SE owners who change their own oil

[BajaRon]

I have a question for those of you who own an SE (electric shift) Spyder and change your own oil.

1st. How many of you knew there was a 3rd oil drain plug for the Hydraulic Shifting mechanism?

2nd. How many of you are pulling this 3rd plug and draining that oil?

PS - Lamont says he thinks this is may be an access hole for something and not necessarily a drain plug, per se. I'm thinking if you pull it where is the oil going to run? Down the side of the case! That's not too good.

I don't have an SE to mess with and Lamont won't let me touch his (what's up with that anyway!?). I hardly ever break anything, much, well, maybe just a few times.

Anyway, Just curious and looking for answers.

 

[Lamonster]

Just read the manual again and I don't see anything about pulling that plug for an oil change.

 

[Pilo]

I have a question for those of you who own an SE (electric shift) Spyder and change your own oil.

1st. How many of you knew there was a 3rd oil drain plug for the Hydraulic Shifting mechanism?

2nd. How many of you are pulling this 3rd plug and draining that oil?

PS - Lamont says he thinks this is may be an access hole for something and not necessarily a drain plug, per se. I'm thinking if you pull it where is the oil going to run? Down the side of the case! That's not too good.

I don't have an SE to mess with and Lamont won't let me touch his (what's up with that anyway!?). I hardly ever break anything, much, well, maybe just a few times.

Anyway, Just curious and looking for answers.

Never seen it before...

I am trying to figure out the location of the plug, because it not clear to me by just looking at the exploded view.

BTW, that case is completely blocked by the oil tank, so how do you get at anything that is on it...?

Saludos, Pilo

 

[Raptor]

I believe it is for inspection purposes and not involved with the oil change process. My own opinion but seems to make sense given it's location.

 

[Dudley]

Ron,
All I have done is change the trans filter at 24K. What's to worry.
Dudley

 

[Pilo]

Now I see it...

Never seen it before...

I am trying to figure out the location of the plug, because it not clear to me by just looking at the exploded view.

BTW, that case is completely blocked by the oil tank, so how do you get at anything that is on it...?

Saludos, Pilo

Yep Ron, it is there..., I found it..., but..., what is it for...?

Saludos again..., Pilo

 

[boborgera]

Yep Ron, it is there..., I found it..., but..., what is it for...?

Saludos again..., Pilo

It's there to drive you nuts, Those Canadians are a bunch of wild and crazy guys

 

[flamingobabe]

Well...just today my husband changed the oil...filter...o-ring...transmission filter (which was a little beat-up) but who would of thought one would have to disassemble the bike to get to the oil...a bit of a pain...but got it done...I purchased the 2009-SE5 with 1700 miles in May... it now has 4500 miles..back to original post...hope we didn't need to pull the mystry plug....

 

[aka1004]

Well...just today my husband changed the oil...filter...o-ring...transmission filter (which was a little beat-up) but who would of thought one would have to disassemble the bike to get to the oil...a bit of a pain...but got it done...I purchased the 2009-SE5 with 1700 miles in May... it now has 4500 miles..back to original post...hope we didn't need to pull the mystry plug....

i guess there is no harm in replacing it more often but tranny filter are every 12000 miles item.:thumbup: oh there is also a strainer that needs to be cleaned but it requires a new clamp. it's the low,right rubber hose.

 

[BajaRon]

Curiouser and Curiouser

Yep Ron, it is there..., I found it..., but..., what is it for...?

Saludos again..., Pilo

Yep! There it is in Real Life! Don't mean to cause a stir. The Parts Fiche calls it a drain plug. But Lamont says the manual doesn't mention it in the oil change process.

Interesting but nothing more.

Lamont, aren't you due for an oil change on the RT? Good time to pull that plug and see what comes out!

 

[Roger]

By the looks of the picture its not the lowest point for the oil to come out so once you drain the others i dont think anything will come out. :dontknow:

 

[BajaRon]

Unless there is some kind of sump, pump or reservoir behind it.

 

[Pilo]

Again..., in real life...

Unless there is some kind of sump, pump or reservoir behind it.

Neighbors think I am a looney..., shooting pictures of my trike at 11PM...

