how to change oil?

[Nouvelle Chicane]

hey, newbie here... and i dont know how to change the oil on my CBR 250... laugh all u want :niceone: anyways...

my mate (who doesnt own a bike) told me to undo one of the bolts from under the bike.. there are two bolts... one located in the centre and another one located a little bit on the left...

i tried to undo the one on the left today and couldnt do it... it was hard as fck, i got frustated and left it hehe... i also took both side fairings off to look for an oil filter and couldnt see one...

can u help me? cheers.

[riffer]

Okay, I'm going to assume this is not a troll, since you're a newbie.

The first thing you need to do is do a search on the Kiwibiker site. It's one of the top menu items.

Search for "manuals on line".

There's bound to be a manual for a CBR250 there.

Next step. Read about the procedure before picking up anything.

Next step. Read it again. Run the bike for a few minutes to get the engine warm if you are doing this after the bike's been standing a while.

You will need:

1. A bike, supported by at the least a sidestand.
2. A socket set, preferably 1/2 inch as you can get more leverage
3. Screwdrivers, allen keys to get off the fairing if you need to (I do on my bike)
4. A tool to get the oil filter off. Supercheap sell a good one for $15 which fits a 1/2 inch socket set.
5. A container to catch the oil
6. A funnel to help you put oil in the bike
7. An oil filter, and a container of new oil

The oil filter should be at the front of the engine, between the exhaust pipes. The sump plug will be at the bottom of the engine and it will be on tight. Mine on my bike was ten minutes ago when I drained the oil.

Make sure that you have something underneath to catch the oil. Don't laugh - I learned this from experience.

Undo the sump plug. Be prepared to catch it before it falls into the sludgy black crap pouring out of the bottom of the engine.

Undo the oil filler cap - It's on the top of the crankcase on the right hand side of the bike. Undoing this will help the oil get out faster.

[riffer]

Once the oil has stopped flowing out, get the sump plug and put it back on. Do it up finger tight, then get the socket wrench and pull it tight about half a turn. This is usually enough if you have good strong fingers, otherwise do it until its tight, but not so much that you wreck the nut.

Then get your oil filter wrench and undo the oil filter. I find its good to put an oil towel around the exhaust headers under the wrench, unless you like the smell of burning oil when you start the bike up again.

The oil filter undos anti-clockwise. It contains a fair bit of oil so be careful as you take it out, or it will leak everywhere which will ruin your day...

Then grab your new oil filter. There's a rubber oil ring inside it. Smear some of the old oil around this rubber ring - it helps it to seal.

Then slowwwwwwwwly put it on - otherwise you will strip the thread. Once you get it finger tight, then use your hands to try and tighten it as hard as you can.

I'd tell you to tighten it up to the manufacturers settings, but you strike me as someone who probably doesn't own a torque wrench. So carefully using the oil filter wrench do it up reasonably tight and you should be okay.

Now - check the sump plug. You did put it back in didn't you? I learned to do this from bad (and expensive) experience.

Then put your funnel over the hole where you put the oil in and pour in the amount specified in the manual you downloaded previously (and read the procedure in). Add about 100-200ml for the oil filter.

Start the bike. Double check there's no oil leaking out the front of the oil filter. If it is, you didn't do it up tight enough. Stop the engine and do the filter up tighter. If its okay, let the motorcycle settle into a smooth idle. Then turn it off.

Get a friend to hold the bike vertical and check the oil level in the sight glass on the side of the motor under the oil filler hole. If its low, add oil.

Then put the fairings on, clean up the tools, put the old oil into the used oil container and tidy up the gargre.

Then go ride!!!!!

[Karma]

Yeh... been thinking about doing mine, never know with imported bikes what's been done and when...

Rough ideas on a price for an oil filter for a ZXR400?

[FROSTY]

about thirty bucks

[BEAMER89]

Welcome to KB N-C!!! Let us know how the oil change went LOL. :2thumbsup

[onearmedbandit]

You forgot to mention a basic overlooked by many people knew to this practice. Think about which direction to turn the sump bung to undo it. It is the same direction as undoing ever other normal bolt but because it is upside down many people actually tighten it rather than undoing it, and that in itself can have drastic effects.

