Oil Cooler Oil Change

[gwowzer]

For the people that have the oil coolers installed on their bikes, what is you oil change routine?
Do you bother to get the old oil out of the cooler? I suppose you could take one of the banjos off the cooler and suck out the remainder with a turkey baster and vinyl tubing attached to the end of it. Does anybody bother or just drain from bolt and refill til sight glass is good?

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by gwowzer

For the people that have the oil coolers installed on their bikes, what is you oil change routine?
Do you bother to get the old oil out of the cooler? I suppose you could take one of the banjos off the cooler and suck out the remainder with a turkey baster and vinyl tubing attached to the end of it. Does anybody bother or just drain from bolt and refill til sight glass is good?

First, I drain the oil by removing the sump plug. Since I have my filter screen located on the inlet side to the pump, I disconnect the banjo fitting from the sump side and let it all drain down (be prepared for this or it gets messy). Remove and clean the screen, reinstall the line and banjo as well as the sump plug. I then remove the large banjo bolt from the cooler on the opposite line, and use a funnel to top off/prime the system again.

Now, if you are obsessed with getting every last drop of old oil out, before you re-install the banjo fitting on the sump plug you can remove that same cooler side banjo fitting on the opposite side and flush some fresh oil through the cooler and let it drain down the line into your pan. Then re-install banjo, top off as needed, and close it all up.

If your filter screen is on the sump draw line going to the cooler, then you can get away without a whole lot of fuss and mess if you don't mind a small bit of old oil staying in the system. Simply drain the oil, remove and clean the screen, add new oil to proper level. Since the pump side line is not getting disconnected there is no need to prime the system.

Honestly, that is one of the downsides to the cooler setup is the oil change is a bit more of a faff.

On the upside, at least to my experience, between the cooler and running T6 15w40, I am looking at my oil change interval stretching to 1500 miles (or more), so I don't have to mess about with it as much. I am on the 900 mile mark from my last oil change and it is still a good color and doesn't smell strongly of fuel.