 

[burg650]

When I did my last oil change I also change the tranny filter as well, I let all the oil drain out of the engine/ oil tank over night but when I removed the cover for the tranny filter a whole lot of oil came out all over the tranny cover. I thought by draining the oil out of the engine would have drained the oil from the tranny as well being the drain plug is lower but that was not the case needless to say it took me a lot of time to clean all that oil out and around the cover.

 

[BajaRon]

When I did my last oil change I also change the tranny filter as well, I let all the oil drain out of the engine/ oil tank over night but when I removed the cover for the tranny filter a whole lot of oil came out all over the tranny cover. I thought by draining the oil out of the engine would have drained the oil from the tranny as well being the drain plug is lower but that was not the case needless to say it took me a lot of time to clean all that oil out and around the cover.

Ok, so we're getting somewhere....

Maybe the 'Drain Plug' is a better way to get the oil out of the tranny oil filter before removing it. Frankly, doesn't look like it would be but it might be tried.

I'm sure Lamont will donate his RT as a test project.

 

[BajaRon]

Neighbors think I am a looney..., shooting pictures of my trike at 11PM...

No.... Not at all! Perfectly Normal... (rolling eyes!)

 

[burg650]

I just thought of something when you change the oil drain it what happens to the oil that is in the oil cooler, does it also drain what's in there as well or does this oil stay in the cooler and mix with new clean oil.

 

[BajaRon]

I just thought of something when you change the oil drain it what happens to the oil that is in the oil cooler, does it also drain what's in there as well or does this oil stay in the cooler and mix with new clean oil.

The tubes on the oil cooler are vertical and the bottom of the oil cooler is above the bottom of the holding tank so the cooler should pretty much drain completely. You're always going to get residual oil in the system.

For example, many overhead cam engines have little reservoirs under each cam lobe which retain some oil so the cam lobe runs through this oil pool each revolution. This oil does not drain out. And there are other places, nooks and crannies, some designed to lube something and some just places where oil sits and cannot drain out.

But this totals a very small and insignifacant amount of oil left in the system.

But on the SE you have a respectable volume of undrained oil in the trans filter system. I understand that the filter probably does not get dirty very quickly, but if I had an SE I would NOT want to leave that dirty oil to mix with my brand new oil. Seems pretty stupid for the small effort and cost to get that old oil out of there and get a full, fresh oil change. I wouldn't want that volume of old, nasty oil mixing with my fresh, new, expensive Ams Oil (or whatever).

Now, how about this! Brain storm! BRP calls for the trans filter to be changed EVERY OTHER engine oil change. But I don't think they want that old oil left in there either.

Could it be that the drain plug in question is designed to be pulled to drain the oil from the trans filter area between trans filter changes? In other words, you'd get the dirty oil out through the drain plug and not have to pull the trans filter when you weren't going to change it.

By Jove! I think I've got it Watson! :yes:

Even if I'm wrong I like my idea very much!

 

[SethO]

That plug is only for when take the HCM apart and have it off the bike, funny story when I got my bike back from florida that plug came loose and fell out I had to plug it wih a hydrulic line with a cap on it.

I have NEVER used the plug in the 32k of miles i have on my beast.

is there some old oil in there yep, is there a little old oil in the bike? yep.

I take the oil res plug out drain it. take the crank case plug out (except for the last time check other post) and I change my oil filter every other time mostly because its internal (what is this, 1975 come on BRP)

Also if I can do it and I am in a wheelchair anyone can change their own oil, it takes me 25 minutes with out a filter change to do this.

I change the hcm filter ever 10k.

Hope this answers your question.

 

[BajaRon]

That plug is only for when take the HCM apart and have it off the bike, funny story when I got my bike back from florida that plug came loose and fell out I had to plug it wih a hydrulic line with a cap on it.

I have NEVER used the plug in the 32k of miles i have on my beast.

is there some old oil in there yep, is there a little old oil in the bike? yep.

I take the oil res plug out drain it. take the crank case plug out (except for the last time check other post) and I change my oil filter every other time mostly because its internal (what is this, 1975 come on BRP)

Also if I can do it and I am in a wheelchair anyone can change their own oil, it takes me 25 minutes with out a filter change to do this.

I change the hcm filter ever 10k.

Hope this answers your question.

Yes.... But I'd feel better if you just agreed with me.... :joke: