Oil change (most basic question ever)

Old May 26, 2011 | 10:58 PM
  #11  
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If those 8mm Oil Filter bolts have the same specs as on my OTHER Kawasaki, the specified torque on those is only 69 INCH-POUNDS. That's not very much....don't strip them!
 
Old May 27, 2011 | 01:14 AM
  #12  
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Thanks. Oil change is done. I wonder if the bike uses oil due to that valve clearance? I get right around 4,000 to 7,000 RPM a loud vibration sound that sounds internal. Nothing is loose on the bike. Above 7,000 and below 4,000 I don't hear it. Sounds like a loud vibration sound like metal on ,metal just vibrating. I heard these engines make some noise though so maybe this noise is normal. Seems to happen only after the bike warms up and gets louder the warmer the bike gets over about a 3-5 minute period of time. Any suggestions on that one? It bothers me, but I don't worry about it. Maybe I should worry?
 
Old May 27, 2011 | 04:18 AM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by LearjetMinako
Answers =
The Basics:
1. Doesn't matter, you can check it hot or cold
2. Yes, keep the bike upright when checking the oil level
3. Engine should be off when checking the oil level. If the engine has been running, give it a minute for the oil to drain back into the crank case.

Techenical:
4. 1.5 qts (US quarts)
5. Yes, it will be a lonely bolt that doesn't go to anything. If I remember, it is a 14mm.
6. No, new o-ring is included with oil filter, drain plug has its own.

7. Not very tight. Remember, the engine crank case is aluminum and will strip threads easily with some force. Just hand tighten the bolt in and then give it about a 1/16 of a turn more with a wrench.

8. It is always a good idea to change the oil filter when doing an oil change. You can pick up a Fram CH6015 filter from Wal-Mart and the oil too for a reasonble price. The oil filter is located on the right side of the engine with 3x 8mm bolts that hold the plate and filter in. Those bolts don't need very much torque when re-installing. It is also a good idea to use a little oil on the bolt threads, the KLX bolts are prone to corrision. Also, if the oil filter spring hasn't had the enlargement mod. It would be a good time to do so. Take a needle nose pliers and bend the base of the spring back to enlarge it. This will make changing the oil filter in the future easier since the spring will not be so likely to fall out.

9. Oil should be designed for motorcycle use. While you can get away with using automotive oil. Motorcycle oils contain its unique blend of additives for its use. Valvoline & Castrol make good motorcycle oil and can easily be found at Wal-Mart. On the higher price end is Mobil 1 and even higher than that is Royal Purple MaxCycle (But for $16 a quart, ouch!). The conventional motorcycle oil can be found for about $4 a quart.
Thanks for the nice write up.
 
Old May 27, 2011 | 02:06 PM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by TexasFlyer
Thanks. Oil change is done. I wonder if the bike uses oil due to that valve clearance? I get right around 4,000 to 7,000 RPM a loud vibration sound that sounds internal. Nothing is loose on the bike. Above 7,000 and below 4,000 I don't hear it. Sounds like a loud vibration sound like metal on ,metal just vibrating. I heard these engines make some noise though so maybe this noise is normal. Seems to happen only after the bike warms up and gets louder the warmer the bike gets over about a 3-5 minute period of time. Any suggestions on that one? It bothers me, but I don't worry about it. Maybe I should worry?
It is most likely the cam chain. The tensioner doesn't keep a tight chain too well. So around the 5,000 rpm mark, it makes a loud rattling noise. My does, well, use to, till I replaced the whole cam chain. But even now after 3,000 miles on the new cam chain, it still does it, just no where near as loud. There are quite a few write-up on how to manual adjust to make it quite again.

I'll try to keep it simple:
1. On the right side of the engine, on the back part of the cylinder jug, there is a cam chain tensioner. It will have 3x bolts total, almost all in a straight line.
2. Once you find this part, remove the center bolt. Out comes the bolt and a long spring that pushes on the rachet mechanism.
3. Now find a long, skinny, strong rod that can fit into that hole where the spring was. (I used a skinny philps screwdriver
4. When you find this rod, place it in the hole. Now with a quite enviroment and good hearing, push the rod forward till you hear 1x click (2x clicks if want even quiter).
5. Once you hear the click(s) you're done. Take the rod out and put the spring and bolt back in. Start the engine and it should a bit more quiter now.
 
Old May 27, 2011 | 02:43 PM
  #15  
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You can also buy one of Krieger's manual cam chain tensioners for a pretty reasonable price. Manually adjusting the automatic unit risks having an over-tensioned chain.

kriegercamchaintensioners.com
 
Old May 27, 2011 | 07:44 PM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by IDRIDR
You can also buy one of Krieger's manual cam chain tensioners for a pretty reasonable price. Manually adjusting the automatic unit risks having an over-tensioned chain.

kriegercamchaintensioners.com
That's what I did. Nice piece of work by Mr. Krieger!
 
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