[Nouvelle Chicane]

Thanks riffer :) i'll borrow the socket set from my work place... i'll let u guys know how it goes later...

[Mr Skid]

Oil filter on the MC19 is a cartridge located under the sump. Of the two bolts under there one is for the oil filter, the other is the sump plug.

The oil filter bolt holds in a circular cover, which in turn holds the oil filter.

There is definitely a cbr250 factory service manual on the web, have a search, it'll be useful.

Also, if you bend the rear subframe, you can straighten it with the assistance of a friend and a 4m long piece of 4x2. Someone told me that one. :spudwave:

[Nouvelle Chicane]

Done, changed the oil today... thanks for the advice guys :niceone: . I didnt change the oil filter though, i have no idea what kind of oil filter i need but i think i'll leave it for now...

took the bike out for a short ride, the engine felt smoother and a little faster in accelerating. Dont know if the oil change has anything to do with it... maybe its just me lol.

On the short cruise around the city, i saw a cyclist lying on the side of the road, bleeding from the head, his bicycle was stuck under a minivan... freaky sh*t, ambulance got there pretty quick though.


Also, if you bend the rear subframe, you can straighten it with the assistance of a friend and a 4m long piece of 4x2. Someone told me that one.
great... i'll keep that in mind haha...

[Lazy7]

you guys dont flush?

i would say, get the bike up to temperature
put an engine flush through it
run if for 10mins at idle
stop it
drain it
replace oil filter
run new cheap nasty oil through it at idle for 15mins
stop it
drain it
fill it up with good oil
run it for 10mins at idle
go for ride.

[Bangbug]

Mr Skid is right.
The oil filter is not external.
One nut (larger one) is sump nut.
Other nut (smaller one) is for taking the bottom of the sump out.
This contains the oil filter.
It is not a cartridge type (because hondas are just cool... thats why)
its a high flow model.......... ummmmmmm........... just ask at your local for an oil filter for your bike.
Same filter is used right up to 900's.
So when you get it out pull the filter off. oil up the new o-ring and put new filter back in place.

Filters are good, why? because they take all the nasty clutch bits away.
Such is life with a 6 plate wet clutch. (located down by your right foot if you're ever interested).

If you get a leak its probably from the aluminimum washer at the sump nut getting a bit wasted. so get a new one or file it flat again.

This has been CBR tv, now back to you FUCKERS!

[MikeyG]

[QUOTE=riffer]
I'd tell you to tighten it up to the manufacturers settings, but you strike me as someone who probably doesn't own a torque wrench. So carefully using the oil filter wrench do it up reasonably tight and you should be okay.

If the filter is external don't bother tightening it with a tool you can ruin them or do them up so tight that they are real hard to get off next time. Most oil filter manufacturers reccomend that you put some clean oil on the rubber seal on the side of the filter, screw the filter on until the rubber seal touches the sealing face on the engine, then tighten the filter by hand another half turn to a turn. I find doing it up as hard as I can by hand to be a fairly good rule of thumb.

Clean all oil off your hands and the filter before trying to tighten it or you won't be able to get a grip.

[JT.]

Good detailed instructions riffer!

Just to expand on the filter...



Screw the filter on until the rubber seal touches the sealing face on the engine, then tighten the filter by hand another half turn to a turn. I find doing it up as hard as I can by hand to be a fairly good rule of thumb.


Half a turn more once the seal touches the block is a good rule. Someone who hasn't done this before wont have a good idea of hand tight, it's fairly easy to overtighten. Like others have said, DO smear oil around the seal to help keep the seal and to make it easier to remove.

If you do come across a filter you can't remove, punch a screwdriver or similar rod through the filter and twist with this. Youve got an oil fountain though so keep plenty of newspaper down.

[pyrocam]

what a coincidence I wrote a pdf about this not a week ago

its in the maintenance megathread
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=11119&


7th post