Oil change

[John Hopkins]

I used Castrol Power 1, 10/40 oil, the fram filter was the only one of the correct size that I could get in my town and I change my filters every time I change my oil..I would rather use a fram than stick with the one dated 2004 that was in the bike..

I'll buy my next filter and keep it in stock rather than try to buy it at the last minute next time..

John.

[49Reo]

As on any spin-on oil filter, oil the gasket, spin it on, when gasket makes contact, 1/3 to 1/2 turn more. Filter won't leak, and always comes off with little effort.

I too use only the Kaw filter, never aftermarket. After seeing a study done on oil filters, I wouldn't touch a Fram with a ten foot pole. Lowest square inches of filter media, and cardboard seat for the bypass (pressure) valve. Kaw synthetic 10W-40 oil gets the nod every time as well.

[Troll]

Did you say 2004?? This has got to be a testament to the engineering and materials used by Kawasaki...I just changed oil last Friday. I change every 3000 miles, when I'm using conventional oil , but I switched the Drifter over to synthetic the end of 2011, and extended the interval to 5000....This last time I put in the (very expensive) Kawasaki 10-40 synthetic instead of the (expensive) Valvoline full synthetic motorcycle oil...I always use the oem filter, because the system flow rate calibrated into the filter is important...but 2004? Maybe I'm a little too cautious...just turned 75,000 Sunday! I intend for this machine to last me until I die....

[John Hopkins]

thanks chief,

pretty much what I figured, I couldnt get a K&N with the nut on locally, in fact the only one I could get was a Fram, but I primed it with new oil before fitting and hand tightened it..I will keep an eye on it for the next few weeks.

although I tapped a screwdriver into the old filter to remove it I did it carefully and I didn't do it until after I had found the flecks..but the previous owner may not have removed the oil screen to change the oil so they could have been there forever, the seating washer at the neck of the oil screen was very firmly fixed in place so that is another indicator that the oil screen had not been touched for a while, so it could have been paint from the last filter change back in 2004.

Thanks for the reply, I was just trying to avoid common faults..I changed the oil so all I need is a dry day and I will be off again.

John.

[CDNRatMan]

  when I did my first oil change on the 800 there was no screen no strainer in the hole.....so ordered it but it took 3 weeks to get it, so next oil change I'll add them in to the system......

[chief]

I had a problem with the oem filters ... so I buy K&N with the nut on the end. If you put them on yourself you likely know not to over tighten anyway. Since you tore up the filter, and this is the first time YOU have changed the oil,  I'd not worry about the flakes until the next oil change.

[John Hopkins]

I have done about 2,000 miles , maybe three since I bought this bike, and the previous owner said he had just done an oil change.

So I removed the oil strainer plug at the bottom of the sump to drain the oil, then tried to remove the oil filter with an oil filter wrench, the filter was dated 2004 and had really been tightened, I had to tap a large flat bladed screwdriver through the side wall of the filter to get enough leveridge to remove it, which is probably why it had not been removed for such a long time.. when I examined the oil strainer I noticed some small chips of what might have been black paint or maybe even rubber..maybe from a destroyed O ring..

Now does anyone have any idea what those chips were, the bike runs well for up to 300 miles with only quick stops for fuel so I have no obvious fault symptoms and no concerns, there were only a few of these black flakes, flecks, or chips and they could have been residue from the oil filter or almost anything but some of you have worked on these drifters for years and would know if this is some stock fault I should do something about.

Thanks.

John.