Engine Oil

[Idrys]

Hi All,

Please, if I am missing a previous thread on this, someone point me in the right direction.

Any thoughts on type of oil I should use (mineral, semi-synth) for an upcoming change.

 

Paul

[BlueSky]

Any oil that meets the JASO spec for motorcycles with wet clutches.  Many riders use Rotella because of it's price.  

Edited February 2, 2021 by BlueSky

[SpencerPJ]

Ya, on my 83, I use standard Rotella.  Some like the synthetic, me not so much in these older engines.  I change it every 3000 miles, and never a bit of trouble.  Be careful not to fill to the high end of the sight glass.  I think I use 3.5 qt with a filter change, woks out well.  (I use a Wix filter)

Example of what I use https://www.walmart.com/ip/Shell-Rotella-T4-Triple-Protection-SAE-15W-40-Engine-Oil/181236405

 

 

[RoTorKev]

I used the rotella for a good while, never any issues, always ran well, but I read a while back that they had changed their formula, and decided to try something else. I have been using Castrol  Actevo 4T for a couple of changes and Sylvia (1999 RSV) seems to like it just fine.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Castrol-Actevo-4T-20W-50-Part-Synthetic-Motorcycle-Oil-1-Gallon/467873859

Wally World has it for about $23 a gallon.

[Freebird]

I have used Mobile 1 Racing 4T for over 20 years in all my Ventures.  It's their motorcycle oil.

[djh3]

I have used Mobil 1 10w40 4T stuff, rotella T6 and also a few others. Rotella is probably my favorite. Cost is good, quality is good. I also use Wix filters or Oriley store filter which is made by Wix.

[Pasta Burner]

Any recommendations on wt?  I remember looking at a chart last year and didn’t make a decision, because I couldn’t find a clear answer.  Gonna do my first change coming up soon.  I see 10/40 15/40 and 20/50 have all been mentioned in this thread.

[Squidley]

4 hours ago, Pasta Burner said:

Any recommendations on wt?  I remember looking at a chart last year and didn’t make a decision, because I couldn’t find a clear answer.  Gonna do my first change coming up soon.  I see 10/40 15/40 and 20/50 have all been mentioned in this thread.

I run a 10w30 in the winter here in Texas and 10w40 in the summer.

[grubsie]

These water cooled V4 engines are pretty bullet proof.

Any oil, dino (conventional) or synthetic will do as long as it is Jaso, MA or MA2 rated for wet clutches. The difference between the dino and synthetic is the miles you can run between oil changes.

A good range for most oils is 10w40. Rotella runs at 15w40 which is fine as well.

I have run just about every brand of motorcycle rated oil in my 1 Gen 1, and 4 Gen 2's and they all ran fine.

[Pasta Burner]

11 hours ago, grubsie said:

These water cooled V4 engines are pretty bullet proof.

Any oil, dino (conventional) or synthetic will do as long as it is Jaso, MA or MA2 rated for wet clutches. The difference between the dino and synthetic is the miles you can run between oil changes.

A good range for most oils is 10w40. Rotella runs at 15w40 which is fine as well.

I have run just about every brand of motorcycle rated oil in my 1 Gen 1, and 4 Gen 2's and they all ran fine.

Haha!!  I just put something together that is so obvious I’ve missed it this long in life.  Dino is dinosaur and the mascot for Sinclair.  Because oil comes from dinosaurs 🤯!

 

Thanks for the info, I was a little hesitant because other bikes are very specific.  It’s nice these machines are more forgiving.

[Pasta Burner]

Ended up with this cause well it was cheap and looks like it’ll do the job.  I think anything is better than the sludge currently in there.

[saddlebum]

Castrol is a top quality oil I have used it for years on most all my engines from trucks to bikes. It is actually one of my preferred oils.

[Pasta Burner]

I posted in the tech forum but may as well ask here too cause it’s relevant and not bike specific.  The filter cover bolt is stripped and using vice grips I started to damage the cover fins.  Any tips?  

[WildBill1]

3 minutes ago, Pasta Burner said:

I posted in the tech forum but may as well ask here too cause it’s relevant and not bike specific.  The filter cover bolt is stripped and using vice grips I started to damage the cover fins.  Any tips?  

You got a couple of options drilling it out or take a Mig Welder and weld a bigger nut on top of it and wrench it out.

