View Poll Results: Oil Changes - Do you do it while the engine is hot, or after it has cooled?
Voters: 169. You may not vote on this poll
Oil Change - Hot ot Cold?
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 407
Likes: 2
From: Bixby Oklahoma
I have always gone for a little ride to heat things up. The last couple of times, I used a CORS drain system, a puck replaces the filter and tubing from the puck to the drain pan. Drain as usual, remove the filter and replace with the puck and add a three qt. Start her up and watch the tubing til I get clean oil. Top of the crank to 3.5. Doing this may not need the hot oil as much but I do it anyway
Road Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,034
Likes: 3
From: Open Road, USA
I always change it warm to hot, depending if I can ride or just let it sit and idle for a few minutes. I used to work for a guy in Dallas, TX that had a mobile home moving business and on his truck he had a toliet paper filter(single ply)and would drain the oil and then pour in a gallon of diesel and start the motor for let it run for a couple of minutes, he pulled the valve covers off one day and with over 200,000 miles on the truck it looked like a new engine. Wonder what a Harley would do with a flush of diesel before adding new oil...
Joe
Joe
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,878
Likes: 17
From: The Desert SouthWest
Was reading another thread where the guy talked about letting his bike cool off before changing the oil.
I always change mine hot, immediately following a ride before it sits or cools down for any length of time.
Here's what I was taught many years ago and it's the primary reason I change mine hot...
When the oil is hot from riding and circulating the contaminants are suspended throughout the oil and by draining it hot a higher percentage of those contaminants come out with the oil. As the oil sits without circulating and cools some of those contaminants settle and then remain in the engine when the oil is drained.
In either case you can't get all of the old oil out and so some contaminants remain.
So the question is... Is it worth the difference to you, however slight it may be, to burn your hands a little and change the oil while it's hot? Or do you / would you rather let it cool off for a while?
I always change mine hot, immediately following a ride before it sits or cools down for any length of time.
Here's what I was taught many years ago and it's the primary reason I change mine hot...
When the oil is hot from riding and circulating the contaminants are suspended throughout the oil and by draining it hot a higher percentage of those contaminants come out with the oil. As the oil sits without circulating and cools some of those contaminants settle and then remain in the engine when the oil is drained.
In either case you can't get all of the old oil out and so some contaminants remain.
So the question is... Is it worth the difference to you, however slight it may be, to burn your hands a little and change the oil while it's hot? Or do you / would you rather let it cool off for a while?
You are correct... Do it hot - it flushes/carries out the contaminants and debris along with it when you pop the drain plug.
You can then let the bike sit for an hour and cool off before doing anything else, but drop the drain plug as soon as you roll into the garage after a ride.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 636
Likes: 1
From: Monterey, CA
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