"Routine Maintenance"

[marvinsc]

I was Coming up on 2000 Miles Since I Changed the Oil in the 850 Before the Brown County Rally so I decided Today would Be a Good Time to do it. I went out on a Nice 40 or so Mile Ride to Get Her all Warmed Up ,then Rolled into the Garage and Put it on the Center Stand. It's pushing 90 Here so I went inside and Changed into Shorts (You know where this is Headed, Right?) before Starting. I laid down on a Rug beside the Bike and started Removing the Drain Plug. As it was getting Loose I took the Socket and Extension off the Ratchet in order to Try Not to drop the Plug in the Pan Like I Usually Do but it Didn't Help, I dropped the Socket, Extension AND Plug into the Hot Oil.

As I Stood Up, I got too Close to the Muffler and Burned My Shin a Little. I took the Pan out to the Shed and Carefully Poured off the Hot Oil so as not to Lose the Plug, Extension, and Socket Previously Deposited into the Hot Oil. Once I recovered Them and they got Cool enough to Handle I went to Reinstalll the Drain Plug and Noticed I had a Bleeding Knuckle, I don't even Know How that Happened. THe Job is Done and I have Mildly Scalded Fingers from Trying to Fish the Drain Plug out of the Pan Before it Dissapeared into Hot oil, a Mildly Strawberried Shin from the Muffler, and a Busted Knuckle just Because. I decided it was Time to have a Cold Beverage inside at the Computer. Yep, this was a Routine Oil Change for Me, How do Yours Usually Go?

[Steve]

Pretty much the same, except I don't usually drop the extension, too.


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[koolaid_kid]

Oops.
Doing mine right now. I dropped the plug and socket (SOP), but my pan has a lid on it so I was able to catch it before it went into the drain hole.

[brenno]

Always end up having a cold beverage after:-D:-D

[Nessism]

Keep the magnet retreiver wand handy for when (notice I did not say if) you drop the plug.

[Pete Logan]

I used to have a drain pan which was similar to this one:-



Removing the center plug collects the oil without allowing your wrench/plug etc to fall down in there.

Other than that, I usually make a habit of changing the oil twice.

Mainly because I forget to refit the plug before pouring in the new oil :-D:-D:-D

[koolaid_kid]

That's the type that I use. The main problem I have with it is remembering to remove the plug so the oil will drain into the pan.

[Redman]

My oil change story usally involves trying to clean up some drain oil that got slopped around when trying to pour from the drain pan into a jug. Even with using a funnel, about half the time I will slop some somehow, and it never stays on the newspaper I put down. HUm, maybe I should look into one of those pan/jug combo things.

[Bert Patterson]

Pretty close on that one. Plug always goes in the oilpan, socket doesn?t. I don?t use an extension. I slide the pan forward when changing the filter. I have an oil cooler behind V&H header, so I have the very tedious task of removing five acorn nuts and washers with a 10mm wrench. At least three of the acorn nuts end up in the oil and there is always one that I spend at least ten minutes searching for. The spring on the filter also falls in the pan, but it?s big enough to grab easily. I have one of those little bendy things with a magnet on the end, but it never once occurred to me that it might be helpful for the job. Duh???.

[koolaid_kid]

My oil change story usally involves trying to clean up some drain oil that got slopped around when trying to pour from the drain pan into a jug. Even with using a funnel, about half the time I will slop some somehow, and it never stays on the newspaper I put down. HUm, maybe I should look into one of those pan/jug combo things.

That was the main reason I went with this type. It has a spout on it, with a cap and a small vent, like a gas can. So much easier to use, you really have to try in order to spill.
OTOH, I was draining my forks the other day to install my Progressive springs, and dropped the small fork drain screw into the pan. Did I mention that there is a cover on the pan? And do you know how small that drain screw is? Oops. I then had to drain the fluid from the covered pan into an open pan in order to fish the drain screw out of the smelly fork oil. Yuuchh.

[marvinsc]

That was the main reason I went with this type. It has a spout on it, with a cap and a small vent, like a gas can. So much easier to use, you really have to try in order to spill.
OTOH, I was draining my forks the other day to install my Progressive springs, and dropped the small fork drain screw into the pan. Did I mention that there is a cover on the pan? And do you know how small that drain screw is? Oops. I then had to drain the fluid from the covered pan into an open pan in order to fish the drain screw out of the smelly fork oil. Yuuchh.

The Things We Go Through fo Feed our Addiction!:-D

[Paul F]

Pretty close on that one. Plug always goes in the oilpan, socket doesn?t. I don?t use an extension. I slide the pan forward when changing the filter. I have an oil cooler behind V&H header, so I have the very tedious task of removing five acorn nuts and washers with a 10mm wrench. At least three of the acorn nuts end up in the oil and there is always one that I spend at least ten minutes searching for. The spring on the filter also falls in the pan, but it?s big enough to grab easily. I have one of those little bendy things with a magnet on the end, but it never once occurred to me that it might be helpful for the job. Duh???.

I have the same issue with the header. Is there a high milage filter out there you can leave on for several oil changes? I realize that there will be some oil left in the filter cavity but the hassle of taking the plate off behind the header not to mention my oil cooler hoses getting in the way makes an oil change a major job.

[Guest]

Oh my. You tell possible motorcycle riders about things like this, and they just don't get it.

Btw...

Noticed I had a Bleeding Knuckle, I don't even Know How that Happened.

When you develop dings and don't know where they came from, that means you're having fun.

MarkF

[Steve]

I tend to consider the day a total waste unless I draw blood.


8-[


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[Pete Logan]

I tend to consider the day a total waste unless I draw blood.

No idea why you would be embarassed about that.

Every job takes its price in claret :-D:-D:-D