Plastic pieces... Form or function? (Or both?)

[willard]

I was putting some heated grips on my Breva yesterday and gearing up to do another oil change (this time filter included).

Removing the plastic piece at the front of the oil sump and in front of the fuel tank is a pain. Why are they there other than for looks? Is anything lost by getting rid of them entirely?

[guzzisteve]

Just for show.

[Huzo]

I was putting some heated grips on my Breva yesterday and gearing up to do another oil change (this time filter)

THIS time filter !
Do you not shout her a new filter at each oil change ?
That's like wiping your arse with a piece of cardboard then going on a "date" !
Putting new oil through an old filter is like re using Band Aids. I don't get it...
BTW, the stupid "chin fairings" look pox. I took mine off along with the fairing lowers, IMMEDIATELY I got my new Norge home, they're still hanging on the wall.

[Arizona Wayne]

THIS time filter !
Do you not shout her a new filter at each oil change ?
That's like wiping your arse with a piece of cardboard then going on a "date" !
Putting new oil through an old filter is like re using Band Aids. I don't get it...
BTW, the stupid "chin fairings" look pox. I took mine off along with the fairing lowers, IMMEDIATELY I got my new Norge home, they're still hanging on the wall.

Not always.......I do the same thing and my 81`CX100 said to do that from the factory.     Unlike some of you I still use dino oil instead of synthetic 'cause I'm thrifty.  My CX instructions are "change the oil every 3K miles, the filter every 9,500 miles."     Remember it's in the sump.  So on my 750 Breva I change the oil every 3k mi. and the filter every 6K miles.  Oil really doesn't start to lose it's quality until after 3K miles with normal use.  On my cars I change my dino oil/filter every 4,500 miles as those motors don't work as hard as my bike/scooter motors do.  I have never regretted this procedure in 35 years.     I keep my vehicles long enough to know if it works or not.

[Huzo]

Not always.......I do the same thing and my 81`CX100 said to do that from the factory.     Unlike some of you I still use dino oil instead of synthetic 'cause I'm thrifty.  My CX instructions are "change the oil every 3K miles, the filter every 9,500 miles."     Remember it's in the sump.  So on my 750 Breva I change the oil every 3k mi. and the filter every 6K miles.  Oil really doesn't start to lose it's quality until after 3K miles with normal use.  On my cars I change my dino oil/filter every 4,500 miles as those motors don't work as hard as my bike/scooter motors do.  I have never regretted this procedure in 35 years.     I keep my vehicles long enough to know if it works or not.

Hmmm.."
Fair enough Wayne, it's your bike I guess.
When you go to change the filter at 9,500 miles, what do you do with the oil that's just done 500 miles, or do you say "bugger the expense" and give her a filter at the 9,000 mile mark ?
I wonder if it's possible to get the old filter onto a can opener, open it up and wash out the innards then weld it back together to save some more money...
But then that wouldn't work 'cos you'd burn the insides out of it, and you'd have the outrageous expense of having to buy a can opener...
Nup, sounds like y'all have the right idea, no wonder I'm going broke.
I

[Tom]

I follow the factory instructions for oil/filter changes per the factory instructions. 

[SmithSwede]

Call me a heretic, but I�m pretty sure a used oil filter is actually better at filtering than a new one, in terms of amount and size of particulate matter being successfully filtered.    Same with an air filter.

So long as you don�t clog it up so much that the pressure drop causes a problem, or you force it into bypass mode, I bet it�s better for the engine to re-use a filter a few times.

I�ve seen high end outdoor machinery with a sensor that measures pressure drop.  You change the filter on those machines based on pressure drop, not some arbitrary time/mileage standard.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I'm with Wayne on this one.. 

[willard]

Well I didn't intend to start a filter war. 
I forgot to change the filter last time, and this oil has only been in for 1500 miles or so.

[Huzo]

Well I didn't intend to start a filter war. 
I forgot to change the filter last time, and this oil has only been in for 1500 miles or so.

