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First oil change

BOWHIKER

BOWHIKER

Junior Member
Did my 1st oil change on my soft tail this week end . Everything went good . Put mobile 1 v-twin mobile in the engine , spectro in transmission and the hd oil in primary . I wimped out a little on the torque on the plugs , i torqued them to 15 ft. Lbs. , didn't want to strip the threads . I did notice that from the 1000 mile service the dealer used teflon sealant on the threads so i also used that when putting back in . I also changed both o-rings no way could i reuse the old ones so not sure if the dealer changed them or not . I don't have a jack to lift it up so i did have a transmission spill do to the fact my oil container was just high enough so i could't get my hand between it and the plug so had to drop the plug and quickly move the container under it . When i loosened both plugs they really didn't seen that they were that tight but they never leaked either , that's why i just torqued to 15 ft. Lbs. , it was very gratifying doing the work myself .
 
Just a FYI...

The torque on the plug isn't what is sealing the oil in, the teflon paste on the threads as well as the "O" ring is what is doing the job here. The torque only assures that the plug will not fall out on it's own.
 
Excellent job! You are on your way.

If you haven't already done so, get yourself a HD Factory Service manual covering your model and year. Definitely the most cost-effective money you will ever spend on your bike.

TQ
 
I wasn't sure why the dealer used teflon paste. When I changed the primary oil on the RK the first time at 500 mi after some hard friction zone practice there was no teflon paste from the factory. I cleaned the teflon paste from the threads and use new o rings. Several oil changes later and no oil leaks. Seems to me as long as the o ring mating surface is smooth teflon paste isn't necessary, comments? Note, I did add a smidge of never seize to the steel plug threads keep the aluminum female threads from galling.
WAP.gif
 
TQuentin1 said:
Excellent job! You are on your way.

If you haven't already done so, get yourself a HD Factory Service manual covering your model and year. Definitely the most cost-effective money you will ever spend on your bike.

TQ
Click to expand...

What he said. You won't regret it.:)
 
TQuentin1 said:
Excellent job! You are on your way.

If you haven't already done so, get yourself a HD Factory Service manual covering your model and year. Definitely the most cost-effective money you will ever spend on your bike.

TQ
Click to expand...

Best all around advice you can get, Jack, and congrats you are on your way to saving money and learning about your bike
 
larryjmiller said:
I wasn't sure why the dealer used teflon paste. When I changed the primary oil on the RK the first time at 500 mi after some hard friction zone practice there was no teflon paste from the factory. I cleaned the teflon paste from the threads and use new o rings. Several oil changes later and no oil leaks. Seems to me as long as the o ring mating surface is smooth teflon paste isn't necessary, comments? Note, I did add a smidge of never seize to the steel plug threads keep the aluminum female threads from galling.

WAP.gif
Click to expand...

Larry, if it works for you it is fine. Use teflon paste or anti-seize, either will fill it any normal irregularies if surfaces are smooth. If you had more clearance or rough surfaces then teflon paste would be a bit more "fault tolerant"...no bigee. :coffee
 
TQuentin1 said:
Excellent job! You are on your way.

If you haven't already done so, get yourself a HD Factory Service manual covering your model and year. Definitely the most cost-effective money you will ever spend on your bike.

TQ
Click to expand...

Great advise!!!! I love my manual, they should print them on green paper beause that is what it saves me. I think the manual is one of the reasons I can afford two bikes.
 
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