An Interesting Oil Change

[vulcans2]

Changed the oil and filter on my '10 Nomad Thursday. I've always changed my own oil and it's never been a problem on any other bikes I've owned. But this one is DIFFERENT!

Put the bike up on the lift and found that I couldn't access the two oil drain plugs on the bottom of the engine. The lift's crossmember was in the way. So I took it down and rested the side stand on a piece of 2X4 to get it more or less level. Not enough room for the drain pan. Called my brother to get his opinion (he has an '09 Nomad) and he suggested getting a plastic funnel and cutting the front half out to get it under the engine, and run the long tube to the drain pan. OK, got the funnel and did just that. Placed the funnel under the rear drain plug and pulled it out. Yes, I got oil all over my hands. Then disaster. The oil drained out faster than the funnel could handle it. Our of 5 quarts of oil, half of it ended up on the garage floor!! WHAT A MESS!!! Now what? I needed to get at the front drain plug. Found an old plastic dog food dish and stuck it under there and it quickly filled to the absolute top. More oil on the floor and spreading everywhere. More "farm words said." Finally, oil all drained out and the drain plugs screwed in and torqued according to owner's manual. Now the easy part--the filter. No problems there. Finally filled up with new oil and replaced the filter and cleaned up the mess as best I could. Fortunately I had a big container of kitty litter that I spread over the spot where the oil spilled. THEN---the final coup de grace. When I emptied the oil from the dog food dish, I discovered the crush washer from the front engine drain plug in the bottom of the dish! NOW WHAT? I already filled it with oil, so no way to pull the plug and install the crush washer, so I set it aside and hope the bike doesn't leak oil. Sheesh.

So, after all that, my question is, does anyone have a better way to change the oil in a 1700 Nomad, short of taking it to a dealer? I'm afraid I see myself purchasing a bike lift that is open in the middle. HELP!

Now for "the rest of the story."-------
I stewed about this all weekend and finally came up with a solution to how I was going to remove the front drain plug and put the crush washer back on without wasting 5 quarts of new oil. With the help of a friend, I gently laid the bike down on the right crash bars, on a couple of pieces of 2x4. I put a new drain pan underneath the now-exposed drain plugs and slowly removed the front plug. Amazingly, not a drop of oil came out. The crush washer was replaced and the drain plug replaced and torqued properly.

And then there was the "DOH" moment. My friend pointed out that when the bike is on the side stand, both oil drain plugs are easily accessed from the right side of the bike, and a drain pan fits under there nicely! Sheesh. I told Dick that's why he is a mechanic and I'm not. Lessons learned. And here I thought I was so smart. Yeah, right. But now I'm a little smarter than I was before.

Bet I'm not the only one, though.

[ringadingh]

Ive never touched a 1700, but on my 1500 the oil change takes me about ten minutes on the sidestand. I put a pan under the bike and pull the drain plug with the screen in it. While its draining I replace the filter with my bare hands, replace the drain plug and fill with new oil.
At least you figured it out for the next time. ;)

[BudMan]

And then there was the "DOH" moment. My friend pointed out that when the bike is on the side stand, both oil drain plugs are easily accessed from the right side of the bike, and a drain pan fits under there nicely! Sheesh. I told Dick that's why he is a mechanic and I'm not. Lessons learned. And here I thought I was so smart. Yeah, right. But now I'm a little smarter than I was before.

Bet I'm not the only one, though.


Well, It's nice to know that I'm not the only one, who has at times let the obvious completely escape me. ;)

[Sin City Stan]

I've done four oil changes in my 2009 1700. I use a Harbor freight jack.

1. Warm the engine up.
2. Break the drain plugs with the bike on the kickstand.
3. Jack the bike up
4. Slide a rectangular Tuperware container (about $3 @ Walmart) in between the rails of the jack
5. Pull the plugs and let er drain.
6. After drained replace the plugs.
7. Carefully remove the Tuperware from under the bike. It's pretty full.
8. Place the Tuperware under the filter.
9. R&R the filter.
10. Put in fresh oil.
11. Start engine and check level.
12. Pour waste oil into a couple plastic bottles.
13. Eventually take waste oil to get recycled.

I have an oil change coming up in a couple months. Maybe I should take a few pics.

[cnc]

I kept wondering while reading your post if the 1700 could be so different from the 1600, as I have never had a problem. I use a empty 4.5 liter oil container with the side cut out as a drain pan and yea put it in place from the high side of the bike. We all go through those "duh" moments. Thanks for sharing. The laying the bike down on the RH side to replace the washer idea is a good one.

[vulcans2]

The 1700 is probably different from the 1600, in that it has two drain bolts and a spin on oil filter on the right front of the engine. I don't know what the 1600 has.

That said, I have a motorcycle lift that works well. Unfortunately, the fore/aft braces that go between the bars that the bike frame sits on are directly under the drain bolts. And while the rear drain bolt is accessible, the front one isn't. In any case, if I could remove the drain bolts I'd have an oily mess on my hands (and floor) anyway when the oil drains onto those bars. Oh, BTW, I have a lift that I got from Costco years ago. It's virtually identical to the one you can get at Sears.

I believe that in the future, oil changes will be rather a nonevent. I'm laughing over it now, but not when it happened.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

I have never had a problem with my 1600. Glad you have it figured out for the next oil change.

[cocheese72]

I don't know which oil drain pan you have, but the big one that I have from autozone (the one that holds about 15 quarts, and has a cap and nozzle to store and/or take somewhere for disposal, will not fit either. Autozone does make a much smaller pan that will hold all the oil. This is what I now use, and then dump in my larger one. I never need to jack the bike up.


If you are using one like this, no they won't fit: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Blitz-15-qt-oil-recycle-pan/_/N-25yj?counter=10&filterByKeyWord=oil+drain&fromString=search&itemIdentifier=2278_0_0_

Go get one of these if not and if this won't fit, you bike sits much lower than mine: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Blitz-7-5-qt-round-oil-drain-pan/_/N-25yj?itemIdentifier=475368&_requestid=1828072

[vulcans2]

I have one similar to the first one, that is enclosed. I picked up on similar to the second one, only it's triangular shaped and looks like it will do just fine. Should hold all 5 quarts. Won't need to jack the bike up, either.

[04kaw1500]

Try and lift it from over head from the trusses in your garage . Run a set of straps from your rear crash bars and come along and you can lift it as high as you need. It works good .

[vulcans2]

YIKES!!! Just the thought of smashing holes in the ceiling of the garage to get to the trusses makes me shiver!! Good idea, though, but my garages is completely sheetrocked in.

[04kaw1500]

How about some lag bolts thru the sheetrock into the trusses?

[cocheese72]

That can work but a bit overkill when a $3 oil pan will do.