oil change question

[BigTime]

This is my first time doing an oil change by myself (dealer did it in the past for me) and im wondering how you guys get the oil fill cap out of the valve cover. Either the tank is going to have to come off, or im gonna have to try to convince my girlfriend to get her arm in there. I would like to try to at least dump a quart in there, and the rest in the oil tank when I fill er back up, but I need a trick to get the darn cap out of the valve cover. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for anyone's time.

 

[Sledguy89]

You do not have to remove the oil cap on the engine. You will fill through the oil reservoir. Also make sure you drain that as well. Be sure not to overfill it

Brad

 

[grizztracks]

You don't need to pour oil into the top of the engine. Just fill the tank and add a little in the oil filter before installing it. Always make sure the old oil filter seal is removed before installing a new filter. The seal on the Yamaha filters tend to stick to the block.

 

[Dr. FeeLGooD]

Just add it to tank. Oops Grizz beat me

 

[BigTime]

Ok thanks guys. When I looked in the sticky, some had said to add a quart thru the top, and in the service manual it says to loosen that cap when draining and checking for oil level yada yada. But I guess I wont have to mess with it, Ill just add thru tank. What a relief, I thought I was gonna have to get the girlfriend down in the shop (where girlfriends don't belong!) Thanks again guys for the quick responses and all the help, much appreciated!

 

[newfie09xtx]

When draining the oil, dont forget the drain plug on the left side of the filter! It has a gold spacer on it same as the spacer on the drain plug for the canister. Like GrizzTracks said make sure the old oil filter seal is removed and smear a little oil on the new oil filter seal.

 

[old man winter]

Not sure how often everyone changes their filter but the owners manual says after 500 miles and then every 12000 miles after. Don't think I would leave it that long but I wouldn't change the filter at the start of every season either.

 

[newfie09xtx]

If your changing the oil why wouldnt you change the filter? Running new oil through used filter is kind of pointless IMO.

 

[sorenson1610]

Agree I would rather change the filter then just the oil.....do it right and change both each season.

 

[old man winter]

Just the fact that a lot of riders don't put enough miles on in a season to even warrant an oil change other than its been in there for a year. I just bought my 2010 xtx and it has less than a thousand miles on it. I changed the oil but the 500 miles on the filter since initial filter change isn't worth it imo.

 

[sorenson1610]

The filter is $20.....cheap insurance

 

[Supa Dexta]

Overkill though. These sled's aren't ran in dirty or dusty conditions. Moisture, but not dirt. So if a filter has enough element area to last that long of a life, its not picking up much dirt in a season, or using up filter life. Changing the oil is good to remove accumulated moisture, but the filter is fine for a lot longer than most of us leave it in there..

+ If a manufacturer is telling you that long, they are also going to the low end of things to cover their own butt. You're not really running new oil thru a dirty filter, because the filter hasn't been in there long enough to catch much of anything. Plus anything that may be there is trapped in the filter element, and the oil cycles thru it, constantly. Well used filters are a restriction, they don't introduce dirt into the engine - its piled up at the filter.

This is like being told to change your bed sheets once a week and then changing them daily because you showered anyways - why get in a dirty bed? You went to bed clean, how did the bed get dirty? Sweat? Well change them once a week like recommended. lol