Author Topic: First Oil Change - Is this normal? (Read 7293 times)

DanKearney · **on:** September 01, 2013, 12:51:16 am

Howdy All,

I hit 307 miles on the way home from work a few days ago. I did the first oil change this morning. Not real happy about the amount of swarf that was attached to the drain plug magnet. Even less happy about the amount of metal stuck to the oil strainer.

Since this is my first Enfield, please chime in with your opinons.

Cheers,

Dan K.

Arizoni · **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2013, 01:29:02 am

Looks pretty normal for the first oil change. That's why it is so important that it gets done.

Your next scheduled change will have a LOT fewer pieces of metal and by the time you reach your third change you won't find any actual chips. You will continue to find some very fine particles on the two magnets though.

Have a good'un.

JVS · **Reply #2 on:** September 01, 2013, 02:54:18 am

Ah that is the usual case of UCE Enfield diarrhea on the first nappy change.

As Arizoni has said, over the next few oil+oil filter changes, you'll have very few pieces of metal..even nothing..but you'll still get metal fillings on the magnets.

Enjoy your RE

DanKearney · **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2013, 05:30:34 am

Cheers guys. Thanks for the reassuring info. If that stuff came out of my Ural, I wouldn't think twice, but I've got zero Enfield knowledge.

Dan K.

Ducati Scotty · **Reply #4 on:** September 01, 2013, 08:24:45 am

Lots of dealers sell both Urals and Enfields, there are lots of parallels. What you saw was normal, and that's what the magnet and screen are for

Scott

BadDP · **Reply #5 on:** September 01, 2013, 01:09:24 pm

Most certainly cleaner then my first oil change.

Catbird · **Reply #6 on:** September 01, 2013, 02:04:14 pm

Quote from: DanKearney on September 01, 2013, 12:51:16 am

...I hit 307 miles on the way home from work a few days ago. I did the first oil change this morning. Not real happy about the amount of swarf that was attached to the drain plug magnet. Even less happy about the amount of metal stuck to the oil strainer...

Dan -

I am also new to Royal Enfield motorcycles. Mine will probably reach the 300 mile mark next week. Since I have never performed an oil change on an RE, I found your pic SHOCKING to say the least. If I had found those chunks, I probably would have loaded up the bike on my trailer and toted it 80 miles to my dealer for surgery. Thank goodness we have some great members on this forum with a lot of knowledge that they freely share.

High On Octane · **Reply #7 on:** September 01, 2013, 02:26:03 pm

Almost every member here posts a pic of the magnets/drain plug on their first oil change, and let me tell you, I have seen some pretty nasty ones! But it's the nature of the beast, every brand new motor will show signs of metal shavings, chunks, burrs, fine metal particles, and silicone in the first few oil changes. The reason why a lot of people on here freak out is because it's new to them. Most new vehicle manufacturers break in their motors before they are ever installed in the vehicle, which is why you never see anything like this in most new cars/bikes. They have already done the break in procedure and have removed all that nastiness with the first couple oil changes at the factory before you get to see it. It just adds to the charm of an RE IMO. But this is also how it was in the days of old. Before the 70's, when you bought a new car, you had to do the same kind of procedure. Take it very easy for the first 500 miles, change the oil in a few hundred miles, then 500, then 1000, then start abusing it.

Modern computerized factories have taken this joy away from the new consumer.

Scottie

Gypsyjon · **Reply #8 on:** September 01, 2013, 03:13:02 pm

When I did my first oil change I had the metal plus what looked like part of the assemblers T shirt.

