wiped it down.  I was very careful but still managed to stretch the seal just enough to where it was too big to seat as it should back into the cover.  It doesnt take much to stretch it.  Now I take it out and just kinda blot it without wiping it and it doesnt stretch it.

Remove drain plug

 Remove cover using Torx wrench

Stick your funnel into the side of the primary.  There is a rounded notch that Harley put there just so the funnel could fit far enough in so as not to make a mess when filling it with oil.  There is no dipstick to check here.  On this part, you put exactly the amount specified by the owners manual.  36 oz.  This 4 oz over a full quart which is why I have to buy a 6th qt.  Remember the tranny level from earlier according to Harley?  They say 28 oz. which IF that amount fills the tranny properly then the remaining 4 oz will be just what you need to finish off the primary.  You will know after doing your first oil change whether to buy 5 or 6 qts. Think about it this way though, if you have to buy that 6th qt, youll end up having enough with that extra qt to do 8 more oil changes, so youll only need to purchase 5 qts for the next 8 times.

Add 38 ounces according to your owners manual

Once youve got it filled replace the cover.  Your owners manual even gives you the order to use to put the Torx bolts back in.

And thats all there is to it.  I always give my bike a nice bath at this point to remove any sticky oily substance I may have inadvertantly gotten on it, and to get the bugs and road grime off too.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have just saved yourself $334.  Nice bit of change in your pocket.