Oil Change Advice

[michaelmi6]

Hey everyone,

So i'm coming up on my first oil change.  Someone recommended "Castrol 4T 4 Stroke SAE 10W-40 Motorcycle Oil", will this oil work?

Any ideas where to get the oil filter?

Also, I've read someplace that I should replace the O ring on the drain plug, is this necessary and if where would I get the replacement O ring?

Thanks a lot

[montmil]

Castrol 4T MC oil is a good choice. However, 20W50 is pretty much the spec engine oil weight, unless you live in a very cold climate.

The engine oil drain plug utilizes an aluminum crush washer -these used to be copper before that metal became the love child of futures investors- to keep annoying drips at bay. Sometimes, a new drain washer comes with the new filter.

Oil filters, $3000.00 rubber o-rings, shims, drain plug washers and much more can be sourced from a vendor I've had good luck with, Beemer Boneyard. Or you can try sourcing Airhead bits at the local BMW emporium. Take along a photo of a Type 247 BMW so they'll have a clue.

http://www.beemerboneyard.com/

Do you need a one-piece filter or the two-part "bendy"?

You failed to mention the model year of your bike. That's always helpful info when you ask questions. Consider posting that info and where you hail from in your profile. See the User CP tab.

I do hope this doesn't start another dreaded Oil Thread. :-/

Monte

[Bob_Roller]

It would be helpful if we had an idea of where on planet earth you call home .

This is an international forum, we have members all over the globe .

We could give some ideas where to get parts, but only to find out you're on a different continent/hemisphere .

[rwait]

If you are anywhere near a BMW Motorrad dealer, at least in the U.S., you can get the filter, gasket, rubber o-ring, metal ring (not sure of the exact name), and drain plug washer for about $20.  Cheap insurance to replace all each oil change...even if the existing parts look okay.

You can also order this oil change kit from most dealers or BMW suppliers as well if you aren't close to a dealer.

Randy

[michaelmi6]

Sorry about the lack of information guys.  I live in Albuquerque, NM and my bike is a 1984 R65.  There is a BMW dealership in town where I've gotten a few parts from before, but I wasn't sure if there was a cheaper way to go about it.

[Bob_Roller]

Local dealer is probably your easiest route, if they are 'airhead' friendly .

There has been some instances of non-OEM filters collapsing, majority of members here use OEM parts .

Cold first start of the day oil pressures exceed 100 psi ( sometimes by a lot !!!!) .

You have two choices for OEM a straight non-hinged or the two piece hinged type filter .

There is a difference for bikes with an oil cooler, they take a different version of the filters mentioned .

The two piece hinged filter seems to be the least prone to collapse .

You can add your city of residence in the User CP in the upper blue header .

[jg928s4]

Napa

[Dizerens5]

For those in UK, Motorworks sell a useful cheap kit (that is, a small plastic bag) with a selection of crush washers. Always good to have a few on hand.

[Adrian]

I've been using the same crush washer for years. I just put a little Silastic gasket ( a tube of black silicon rubber semi setting goo) on the threads of all my drain plugs. Never had a leak in 19 years of use. When I take the drain plug out the black goo just peals off like an old rubber gasket. I clean up the plug and it's ready to go again. I found the washers don't always stop minor leaks. It's useful for the base of the push rod tube black grommets too. In fact just about anywhere where oil might leak out of.

[MrRiden]

Crush washers can be easily gotten at NAPA. I suggest not reusing the aluminum ones but YMMV as some obviously do. Copper washers can also be used if you cannot get the aluminum ones. Be sure and bone up on changing the oil filter and the O ring. A little more involved than your typical filter change attention to the details is important. On filters; I've had the Fram filter come out as flat as Kansas. Stick with the BMW one. Wix has also been mentioned as a good choice but I have never used them. As for oil you are on your own. You may want to consider a motorcycle specific blend or Shell Rotella for reasons you can find in some lengthy articles in the airhead site.

[Justin B.]

I rarely replace the crush washers and since my source for the OEM Mahle filters dried up I've been ordering the Wix filters from Rock Auto.  The last filter I bought from the local dealer cost $20 with the tax (plain filter) and I can get three Wix shipped for about that.

[balibeemer]

Motobins do a very good service kit:
Oil & air filters
All neccessary o rings for the oil filter
All neccessary crush washers for the drain plugs
Spark plugs
Rocker cover gaskets

A friend who is an ex GP mechanic reccomends ATF for the fork oil change.

[Bob_Roller]

In the original owners manual I got with my '81 R65, BMW's recommendations for fork oil were all hydraulic oils, no specific fork oil was mentioned .

[Barry]

When I first got the bike I tried to track down all of the the fork oils listed in the handbook and only found one currently still available- Mobil Aero HFA hydraulic fluid.

http://www.exxonmobil.com/UK-English/Aviation/PDS/GLXXENAVIEMMobil_Aero_HF.aspx

Only costs £217 for a 5 gallon drum !!!

ATF was once commonly used in typical damper rod forks on British bikes because it was easily sourced and back then at least it was always a consistent viscosity from one brand to another.  If only that could be said for modern branded fork oil.

ATF might still be OK to use now if you prefer a heavier oil. At 40 deg C the standard mineral ATF is about twice as thick as Mobil Aero HFA. Some of the modern synthetic ATF's are a bit thinner and might be better although they cost as much as proper fork oil so there's not much point except you can buy the stuff anywhere.