[Oil filter spring and washer]

When I pulled the oil filter cover off yesterday, there was no spring or washer on the filter. Just how important is this?

[Why I became a supporting member]

Ahh,,,, but you have just let yourself into a most addicting website ever. Pretty soon you'll be upgrading the ingnition, cleaning the fuel pump points, checking the valves, putting zerks on the supension, drying the dessacant, sending the seat away for upgrades, upgrading the starter clutch, adjusting the carburetors, upgrading the fuses, greasing the steering bearings, greasing the swingarm bearings, greasing the drivepins and checking this site daily through the winter months. But you'll be smiling hanging around this bunch.

 

Well, sounds like I have something to do during the brown and gray season now!

[Why I became a supporting member]

The deal would be a whole lot better if you would post a couple of pics....... WELCOME!

 

[simple oil question]

Most of those articles are confusing because they compare "synthetic" to regular oil without telling you what synthetic they are talking about. Almost all, if not all of the auto "synthetic" oils on the store shelves is Group III dino oil. Even Amsoil is mostly Group III now. I don't know what Motorcycle "synthetic" is. But with a price of $10 or so a bottle, maybe it is PAO. I doubt it.

 

Thanks for helping to make me smarter, I think!

[Why I became a supporting member]

Hello everyone!

 

I wasn't looking for a motorcycle when I found my 1989 Venture Royale in a Harley dealership but when he said "make me an offer" well it was time to do some research. Next came you guys and this site, so I did my homework and made my list of things to check. I test drove the bike later that week and determined that at a minimum I would need to rebuild the forks but everything else seemed to be in fairly good shape for a bike made in October of 1988. 850 dollars later, I rode out with a 37000 mile motorcycle. Now after two weekends working on the forks, changing the engine oil and front brake pads my test ride went better than expected. I mean no wobbles, shimmies or other undesirable effects from working on the forks. I OWE IT ALL TO EVERYONE HERE! I still have plenty to do but it is ride-able and it looks great!

 

Thanks!

[simple oil question]

When I bought my 83VR in December I had no idea what oil was being used in it. I changed it using 20w50 Valvoline regular motorcycle oil. I would like to chance to synthetic oil. In the past when I tried to use synthetic oil in cars that had some miles on them they leaked oil quite badly. My 83 has 48000 miles in it. Do you think it would be safe to go to synthetic?

 

Just to clarify, all oil is a product of refined petroleum, conventional or synthetic. Synthetic is merely synthesized-hydrocarbon molecular chains (Hot Rod magazine April 1, 2000)