This might be overkill, but my girlfriend has an 04 883 and when I change the oil in it, I hate seeing dirty old oil get pumped into and mixed in with the new oil in the tank.

Would it be acceptable to do the oil change as normal including filling the tank with new oil, then remove the oil return line from the left side of the tank, place it in a pan, start the bike letting it run until the new oil is seen pumping out of the return line, then reinstall the line and top off the tank?

Obviously I'd have to watch the oil level in the tank during the process to make sure it didn't run dry and could probably not fill the tank completely with the return line off. Also I realize that there would never be brand new oil coming out of the return line since the new oil would mix with the old that is waiting to be scavenged and pumped back to the tank but it would still be better than having a half a quart, or however much normally is trapped, of old oil mixing with the new. The bike doesn't need to have the whole system flushed or anything, I'm just trying to get a more complete oil change done.

Is this a good idea, bad idea or just plain overkill?

 

To really do it right you need to disassemble the engine and wash the innards out. You make it sound like what remaining oil that's left is full of gravel , metal chips, nuts and bolts. In reality it's a drop in the bucket and don't amount to anything. Not worth the extra hassel for virtually no gain in my view.
Ron

 

Might want to check out the Rogue Chopper Scavenger:

http://www.roguechopper.com/products.html

 

Way overkill & not needed..............Drain it good, new filter, new oil & go ride..

Ride Safe,
Bill G

 

Might? Definitely **** retentive overkill at it's best... Knock it off...you are making me look bad..

 

I don't know if a Sportsters oil goes back to the tank first or thru the motor after leaving the filter. If it goes back to the tank, you could leave the filter off, and place a hose in a bucket to catch the used oil start the motor and run it till it comes out clean. That would be more work then I'm willing to do and not really see or feel any difference, except for the warm and fuzzy feeling you'll get. That Rogue oil change kit does the same thing but that alot of money you could justas well spend on oil and filters.,,

 

Overkill. As long as you let the old oil drain out until it stops dripping and always replace the filter, you're fine. The filter is doing most of the work. You can't get every bit of old oil out unless you break down the motor. Once you start it up after an hour running that oil has been through the bike enough it picks up little specs of dirt and water vapour again then your filter does its thing to cleanse the oil. Yes the oil is your life blood of the motor and nothing is better for the motor then oil changes, but just keep doing them at proper time intervals. Like others have said, way too much worry, get her out and just ride.

 

Thanks for all the posts. I like the idea of the scavenger, but not $140 for an aluminum hockey puck. I can buy a lot of Mobile 1 for that price.

I agree with all the posts, but you know what? I did it anyways. The old oil only had 3k km on it but we're shipping the bikes up to Miami for a 2500 mile ride and to change it at the end of the ride would be too late. It pumped out about 24oz of old oil before the new clean stuff started coming out. The old oil was in good shape anyways, so all I did was get a good feeling about getting rid of most of the old chit. It only took a couple of minutes to do it anyhow.

LOL