No mate it's not a war, just a few shots across the bow.
Good chance to hear a broad spectrum of views.

[Yeahoo Whoyah]

Here's the result of never changing the oil filter in a 1976 Convert V1000 after 41-years and 10,000 miles.  Doesn't look to bad.  No sludge, mayonnaise or chunks.  Original owerer said he changed the oil quite a few times over the years but never dropped the pan to change the filer.

[Ncdan]

When I was a kid working at the neighborhood gas station I recall a friendly argument that erupted one night with  the old farmers as they sat around the card table in the back of the store. The conversation started over the caring for their farm trucks which all took pride in. All agreed that oil changed were needed every 3000 miles and most of the guys traded pickups every 100k. One old guy said he never changed the oil in any of his trucks but just added to when it got low. The other guys condemned him severely, one calling him an idiot. With this he took out his pencil and pad and figured up the cost of
100k of oil changes and presented that number to the other farmers. He then stated “I got the same amount of trade- in for my truck last time as y’all did, now who’s the idiot”
I reckon I can see his point:)

[Sheepdog]

Engines that do not share their oil with the clutch and transmission are a great deal easier on oil. Heat is the Guzzi�s biggest enemy; not particulates. And as for oil filter changing frequency; the frequency for my Guzzi is 6250 miles (or one year) for synthetic oil and filter. If mineral oil is used, the aforementioned frequency for changing oil filters every other oil change (or so) seems to jive with factory recommendations...

[Kev m]

Here's the result of never changing the oil filter in a 1976 Convert V1000 after 41-years and 10,000 miles.  Doesn't look to bad.  No sludge, mayonnaise or chunks.  Original owerer said he changed the oil quite a few times over the years but never dropped the pan to change the filer.

Will fwiw the filter doesn't really have anything to do with mayo, and even sludge would be from not changing oil more than having anything to do with the filter.

That said, it just never occurred to me not to change a filter when changing oil. I'll go with longer intervals, and did on the Jackal for instance, but if I was bothering to change the oil I normally always change the filter.

Which reminds me the oil is drained from my V7 and it sits on the lift just waiting for me to change the filter, even though this oil/filter only has about 2-3k miles on it.

I'll probably do that later today and put her to bed for the season.

[Kev m]

Engines that do not share their oil with the clutch and transmission are a great deal easier on oil. Heat is the Guzzi�s biggest enemy; not particulates.

That's a really good point that I forget easily since I've owned so few bikes the do share. The Duc is the only one now, though it never gets to the mileage for an oil change. Still I always change the oil and filter based on time.

[Chuck in Indiana]

 

One old guy said he never changed the oil in any of his trucks but just added to when it got low.

That's what the old man always did. "They put oil in it at the fact try, boy.. just top it up when it gets below add."
I've gotta say, it always worked for him. When he traded in his new Buick every 5 years, you could hardly hear it run.  Sludge makes a good sound insulator?   

[Arizona Wayne]

Hmmm.."
Fair enough Wayne, it's your bike I guess.
When you go to change the filter at 9,500 miles, what do you do with the oil that's just done 500 miles, or do you say "bugger the expense" and give her a filter at the 9,000 mile mark ?
I wonder if it's possible to get the old filter onto a can opener, open it up and wash out the innards then weld it back together to save some more money...
But then that wouldn't work 'cos you'd burn the insides out of it, and you'd have the outrageous expense of having to buy a can opener...
Nup, sounds like y'all have the right idea, no wonder I'm going broke.
I

When I got my CX it had 6K miles on the motor.  I rode it 'till it had just over 100K miles on it and then changed the motor out, not because the motor was shot but because it needed a new cam chain and chain tensioner.  I bought a used motor w/10K miles on it and added new nikasil cylinders, pistons, rings and haven't ridden the bike much since for other reasons.   Whenever  I dropped the sump every 9,500 to 10K miles there was very little sludge in it to change the filter and I hardly ever had to adjust the valves.  Most the time I ran the bike 3,500 to 4,500 rpm.  Once in awhile I'd red line it racing a Harley or such. I installed heated grips and an oil press. gauge so I know exactly what my motor is doing.  You'd be amazed how the oil pressure fluctuates for different reasons. I always used Walmart dino oil like I still do in all my vehicles, not caring how much X is in them.   

