Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Oil Change

I'm needing to change the oil in my '03 America, and I don't have the tech. manual. The oil itself is around $45.00 plus an additional $10-12 for the filter. Right now I'm on a budget so buying the tech. manual now for $75.00 is a bit pricy. Could anyone post the directions for changing the oil on the America bikes? Thanks for any help.

Warm up your engine to get the oil up to operating temp. Place a flat container under the front of engine and remove the drain plug. Allow the oil to drain until it stops. Move pan backwards a little and remove the oil filter.
Wipe everything off real good and install new oil filter. Be sure to put a smear of oil on the o-ring/sealing gasket of the new filter. Be sure the drain plug is in the motor and put in new oil. I will use the entire gallon (4 quarts).
Check out the kit from Brent at www.newspeedmaster.com
For under $50.00 you get everything you need and you might
live close enough to pick it up thereby avoiding shipping costs. Also, Brent's kit comes with a new sealing washer for the drain plug

Oil fill plug is on the right side of the bike just aft of the cooling fins. It's a large slotted chrome plug that's hard to miss.

Heating the oil by warming the bike up thins it out which allows for a better drain.

It's also a good idea to replace the drain plug washer when you put the drain plug back in.

Al,
Not sure about the warming up, I think it may run out better when warm (oils a bit thinner). When you remove the drain plug, watch out, it's gonna shoot forward initially so have the pan ready to catch it and then move it back as the stream dies down. Oil filler cap,(I guess you could call it that) looks like a big screw head, chrome and has a slot running down the center, located on right top side of engine case. I did mine the first time last week and it's pretty straight forward and easy. Hope that helps.

Don't forget about torquing the drain plug and oil filter to the proper torque specs. Too tight and you run the risk of cracking the aluminum crankcase. That's a bad thing! You can find both pdf and xls format torque spec sheet for every bolt on the bike on the "download" page of this website. Torque specs pdf

Way easier than you think, no need for a manual, but definitly listen to what everyone said, expecially wiping off the area around the filter and plug after they are removed. Lots of road grit gets in there and will stick to any stray oil!!

I just changed my oil yesterday. I bought oil and filter from newspeedmaster.com . It also came with the drain plug gasket.

I didnt warm the engine but its a good idea. I opened the drain (I think it uses 13mm) socket and let it drain into the pan. Then I loosened the oil filler plug (you can use a wide plier) to make it drain faster. Wait until it empties and barely drips.

The toughest part was removing the original oil filter. Its on pretty tight. I used an oil filter wrench but you probably could do it by hand. Make sure you have the pan under there too.

I lubed the rubber ring on the new oil filter and filled it with oil. Then screwed it on tight with a regular wrench. Put new gasket on drain plug and tighten as much as you can.

Pour the oil in all 4 Liters. Plug oil filler and tighten.

Run the bike and check for any leaks. Stop engine and check oil level.

One more tip.

After the oil is almost out, sit on the bike and rock it side to side a bit. I will get more old oil out.

It is best to change your oil after the engine has been off over night. This allows all the oil to drain down to the crank case. A warm or hot engine will still have oil up in the engine which will take hours to drain completely. Also you won't run the risk of getting burned.

Pull the drain plug and let the oil drain until the oil is only dripping out about 1 drop every 5 or 6 seconds. At this point the oil is purged about as much as can be expected.

I found a big flat washer works great to loosen or tighten the oil filler plug. It's about a 2" diameter - just keep it in my toolbox.

Oh yea and if you don't have a cone to pour the oil, make one out of a plastic soda bottle. Just cut the bottom off (after you drunk the soda of course .

My .02

Along with all the other directions posted here,
Put a piece of a 2X4 under the kickstand to level the bike. Make sure you don't pull the bike over during the procedure.
You can do this on a "lift" instead, which will also make it level, but it gets messy.
When you remove the oil filter, be sure to take a clean rag and wipe off the surface where the filter gasket seats, after the oil stops dripping.
The purpose of running the engine to operating temperature before draining it is so the oil circulates and suspends any particulates that may have passed the filter, instead of having them settled down to the bottom of the sump where they may not drain out. You can let it drain overnight, and you will never get all the old oil out of the nooks and crannies, cooler and lines, etc....
I have yet to figure out how you "torque" an oil filter, even one with a nut welded on the bottom, so the standard automotive rule applies here, "install until the gasket contacts the sealing surface, then tighten another 1/2 tturn".
I tighten mine a bit further if possible, by hand, but if you're a 280 lb. gorilla that may not be a wise move.

