How to: Oil Change
January 29, 2007 Maintenance 3 CommentsHere’s how I go about changing my oil, something everybody should know how to do.
First, it’s up to you to decide how often to change your oil. 3000 miles is generally a well accepted number. Personally, I do it every 1500 miles. Bikes get revved higher and generally run harder than cars, so it’s only fitting that you change the oil more often. The oil I use is Shell Rotella T Synthetic, as recommended by the FAQ and many members of Ninja250.org. For the first two changes I used the conventional version of this oil, then switched to synthetic after that. I use a Fram filter, simply because they are the easiest to come by and include both o-rings.
1. Go for a ride to get the oil nice and warm. At least 15-20 minutes. It will come out easier and will bring more gunk with it as compared to cold oil.
2. Set the bike on the centerstand. Spread plenty of newspaper under the bike, and slide your oil pan of choice under the drain plug. (Circled in green)
3. Using the appropriate sized socket or wrench, slowly loosen the drain plug until it’s completely out and allow all the oil to drain out. (I give it 10-15 minutes) This will go faster if you remove the fill cap. Check the gasket on the drain plug for damage. Even if it looks good, it’s wise to replace it every few oil changes to be safe.
4. Reinstall the drain plug, torquing to 14.5 ft/lbs. If you don’t have a torque wrench, get one. If you still don’t have one, it’s not terrible to tighten it by feel, just be careful not to overtighten. It doesn’t take much.
5. Move the oil pan under the oil filter, and loosen it’s bolt. (circled in red) The entire assembly will come out, most likely with more oil. Allow all this to drain as well. While the oil filter assembly is out, use a clean shop towel to wipe down the area so you get a good seal upon reinstallation.
6. Slide off the oil filter cap, and replace the filter. See the diagram below for the order of all it’s components. Check both o-rings for damage. As with the drain plug gasket, it’s a good idea to change these out every few oil changes. The filter should come with new ones.
7. Work the entire oil filter assembly back into the engine. Tighten it by hand at first to make sure it’s threading properly, then it gets torqued to 14.5 ft/lbs as well.
8. Wipe down any excess oil from the underside of the engine.
9. Pour a hair under 2 quarts of fresh oil into the engine. Give it a minute to settle, and check the sight glass. (Circled in yellow) The oil should be right around halfway up the window. Replace the fill cap and start the engine. Check for leaks, and after 30 seconds or so of running, shut it off. After a couple minutes, check the sight glass again. It’s likely lower than before due to the oil needed to fill the filter. Add slowly to bring it to the halfway mark again. Once again, start the engine, wait, then shut it off, then check the sight glass again. Continue this until the oil stays at the halfway mark.
10. Clean everything else up, and you should be good to go. Remember to check the oil level every time you ride!
Side note: A couple of the bolts circled in blue are for the oil screen cover. There are more further back. I take the cover off and clean the oil screen every 3 oil changes. It acts as a secondary filter and catches anything else that happens to be floating around in the enginge. If you see a ton of metal clumps or shavings here, that may not be a good thing and it would be wise to pull the valve cover (at least) and check for damage.
