When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
As written in the title. I got tired of spilling oil when changing the filter.. Don't know if this will work but I extended the filter a little so can install a drip catch that should trap all the oil. It extends the filter some and adds a groove that a filter drain can hook into to keep the oil from dribbling.. Will have to wait for the next oil change to see if it works..
Max, I always have the same issue too and I think your solution is a great idea. I do prefer to drain on the lift as well, but see the issue whether upright on a lift or on the side stand. The problem, from my observations, is that after the initial surge of oil out of the filter, the oil wants to dribble down or hang onto the filter housing, which then seeps past the orange trough down the front of the engine. This is made worse when having the bike upright because 1) the oil doesn't drain as quickly down the trough allowing it to pool at the junction between the filter housing and the trough, and 2) the oil inside the filter will flow out of the filter and it heads straight for the gap where the trough and filter housing meet. This is where draining the filter first would be a big help (as mentioned by others, which is something I've never done but will try next time).
I just completed an oil change a few weeks ago and had only one little dribble that made it past by doing what you do:
* Preemptively stuff shop towels down the front of the engine, specifically where the oil filter housing is
* Put the orange filter drain trough in place
* Stuff more shop towels under trough (using a screwdriver to get the towels up against the filter housing) to keep it snug in place
* Go around to the right side of bike and look to make sure trough is in place
* Unscrew filter slowly until it starts draining, trying to keep trough from moving
All that just to keep oil from going everywhere - it's nonsense.
I just make a trough out of the filter box punch a hole in the top and bottom on the outside edge of the filter and let it drain overnight. Works for me. I always drain oil at the end of a ride so it's good and hot and let it drain overnight.
I do the same except I use some heavy duty tin foil (like for grilling). It's pretty easy to shape it under the filter and make a trough to divert the oil into my catch pan. I also usually try to plan ahead...ride the bike and then punch the holes in the filter to let it drain over night...on the side stand. What little mess there may be I clean up with brake clean.
My M8 has less room to get into the filter than my 08 TC did. I have an old plastic placemat that fits in there perfect and is just long enough to extend out past the the jiffy stand to drain into an oil pan. Cheapest solution I’ve come up with so far….
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
