Engine oil, which cools, lubricates, seals, and cleans the engine, is like blood to us humans and is extremely important and essential. Many riders take it upon themselves to change the oil regularly, depending on the season and mileage, but do you ever find yourself just doing what you've always done? There is always room for more efficiency and safety by adding ideas to even the simplest of tasks.
Points to keep in mind when changing engine oil in winter
In winter, it is difficult for the oil temperature to rise, and at the same time, condensation tends to occur in the crankcase due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the engine, just as water droplets adhere to the window glass in a heated room. If the oil level window shows a café-au-lait color, it is a sign that moisture is mixed in.
Emulsified oil on the back of the oil filler cap is another typical symptom of condensation inside the engine. If your engine does not have an oil level window and the filler cap doubles as a level gauge, you can check here. Even if the oil is emulsified, the water may be blown off and return to the original state when the oil temperature rises, but if the water is repeatedly mixed in, the performance of the oil itself will deteriorate.
For engine oil, the summer season, when oil temperature tends to rise, is of course a tough season, but winter is also a tough season. When the oil temperature rises to a certain level, the fluidity of any oil improves and it becomes the proper viscosity, and it can spread smoothly to every corner of the engine. If you see something like 10W-40 on an engine oil package, many riders will know that the viscosity at low temperatures is 10W and at high temperatures, it is 40.
The viscosity numbers for oils such as 10W-40 are specified by the SAE organization in the U.S. The low-temperature side shows the viscosity at an oil temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. The low-temperature side shows the viscosity at an oil temperature of 40℃, while the high-temperature side shows the viscosity at an oil temperature of 100℃. Of course, the oil that actually works in the engine can be below 40℃ or above 100℃, and in those regions, the low-temperature side will be harder and the high-temperature side will be softer.
During cold starts in winter, when the outside temperature is below 10°C, the engine oil will also be below 10°C. The same is true in seasons when the temperature is below freezing, and the oil temperature may even drop below freezing in conjunction with the outside air. It is the multi-grade oil with "XXW" such as 10W-40 that was developed to be able to secure fluidity and lubricity even in such a situation.
When the temperature is low, the viscosity of any oil is high and the fluidity is low, so it is true that it is kind to the engine not to start the engine at high rpm until it can warm up enough. However, in the case of an air-cooled engine, if the outside temperature is too low, the amount of heat dissipated becomes greater than the amount of heat generated by the engine, and if you continue to start without raising the engine speed, it will take time for the oil temperature to rise to the proper level. In my case, the oil temperature of my 250cc air-cooled single-cylinder motorcycle was in the 30°C range when I ran it for about an hour at night when the temperature was in the single digits.
Water-cooled engines have an advantage in this situation. The cooling water is used to warm up the engine until the thermostat in the hose connecting the engine to the radiator opens. It varies from model to model, but by the time the thermostat opens at around 70 degrees Celsius, the oil temperature is high enough for the engine to perform at its full potential.
If you want to get the best performance out of your engine oil as quickly as possible in the winter when the oil temperature doesn't rise as much, one way to do this is to lower the viscosity of the low-temperature side. The result can be obtained. The user who uses the motorcycle for commuting and touring even in winter may choose the oil that the viscosity of the low-temperature side is one rank lower than the present oil.
- Point 1: When riding in the winter, warm up the oil while driving until the oil temperature rises to the proper temperature.
- Point 2: When the oil temperature is difficult to rise by overcooling, improve the fluidity by using the oil with low viscosity on the low-temperature side.
Plus the idea of catching the dripping oil when changing the oil filter.
The oil filter element is built into the bottom of the oil pan on the Kawasaki GPZ900R, and some require the exhaust system to be removed when changing the filter. On this motorcycle, loosening the filter cover was likely to cause the oil to stick to the stock center stand.
I'll lightly roll up one section of cardboard, pull it with masking tape, and place it under the filter cover as a loose roto shape.
What shape is correct depends on the model, and the results will vary depending on how you work. In the case of this Ninja, if we had removed the filter on the side stand, we might not have had to worry about contaminating the center stand with oil.
When a filter change is performed in conjunction with an oil change, the efficiency of the change process can be improved by how you take care of the oil that flows from around the filter. There are two types of oil filters: cartridge type and built-in element typeand each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The main advantage of the cartridge type is that it is easy to change, but it has a disadvantage that the case sticks out from the engine. On the other hand, the built-in type has less protrusion to the outside because the element is placed inside the engine, but when the filter cover is removed, oil tends to flow out and contaminate the surroundings. Also, when designing the engine, it is necessary to make room for the element in the crankcase, which is disadvantageous to the overall compactness of the engine.
