Oil change tip

[TrapperAH1G]

Always been told to fill a new oil filter before installing. This reduces the time it takes to pressurize the oil system. If the oil filter is empty and dry, the oil pump has to deliver enough oil to saturate the material inside the oil filter and fill it with oil before it can pressurize the rest of the system.  This can take several seconds, during which engine parts can be damaged.


Of course, on our bikes the filter is horizontal and that makes it impossible to install it full of oil.  So, fill the new filter with oil before doing anything else.  It sits soaking and saturates the filter material inside while you drain the old oil and remove the old filter, .

When it's time to install the filter, pour the excess oil from the filter back into the oil container and use the residual oil to lubricate the filter's rubber seal before installation.  Filter's not full of oil but better than a dry install I believe.

[98valk]

filter is almost full when I install it. its very easy to install the filter fast so usually zero oil drips.

now my 7.3 diesel I cannot have the filter filled only about 3/4 filled since it has to be installed at an angle to start thread engagement. and always a mess removing the filter.  every top oil filter brand states its good for 15k change out. engine requires 5k oil changes. I usually do 6k changes since it doesn't get worked hard, and drain the filter and re-install it for another 5-6k miles, then I replace it, since I can smell the inside of the filter getting a soot smell.

The Valkyrie change the oil every 10k miles, and drain the filter at 5k miles and then top off the oil, and then new filter at 10k miles. I use an over sized filter which take an extra 4 oz than the oem filter. so at 5k miles its getting a good doze of additive replenishment.

[0leman]

I too used to fill the filter most of the way.  Let it sit while the engine oil finished dripping.  When I install the filter did it pretty fast and had very few drips.  I was advised to do it that way when I first got the Valk back in '08.  My Valk had 145K on her when I sold her couple months and engine was running fine. 

[Chrisj CMA]

While I appreciate the logic of filling the oil filter before installing. I've only had my Valkyrie 24 years and have close to 200,000 miles. Ive always put it on dry and just fire it up. I'm estimating somewhere around 30 oil changes. She runs like new doesn't use oil and there's no sign that dry oil filter changes has done any damage

[ridingron]

While I appreciate the logic of filling the oil filter before installing. I've only had my Valkyrie 24 years and have close to 200,000 miles. Ive always put it on dry and just fire it up. I'm estimating somewhere around 30 oil changes. She runs like new doesn't use oil and there's no sign that dry oil filter changes has done any damage

Yeah, I ran a car  filter and whatever 10 W 40 oil was on sale that day in my other Honda. I ran it to a little over 220K miles. Several times I just change the filter and topped off the oil. I changed the oil at 15K miles.

[98valk]

study after dyno oil analysis study over the many decades prove that 80-90% of engine wear happens upon startup before oil pressure gets up to lubricate everything, unfilled oil filter extends that wear time.
colder engine is even more wear.
while operating water temp below 180F greatly increased wear.

so it is well known that higher grade piston rings and cylinder wall treatments and high quality bearings with hardening of the shafts they support all reduces wear.

I remember the toyota car invasion and the engines lasting 200-300k+ miles, compared to american vehicles lasting maybe 100k miles. The answer was the higher quality/hardness of the piston rings toyota was using. they were the same as used in diesel engines that lasted over 500k miles.

I prefer less wear at every startup, reason I use a real oversize oil filter.
I ride down into 30sF sometimes even in the 40s the autometer water temp gauge would only get to 150F, so I use different size radiator airflow blocks depending on ambient temps.

[ridingron]

I consider liquid cooled (or heated) motorcycle motors to be very similar to cars. I never considered blocking off part of the radiator on a car. I thought regulating the temperature of the coolant was the thermostat's job. As for the start up damage, there is really very little you can do about it other than don't start the motor. I have never idled my cars or motorcycles. Worse case, I start the motorcycle, put on my jacket, helmet and gloves and go.

My 2¢.

[98valk]

I consider liquid cooled (or heated) motorcycle motors to be very similar to cars. I never considered blocking off part of the radiator on a car. I thought regulating the temperature of the coolant was the thermostat's job. As for the start up damage, there is really very little you can do about it other than don't start the motor. I have never idled my cars or motorcycles. Worse case, I start the motorcycle, put on my jacket, helmet and gloves and go.

My 2¢.