[Marcarl]

Try cutting a slot in it for a flat screwdriver, or just grind the head off entirely. The left over pipe will remove easily seeing as the tension is removed when the head is off.

[Squidley]

59 minutes ago, Marcarl said:

Try cutting a slot in it for a flat screwdriver

That's exactly what I was thinking as well. 

Edited April 11, 2021 by Squidley

[cowpuc]

I would take my dremel tool with cut off discs attached and reform the hex to 11mm if I wanted to save the bolt/feed tube. My second choice would be a really good set of vice grips or even a pipe wrench and back it out. That particular "bolt" can be a son of gun if it was put in with dry O-rings (not everyone practices the art of lubing 0-rings before they install them,, ever tried to remove an Oil Filter on a car that was installed with the O-ring dry?). 

[cowpuc]

On 2/2/2021 at 2:39 PM, Idrys said:

Hi All,

Please, if I am missing a previous thread on this, someone point me in the right direction.

Any thoughts on type of oil I should use (mineral, semi-synth) for an upcoming change.

 

Paul

Paul I have had really good results staying with Dino for my 1st Gens, probably so because I prefer to change my oil as it discolors and/or the shifting gets notchy. For over 1 million miles I ran Walmart Supertech 10/40 in cooler climates and 20/50 in desert regions. One of the things often overlooked on Unit motorcycles (bikes whose clutch is bathed in the same oil that lubes the engine) is the contamination that takes place as clutches wear and tear and trannies shear the oil.  My Hybrid car LOVES 0/20 full synthetic with a 10,000 mile oil change and the oil after all those miles, even after chasing triple digits across the desert comes out amazingly full bodied and clean but where the bike would show dirtied in just a couple thousand miles under the same conditions.. When Walmart stopped shelving Supertech a while back I switched over to Family Dollar dino and had the same results. Be reminded to stay far away from ANY "energy conserving" oils,, your clutch wont like you should you get into that stuff..

Edited April 11, 2021 by cowpuc

[saddlebum]

13 hours ago, Pasta Burner said:

I posted in the tech forum but may as well ask here too cause it’s relevant and not bike specific.  The filter cover bolt is stripped and using vice grips I started to damage the cover fins.  Any tips?  

Here are a few more things you can  try;

A) rap the bolt head several times with a hammer like your driving a nail hard. You want give it several good firm hits but not overly hard. then grab with good vise grips and see if it will turn.

B) if it still won't turn drill a hole in the end and drive a torx bit into it (the larger the bit the better). the hole needs to be smaller than the bit. grind the end of the bit flat so as to have sharp corners this way it will cut into the side of the hole better as you drive it in. then attempt to turn the bolt out.

C) if B does not work than drill the hole bigger until the head snaps or falls off. Then remove the cover and remove the remainder of the bolt.

Replace with new bolt

[Pasta Burner]

Thanks all!  These are great suggestions.  And holy crap that bolt is at lease $50.!!  I’m going to get a replacement bolt in hand before I go any further, that way I can still ride albeit with a dirty filter.  For today I’m gonna move onto the progressive spring swap that was the goal of yesterday before getting derailed. 

[CaseyJ955]

Years ago, I got one of those little Craftsman 12 piece socket sets with reverse rifling cut into the ID specifically for backing out rounded bolt heads.  Those have saved my caboose more than a few times.  Tap a snug one on with a hammer and your golden, probably. Craftsman are now China made and have plummeted to Harbor Freight levels of quality so bast case is you get a socket that works once before it is dulled or broken.  If the vice grip trick fails you could try a small pipe wrench and two hands. Food for thought.

[Pasta Burner]

The problem with vice grips or a pipe wrench is the fins on the cover.  The bolt head is flush to below the plane of the fins.  You can see on the right side I chewed some up not even knowing it till I saw the metal on the floor.  I’m afraid if the cover is that soft I’ll break it.

[Pasta Burner]

Didn’t see that one coming.  Just a tip for others, if you leave the drain plug out overnight, apparently there’s a lot left in there.

[Marcarl]

1 hour ago, Pasta Burner said:

Didn’t see that one coming.  Just a tip for others, if you leave the drain plug out overnight, apparently there’s a lot left in there.

Not anymore I bet. Although there will be more in the transmission side, and that stays there.

[Midicat]

So here's my question. 

I have had my bike serviced at a bike shop. Oil change only and when I pick it up after service the oil is perfectly clear. How do they do that? Now that I change my own oil, I can never get it that clear. What is the secret?