Lessons learned from DIY oil change
I recently completed my first oil change on my used 2014 rt-s after viewing the excellent youtube video and a detailed post on this website. Here's a recap and lessons learned. I live an hour away from from dealers in each of three larger cities. I happened to be in one of those cities and dropped by to pick up the 1330 oil change kit to have on hand when the end of riding season came. They were out of the kits, but they provided what I would need. Of course the guy didn't mention that he was selling me only a few of the parts from the kit at a much higher price than the kit. I wasn't sure at that time what the cost of the kit was, nor the contents. I was charged $106.xx, but only received the oil, two o-rings, and one washer. When it came time to do the oil change (i.e., a somewhat warm, late fall day in the midwest), I had to delay the oil change while the parts department ordered the additional washer and o-rings. That added a several day delay to the oil change, required another one hour trip each way to pick up the parts, and another $17.xx added to the cost.
So, another somewhat pleasant day arrived and I begin the oil change process. I drained the oil from the engine side and attempt to change the filter. Ooops, they sold me the wrong filter. Before making the trip back to the dealer, I called and provided the year and model of the Spyder and the part number to be sure they had the correct part in stock. I was assured they had seven on the shelf. When I arrived at the parts counter, I provided the old filter and the one I had purchased from them to ensure I received the correct part. The parts guy looked at the box, then the computer screen, and told me he didn't know which part I needed because the part number on the box was the correct number according to the computer. My impression was that he was giving up and just wanted to me to go away. I explained that I called ahead and I was told they had seven of the correct filters on the shelf. When he returned from the parts shelves he produced a box that he assured me had the correct filter. When he opened the box, it was the same style filter they previously sold me. He then called the mechanic to determine what to do next. Eventually, I received the correct filter and was told that the dealership had mis-marked the boxes with their own stickers. Oh, I was also told they were sorry. So was I.
I returned home to find a large puddle of oil on the drive. While I had drained the engine side until it no longer dripped, I had put the plug back in finger tight and dropped it from the jack stands for safety while I was not home. I had been in a hurry to drive the 60+ miles to the dealer before they closed and just assumed all the oil had drained. Apparently, more oil drained down when the Spyder was no longer on the lift. After cleaning up the mess, I changed the filter and began to drain the gearbox side of oil. According to the video and web posting, the plug required a torques socket, which I purchased and which fit into the plug. At this point, I was working by feel since I hadn't raised the Spyder as I had done earlier. I inserted the tip deep into the plug, bracing the head of the ratchet with one hand while pulling firmly, yet cautiously with the other. I was purposely trying to avoid damaging the ratchet from a sudden release under considerable force, and avoiding stripping the splines from the plug head. Eventually, the wrench began to move slowly, then grew easier to turn. To my surprise, the T-40 tip was spinning in the plug. I viewed the plug with a mirror and it appeared the splines had been stripped, but it now appeared to resemble a hex head. I was able to locate a hex key to remove the plug, with considerable effort. I didn't trust it for re-use so I decided to replace it.
I called another dealer (an hour away), since they were open and the other dealer was closed, to see if they had the plug in stock. They did not, but could have it for me in a couple of days. Being curious about my earlier purchase from the other dealer, I asked how much they charged for the 1330 oil change kit. If I recall correctly, I believe they said was about $80.00. I asked if it contained all the parts that I needed, since I had to order an additional washer and o-rings. That parts guy wasn't sure what was in the kit, but said it would be all the parts that were needed and that some of the parts could be re-used (yeah, right). I finally picked up the replacement plug, which required a hex tip, not a torques-tip. I suspect whomever performed a previous oil change had replaced the original T-40 plug with a hex plug. After yet another delay, another trip, and more money, the oil change was finally complete.
Lessons learned: (1) buy the kit since it is complete and costs significantly less than parts purchased individually; (2) don't assume the parts department is going to sell you the individual parts at the same price they would charge for the kit; (3) always take original parts to the parts counter for verification; (4) don't expect parts guys or part numbers to be correct (trust but verify); (5) there may be more oil in the engine that needs to drain when the trike's position changes; (6) when replacing parts on a used vehicle, they may not be the original equipment part; (7) if at all possible, visually examine what your are doing rather than relying on feel; and (8) try as best you can to get it all covered on the first visit, especially if you have to travel a considerable distance to a dealer.
I probably missed some lessons, but I hope my experience makes yours a little easier and that other will post similar lessons learned.
pps:
. Even with the good youtube videos there are things there you wont see elsewhere that will save you some time and pain.