GL1500 engine is all aluminum so greater heat dissipation than cast iron, plus as the goldwing engine is almost fully enclosed via the bodywork, plus the two radiators are mounted on the sides and not getting direct airflow for cooling it normally stays hotter.
the more modern aluminum vehicle engine blocks have a multiple thermostat system.

The Valkyrie the temp sensor is before the thermostat and then the radiator. The stat is always flowing a very small amount od coolant. now per wind chill charts the radiator is seeing below freezing airflow even at 40-50F ambient temps, once the engine warmed up enough at highway speeds to open the state, gauge would be reading 180F and with the cold airflow and radiator temp would drop to around 150-160F and stay there.

[ridingron]

I guess I have too much faith in Honda engineering. These days, not so much faith.

[Willow]

I have a 2001 Valkyrie Standard with over 200,000 miles on it.  I have never bothered to pre-fill a filter when changing the oil.  I wonder how many miles these advisers have on their Valkyries.  Also, if one rides one's motorcycle I wonder how dry the cylinder walls are on the flat six when started or drained.

I wonder if DDT's oil changes involve pre-filling the filter.

[TrapperAH1G]

Well, in answer to the query above, 50,000 miles on my valk.  I discovered the Valk late in life.  But, I have been riding since 1961 and working on bikes and cars all my life.  In the Army, I flew helicopters and even served as an Aviation Maintenance Officer with responsibility for 49 aircraft and the safety of their human operators.  So maybe I am a bit overzealous (?) in maintaining my equipment.  I have 5 bikes, all Honda and I change oil every 5K miles, full synthetic, I do a pre-ride inspection every time I ride, I am a poster boy for ATGATT......and I will continue to pre-fill my filters just as I imagine those of you with more experience will continue NOT to do this.  As they say, to each their own.

This was meant as a helpful tip, a suggestion, not an instruction or a mandatory revision of procedures, sorry if I offended anyone.  I will henceforth refrain from doing this and rely on the wisdom of those that know better.

Ride safe.

[Willow]

My question of miles on Valkyries was not so much for you, TrapperAH1G, but to a few others who seemed to imply how necessary this practice is.  I have no problem with your choices.  I do think the over-zealous modifier may be accurate.

Where the filter is on the flat six engine implies that oil is presented to the filter as it is poured into the crankcase.  If one doubts this one only needs to leave the filter off and attempt to fill the bike with the needed amount of oil.  The cylinders are not so much as a ways above where the oil gathers as is the case in upright rather than flat engines,

I am not offended.  I respect your thinking.  Do what makes you feel good about maintaining your machine.  Being over-zealous is preferred over being under zealous.

I am pretty well under educated and old school.  I use synthetic oil exclusively and change it every 10,000 miles.  It works for me.

[Hook#3287]

I had the same thought on DDT and Allie, ask what the process they follow.

Then I thought, I don't believe Bruce does is own oil changes and probably can't say 😀

My original Valk has 130k and I've never prefilled the oil filter.

She's runs like she did in 1999.

[98valk]

studies/tests were done for decades, about engine wear. SAE reports were avail online decades ago and then they changed and now have to pay for them.

anyhow, before and after dyno runs, compression tests, all proved wear happens during every startup. so bottom line a 100-200+k valkyrie engine can be measured to have less mpg and HP from new. will most riders notice it, NO, but it is there.

I do things to reduce those changes of an engine acquiring miles to a smaller difference from new.

[Pluggy]

Like many owners, I've been using the larger car-sized oil filters. If you want a filter that fills more quickly, select the smaller OEM size.  Besides the genuine Honda, there are others like HiFlo that owners are satisfied with.

Do Valkyries need the biggest filter that fits? Probably not. I just buy them out of habit.

[ridingron]

Like many owners, I've been using the larger car-sized oil filters. If you want a filter that fills more quickly, select the smaller OEM size.  Besides the genuine Honda, there are others like HiFlo that owners are satisfied with.

Do Valkyries need the biggest filter that fits? Probably not. I just buy them out of habit.

On my other bike, I use the larger filter because my bike doesn't use oil and the larger filter lets me put a full 4 quarts in the bike at oil change time. No bottles left with a dab of oil in the bottom.

My other other air cooled bike has an oil capacity of 1.7 liters. I would love to have more oil in it. I'm currently working for that goal, hoping to be able to add another liter (quart). Yes the manufacturer says 1.7 is OK but getting stuck in traffic several time and the over temperature  red light has come on.