I also leave the fuel off and bump the starter a few times when I'm done til the oil light goes out, then fire it up and check for leaks.

And BTW, if you loosen the fill plug with anything (screwdriver) that doesn't fill the slot adequately, you will bugger up the slot and the chrome.......trust me.

I'd do what blackwind did and use a fender washer if you're worried about it. REAL cheap at any hardware store. Just get like a 1/4 fender washer, or any size really.

If you are changing the oil after the bike has been sitting all winter is it better not to start the bike because all the oil will have already settled to the bottom? In this case would you also pour a teaspoon of oil down each spark plug hole before you do start the bike?

I dunno about the teaspoon, but I just changed mine after it has been sitting for about two months. I also let it sit there open for a long time, maybe an hour or so, while I did something else to make sure it had time to drip. I figured the trade off of having more of the oil drained to the bottom was better than having it flow more freely heated up.

alkimmel,

to remove the oil filler cap, just use wide adjustable pliers. you can get them at any h/w store cheap. It doesnt need much strength to come off, nor do you tighten too hard.

I use a quarter to unscrew the oil cap.

A nice tool to use is a cone wrench found at any bicycle shop. You'll use it on it's side.

5 bucks and you will have a 15mm and 16mm wrench as well. The one pictured is short so you can easily carry it with you.

Ride to the local bike shop, ask if you can bring it outside to check its fit then buy the one that does fit. The fit will be the thickness of the tool's edge. Too think and it will not work too thin and it will bugger the cap. That's why you need to physically try the tool for fit.

Another point is, do not overtighten the cap. It's got an o-ring so just snug it up. It will stay in place.

I've found that a regular screw driver works okay for the filler cap. Also there are some instructions in the owners manual about the oil change. It's really not that bad. It's probably worth it to pick up a plastic oil drain container and funnel at Wal-mart. Pretty inexpensive and will cut done on the mess. I know this is not ecologically sound, but I put the used oil in old plastic milk jugs and throw it away with the trash.

-PES

Paul!

In an earlier life I would just dump the used oil on the back 40. I am still annoyed to the point of not recycling glass and paper, because the recyclers way back when, in Miami Shores, would not take my pizza boxes nor my green or brown brewski bottles.

But used motor oil at least in Florida is free to dispose of. Just take it to any auto parts place. Don't use antifreeze jugs (they freak out about oil contamination with the cat juice).

Can you please recycle the oil at least? Thanks...

Did I just sound like a freakin left-wing environmentalist? I must be getting old...Sorry.

Me, I'm doing my share to destroy my small piece of the environment. Hey, it's my space! I pour mine on my bonfire pile onto the biggest pieces. I let it soak in good then when I have bonfires the big stuff burns completely and smokes really nice. Keeps the skeeters away too.

Hey Moe, do they freak out if you show up with oil in an OJ container or like a detergent bottle? I have my plastic oil drain tub sitting there in the garage all full of gunk, didn't really feel like trying to drain it into 4 indevidual quart oil bottles...

When I purchased the filer, the parts person ask if I wanted a washer. I took one but when I changed the oil I did not find one presently in use. Did the dealer leave it off on the last oil change or do I not have to use one?

The washer is for the drain plug I believe.

Benny,

No they just don't like antifreeze. Seems they have to pay thousands of dollars to decontaminate their oil catch basin when the cat juice gets in it, so all the places in my area at least have resorted to taking your used oil and dumping it themselves, then returning your container(s). I do like Pat's idea. Burn it baby, burn it. Too bad my yard is so small, if I tried Pat's disposal method I would either have claim to be the inspiration of that song, "Burning down the house" or I'd have the fireman at my door. A long time ago I got one of those plastic oil jugs that have a wide funnel which screws onto the bottle and makes oil changes and transfer of that oil into other containers real easy. I'll still have three of four gallons of oil each time I take it to the auto parts store.