Proper way to change the OIL

Can anyone explain the most effective process to changing the engine Oil. Do I only drain it from under the engine? Or do I also drain it from the OIl tank?

Also, What is the correct amount of Oil to put back in the bike?

Many thanks in Advance!

Cheers.

Brian

I would hope that most of your oil is in the tank. Unless you have a sever wet sump issue or the bike has been standing for many weeks.

You should drain the oil from both the sump plug and the tank plug. I always like to remove and clean the sump filter also on bikes that have one.

The capacity is listed at 3 quarts, but add 2 quarts and then top off until the level is halfway between H and L on the dipstick. Never add oil between changes unless you run the engine for a few minutes to return any oil to the tank and then shut it down to check the level and do not fill above halfway between H and L.

With bike on centre stand, I start by pulling the side cover and draining the tank. A wide mouth funnel is needed because oil comes out quickly. I have a hose on the funnel to direct oil to the pan on the floor. I usually tape the funnel to the kickstart lever so I don't have to sit there and hold it.

Next is the 9/16" drain plug on the engine sump. Check it's magnet for metal shavings. 73 and up will also have a screen filter in the engine sump (1-7/16" or 1-1/2" hex).

Next the oil filter, if so equipped.

I use Duckams green mineral oil 20/50
What do others use?
Stu

maylar said:

With bike on centre stand, I start by pulling the side cover and draining the tank. A wide mouth funnel is needed because oil comes out quickly. I have a hose on the funnel to direct oil to the pan on the floor. I usually tape the funnel to the kickstart lever so I don't have to sit there and hold it.

Next is the 9/16" drain plug on the engine sump. Check it's magnet for metal shavings. 73 and up will also have a screen filter in the engine sump (1-7/16" or 1-1/2" hex).

Next the oil filter, if so equipped.

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I got fed up with throwing oil over everything and bought a vacuum fluid extractor, a couple of pumps and just suck up the oil through the filler. The tube can also get in to take out the primary oil.

I take out both sump plugs as well.

Rich

bigstu said:

I use Duckams green mineral oil 20/50
What do others use?
Stu

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Duckhams isn't available here.

I use Valvoline VR-1 50W.

straight 50W huh? any advantage that you can see for a 20/50 weight oil? Mine is a late spring/summer/early fall rider. no frozen riding, and it's new england so not many extreme heat days.....

In Florida straight 50 might be a good choice. In my experience straight grades have maintained thier viscosity a bit better in hot conditions. This was mostly running Greyhound buses NY to SF.
He is not likly to get one of those cold snaps that makes a Norton feel like it is full of honey.
I'm useing Redline 20-60 in this bike if I recall, and on the coldest day I played with it last winter it still kicked over reasonably. I don't see it getting hot enough to worry about maintaining viscosity around here in my use. If I had a Norton I was going to run cross country I'd change it to a straight grade.

Cookie said:

In Florida straight 50 might be a good choice. In my experience straight grades have maintained their viscosity a bit better in hot conditions. This was mostly running Greyhound buses NY to SF.
He is not likely to get one of those cold snaps that makes a Norton feel like it is full of honey.
I'm using Redline 20-60 in this bike if I recall, and on the coldest day I played with it last winter it still kicked over reasonably. I don't see it getting hot enough to worry about maintaining viscosity around here in my use. If I had a Norton I was going to run cross country I'd change it to a straight grade.

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Exactly. I use 50W because we haven't had a hard freeze here in over three years. Normal temp from April - October is 88-94 daytime, 78-84 nighttime. Winter averages around 70 daytime, 50 nighttime unless we get a cold snap(Fahrenheit).

This is why I like it when my wife suggests Florida in the winter. She just asked me to go to Texas in the summer, I'll miss her while she's gone.

I was once told that if you get 10 marketing men in a room, you'll get 11 opinions...

I enjoy this forum and it has helped me out a great deal and it is always interesting to read the different views, if a little confusing!

