Did I screw up my bike? (Oil change gone bad)

[johnwink]

Hey all,

Really, I'm not usually this dumb. I guess I was too distracted to take on a simple oil change today. Please let me tell you what I did so you can tell me if I screwed up my bike. :-( Thanks!

I took her for spin to warm her up, then I drained the oil tank. I pulled off the oil filter, pulled the sparkplug wires and turned the engine over to drain the rest of the oil. It tapered off to a trickle but was still dirty, no new oil. That's when I remembered that I hadn't added the new oil to the tank.

I added the new oil and turned it over some more, eventually I got a small trickle of new oil. I filled the new filter, screwed it on and topped up the oil tank.

I started the bike and idled it a bit, then revved it (gently!) and the oil pressure light did not come on, I hope this is a good sign. However I would have expected to see (and did not see) some churning in the oil tank over and above the movement from the vibration of the bike.

Here's why I'm worried. I read somewhere here that if the oil pump goes dry you need to prime it. How do I know if this is the case, and if I do need to prime it, how do I go about it?

To add insult to injury, I knocked over a quart of 20W50 and spilled about half of it on my shop floor. Can I get that out by scrubbing with dish soap, or do I need proper degreaser?

Here's the deal - Anyone that can provide useful guidance has full rein to make fun of me.

Thanks,

John Wink
2001 Big Dog Boxer
And a mess on the shop floor

 

[pauldeepsea]

You should be okay. The only time you should have to prime the pump is if you completely drain the entire motor dry and if you remove the oil pump.

 

[pauldeepsea]

Here is some good reading
http://www.sscycle.com/files/4513/7034/0991/6250.pdf

 

[johnwink]

Thanks, that's handy. Based on that PDF I can pull the oil return line to make sure the oil is moving.

 

[liferider]

As for your oil mess. Go get a bag of either oil dry or cat litter. You will need a 2x4x 6" long. Once the puddles are mopped up with paper towels. Put a cup of oil dry or cat litter. There the same thing. There high absorbant bentonite pellets. Crumble them up and you have drilling mud. Anyway, put a cup of it on the oil spot. Now take your 2x4 wood block and try to grind the oil dry through the concrete in circular motions. When it is a dark powder, sweep it up and apply more crumbles and repeat process. When you are finished you will see no oil residue on the concrete.just bright shinny concrete!

 

[francoblay1]

You are fine! you are lucky you didn't get rid of the dirty oil starting the motor as some of us do.

 

[Th3InfamousI]

The only part is why did you pull your plug wires? If your gonna drain the old oil via that method just run the bike. To turn the engine over did you just keep hitting start??

 

[francoblay1]

The only part is why did you pull your plug wires? If your gonna drain the old oil via that method just run the bike. To turn the engine over did you just keep hitting start??

I didn't notice that.... I was reading fast and I understood he removed the Spark-plugs!!!

I agree with Eric, is what I said before... I just run the bike at Idle/1500 rpm and watch the dirty oil fall out.... with fresh oil in the oil tank, of course!!!

 

[johnwink]

The only part is why did you pull your plug wires? If your gonna drain the old oil via that method just run the bike. To turn the engine over did you just keep hitting start??

I pulled the plug wires because, on account of this being my first shot at changing the oil on this bike, I figured (correctly!) that I'd screw something up. Yeah, I know it's bad for the ignition to do that but it's better than running the bike sans oil, which is what would have happened.

Yes, I just ran the starter (10 seconds on, 30 seconds off) to push the oil through.

 

[johnwink]

As for your oil mess. Go get a bag of either oil dry or cat litter. You will need a 2x4x 6" long. Once the puddles are mopped up with paper towels. Put a cup of oil dry or cat litter. There the same thing. There high absorbant bentonite pellets. Crumble them up and you have drilling mud. Anyway, put a cup of it on the oil spot. Now take your 2x4 wood block and try to grind the oil dry through the concrete in circular motions. When it is a dark powder, sweep it up and apply more crumbles and repeat process. When you are finished you will see no oil residue on the concrete.just bright shinny concrete!

Thanks, I 'll give it a try. Hell of a mess...

 

[Th3InfamousI]

I pulled the plug wires because, on account of this being my first shot at changing the oil on this bike, I figured (correctly!) that I'd screw something up. Yeah, I know it's bad for the ignition to do that but it's better than running the bike sans oil, which is what would have happened.

Yes, I just ran the starter (10 seconds on, 30 seconds off) to push the oil through.

Yep a little wear there on the starter, eh?

 

[Sven]

Really, I'm not usually this dumb.

Oh man don't go betting on it, I'll win.

turned the engine over to drain the rest of the oil.

Just changed my oil and said, should I or damage the parts. Naaaa, that oil is so fresh I dump oil too soon is it won't hurt the engine. More dry spinning will is that one extra 360° that scores BOTH parts is run your hands together... which one stayed cold?

eventually I got a small trickle of new oil... the oil pressure light did not come on

Right. Gravity feed and the blade is ready to go is gravity pressure on those blades think.

I read somewhere here that if the oil pump goes dry you need to prime it. How do I know if this is the case, and if I do need to prime it, how do I go about it?

Go to the bike, turn key on. Do you see an oil light? Start bike. Did the oil light go out? It says the system was fine when no light occurred was already primed, right?

To add insult to injury, I knocked over a quart of 20W50 and spilled about half of it on my shop floor. Can I get that out by scrubbing with dish soap, or do I need proper degreaser?

 

[liferider]

Thanks, I 'll give it a try. Hell of a mess...

With our machine shop we always have either hydraulic oil on the floor or 90-140 wt oil out of something. Just throwing oil dry on it does no good. I always take a new guy aside and show him to either throw a oil diaper on the spill or use paper towels and sop the mess up then I show him how to work the oil dry or cat litter into the oily spot and work it with a 2x4. their amazed how when i am done there is not even a oil residue or dark spot. 2' area of oil is a 15 minute clean up done correctly. OSHA looks for this and will fine the crap out of you!

 

[Dragonslave]

To add insult to injury, I knocked over a quart of 20W50 and spilled about half of it on my shop floor. Can I get that out by scrubbing with dish soap, or do I need proper degreaser?

Try Kitty Litter and if that doesnt work, believe it or not spray the area with WD-40. Let it sit for 30 min or so and wipe up.