Oil filter

[kwallace21]

Time to dig the bike out for spring. Always drop the oil and filter after storage.
Should I fill the oil filter up with oil before I fit it ? I hear that you are supposed to but I've never bothered. I figured the oil pumping round the engine quickly fills it.
Does anyone use a torque wrench on the filter. I do for the sump plug but usually don't bother with the filter. Hand tight and then a half turn I was always told.
Answers on a postcard please.

K

 

[Beemerman59]

I always fill it up before fitting - saves having to listen to a lot of mechanical noise from the cam chain tensioners as it seems to take much longer for them to build up pressure if you don't. Whether there's any damage caused I have no idea, but since its so easy to do why not?

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Should I fill the oil filter up with oil before I fit it ?

I always fill the oil filter up before fitting plus smear a little oil on to the filter seal

 

[cammy5477]

I always fill the oil filter up before fitting plus smear a little oil on to the filter seal

That's how I do it.

 

[kwallace21]

thank you gentlemen. I will fill mine before fitting from now on.
K​

 

[jogo]

Have no postcard...anyway:
You do not need a torque wrench. Put some oil on the seal and fit it hand tight. Use a suitable tool and turn it another 180 deg. Has always been tight on mine...and equally important easy enough to remove next time.

It's up you of course, but I prefer to change oil at the end of the season. This is what I do:

After a last ride long enough to warm up the oil to steady state, I put the bike on the side stand to allow the oil in oil cooler to find its way down to the sump.
After 10-15 min I put the bike on the center stand, remove drain plug and filter. The oil is still quite warm, flows easily and flushes out as much dirt as possible as this has not had the time to settle.
If you allow crap to settle all winter and then just drain the cold oil, much of dirt that could be flushed out might remain in the engine.
I let the bike stand like this over night (prefer to work on a cold engine and also allows to drip as much old oil as possible)
Install, new filter, drain plug and fill oil.

Others are welcome to disagree

 

[MattW]

Have no postcard...anyway:
You do not need a torque wrench. Put some oil on the seal and fit it hand tight. Use a suitable tool and turn it another 180 deg. Has always been tight on mine...and equally important easy enough to remove next time.

It's up you of course, but I prefer to change oil at the end of the season. This is what I do:

After a last ride long enough to warm up the oil to steady state, I put the bike on the side stand to allow the oil in oil cooler to find its way down to the sump.
After 10-15 min I put the bike on the center stand, remove drain plug and filter. The oil is still quite warm, flows easily and flushes out as much dirt as possible as this has not had the time to settle.
If you allow crap to settle all winter and then just drain the cold oil, much of dirt that could be flushed out might remain in the engine.
I let the bike stand like this over night (prefer to work on a cold engine and also allows to drip as much old oil as possible)
Install, new filter, drain plug and fill oil.

Others are welcome to disagree

That's what I used to do with my 1100 (gearbox and FD too). Better to have it sitting unused with nice fresh uncontaminated oil in it.

 

[Bendy toy]

Oil gets acidic with combustion products.and it has to keep microscopic dirt in suspension. Leave it sitting all winter and the additives put into the oil to deal with all the crap will get depleted.
I use mine all year but if it got parked with old oil I'd run the engine to warm the oil before changing it.
If it's only stood a few months and not overdue for service when put away the oil should be fine for warming the engine and probably a lot more. .
The old straight grade oils have no suspension additives. Dirt is intended to fall out into the sump and oil tank. These engines don't have fine oil filters and do well with modern oils because the dirt gets recirculated.
Modern engines filter out the dirt so the oil should remain reasonably clean. But anything smaller than about 15 micron gets recirculated.

 

[kwallace21]

I always take it out for a good run to get it hot before dumping the oil.
Unlike dealers, I leave it for a while to drain properly.
Getting it remapped at Hilltop soon. Looking forward to some improvement in torque and smoothness.
K

 

[cammy5477]

I always take it out for a good run to get it hot before dumping the oil.
Unlike dealers, I leave it for a while to drain properly.
Getting it remapped at Hilltop soon. Looking forward to some improvement in torque and smoothness.
K

When are you going to hilltop mate?
I'm planning on going early summer if you fancy a block booking

 

[kwallace21]

booked in for the 11th April .
Bit of a trek but booked it to coincide with a vist to friends in Yorkshire .