NorEaster · **Reply #9 on:** September 20, 2013, 02:21:29 am

Just gave the 2014 C5 Classic its first oil change. It was actually quite clean. Some minor flecks in the strainer and drain plug magnet.

gremlin · **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2013, 02:38:45 am

Yes, that is normal for the first oil change.

squire · **Reply #11 on:** September 20, 2013, 05:02:26 am

Looks pretty good actually, I had quite a few bits of blue paper towel in mine. I had a new 05 Ural that was as bad or worse, as an earlier poster stated, there are a lot of similarities between the two brands.

wildbill · **Reply #12 on:** September 20, 2013, 08:16:36 am

when i did the first oil change on my B5 - it had a totally clean filter plus a very small amount of filing on the magnets. happy with that i mention this to the dealer who i purchased it from.
his quick reply. " i removed all that rubbish from the filter screen whist doing the delivery service for you."

mattsz · **Reply #13 on:** September 20, 2013, 12:25:26 pm

Keep that dealer, wildbill!

lemeng15 · **Reply #14 on:** October 24, 2013, 09:52:50 am

normal. mine is as bad. the mechanic also told me that its normal for first oil change

ROVERMAN · **Reply #15 on:** October 24, 2013, 02:24:52 pm

Sorry Scottie J but the notion that modern car engines are pre run in and have their oil changed before delivery is not true. Modern car engines survive because they are well designed and built and have the very best lubricants. To days engines far exceed the life expectancy of anything from "the good old days". 300,000 mi is not unusual.
Roverman.

Ducati Scotty · **Reply #16 on:** October 24, 2013, 03:25:40 pm

I visited the GM engine assembly plant in the late 80s. They hook up the completed engines and run them for a minute or so to make sure they work. Then they go into cars.

Scott

gashousegorilla · **Reply #17 on:** October 24, 2013, 03:39:19 pm

Quote from: ROVERMAN on October 24, 2013, 02:24:52 pm

Modern car engines survive because they are well designed and built and have the very best lubricants. To days engines far exceed the life expectancy of anything from "the good old days". 300,000 mi is not unusual.
Roverman.

+1 And cleanliness during engine assembly, kinda sorta helps too.

EFI ain't bad either. I would dump that oil, clean the screen, change the filter as soon as I rode the bike home from the dealer.... After 20-50 miles.

ROVERMAN · **Reply #18 on:** October 24, 2013, 04:03:57 pm

Yeah GHG, my first oil change produced an average amount of crap compared to others i have seen. Point is, there really shouln't be any foriegn material in a modern engine, i.e. rag bits and so forth. That is just sloppy quality, but on the plus side we do have the "cats and dogs" screen.By the by, my dealer did swap out the factory oil (shout out to Detroit Iron Cycles) before delivery.
Roverman.

gashousegorilla · **Reply #19 on:** October 24, 2013, 04:15:33 pm

Quote from: ROVERMAN on October 24, 2013, 04:03:57 pm

Yeah GHG, my first oil change produced an average amount of crap compared to others i have seen. Point is, there really shouln't be any foriegn material in a modern engine, i.e. rag bits and so forth. That is just sloppy quality, but on the plus side we do have the "cats and dogs" screen.By the by, my dealer did swap out the factory oil (shout out to Detroit Iron Cycles) before delivery.
Roverman.

Thats a good dealer.... The rag bits concern me with all the oil passages. Well, and the aluminum shavings, and any hard metal grit we don't see ain't great ... But you would think that a simple switch to a lint free rag, if they have to use a rag at all, would be a no brainer at this point ! But probably, most of that debris gets blasted out of the oil passages pretty quick and winds up in the screen.

ROVERMAN · **Reply #20 on:** October 24, 2013, 04:44:28 pm

Ducati Scotty · **Reply #21 on:** October 24, 2013, 05:51:59 pm

+1 to all. I think the brass screen catches all of this but I don't know any other machine I've ever owned that had more than just a few metal flecks on the magnetic drain plug on the first oil change. The large pieces of metal, machine turnings, rag bits, and loose globs of silicon sealant all speak to sloppy procedures at the factory.

Scott

heloego · **Reply #22 on:** October 25, 2013, 03:33:41 am

When I took mine in for the first service the mechanic FREAKED when he saw all the swarf. he was just too used to seeing nice clean engines from the various scooter factories, I guess. Richard at Centaur and I calmed him down and assured him he wouldn't have to do an overhaul.

The mag plug only had a few filings on it when I changed it again at 1000 miles.

Ducati Scotty · **Reply #23 on:** October 25, 2013, 03:40:57 am

Scooters are super clean, most don't share oil with the tranny.