Just for you, Huzo, decades ago there was a Frantz? oil filter system in the US where you just put a new roll of toilet paper in it periodically to filter your car/truck motor.  My father used it in his Chevy V8 van.

[Charles in Lake Charles]

They're still around.
Check https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/forums/34/1/Engine_Oil_Bypass_Filters

[Ncdan]

I just changed the oil in my calvin for the first time since I got it over a year ago. The PO had just serviced it at 5k and I’ve put 5k on it. When I drained the old oil it still had some transparency and did not look bad at all. It had no burnt smell and I almost regretted not saving it and putting it in my tractor;)

[Huzo]

Just for you, Huzo, decades ago there was a Frantz? oil filter system in the US where you just put a new roll of toilet paper in it periodically to filter your car/truck motor.  My father used it in his Chevy V8 van.

There must be something fundamentally wrong with me, but I just couldn't treat my Norge with such casual disregard.
I just like it too much and if I treat it like a joke, it'll treat me like a joke..

[Huzo]

I just changed the oil in my calvin for the first time since I got it over a year ago. The PO had just serviced it at 5k and I�ve put 5k on it. When I drained the old oil it still had some transparency and did not look bad at all. It had no burnt smell and I almost regretted not saving it and putting it in my tractor;)

You are taking the piss aren't you.
I mean if I'm being sucked in, let me off now, please...

[Dukedesmo]

I fitted a G&G sump to my LM2, mainly for the outside filter (but also for the larger sump and fitting a baffle plate).


Now I can swap the filter every oil change without needing to remove the sump, of course there's still the pickup filter/screen but I can't see that getting too blocked if I change the oil every year which will be within less than 3k miles anyway so I'll still remove the sump every so often just to check and clean it all.

[kenvil1]

Willard, it seems like you brought pieces of plastic to an oil filter fight!

[kenvil1]

Maybe try reposting your question, minus any incendiary comments on motorcycle maintenance.

[Ncdan]

You are taking the piss aren't you.
I mean if I'm being sucked in, let me off now, please...

Due to an apparent language barrier I’m confused Huzo but to clean things up I was joking about putting in in my tractor however if I had an old worn out junker tractor that used a fair amount of oil, hell yea I may add used oil if I didn’t have any other available and I needed to continue what I was doing. It’s better than running one without oil, wouldn’t you agree?

[Huzo]

Due to an apparent language barrier I�m confused Huzo but to clean things up I was joking about putting in in my tractor however if I had an old worn out junker tractor that used a fair amount of oil, hell yea I may add used oil if I didn�t have any other available and I needed to continue what I was doing. It�s better than running one without oil, wouldn�t you agree?

Now I get you.
I used to do the dame to my old Briggs and Stratton  lawnmower...

[willard]

I'm enjoying the responses, but I think my question has been answered anyway.   

[RinkRat II]

 Hopefully by now Willard you have realised that answering your question is not the purpose of this forum. It is actually get as far astray of the original point and bring up irrelevant subjects as often and varied as possible.  We're in no way mean spirited but it makes the topics more fun to respond to and gives us practice as winter is coming. Welcome. Keep the questions coming!

    Paul B

[Kev m]

  as winter is coming.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I change the filter in my breva every other oil change...  I didn't put much thought into it, that's just (roughly) what the manual says....  at my meager milage, it equates to an oil change every year, filter every other year.  I don't pay much attention to the milage b/t changes because I've only ever ridden it 5k+ miles in a year once... I'm usually about 3k a year, depending on whether I have the v65 running during riding season.

This year was a 'heavy service year' which means I did oil & filter, valve adj & plugs, trans & gearbox oil

next summer just an engine oil change & valve check/adjustment