So, my Fat bob has been sitting in my warm basement level on a wheel chock all winter. I never got to the fluid changes when I put it away last fall, so I wanted to get it done before I took it out. Normally I would take the bike for a ride to warm things up before the change, but after reading much on the subject, I decided to make the change cold.

So, after draining all three plugs, I moved on to the oil filter. Got some rags packed under it anticipating some leakage. And then nothing. Nada. No oil at all in the filter. I took it off, tipped it upside down and nothing.

So, now I'm figuring the oil in the filter must have drained down into the block. But all of it? I would have expected it to hold something. The bike was level on a wheel chock since November.

Any thoughts?

 

Sounds like you got lucky and avoided a mess. Oil filters have a anti drainback valve, apparently after sitting in storage yours allowed the oil to drain out. I personally would have got it up to operating temp to suspend all the particulates before changing the oil

 

Hmm, do you live in a house on Elm Street? If no, than as long as it didn't have any issues when you chocked it up sitting vertical all this time let the oil flow out and the filter absorbed everything else.

Now, this is just me talking, I'm not advising or nothing like that, this is my disclaimer in case something weird is going on but if'n it was me, I'd change the oils/filter, put in some good stuff (oil wise), crank that biatch up and race the coppers to the border

But if you lay in your bed and think you hear whispers of dead people saying in creepy whisper voices "geeeeetttttttttt ooooouuuuuuuuttttttttt", well, I'd move the hell off of Elm Street and let them keep the bike

 

Yeah, I debated whether to run it or not. Read a bunch of opinions on the benefit of not running it as everything has had time to settle to the bottom of the pan. I opened the plugs and let it drain for about four hours or so while I did some other things. I must say that I think I got more fluid out than in past changes. Tranny was supposed to take 28 ounces. It took more than that to get it to show on the dipstick. Then a few more ounces to get it between the marks. Primary took 32 ounces and was still below the edge of the case opening. I can recall a full quart used to bring it just to the edge of the case.

Old fluids only had about 2k miles on them.

 

Did I mention you are freaking hilariously imaginative Mr. suedeblueman ?!!!

To the OP we had an unbearably long winter here too and when I got to my oils the filter did not drip, but it had extra weight. an early oil change this time around sounds like a good Idea but I'm not keen on wasting 60$ of material to change out the engine oil " in case it helps in the long run".

 

You had me when you said the "old" fluids had only 2k on them. Can't imagine there would be much to settle in the pan. I don't get the logic behind changing oils just because the bike sat for a few months. In a warm basement, no less. Unless you normally replace the fluids every 2k, seems like a waste of money to me.

 

Oil does deteriorate with time and moisture will accumulate. Cheap insurance to change it at least once per year with synthetics, more often with straight up dino.

 

Not sure what year you have but the tranny on my 2010 Dyna takes 32 oz. You dont need the primary oil level at the top of the case opening! just to the bottom of the clutch basket when bike is level

Enjoy the ride!