Scott

crush02342002 · **Reply #24 on:** October 25, 2013, 03:50:39 am

I have built quite a few engines, all of which have been for cars or trucks and never a bike but I can tell you after an engine build your gonna have quit a bit of metal flake in the oil. It kinda shimmers in the sun light but is normal. With that being said I never have had large metal fillings in anypart of the engine and that's with hefty internal modifications (boring out, rethread/thread inserts, hone mains, ect). I look at it like this, its the whole Enfield experience and im happy to be a part of it even though everything in me tells me its wrong but it feels soooo right....lol

barenekd · **Reply #25 on:** October 25, 2013, 06:42:09 pm

If you change your oil at about 300 miles, then 1000 miles, the third change should look pretty good. I went to about 3600 for my third change, the ones after that at about 3600 or so miles spacings looked very clean except the very black oil. That's because there is a fair amount of old oil left in the crankcase after it's drained. The way they're made just doesn't let all the old oil drain out!
Bare

Arizoni · **Reply #26 on:** October 25, 2013, 11:11:48 pm

crush02342002

During the first couple of oil changes, there is a lot of those little chips in the oil that come from the motorcycles transmission.

The Royal Enfield transmissions shift by disengaging and engaging "dogs" on the various gears. They do not use synchronizers like a automobile transmission to get the next gear up to speed before the engagement occurs.
This results in small pieces of the dogs getting into the oil and ending up on the magnetic drain plugs or caught in the pump inlet screen.

single · **Reply #27 on:** October 28, 2013, 03:47:27 pm

Mine started to clear up at about 5000 miles.This could be because there is nothing left to come apart,but all seems well at 12,000 miles.Really great,actually.
I believe that if I were to buy one of these things new,I would try to get one still in the crate,if possible.Disassemble and "do it right".
Jolly hardly uses any oil,which could be because it is no longer circulating oil,but it runs cool,compared to my 920 Virago.

gdaniels · **Reply #28 on:** October 28, 2013, 10:22:17 pm

I just did my first oil change, and after seeing your picture and reading about other oil changes, I was prepared for the worst. Surprisingly, my screen was clean, and the magnetic plugs only had a little fuzz on them. The oil did look awful, and the last of it a good bit of sludge. What was surprising is that my oil filter cover has three screws in a triangle, instead of the two I have seen on the web. I hope i have attached a picture of the cover.

Catbird · **Reply #29 on:** October 28, 2013, 10:37:09 pm

Quote from: gdaniels on October 28, 2013, 10:22:17 pm

... What was surprising is that my oil filter cover has three screws in a triangle, instead of the two I have seen on the web...

Mine also has 3 small bolts like in your picture. I was surprised that no gasket was present when I removed it, but there was a 2-hole gasket in my oil change kit along with various size "O" rings and such.

mattsz · **Reply #30 on:** October 29, 2013, 12:22:25 am

Forget the 2-hole gasket - I believe only the G5 models have the 2-bolt filter cover. The b5 and c5 models have the three-hole cover... mine has a slot for a rubber o-ring, no gasket...

Arizoni · **Reply #31 on:** October 29, 2013, 03:47:14 am

The small O-ring in the cover lid is the real seal for all of them, 2 holers and 3 holers.

Normally, the O-ring doesn't need to be replaced so I advise that people who are doing the oil filter changes should not try to remove it.
If your careful, put a little oil on it and slowly work the cover with its little O-ring back in place. It can last for many filter changes.

birdmove · **Reply #32 on:** December 12, 2013, 10:11:24 pm

In 2008 I bought a brand new leftover Yamaha XT225 dual sport. I had read warnings about the large amount of crap owners were finding on the first oil change. I found it was pretty alarming when I did that oil change too. It cleaned up after 2-3 changes and ran great.

Ducati Scotty · **Reply #33 on:** December 12, 2013, 10:34:17 pm

I was just thinking of this the other day. I think this is a pretty good barometer for where the RE quality control is. When users stop posting about the surprising amount and size of metal bits found on the first oil change I'll say they've made a great stride forward.

Scott