synthetic oil change smooths engine!

[IndianaTom]

8,200 miles on the '07, seemingly starting to vibrate, so I figure I'd do my own oil change, and see about TBS, and maybe even compression check, cause I read a compression thread a few months ago. So, after reading about the energy star and so on, I settled on Mobil 1 15-50, with a pure-one filter. I ran the bike the 5 miles to the car stuff store, got my 30 something dollars worth of stuff (still cheaper than the dealer) and headed back. On the side stand, I slid the oil catching tub under the bike and commenced to melt it on the catalytic converter. Then I put the back tire on a 2x4 and slid it back under and proceeded to removing the drain plug. I gotta tell ya, that skinny kid at the dealer ship is pretty wiry, or he fully understands the theory of leverage. That bolt was on HARD! Same with the filter. the only way I could get the filter off was with a chain-grip (vice grip with a chain on it)

it really deformed the used filter... man that was tight!

Anyhow, I drained on the side stand, then I moved to the center stand and got some more, than back to the side stand for a final dribble. I rolled on the new filter with a bead of new oil, replaced the plug with a new crush washer, and proceeded to pour in 5 quarts. This is where I should have read the Bin-O-Facts (Generation II) a little better:

Capacities:Engine Oil: 5.18 Qt total, 4.02 Qt without cartridge, 4.23 Qt with cartridge change

hmm, so now I guess I'm about 3/4 quart over full. Yep, oil over the sight glass. oops...

Anyhow, I started this to say..... the engine seems smoother now, and I don't intend on going to get a TBS.

My question is, Am I imagining it? is the mobil 1 smoother? or is over filling the engine absorbing some vibration?

Also, should I crack that drainand let about a half a quart out? I understand that over filling reduces the amount of oil slung around inside the engine, (think about a paint mixer deep in the paint, vs on the surface).

Also, I think it shifts smoorther now.

(my first NEPRT)

 

[Charlie Hoss]

I think you are probably imagining the engine is smoother. Can't think of anything mechanical that would cause it. Placebo effect? Ever notice that a clean and waxed bike is also smoother? We all think that synthetic is SO much slipperier, less friction, etc. I can see how it will make the tranny shift smoother, and we have lots of sworn testimonials to that. Maybe a smoother clutch, also.

If it were me, I would crack the filler plug or the filter and drain out the excess. May not matter with this engine, but I think they warn about overfilling cars to prevent blowing a rear main seal, and to prevent foaming and excess oil getting forced past the rings and fouling the plugs.

Radman, Jestal, and others, please chime in if necessary.

 

[Wicked Webby]

Yup,

Drain the excess oil, or it might find a way to drain itself(not good).

WW

 

[SmokeWagon]

Motorcycles! Ride 'em 1hour> Work on them 2Hrs. I love a good oil change story :turn:

 

[weekend rider]

I-Tom -- Yes there is a difference in oil if you were running the yamaha oil then made the switch there is a differnece in engine noise. When I swithced to castrol 20-50 my engine quited down a whole bunch. Then I ran some synthetic and even a little smother yet, even, the shifiting was smother.

Get rid of that extra oil in the crank case causes nothing but problems. Do you want your bi ke to be like a Harley and spring a leak?? :yahoo :yahoo:

weekend rider

 

[IndianaTom]

I drained out about a half a quart, and got to the top dot. it's in one of the bottles it came out of. But now I"m looking at it as if I'd taken a big gulp of milk, and spit half of it back in the glass. do I really want to drink that milk with my backwash in it?... eh, it's only $4+ a quart. Almost as much as a gallon of gas, and I only get a few days out of that gas. Hmm... eh, if it doesn't have anything growing on it by the time I need it again, I'll just pour that one in first.

It's still smoother than the yama-loob, but not as smooth as it was when I had it over full. And I'm sticking with that observation.. wrong or not!

