| Author | Message | ||
     Ulysapper |
So I got my first Buell ('09 XT) about a month ago. The previous owner always took it to an HD dealership for servicing. Not sure I want to do that if an oil change can be done at home fairly easily (seems to be easy from what I've read here). Anyway, no idea what kind of oil he used but I'd like to run synthetic in it from now on. Do I need to do anything special to flush out old (possibly conventional) oil prior to filling with synthetic, or just drain the old and fill with the new? Which brand oil is yet to be determined but I've got many posts on this forum to assist with that decision. | ||
| Uly_man |
Some run normal some synthetic. The main thing is to change it lots in the engines early life. But thats just me. And yes it is very easy to do. | ||
| Froggy |
Read this regarding oil changes, it will show you what is involved. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/467975.html
Drain and fill.
Yea, but opinions on oil are like assholes, everyone has one, everyone thinks theirs is the best, but in they end they are just full of crap.  | ||
| Ulysapper |
Thanks, I'm at ~7500 miles now. Previous owner handed me all service records and he was very good at keeping it up to date but I don't feel like paying the high cost of labor for something I can do in my driveway. | ||
| Uly_man |
Add 20% of Wild Turkey to the mix. If you get stuck for a drink you can always use a straw in the swing arm. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Congrats on your "new" Uly. #1 most important safety tip for changing oil in a Buell XB: DO NOT over-torque the drain plug! | ||
| Schwara |
It really isn't difficult ... I've even done it a few times without doing permanent damage to the bike. When I 1st brought her home I changed out the swing arm as well as the primary. Be careful as the plugs are the same & only about a foot apart. You might end up changing the primary fluid without initially planning to (like I did). As others have said there are many many opinions about fluids. It starts a thread war almost every time this topic comes up. When I was looking the two most common I found were Amsoil and Mobil 1 20w50. I have also read many posts of people who use the exact same fluid in the primary as well, but from here on out I will be sticking with the recommended Formula+ ... the only thing HD will be getting my money from. Good luck and have fun ... welcome to the group. | ||
| Schwara |
I hadn't read Hugh's post yet, but he is exactly right. The spec in the manual is wrong. There are quite a few posts out here of people following the manual and stripping it out. | ||
| Ulysapper |
Hugh and Schwara, thanks...I've seen all that advice in other places in this forum, good to have it reiterated! Uly_man, as far as the Wild Turkey, the Jim Beam and Maker's Mark distilleries are right up the road from me...might have to lean toward those | ||
| Razz |
After you add the correct amount of oil and are checking the oil level make note of where it is on the dipstick as this will be your full mark for future checks.Most owners find the marks on the dipstick are not correct and could lead to overfilling. Mine is at the bottom of the hash marks. | ||
| Ourdee |
I'll do it: Use AmsOil. | ||
| Ulysapper |
LOL, I was wondering when someone would open up that can of worms! Ourdee, since you brought it up, what do you like for the primary? And, do I need to replace the o-ring on the drain plug (like Froggy shows in his very helpful tutorial) with every oil change? How about the gaskets when changin the primary fluid...every time? Finally, is it true that once you go synthetic, you need to stick with it? | ||
| Hughlysses |
I'll throw in my 2 cents on the subject: I'm happy with Amsoil in the engine, and they do sponsor our favorite racers (EBR). I tried Amsoil 20W-50 in the transmission and did not like it nearly as well as Harley's Formula+. I've had great results with Formula+ in my old S3, my original 2007 Uly transmission, and in my "new" 2009 transmission. I've successfully reused O-rings several times and gaskets at least once, but it's never a bad idea to have spares on hand whether you change them or not. Note that the shop manual recommends the use of sealant on the drain plugs; I forget the product they recommend but it's basically teflon pipe thread sealant (not tape). It's kind of "suspenders and belt" deal because an O-ring would easily seal against several hundred PSI of pressure. I think the main purpose of the sealant is to keep the plugs from backing out when you only lightly tighten them (because you don't want to strip the threads!). | ||
| Schwara |
+1 with what Hugh said. No you don't necessarily have to change either but keep spares on hand and make that call after inspecting. I put the liquid sealant stuff on the plug every time but I also agree with Hugh that it is probably just just extra caution as the o-ring should be good enough. Keep in mind that the manual references a Locktite brand thread sealant I believe, but this is not thread locker. You can find a generic liquid thread sealant that is identical at any autoparts store. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Pony up for the service manual. | ||
| Ourdee |
What Hugh said too. I do run the AmsOil in both holes and think it shifts louder with it. I re-use o-rings if they look healthy under the reading glasses. I always check for leakage prior to a ride. So, Amsoil good for the motor and jury still out on the tranny. I personaly don't use any goop on the drain plug. May or may not cause me troubles one of these days. |
