Oil Filter Replacement

[Fraggle]

I have a 1980 R65. Is it really as fiddly replacing the oil filter as the haynes manual makes out?

Look online and theres horror stories about starving the bottom end of oil if you don't do it properly - so I swerved changing it....

[Barry]

It's only fiddly the first time. Once you have checked the O ring compression is in the acceptable range it should be straightforward from then on.

Changing the filter every other oil change is fine but how do you know the previous person to change the filter did it right ?

I'd do your own measurements and check it's right.

[Fraggle]

Hi Barry,

Thanks for your reply. So from your comments, this becomes a "do it once" and then I never have to worry? just slap a new filter in and it'll fine?

[Barry]

Hi Barry,

Thanks for your reply. So from your comments, this becomes a "do it once" and then I never have to worry? just slap a new filter in and it'll fine?

That's been my experience over the last 10 years. 

Once you have O ring compression in the right ball park the only thing that can change is if the Filter tube sinks further into the crankcase. While that's not unknown I figure if it was going to do that it would have happened sometime in the last 38 years.

In any case once you have changed the filter a few times you will get to "feel" if something is wrong when tightening up the cover.  If you are in any doubt, offer up the cover without the filter installed as then the resistance you feel will be from the O ring alone and not from any compression of the filter end seals.

Also the act of changing the filter becomes a diagnostic process in that if the old O ring comes out extruded with flashes of rubber around the edges then you know there was too much compression. If it comes  out still perfectly round then there wasn't enough compression but then you would have felt that as a lack of resistance when fitting the cover.
 
One last Tip. If you want to check on the filter installation there is no need to drain the oil.  Put the bike on the side stand with the wheels on a couple of 1" planks so that the bike leans over more than usual. You can then remove the filter cover with the loss of only a few drops of oil.

[Bob_Roller]

My experience is if the o-ring comes out with a square cross section, it's getting compressed enough .

[Tony Smith]

My experience is if the o-ring comes out with a square cross section, it's getting compressed enough .

The O-rings i buy come out somewhat flattened, but 10 minutes later they are round like brand new. I would reuse them except the cost is trivial next to an engine rebuild.

[Barry]

I confess I re-used my O ring last time because the new one that Motobins had supplied seemed to be a standard black O ring of 70 or 75 shore. It seemed much too hard to work over the full range of compressions that the softer white ones do.  I'll have to measure things up again and certainly won't attempt to compress it by more than 0.5 mm

[jp9094]

This is probably a silly question, but here goes. What order should you use when changing your oil. I.E. after warming up the oil, drain form the sump then remove filter or vice versa? Just asking!

[Tony Smith]

This is probably a silly question, but here goes. What order should you use when changing your oil. I.E. after warming up the oil, drain form the sump then remove filter or vice versa? Just asking!

Drain oil when engine is hot - but go have a cup of coffee, pat the dog or do the weekly grocery shopping while it drains.

The older I get the less enthused I am about working on hot engines and potentially getting burned - change the filer when it is nice and cold, also a good opportunity to check valve clearances.

[donbmw]

Just make sure going back together you have shim the oring.

Don

[Barry]

Even though the filter is mostly above the sump level if you remove the filter first there will be a spill of oil so drain first and then remove the filter.... there will still be a small spill so be prepared to catch it.