Oil Change Question

[Guest]

Hi All,

Question on doing an oil and filter change on my 1100G. Having always taken my bikes to a dealer in the past I'm not familiar with the parts that are typically changed. Obviously I need a new filter, but what about O-rings and gaskets? Which ones can be reliably reused, and which ones should I always change?

I'm planning to order parts tonight or tomorrow so I can change the oil before the Brown County ride in a week.

Thanks in advance!

[Jackrp]

Hi All,

Question on doing an oil and filter change on my 1100G. Having always taken my bikes to a dealer in the past I'm not familiar with the parts that are typically changed. Obviously I need a new filter, but what about O-rings and gaskets? Which ones can be reliably reused, and which ones should I always change?

I'm planning to order parts tonight or tomorrow so I can change the oil before the Brown County ride in a week.

Thanks in advance!

I have reused the oring under the oil filter cover for years with no leaks, the gasket on the oil drain plug is reusable as you would have to cut it off the drain plug to replace it, All you need is 1 new filter, 3 to 4 quarts of oil, a 10mm socket (oil filter cover) a spark plug sized socket (drain plug) a ride of at least 10 miles (warm it up good) Let the pipes cool long enough to not burn your hands. and a drain pan, have fun its easy, cheaper than a dealer, and it just doesn't take very long.

[Planecrazy]

Not worried about the difficulty ... I've done far more complicated work since ditching the dealer, but I've finally ridden enough that it's time to do the oil and filter.

Thanks for the comprehensive checklist! I had a feeling I'd be ok with just a filter, but wanted to make sure before placing the order.

Regards,

[beby99]

Steve...your bike uses the same filter as mine. These can be purchased at auto parts store (AutoZone) and comes with the o-ring. $3.00+

[Road_Clam]

Hi All,

Question on doing an oil and filter change on my 1100G. Having always taken my bikes to a dealer in the past I'm not familiar with the parts that are typically changed. Obviously I need a new filter, but what about O-rings and gaskets? Which ones can be reliably reused, and which ones should I always change?

I'm planning to order parts tonight or tomorrow so I can change the oil before the Brown County ride in a week.

Thanks in advance!

Changing the filter on a GS is a snap. You can re-use the cover o-ring many times. I ALWAYS replace the drain plug gasket with every change. The GS's use a funky "one time" tapered crush washer that should really be tossed after removal, but it's your call. Some people re-use them without leakage.

[Planecrazy]

Autozone, huh? Excellent!! You don't happen to have Autozone's part number do you? No biggie, I'll look it up if necessary -- thanks!

I'm familiar with those crush washers (similar to spark plug crush washers I'm guessing) ... I'll give it a try as-is, and run over to a dealer if I need another...

Thanks again, Everybody!!

[Hoomgar]

Not worried about the difficulty ... I've done far more complicated work since ditching the dealer, but I've finally ridden enough that it's time to do the oil and filter.

Thanks for the comprehensive checklist! I had a feeling I'd be ok with just a filter, but wanted to make sure before placing the order.

Regards,

Same here Steve, just do a visual check of the o-ring and gasket and if they are OK back on they go! Been doing that for decades. I change them only as needed. Oil filter gets changed every other oil change. Oil change is every 2.5 to 3k miles.

[beby99]

Autozone, huh? Excellent!! You don't happen to have Autozone's part number do you? !

STP SMO-00 (I think thats it.)

[ALB80-850]

Greetings,
I have one quick question about oil changes. Most of my riding is done semi-locally. Within 1-200 miles from home. I am branching out for longer and longer rides. I also change my oil & filter on a regular basis, about every 2000 miles. I'm thinking about a looping trip that may cover as much as 2500 miles. Should I expect to change the oil mid-trip?

[hostar]

your drain plug might be on REAL tight. Normally I have to get my wrench on it first then find a MEtal pole that I can connect to the wrenh to give me more leverage.

[Basket Case]

Nah, I wouldn't worry about that. Long trips generally mean lots of highway miles, which don't "hurt" as much as city miles. You'll be fine without an oil change during the trip.

Even doing city riding, putting a few hundred extra miles on once in a while won't hurt ya.

[marvinsc]

Greetings,
I have one quick question about oil changes. Most of my riding is done semi-locally. Within 1-200 miles from home. I am branching out for longer and longer rides. I also change my oil & filter on a regular basis, about every 2000 miles. I'm thinking about a looping trip that may cover as much as 2500 miles. Should I expect to change the oil mid-trip?

I would think Changing before You leave and as Soon as You Return would Be adequate.

[bwringer]

You can also find the oil filter with o-ring at Pep Boys, Advance Auto, and NAPA.

At Advance, it's a Fram, part number CH6000

At Pep Boys, it's a Purolator -- I don't have the entire part number, but it's the one that ends with three zeros, like this: XXX000. Open it up and check for the unique three-lobed o-ring.

At NAPA, you'll find a Wix 24931 or NAPA Gold 4931.

They're in stock most of the time at all of the above stores, and all include the o-ring. Most Suzuki dealers around here don't stock either, or they dig up a dusty filter from the back shelf but no o-ring.

I know that many people have gotten away with re-using the same lucky o-ring for years on end. However, I don't think it's a good idea to do so, and you certainly should never count on being able to re-use the o-ring. If it's in good shape and not that old, then go ahead.

I usually end up changing oil five to seven times a year (every 2K miles), and I swap the o-ring at least twice. That way, I have a stock of extras just in case (once in a while, one slips out of the groove and gets pinched when you tighten the nuts). If you order from Suzuki, the o-ring fits a little better, but the ones that come with the aftermarket filters also work just fine.

There are various types of sealing washers you'll find in use -- I prefer to use either a copper or fiber washer (you can get 14mm drain plug washers at any auto parts store). A soft aluminum washer would also work well. The plastic ones are useless.

[bwringer]

Greetings,
I have one quick question about oil changes. Most of my riding is done semi-locally. Within 1-200 miles from home. I am branching out for longer and longer rides. I also change my oil & filter on a regular basis, about every 2000 miles. I'm thinking about a looping trip that may cover as much as 2500 miles. Should I expect to change the oil mid-trip?

Don't worry about it.

If you normally use El Cheapo oil, you might consider bumping up a notch or two for the trip.

[Planecrazy]

Just picked up my oil and filter (STP) from Autozone, where they're doing a special this week ... Buy five quarts of ANY Valvoline oil and the filter (up to $3.99, which coincidentally was the cost of my filter) is free!

I decided to get Valvoline's 10W40 synthetic blend. I run full synthetic in my other vehicles but decided to play it safe with the bike, because some people report problems with clutch slippage when they use full synthetic. I may try it someday, but not a week before a major weekend rally. I'll let you know if I notice a significant difference with the blend.

Regards,