As has been the tradition since the Z1 series, the Kawasaki GPZ900R Ninja has a filter element built into the bottom of the crankcase. A relief valve bolt runs through the center of the flat filter cover, and when this bolt is loosened, the remaining oil in the filter case drips out from the outer edge of the cover. If you compare the height of the oil drain bolt and the filter cover, you will see that the drain bolt is lower than the filter cover, but since there is still oil in the filter case, it can't help but flow out of the case.
If you stand on the side stand, it won't be a problem, but if you use the center stand to change the oil, even if you push the oil drain pan against the stand, the oil dripping from the filter cover will land on the stand exquisitely.
This vehicle is equipped with a collective muffler, but not only Ninjas but also vehicles equipped with a genuine muffler can have oil dripping onto the muffler when the filter is changed. You can degrease and clean the muffler with parts cleaner after changing the filter, but the smell of oil burning from the muffler after wiping off the residue and starting the engine is not pleasant.
This is why I recommend a cover to prevent dirt from getting under the filter cover. It doesn't have to be a big cover, just a thick piece of paper of an appropriate size. Place it under the engine like a rain gutter, and let the dripping oil flow into the drain pan.
This Ninja simply hooked up a rolled up piece of cardboard to the center stand and drain pan, but it completely caught the oil dripping from around the oil filter cover and didn't stain the center stand or workbench. This oil catcher also works on cartridge type oil filters, and it is standard practice to use the cover to catch the oil dripping from the mating part of the engine and filter on the Harley Davidson Sportster, where the filter sits horizontally in front of the crankcase.
Oil filters are often located at the bottom of the engine, and if oil drips from them when they are removed, it can stain the workbench and the ground. If you imagine that you might step on the oil with your tires, not to mention staining the ground, it would be smarter to avoid oil dripping than to wipe it off afterwards.
- Point 1: When you remove the drain bolt or the oil filter, if the oil sticks to the motorcycle body or drips on the ground, use a self-made guard.
- Point 2: If you don't dirty the motorcycle body or the ground, the risk of oil sticking to the tires and causing danger is reduced.
Be careful not to forget to put in the parts and the order of assembly for the built-in type element.
In the case of the GPZ900R, the spring sits on top of the element cover, the washer sits on top of the spring, the element sits on top of the washer, and the cup sits on top of the washer. The washer sometimes sticks to the element and does not come off, and many Kawasaki motorcycles have been left without a washer because the old element was thrown away without realizing it. If your motorcycle does not come with a washer, buy a genuine one.
The cup where the element sits has sharp edges and there is a risk of injury to fingers when removing it, so work carefully. Clean the inside of the cup with parts cleaner.
The fixing bolt of the filter cover is hollow, and inside is a relief mechanism that bypasses the oil pressure when it becomes too high. The O-ring at the base is an important part as it fills the gap with the filter cover to prevent oil leaks, so be sure to install a new one when replacing the filter.
Cartridge-type oil filters are easy to install, as all you have to do is apply a thin coat of engine oil to the cartridge O-ring before installation, make sure the engine side seat is clean, and then screw the cartridge into the male thread on the engine side. In contrast, a built-in oil filter may have other small parts in addition to the element, so be careful.
On the Ninja, Zephyr, and many other Kawasaki models that have the element in the oil pan, the filter element is in a thin metal cup, and on the GPZ900R, the filter cover is overlaid with a spring, thin metal washer, oil filter element, and cup, in that order. The Zephyr 400 has the same order of parts, filter cover, cup, spring, washer, and element.
If you have owned your motorcycle since new, or if you refer to a parts list or service manual when working on it, you will probably be OK, but if you bought it used and don't know what maintenance was done before, it is a good idea to check the parts list to make sure the parts are assembled in the correct order. The Ninjas and Zephyrs often have washers that stick to the element side with oil, and it is possible that the previous owner may not have noticed this and assembled the motorcycle without washers.
This washer is necessary to prevent the spring from biting into the O-ring in the center of the element, so if it's missing, get a genuine part and incorporate it. Of course, it is essential to replace the filter cover and center bolt O-rings with new ones as well.
As you can see, we hope you know that you can keep your motorcycle clean and in good condition by incorporating ideas and paying attention even to the oil change work that you do as a matter of course.
- Point 1: Wipe off the dirt on the seat surface before installing the cartridge type filter.
- Point 2: For the type with a built-in element, check the service manual to make sure that the built-in parts other than the element are in order before restoring.
See KAWASAKI Moto Index Page
See Accessories for KAWASAKI GPZ900R Ninja