My roadster has castrol gtx 20/50 in it, before that it was Halfords 10/50 (from memory) and i have been advised by 3 trusted local sources, all with experience in these engines to run with monogrades or multi's. In the end i bought what I could find as I was getting it ready for a run and my service sheet said gtx (written years ago)! I haven't used synthetic in it as I have been told that it would find any leaks i might not have already!
The local Guzzi dealer has straigh 40 and 50 on his shelf, so I'll give that a go next. :roll:

The latest problem is I want a bigger petrol (gas) tank. No-one seems to have a steel interstate in stock, 'some are made in Pakistan wih variable quality'(?) 'Fibreglass can be a bit dodgy with the modern fuel', 'you don't want an aluminium one, I've heard of a few that have cracked and split'
And a Norvil one will involve new footrests, bars, single seat.......aaaargh! :?

At the moment I am just stopping more times to fill up.......

mcmarvelous said:

My roadster has castrol gtx 20/50 in it, before that it was Halfords 10/50 (from memory) and i have been advised by 3 trusted local sources, all with experience in these engines to run with monogrades or multi's. In the end i bought what I could find as I was getting it ready for a run and my service sheet said gtx (written years ago)!

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But!!!.....the "GTX" sold in the UK is no longer 20W/50?

And GTX 20W/50 hasn't been available for some years now in the UK!

As it went to 15W/50 grade for a while, but is now only available as either 10W/40, or 15W/40 "high mileage" grade.

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productd ... Id=7027415
http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productd ... Id=7027414

Castrol "Classic XL" is 20W/50.
http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiong ... Id=7027099

I use Duckams green mineral oil 20/50

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As a teenager I awlays took the Old Fella's advice and used Duckams, the early light green stuff. I used it my 66 450 Honda and was quite puzzled to find it changed colour after a 100 miles or so. A year and a pair of cams later I found out why, the oil centrifuge was full of a light green sludge. Duckams never replied to any of my letters and I never used it again.

I often wondered if the green stuff ever blocked a few sludge traps? That said, the colour changed to a darker green and I would suspect that removed the problem.

Cash

L.A.B. said:

But!!!.....the "GTX" sold in the UK is no longer 20W/50?

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thanks for that LAB, you are a local, what do you use, and when I change it I'll stick some in!

The oil seal needs sorting this week, as I have clutch slip issues with the primary chaincase filling up so the castrol has only been in there since mid june. no overheating or strange noises so far...

The oil seal needs sorting this week, as I have clutch slip issues with the primary chaincase filling up

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Assuming you don't have a PCV valve, do a search on this forum for crankcase breather and PCV valve before you replace the crankshaft seal.

mcmarvelous said:

what do you use

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I use Silkolene Hardwick SAE 50 monograde: http://www.silkoleneoil.com/classicprod.htm

That's handy as the Guzzi man opposite does that.

What is the benefit of a mono grade when the factory originally specified a multi?

The guy that used to work on my bike suggested that the multi is better for the initial start up wear, and i know that a mono grade won't wet sump so readily.
The guy i use now is a mono grade chap, but I couldn't lay my hands on the stuff when I needed to in June (bad planning I know) so used the GTX as a last resort.

mcmarvelous said:

What is the benefit of a mono grade when the factory originally specified a multi?

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Actually...the factory went back to specfiying monograde oil as the recommended lubricant to use in the Commando!

20w/50 was still 'OK' to use, but mono oil was the preferred choice.

There was a Norton service release issued with the recommendation that mono oils were preferred, and the later riders handbooks (MkIII at least) list "40", "HD40", "SAE40" etc. as well as 20w/50, or "HD50" in ambient temperatures above 32°C.

Also, certain Norton 'experts' such as Norvil and Andover Norton International still recommend that monograde oil should be used.
http://www.norvilmotorcycle.co.uk/techtalk27.htm
http://www.nortonmotors.de/ANIL/SI%20Oil.htm

Assuming you don't have a PCV valve, do a search on this forum for crankcase breather and PCV valve before you replace the crankshaft seal.

A senior , having researched the whole PCV thing, I have found that I have one anyway! I did wonder what that brass thing was. The crankshaft seal is in, as is a clutch pushrod seal.

A new problem was found on the bronze clutch plates though, they had obvious high spots and only around 25% of the plate was actually engaging. They were sanded down on a flat surface and the bike is pulling strongly now.

As ever, a new problem,the stainless allen screw set i bought for the primary case, looks lovely and better than the old screws....the bottom one has worn a hoe in the exhaust pipe!