Author Topic: First oil change  (Read 4860 times)

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Dewey_T

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on: January 11, 2012, 12:03:53 am
Hi all, I have purchased my first motorcycle this summer, which is a new 2011 Electra E5. After the first time I stumbled across the first RE that I had seen I was hooked, I had to have one, after the first ride I knew that I was buying it. Before I put the bike to bed for the winter I changed the oil and had a few small pieces of metal and one larger piece. The engine seems to run fine. Should this concern me??? or is it normal for these bikes. I am a class A licenced automotive service tech and if I were to see metal at the first oil change I would have cause for concern. Though not sure if Indian standards are up to Canadaian and USA standards for engine assembly. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance as I have been reading many post's since the summer and you guys have a wealth of knowledge to offer.


GlennF

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Reply #1 on: January 11, 2012, 12:08:15 am
I assume you also replaced the oil filter and cleaned the mesh screen.

Metal at first oil change i s normal.

So it really depends just how large the "larger piece" actually was.


Dewey_T

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Reply #2 on: January 11, 2012, 12:14:34 am
Yes sorry of course a new filter and all o-rings were replaced. The metal came out of the suction screen and the largest piece of the 3 that were there was about 2mm wide and 4mm long. I should of taken a picture but only thought of that days later.
Thanks


GlennF

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Reply #3 on: January 11, 2012, 12:52:05 am
Yes sorry of course a new filter and all o-rings were replaced. The metal came out of the suction screen and the largest piece of the 3 that were there was about 2mm wide and 4mm long. I should of taken a picture but only thought of that days later.
Thanks

Well 2mm wide and 4mm long is definitely bigger than any metal I have seen in my B5 however my very first oil change was done by a dealer so I cannot say whether that is unusual at first change or not.

The main references I recall seeing on the forums to large metal piece seemed to be related to a broken starter sprag clutch/gear.

Hopefully someone with a bit more experience in these matters will chip in here.



singhg5

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Reply #4 on: January 11, 2012, 12:54:41 am
@Dewey:

Check out this link, it has pictures and discussion of what was found on screen during first oil change - from small to big particles.

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,5148.0/all.html
« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 12:58:14 am by singhg5 »
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Arizoni

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Reply #5 on: January 11, 2012, 01:25:26 am
Dewey:
Congratulations on owning a new RE.

As you've found if you followed singhg5's link others have found pieces of metal on their pump inlet screen similar to the ones you found.

I found several thin pieces that would be perhaps 2 X 2mm.  The thing that concerned me more was I also found the entire outside of the screen covered with some sort of cloth like fibers.

In later oil changes I haven't found any large pieces of metal and the magnetic plugs show less and less material with each successive oil change.

For what it's worth, I disagree with the book about the amount of oil needed when replacing the oil and filter.
Even after tipping the motorcycle to the right and left to get the old oil out of the sidecovers I have never been able to put over 1.8 L (1.8 qts) of oil into the engine without filling the sight window past the top.
Jim
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Ducati Scotty

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Reply #6 on: January 11, 2012, 02:32:48 am
Metal in the oil change is normal.  Unlike a car, the gears from the transmission share the same oil here and so you get some shavings.  Usually you get some shards on the first change and they get finer and finer every change after that.  By your 4th or 5th change you should just be getting fine filings on the magnet. 

If you ever see big bits after the first few changes that's bad.  Post a pic here with something like a coin in the pic for scale.  You'd be surprised, someone will likely know what it came from.

Welcome to the board!

Scott


TCP

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Reply #7 on: January 18, 2012, 02:02:45 pm
Does anybody out there have a spec book that gives the diameter and thickness of the oil filter cover O Ring for 2011 C5?

Ready to do my second oil change @ 700 miles.  The o rings that my dealer sent me were just too big to fit in the groove without buckling.

The Caseman
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Ducati Scotty

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Reply #8 on: January 18, 2012, 02:37:26 pm
You probably got the G5 rings, different size for that one.  I don't have the measurements but you can usually reuse them a couple of times unless they feel brittle.  Also with that one, if it leaks you can change it later.  Just let the bike sit overnight on the sidestand and you'll hardly spill a drop.

Scott


TCP

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Reply #9 on: January 18, 2012, 02:43:21 pm
Yeah, I figure that I can get a couple more oil changes out of this O Ring, but I would like to have a supply of new ones as a backup.

I see that Nfield Gear offers an O-Ring kit with every imaginable size of O-Ring, but that one is probably not in the kit.

I guess a trip to the hardware store is in order.

Caseman
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will keep me from riding unless I can't make bail"

1969 Triumph T120R
1972 Triumph T120R OIF
2011 Royal Enfield C5 Classic Chrome


Ducati Scotty

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Reply #10 on: January 18, 2012, 03:43:37 pm
I usually buy my next filter and gasket set right after the oil change,  that way i have them on hand for next time. 


prof_stack

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Reply #11 on: January 18, 2012, 04:23:10 pm
I usually buy my next filter and gasket set right after the oil change,  that way i have them on hand for next time. 
+1
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TCP

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Reply #12 on: January 18, 2012, 04:27:02 pm
Yes,

I bought 3 oil filters and O rings came with them.

Wrong ones.

Called dealer,  sent wrong again.
The Caseman

"Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail
will keep me from riding unless I can't make bail"

1969 Triumph T120R
1972 Triumph T120R OIF
2011 Royal Enfield C5 Classic Chrome


Ducati Scotty

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Reply #13 on: January 18, 2012, 04:56:18 pm
RE can be like that.  We call it character.  Welcome to the club :)


TCP

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Reply #14 on: January 18, 2012, 04:58:15 pm
Thanks,

I feel quite at home with things going wrong and finding alternative solutions.

Caseman
The Caseman

"Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail
will keep me from riding unless I can't make bail"

1969 Triumph T120R
1972 Triumph T120R OIF
2011 Royal Enfield C5 Classic Chrome