Oil change tech tip - wear latex gloves

[username]

fellow BMW enthusiasts,

this weekend i did my first oil change on my bike. the bike was warmed up, so the oil was dang hot. i donned a pair of latex gloves to keep my hands clean and also to insulate against the heat. boy oh boy was i glad that i did that! i got a *little* oil on my hand pulling the drain plug, but i didn't feel it. the gloves gave me enough insulation that i could hold the plug long enough to set it down on a rag, instead of getting burned and dropping it into the drain pan. :D

they were even more helpful when removing the filter. oil dripped down all around that thing, and i was able to take my time and be careful while removing it.

i've always changed the oil/worked on cars with my bare hands, but i think i learned something valuable, and i'll be wearing those gloves in the future when i do that sort of work. :thumb

thanks.

any other oil change tips out there?

[knary]

fellow BMW enthusiasts,

this weekend i did my first oil change on my bike. the bike was warmed up, so the oil was dang hot. i donned a pair of latex gloves to keep my hands clean and also to insulate against the heat. boy oh boy was i glad that i did that! i got a *little* oil on my hand pulling the drain plug, but i didn't feel it. the gloves gave me enough insulation that i could hold the plug long enough to set it down on a rag, instead of getting burned and dropping it into the drain pan. :D

they were even more helpful when removing the filter. oil dripped down all around that thing, and i was able to take my time and be careful while removing it.

i've always changed the oil/worked on cars with my bare hands, but i think i learned something valuable, and i'll be wearing those gloves in the future when i do that sort of work. :thumb

thanks.

any other oil change tips out there?

While lots better than bare skin, surgical type latex gloves aren't designed to protect from nasty petro-chemicals. If you can, pick up the blue Nitrile Gloves (less than $10 for a box of a 100). They're thicker and made to resist nasty chemicals.


Tip 2:
Carefully tip the bike to the left and the right before (or during) the oil change. You'll get some of the dirty oil out that would otherwise not drain out.

Tip 3:
If you're not very good at catching the drain plug as you remove it, you can use a cheap kitchen strainer placed in the drip pan to save you from having to dig around in the hot oil for it.

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

Tip 3:
If you're not very good at catching the drain plug as you remove it, you can use a cheap kitchen strainer placed in the drip pan to save you from having to dig around in the hot oil for it.[/QUOTE]


Tip 4: Take the oil and then fry some wings with it and the strainer and watch a rerun for Sunday's NASCAR race with a Busch beer...hehehe

[HMushman]

Of course, everyone knows by now to wipe a light film of oil around the rubber gasket of the new oil filter prior to installing it, a couple of my own tips would also be to:

1. use a clean rag or paper towel and wipe down the threads on the new filter to remove any machining oil/contamination from the manufacturing process

2. pre-fill the new filter with clean engine oil prior to installation. Even if it's orientation doesn't allow you to fill it all the way, at least put some oil in there and roll it around until the filtering paper inside is saturated. It saves you a few precious seconds of dry start-up when you're done with the job.

just my 2 cents ;)

[username]

2. pre-fill the new filter with clean engine oil prior to installation. Even if it's orientation doesn't allow you to fill it all the way, at least put some oil in there and roll it around until the filtering paper inside is saturated. It saves you a few precious seconds of dry start-up when you're done with the job.

just my 2 cents ;)

good one. this is what i like about the bike, i can fill the whole thing up, as it inserts vertically. in my truck, the filter is at a 30 degree angle off the vertical, which means i can't put as much oil in the filter.

[BubbaZanetti]

2. pre-fill the new filter with clean engine oil prior to installation. Even if it's orientation doesn't allow you to fill it all the way, at least put some oil in there and roll it around until the filtering paper inside is saturated. It saves you a few precious seconds of dry start-up when you're done with the job.

just my 2 cents ;)


i've always heard varying opinion on this, lots of people saying it isn't necessary, lots of people saying it "eases" the bike into its new oil. i helped out at a garage one summer and we never did this to any cars we serviced. i also have never done it with any cars i've owned. i never did it with the airhead (GO AHEAD, TRY, ITS A BIG MESS :brad ) but now i find myself doing it with the oilhead, at least 1/2 way or so. you know what, the oil pressure warning light does go out a split second faster, i've found.............

[riderR1150GSAdv]

While lots better than bare skin, surgical type latex gloves aren't designed to protect from nasty petro-chemicals. If you can, pick up the blue Nitrile Gloves (less than $10 for a box of a 100). They're thicker and made to resist nasty chemicals.



Those blue nitrile gloves are very good! :thumb West Marine or Costco sell them.

