Do you warm up your engine changing the oil?

[Ed K]

Hey Guys,

Very basic question. . .maybe too basic.

We all know that your supposed to warm-up your engine before draining it to change the oil. . .but do you all do this?

And is it really necessary? If you live in a warm climate, and its at least 65 degrees. . .it is needed?

Sure, when the engine is warm the valves in the oil coolers are open and more oil can drain. Well, if it all drained when it was warm before, what happens when it cools-off? It doesn't go back up into the coolers does it?

I can understand if one is located in a cooler climate and oil thickens, making it harder to drain it when the engine is cold. . .but otherwise, I see no real advantage to warming it up providing it has settled properly (on side stand first, before putting center stand) when it was warm.

What do you guys think?

[toner87]

Ed,
The way I look at it, the more liquid the oil is, the more used oil and gunk you'll get out of the bike when you drain it... Every little bit helps... Plus, it gives you an excuse to ride! Gotta love that, right?
T.

[FGanger]

Having the engine warm does a couple of things: For one the oil runs out better. When the oil is cold it tends to stay put. Yes! I suppose if one left the drain out for a couple of hours or so most would get out. However the other thing warm oil does is get all of the deposits mixed into the oil. When one drains the oil, these heavier elements go out with the old oil.

Other than the obligatory burning your hand with the hot oil and then dropping the drain plug into the waste oil, I can't think of any downside to getting the engine to operating temperature.

Frank

PS: I have seen very few dealers warm up an engine before an oil change. Perhaps others have, just not me. When I worked for a BMW dealer (38 years ago), I asked about getting the engine to operating temps before the oil change. "We don't have time for that kind of stuff," was the answer. So there you are.

[Boxer]

Trick question? Right?

Yeah. I always warm it up real hot. With at last a 20 minute brisk ride around the hood. Then I have to wedge a piece of wood under the rear wheel to tilt it up to drain more out, because at some point my bike has become un-balanced. It no longer teeters on the center stand, but rests definitely on the rear wheel all the time. Hey! Another thread idea! I'll be right back....

[R4R&R]

Darn right - I warm everything up before changing it - including the trans and final drive. I just got done doing all oils this weekend - 24k check. I took someone's advice this time (I think it was cyclerob) to tilt the bike to the right towards the end of the drain to get the last little bit.

[DJ Downunder]

I like it hot too....

I have a tip about undoing that drain plug and getting hot oil squirt over your fingers.

Don't undo the oil filler cap untill the oil has started to drain.

This causes the oil to come out with far less force.

It works for me.

DJ

[Deans BMW]

I drain my oil immediately after a ride, even before getting my riding clothes off. You want any and all suspended solids in the oil and not settled out to flow out with the old oil.

By the way, I plan to switch to Mobil 1 synthetic at my next oil change, at 6,000 miles just before Torry. After that, oil and filter changes every 4 to 6 K miles.

[mistercindy]

By the way, I plan to switch to Mobil 1 synthetic at my next oil change, at 6,000 miles just before Torry. After that, oil and filter changes every 4 to 6 K miles.

Interesting. I decided that my first oil change after my 12,000 mile service would be my first synthetic. That 12,000 mile service should happen in mid-June.

[Ed K]

Good points guys. . .especially helpful comments about ensuring the suspended particles are swept away when the oil drains. . .and great idea to keep the cap on before opening the drain. . .and also tilting the bike to the right. . .

I also wedge the rear tire as the balance shifts when draining. . .

Thanks. . .

[johnt650]

The fact that a dealer doesn't have time to warm up a bike before oil change is a good reason to do it yourself.

John

[boxermania]

Regarding the switch to synthetic oil........

I would make sure that the engine has been broken in, this happens when the bike stops using oil in significant quantities. You can't go by mileage, alone since the break in depends on how the engine is being run.......those that run their engines hard are broken in by 6k miles, those that baby their bikes might see 20 K miles or more before the rings are seated.

The caution comes from the thought that synthetics are slickier oils than organics and hinder the ring seating process.....specially in air cooled engines whose temperature across the cylinder head is not as constant as those engines that are water cooled. Also the clearances are a bit larger on air cooled engines to accomodate the different expansion rates.

[Capt. Blackadder]

Regarding the switch to synthetic oil...

Trust me... Dean-O's ST will be broken in by the time he switches to synthetic.

About the dealer oil changes, let me throw in another shameless plug for Iron Horse Motorcycles in Tucson, AZ. When I rode down from Chandler to have them do my 600 mile service, the very first thing the tech did was dump the oils. THEN he put the fans to work on the cylinder heads to prepare for valve adjustment. They know their stuff down there.

[KHaynes]

Experiment that I performed last year: I drained the hot RT oil until it was very slowly dripping. Left overnight, the bike dripped a further 230 ml of oil.

[Deans BMW]

Capt. you are rite about Iron Horse.

Boxermania, good point about running in an engine, at about 4,500 miles, I have already had 3 oil changes. I switched to synthetic on my Roadster at 6,000 miles. The next oil change at about the 6K mile mark will be Mobil 1 from Wallyworld. I run the 15/50 Mobil 1 both in summer and winter. For all practical purposes the ST has completely stopped using oil, also the crank case breather system on the R1200 engine is different than that of the R1150 and as a result almost no oil if any is blown into the R1200 Airbox at high revs, unlike the R1150 engine.

Keith, good point, I drain the oil after a ride before removing my riding helmet and refil the next morning.