Oil Change Time!

[Jambo_imp]

If you want to spin people up with staunch opinions, this is a good topic!

Just got my CB, and decided to do an oil change. Note I removed the stock exhaust as I have a new Delkevic I am installing (on another thread), but thought I would share this.

While the stock exhaust was off, I figured this was the one and only opportunity to clean up the motor w/o the headers in the way. My recently acquired CB only has 5900 miles, but there was significant stuck on crud and chalky crust there. I used some kerosene with a small plastic brush a little bigger than a tooth brush to get in all the numerous nooks and crannies, then wiped it down with an old rag to get most of the kerosene residue off. I include a pic of my happy motor from me showing the love.


You might note, I went ahead and changed the oil/filter, as it establishes a known baseline for me as the new owner. The oil looked pretty good and did not really need to be changed. No matter. Even though the previous owner gave me a OEM filter, I decided to go with a Proflo reusable filter I had on hand that was targeted for another Honda I sold (w/o the filter). Since I had no idea if it would fit, I took a chance having the OEM on hand if it didn't. Fit perfectly! Awesome! It has a beautiful billet chassis with innards removable to clean with a solvent and blow dry. The surgical steel mesh inside I recall is good to about 30 microns. Not quite as good as the best filters out there, assuming you can even get their specs (you can't), but figured using full synthetic and changing frequently, it should filter just fine. These are not cheap, costing about $100. They only make sense cost-wise if you keep the bike long enough to do 10 or so changes, but it certainly looks better. It has a hex head to easily torque it. Also note, I noticed upon cleaning the motor that there were pre-drilled holes in the protrusions at the bottom of the oil pan. The Proflo also has a pre-drilled hole in the hex head. Surprised why Honda would put those there? Since it would take only a minute, I broke out the safety wire and wired it up, just because I could, not because it needed it at all.



Now for some more controversy. I like Mobil-1 oil. You can get it online at Wally World for only $23 shipped free for a 5qt. container. I chose the 10W30 that DOES NOT HAVE THE RESOURCE CONSERVING! Resource conserving on the API symbol (the round one on the back of the container), means it has "friction modifiers", like Teflon. This is not good for your clutch and should never be used. Don't ask me how I know this, but it might have something to do with me replacing a clutch a couple decades ago....
The change with filter uses about 4.1q, so it is only about $19 to do a full synthetic oil change, with the reusable filter. Because it is so cheap, relatively, I have no qualms about doing it on 3K mile intervals, which is totally overkill.

Spending that 2-3 times a season (have other bikes) is a small price to pay to ensure my baby is running best and lasting as long as possible. Just IMHO.
I only had 3.6 quarts left in the 5q container of 10W30, so I put in a 0.5q of 15W50 I had on hand. No biggie.

In terms of the API, you want this:


NOT this:


Sometimes it will say "Energy Conserving".

I showed the 15W50 symbol just for reference.
The 10W30 container is buried in a bin to take to recycle.
The obvious other advantage of the Proflo, is that I only need to keep oil stocked and on-hand, and never need to be concerned about whether I have (the right) oil filter on hand (having multiple bikes).

Just drop oil, clean filter, and reinstall and fill.

Doing my own oil changes gives me the opportunity to check everything out to make sure all is as it should be.

I will use carb cleaner to spray out the wire mesh, which is a surgical stainless steel. It is important to get all that residue off the mesh and it is completely dry before reinstallation. I don't want a solvent breaking down my oil.
To do this, I use compressed air spraying the mesh from the inside.
One other (perhaps) controversial subject. The oil pan drain bolt gasket. Of course the manual says the washer should be changed with every oil change. I call BS. I have a variety of Cu washers on hand, but never generally use them. I have never had a reused washer leak. I surmise that when you torque it, it likely settles right back to where it was before, IF there were any indentations. When I remove the plug and wipe it off, I don't remove it so it is in the same orientation (not flipped) as when removed.
Things like this are just to persuade do-it-yourselfers from not servicing their own vehicles when they do not have a replacement on hand. This is my opinion. I think changing them is unnecessary. I have never had an issue with tons of changes on all my cars and bikes.
YMMV.

[Houtman_imp]

I would not use Mobil car oil , I use the Mobil 1 10/40 Synthetic Motor cycle oil and the OEM filter.

[the Ferret]

oh boy and oil and filter thread.

must say the front of that engine looks good.

[Gone in 60]

I have some K&N filters, if anyone is interested.

[the Ferret]

[KiowaEagle_imp]

oh boy and oil and filter thread.

must say the front of that engine looks good.

[Gone in 60]

Joking aside, that was a very good idea to do some cleaning up in there with the pipes removed.

[active1951_imp]

Very interesting. I will check out the specs on that oil.

I reuse the gasket(washer), sometimes flipping it, sometimes filing it if it needs flattening.

[LongRanger_imp]

No controversy here. Use what you like. Everyone seems to use different oil and filters on their CB and we’ve yet to hear of any engine failures (aside from the K&N fiasco).

[misterprofessionality]

i have to question the math on the reusable filter....not because i want to be an antagonist, but because i'm genuinely curious if it's worth it.

a proflo filter: https://www.sportbiketrackgear.com/pc-ra...il-filter/

That's on sale at $116. now, i'm getting my oem honda oil filters for about 12 bucks apiece. I change said filters every two oil changes. by the book, that would be 16000 miles on a filter! but i don't go by the book. I change my oil every 4k miles just for the sake of overkill (we have something in common). I've been debating pulling back to 6k though, because i'm starting to think it's just silly paranoia.

anywho, 12 bucks per filter every 8k miles means that i will have to ride a WHOPPING 80k miles before the proflo breaks even with the oem filters in terms of cost. you'd have to be into 6 digit mileage before the proflo even really starts to show its true colors as a cost benefit that matters. you touched on this in your post, coming close to a similar conclusion when you mentioned the 10 oil changes.

alongside that, i have to question the long term durability of the filter. for Jambo: have you run any of those reusable filters for 80k miles without replacing it or replacing the mesh? what's the wear and tear like? It's only prudent to question whether the device can even stand up to enough abuse to justify its cost.

TLDR: is the proflo actually going to amount to any practical savings? or is it just convenient?