The dumbest question I've ever been forced to ask

[curlyjoe]

Great story Nortoon! The CB has been painless for me. The ST oil change was more challenging (filter removal w/o spilling) but I lucked out the first time but change #2 is coming soon. My honda generator and snowblower are a real PIA to change the oil without making a mess. I have to remove a wheel on the snowblower to make it spill free. Honda engineers design great machines but I suspect they give little thought about painless oil changing for the consumer.

[ohiorider_imp]

Nortoon, I concur .... great oil change story.

Mine is not nearly as much fun. The drain plug came out easily. The filter didn't, as I've previously said. After the first oil filter 'socket' spun on the filter flutes, I jumped in the car and off to the Honda shop to pick up the proper Honda tool. Well, the store didn't have the official Honda tool, so I purchased one that seemed to fit the new filter very well. Got home, tried the new tool, and it also slipped. Well, in addition to slipping, it popped off the filter, came off the 3/8" extension, and fell into the tub containing the 4 quarts of used engine oil I'd left under the bike to capture the oil that'd be coming out of the filter. Splash! Oh well, these were old blue jeans, anyway.

Bob

PS - as stated in previous post, I finally got the filter off, new one on, the oil changed, with no more mishaps.

[Lord Popgun]

Curly, When you change the coolant in the ST, DO NOT do it inside your garage...

[Nortoon_imp]

My salesperson suggested leaving the oil filling cap on to create a vacuum so the oil doesn't flow as quickly.

Because the drain plug is mounted horizontally on the CB500s, it can be a messy process. I bought a Fumoto oil draining valve.



After installing it oil changes were quicker and much less messy.

An inexpensive oil draining container from Walmart also eliminates a lot of clean up and oily paper towels.



When done simply pour the oil from that container into plastic jug and take it to the closest oil recycling facility. I used an empty windshield washer jug the first time, and then the empty Honda 4 liter oil containers after that. The Walmart container does not need to be cleaned, just capped for the next time.

[stateboy_imp]

I actually love oil. I always ask my wife if the minivan drove 'better' (without telling her I changed it). She promptly asks sarcastically, "Why, did you change the oil?" Then says, "No." I've had good motorcycle oil change success, even doing them every 1,000 miles or so (I know, overkill) so my stories there are boring. Not so with cars/trucks.

I did the first oil change on my dad's new '77 Ford F100 (before they were F150) 4 barrel 460 c.i. as an 18 year old loaded with high school auto shop experience (ok, most book smart). After 5 quarts of Amoco LDO motor oil in the cardboard cans with the metal lids, I fired it up. My dad worked at the Rouge plant Henry Ford built so he got a discount and used the savings for all the bells and whistles. I watched the oil guage. No response. I shut it down after 15-20 seconds (remember, book smart). I saw a puddle emerging from under the truck on my dad's new cement driveway as I got out to check under the hood (not sure what I was expecting to see there except a dry oil stuck).

Long story short, the original rubber oil gasket from the old filter stuck to the motor. I did the oil change into the evening darkness (going to Braille mode to finish it up - no flashlight) and didn't see I had put a clean film of oil on the old oil gasket stuck to the motor. 5 more quarts of dad's favorite oil after removing the old gasket and I was good to go. Of course, I had 5 quarts of clean (no kitty litter involved) oil to clean up first before I could actually get under the truck to see where the oil came from. I has a flashlight by then.

[curlyjoe]

Curly, When you change the coolant in the ST, DO NOT do it inside your garage...

I changed the coolant just after I bought it and it was pretty much drama free. I spilled a little but not bad at all.

[Django]

Curly, When you change the coolant in the ST, DO NOT do it inside your garage...

I changed the coolant just after I bought it and it was pretty much drama free. I spilled a little but not bad at all.

Would you mind to tell me, why did you do that?

[AzBob_imp]

The Honda oil filter wrench cap shown in the above diagram works and it is only $5.

But it most likely will only work on Honda oil filters -- which is OK for changing original factory filter. But the flutes on other aftermarket filters may well be different...

But it most likely will only work on Honda oil filters -- which is OK for changing original factory filter. But the flutes on other aftermarket filters may well be different...
The wrench also works on oil filters for most Triumph models, although it's a tad bit tighter.

If you put the wrench on straight and fully seat it, it won't get stuck to the filter, as someone mentioned might happen.

Im a mechanical klutz. So, When, like Mao Zedong, I decided to take the great leap forward and change my own oil and filter, I went to my small town hardware store and bought an adjustable strap wrench. It looks like this:



It did an excellent job of loosening the filter and giving it just a little tightening tweak.

Then, on the great adventure when Pterodactyl's K&N filter sprang a leak, I decided to remove the K&N filter that had been put on my bike—I had weakened and got the mechanic to change the oil while he was checking the valve clearances. I did not have my trusty strap wrench with me 3,500 kms from home so I bought a new metal adjustable wrench ...

.

It works OK too, although I'm not persuaded it's any better than it's rubber mate.

The problem with strap wrenches (rubber or metal) is that you can easily crush the filter, so be sure to have the strap very near the rounded top of the filter (just about where the wrench would go) -- it's a lot stronger there due to the compound curve making it a quarter sphere.

[Cormanus]

Thank you AzBob. Maybe I should look at getting the Honda part.

[Nortoon_imp]

Im a mechanical klutz. So, When, like Mao Zedong, I decided to take the great leap forward and change my own oil and filter, I went to my small town hardware store and bought an adjustable strap wrench. It looks like this:



It did an excellent job of loosening the filter and giving it just a little tightening tweak.

Then, on the great adventure when Pterodactyl's K&N filter sprang a leak, I decided to remove the K&N filter that had been put on my bike—I had weakened and got the mechanic to change the oil while he was checking the valve clearances. I did not have my trusty strap wrench with me 3,500 kms from home so I bought a new metal adjustable wrench ...

.

It works OK too, although I'm not persuaded it's any better than it's rubber mate.

That rubber wrench is the kitchen boa I mentioned in my Keystone Kops Oil Change. Yours must be studier than the little yellow plastic one I was going to use.