Tip # umpty. Take some of those blue gloves with you on your trips and if you need to fix something on your bike they will keep your hands and riding-gloves clean too!

[HMushman]

[QUOTE=BubbaZanetti]i've always heard varying opinion on this, lots of people saying it isn't necessary...QUOTE]


What reason(s) would anyone give to not pre-fill an oil filter whenever possible?

The technique applies to any internal combustion engine with a pressure-fed oil system. That's not to say that some engines are more sensitive to the effects of a dry start than others, but it's good practise in my book.

-Kennet (ASE certified Master Engine Machinist & Engine Repair Specialist... for whatever it's worth)

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

Another thought here...Marigold gloves with flock lining from the supermarket, they do not allow oil or solvent to pass through readily, and they handle heat really well and with that liner you can keep taking them on and off many times. Wash the outside of the gloves as though you were washing your hands and they clean really nice. In autobody these things are the cat's meow for an economical protection. Just get the kind with grips on the fingers or the filter and wrenches slip easil as with almost all gloves.

[BradfordBenn]

So who is going to come over and change my oil for me? I want to see these tools in action....

Actually I swipe some Blue Nitrile from work for just such occassions.

[Callmethebreeze]

That's it, we're docking your pay you cheapskate....Brad's Big Boss

Nitriles are the best. The others are too flimsy. They'll help at 10 degrees too.

Breeze

[Mika]

Gloves, gloves have you never heard Paul Sr rip Paul Jr for the faggie purple gloves?!

Somewhat more seriously, I had not thought this hard about this simple maintenance item in a long time.

I live in a condo and do my maintenance in my friends garage. He uses the drip pans with liners under his vehicles to keep the floor clean. The liners are cheap at the auto parts store.

The pan does not work under my bike so I lay down a plastic painting drop cloth with the liner on top. Then roll the bike over it. This keeps the floor clean and I can come back.

When I drop it off the center stand I put it on the side stand and drain the airbox. On the R1150R there is a thumb turn plug at the back of the air box. It collects oil at times. I am not totally understand why, but if it fill enough it will seep into the intake and you own a German bug spayer.

[TennRT]

[QUOTE=BubbaZanetti]i've always heard varying opinion on this, lots of people saying it isn't necessary...QUOTE]


What reason(s) would anyone give to not pre-fill an oil filter whenever possible?

The technique applies to any internal combustion engine with a pressure-fed oil system. That's not to say that some engines are more sensitive to the effects of a dry start than others, but it's good practise in my book.

-Kennet (ASE certified Master Engine Machinist & Engine Repair Specialist... for whatever it's worth)

Here is my take on pre-filling the oil filter... I have worked in automotive industry for 30 years (diesel), primarily in lubrication and filtration (engineer). Pre-filling an oil filter won't hurt UNLESS you fill the clean side with dirty oil. And oil out of the can is NOT clean oil. So unless you can fill the filter through the dirty side only (the small holes on the outside, not the big hole in the center), you are better off NOT to pre-fill the filter. There is enough residual oil and oil film on the bearing surfaces to take care of needed lubrication during startup and oil presurization. Also, wiping the threads of the filter with cloth or paper towel is a bit risky. I have seen many occasions where fibers from shop towels plug small orifices in the lubrication system due to such practices. If you feel a need to clean the threads, use a small brush and clean threads in an "unscrewing" direction, so that any debris dislodged will be removed outside the filter and not into the filter.

[GSfornow]

Went to a Harley maintainence seminar (it was at a regional rally, the seminars were really great and they fielded some real hardball questions without ducking) a few years back, and the factory guys recommended prefilling the oil filters on certain models. Depended on where in the loop the oil filter was located, if the filter was "downsteam" of the engine in the oil flow there was no need to prefill. My FXRP was one of the bikes that they considered the prefill a good idea.

[Rich]

Pre-filling an oil filter won't hurt UNLESS you fill the clean side with dirty oil. And oil out of the can is NOT clean oil. So unless you can fill the filter through the dirty side only (the small holes on the outside, not the big hole in the center), you are better off NOT to pre-fill the filter.

You lost me, or else I don't understand what you are saying. What "can" are you refering to? The oil out of my can (those new quarts of oil I'm adding) are clean. And when you fill an oil filter through the bigger center hole, you will see it penetrate the filter and rise where the little holes are around the outside of the filter, so either way you are filling it with new clean oil.

Did I miss something?

[Wkoppa]

Tourque values SOULD BE GIVVEN FOR ALL DRAIN PLUgs, DRiVCE sajft amd \the finianl drive unit.

How many miles you doing between chancge?


3000 miles or 5,000 mils