 

[Kaelaria]

I'll never understand why some people think getting an extra cup of oil out by going through a mantra of side/center/side/center-etc. makes a difference. I guess some people just don't know how the oil system works, and/or realize how much dirty oil is ALWAYS trapped in the engine no matter how you change it.

Then it further boggles me how such an anal person would contemplate using DIRTY oil in place of fresh? LOL

The only time the oil is all new/clean is when it's first added to a brand new engine.

 

[weekend rider]

I agree ,why waste your time ,center, side ,center, side, etc. prop up in center let her drain remove filter re insert drain plug add four quarts of my favorite oil good let set check maybe alittle more,than check and fire up ready to ride.............. have not added a new crush washer in 4 oil changes change every 3k except when going on a trip . Than I use synth. for the trip to elemanate having to do an oil change while on a trip....

 

[IndianaTom]

I'll never understand why some people think getting an extra cup of oil out by going through a mantra of side/center/side/center-etc. makes a difference. I guess some people just don't know how the oil system works, and/or realize how much dirty oil is ALWAYS trapped in the engine no matter how you change it.

It's not so much about getting all the old oil out, more about getting the dino oil out. I was under the impression (from the early days of my youth) that synth and dino don't mix well. But this story is denied at Mobil1.com, so I guess it's ok.

Can different synthetic motor oils be mixed together?  


Mobil 1 is fully compatible with conventional motor oils, semi-synthetic motor oils and other synthetic motor oils, should it be necessary to mix them. However, it is important to note that the superior performance of Mobil 1 will be reduced by diluting it in any way.

so says Mobil

Then it further boggles me how such an anal person would contemplate using DIRTY oil in place of fresh? LOL

Yea, the oil in the engine now has a couple hundred miles on it, but that half quart only has 100. If 100 is considered old oil, should I change the oil that is in the bike now? I figure I'll just run it thru one of them paper cones with the screen on the end. Anything that makes it thru there will surely be picked up by the filter on it's first pass, and if it doesn't get filtered, I guess it's too small to worry about, right?

The only time the oil is all new/clean is when it's first added to a brand new engine.

true! And I changed it at the prescribed 600 miles. (how's that for anal )

 

[jestal]

If you think it ran better after that oil change then just wait 'til you wash and wax it......

 

[kballowe]

A heavier oil will somewhat quiet an automobile engine. Putting heavier oil in a Harley transmission makes it quieter and it shifts smoother, but a little harder. Running a 60 wt .vs a 40 wt in the primary chaincase shuts it right up.

So, there is a little something to the idea that a heavier oil makes an engine quieter and shifts a tiny bit smoother .... which should be the same for those that have integral transmissions.

Then there is the claim that synthetic oil makes things quieter and makes motorcycle transmissions shift smoother. I've never had this happen to me, but there are some that claim that it's the best thing since sliced bread.

Does it do anything for your FJR? Only you would know that.

 

[sprint_st]

If you think it ran better after that oil change then just wait 'til you wash and wax it......

You found that out too? I gain 5mph in top end by using a good synthetic wax versus just plain wax.

Levity aside, why is it when I fill the bike to the bottom dot, run it, shut it down, fill to the top dot, run shut it down and the level stays at the top dot, then I go for a longer ride the glass is covered????

 

[keithaba]

If you think it ran better after that oil change then just wait 'til you wash and wax it......

You found that out too? I gain 5mph in top end by using a good synthetic wax versus just plain wax.

Levity aside, why is it when I fill the bike to the bottom dot, run it, shut it down, fill to the top dot, run shut it down and the level stays at the top dot, then I go for a longer ride the glass is covered????

It's magic.....

That extra oil came from the same place your 2nd sock went after you lost it in the wash.

 

[HaulinAshe]

It seems that 8,000 miles may be the "magic mark" for the 07 transmission to break-in and smooth out. My tranny (guess you can't use that term anymore!) transmission automagically became much smoother between 7,500 and 8,000 miles. And I've always used synthetic since the 600 mile mark.

 

[Waaane]

(my first NEPRT)

And a mighty fine one its turning out to be