Engine, Gear Box & Final Drive Oil Change Procedure:
Tools Needed: 22 and 19 mm wrench, oil catch, funnel, cleaning solvent
Time Required: 45 minutes
A. Engine Oil Change:
Recommended Every 2500 km’s. Filter Change Every 5000 km’s
- Place some cardboard and an appropriate sized oil catch under the engine oil sump drain. I use a antifreeze jug with the front cut out.
2. Loosen/remove the oil dip stick…
3. Lay the dip stick across the cylinder head so it does not get damaged or lost.
4. Use a 19 mm wrench to loosen the engine oil sump drain plug. I prefer to use a 6 pt. 19 mm socket for all the drain plugs.
5. Remove the engine sump drain plug and allow the oil to drain fully into the catch. Note the engine oil color, black.
6. This is normal metallic swarf on the drain plug magnet. Heavier or larger particles favor impending timing gear tower failure and needs further investigation.
7. Clean the magnet off with a clean rag and once the oil is finished draining…
8. Wipe the oil drizzle off…
9. Carefully insert the sump plug and crush washer back in the sump drain and turn it by hand until snug…
10. Then use the 19mm wrench to tighten again, snug and then not more than a 1/4 turn.
11. Slide the oil catch up under the front of the engine. Use a 22 mm wrench to loosen the oil filter base plate. Again, I prefer to use a 22 mm socket and ratchet.
12. Unscrew the oil filter base plate…
13. And remove the plate and oil filter. Careful as the filter and base plate will hold residual oil.
14. Remove the old oil filter.
Use caution as the rubber seal (seen on the base plate boss for the filter) may remain with the oil filter. Do not throw this seal out with the old filter!
15. A side view of the rubber seal on the base plate boss.
Never mess with the by-pass valve located on the side of the base plate. It looks like a screw. It is pre-set at the factory to 10–13 p.s.i./0.07–0.09 MPa. If you play with it, you’ll have to figure out how to re-set it.
16. Remove the seal and insert it into the bottom of the new oil filter.
17. The base plate acts as a catch for metal debris that comes off the timing gear tower and internals of the engine. Flush this area clean with solvent before installing the new oil filter.
Use caution when using EMGO brand filters. The EMGO hole for the rubber seal is smaller. DO NOT FORCE THE EMGO OIL FILTER ON the base plate or you will split the rubber seal. I do not like the EMGO filter in its present form.
18. Use your favorite solvent to clean the oil filter base plate.
19. When finished, it should be clean and free of debris.
20. With the oil filter seal in place on a new filter… Some folks like to pre-soak their oil filters before installation. I do not.
21. Insert the filter onto the base plate…
22. Carefully insert the new filter assembly into the front cover…
23. And gently hand screw the assembly until snug, taking care not to cross thread it.
24. Use the 22 mm wrench to tighten again until snug, then 1/4 turn.
25. Insert a clean oil funnel into the engine fill neck…
26. Fill the engine slowly with 2.25L/76 oz. of a good quality 20w/50 wt. oil.
27. Replace the dipstick, if you check the oil level now, it will read above the “Full” mark until you run the engine and the oil filter fills with oil. If you do not change the filter (not recommended) your oil level will end up slightly above “Full” due to the excess oil remaining in the old filter.
28. Tighten the dipstick until it is snug and then not more than 1/4 turn. 1/16 additional is more than enough.
B. Gear Box Oil Change:
Recommended Every 2500 km’s
- Place an oil catch under the gear box oil drain plug. It is located about even with the foot peg from this view.
2. Use a 19 mm wrench to loosen the oil filler plug of the gear box…
3. Remove it…
4. Put it somewhere where it will not get lost…like on top of the foot shifter.
5. Use a 19 mm wrench to loosen the gear box oil sump drain plug. It is located aft and above the engine oil sump.
6. Remove the gear box oil sump drain plug and clean it off. Note the color of the gear box oil, honey colored.
7. This is a normal amount of swarf on the magnet. If you have shards, heavy “fuzz” or chunks of metal clinging to the magnet…this requires further investigation.
8. Clean off the magnet with a rag…
9. Carefully insert the drain plug in the sump hole and turn it by hand until snug.
10. Use a 19 mm wrench to snug the drain plug up and tighten no more than 1/4 turn more.
11. Stuff a rag under the gear box filler neck and insert a clean funnel. You may find you need to hold the funnel in place.
12. Slowly fill the gear box with 1L/34 oz of a good quality 20w/50 motor oil.
13. Wipe the excess oil off with a rag…
14. Carefully thread the gear box filler plug in by hand…
15. Finish tightening with the 19mm wrench until snug and then not more than a 1/4 turn.
C. Final Drive Oil Change:
Top-Off Every 2500 km’s/Change every 10,000 km’s
Note: I change my final drive oil every 2500 km’s.
- Use a rag to clean any dirt from around the final drive dipstick. Place an oil catch under the final drive drain plug.
2. Remove the black plastic dirt cap if you are lucky enough to still have one.
3. Place it where it will not get lost or broken.
4. Use a 19mm wrench to loosen the final drive dip stick…
5. Finish unscrewing it by hand and remove it from the final drive…
6. Place it somewhere where it will not get lost or damaged.
7. Use a 19mm wrench to loosen the final drive drain plug…
8. Remove the plug by hand.
9. This is normal final drive swarf, profile view…
10. Bird’s eye view. Heavy “fuzz” or chunks require further investigation.
11. Clean final drive sump plug of debris. Clean profile view…
12. Clean bird’s eye view.
13. Carefully insert drain plug and hand tighten until snug…
14. Use the 19mm wrench to snug it up again and then not more than 1/4 turn.
15. Clean the final drive filler neck with a rag taking care to not knock any dirt into the final drive.
16. Fill the final drive with a good quality 80w/90 wt. gear oil. A 2wd final drive will take 135ml/4.5 oz and a single wheel drive will 105ml/3.5 oz.
17. A shot glass measure used for mixing drinks comes in handy here as they have multiple graduations listed on the glass.
18. Carefully hand tighten the dipstick until snug.
19. Checking the oil level, the oil should be no higher than the top mark or you can expect a bit of oil to slobber out on your rear wheel rim and final drive. Over-filling can also get you a set of oily rear brake pads.
20. Gently snug the dip stick up with the 19mm wrench. Hand tight is really enough for this application unless heavy off-roading is anticipated.