| Basic Service: The GL1500 Oil & Filter Change The correct procedure for an engine oil
and filter change is found in the Honda Service Manual for your
particular Gold Wing. Yet although an oil change is often conceived
to be the simplest procedure a Gold Wing owner can do, there are
numerous opportunities for mistakes and messes. As a result, for
many owners, the attractive prospect of saving themselves some money
with a do-it-yourself oil and filter change just isn’t worth
the hassle, so they have their dealership or service facility do
it for them. Whether you do the job yourself or oversee the mechanic
you hire for the job, it’s worthwhile to familiarize yourself
with the proper procedure as described in the Honda Shop Manual.
The most obvious reasons for doing the
job yourself are: (1) savings of labor costs (plus price markups
on the oil and filter), (2) knowledge of the way the job was done
(presumably the right way), (3) having the job done when and where
you want (your garage, 10 p.m. on Sunday night), and (4) satisfaction
of self-accomplishment. The most obvious rationale for having somebody
else do the job for you are: (1) one-stop convenience, (2) assumption
that the mechanic has the tools and knowledge to do the job right,
(3) the tools, fuss, mess and disposal are at the service facility
location (not your house), and (4) trained mechanics may note (and
accomplish) other needed maintenance in the same appointment. For this pictorial, Wing World visited
The Motorcycle Service Shop, the new business address of motorcycle
maintenance technician Bruce Watson who has appeared in these pages
before. We had Bruce do an oil and filter change on a GL1500 and
took the accompanying photos. Watson’s first step was to assemble
everything he’d need for the job: a galvanized steel drain
pan, long-necked funnel, shop rag, 17 mm socket ratchet, filter
wrench, pliers, replacement filter with sealing washer, and fresh
motorcycle oil. (Photo A.) Although
Honda’s procedure removes the under cover (“lower cowl”),
in this instance, Bruce leaves this one in place and works around
it. If an aftermarket belly pan had been installed, in most cases,
it would need to be removed for access. With the engine warm and the motorcycle
on its centerstand, Bruce positions the drain pan, then using the
socket wrench, he loosens the drain plug, then quickly removes it,
allowing the oil to flow into the pan. (Photo
B.) After removing the sealing (“crush”)
washer, Bruce wipes the plug clean and inspects its threads. Noting
the crush washer has been reused many more times than it should
have been, Bruce gets a replacement sealing washer from his parts
department. Once the flow of oil into the pan has dwindled
to a trickle, Bruce reaches under the machine, positions his filter
wrench and unscrews the filter. (Photo
C.) More oil flows into the pan. Checking to be sure the o-ring
from the old filter has been removed, Bruce wipes the area clean.
(If the old o-ring adheres to the engine and a second is inadvertently
added, oil will leak from the engine, making it necessary to re-do
the whole oil change properly.) After replacing the damaged sealing washer
on the drain plug, Bruce reinstalls the bolt. Honda’s recommended
torque for this plug is 27 foot-pounds as noted in the GL1500 shop
manual. (Photo D.) (Check the appropriate
manual for your particular year and model machine to be sure of
the correct values.) Use of a torque wrench at this point prevents
over-tightening of the steel plug into the aluminum engine block,
avoiding the potential for significant, expensive damage. It also
prevents under-tightening that could result in leakage or even complete
loss of the drain plug. After unwrapping a fresh oil filter, Bruce
checks to be sure the oil filter o-ring is in good condition and
pre-lubricated. (If it is not pre-lubricated, the mechanic needs
to lubricate it by hand prior to installation.) (Photo
E.) He installs and tightens the filter. Honda’s
torque specs for this installation are 7 foot-pounds. Obviously,
both the filter and the drain plug must be in place before adding
the oil to the engine. After removing the right side cover, Bruce
unscrews the oil filler cap and dipstick. After inserting the funnel,
he adds the fresh oil. (Photo F.)
For the GL1500, Honda specifies 3.7 liters (3.9 US quarts, 3.8 Imperial
quarts) of Honda four-stroke motorcycle oil or equivalent be added.
Since the pictured machine is ridden in Arizona’s hot climate,
Bruce chooses Golden Spectro 4 synthetic/petroleum blend 20W50,
in this case, from a convenient and economical four-liter bottle.
Bruce now pours the used oil into a waste
barrel, visually checking the pan for any foreign objects that might
indicate engine wear or other problems. (Photo
G.) The used oil will be collected later by a disposal service.
He notes that most auto oil and lube service companies will accept
used oil and filters for proper hazardous waste disposal, too. The
empty oil pan may now be wiped clean to ensure it is ready for the
next oil change. With the Gold Wing’s fresh oil now
in place, Bruce sets the engine stop (“kill”) switch to
off, and cranks the engine until the engine oil light goes off,
indicating oil pressure has been reestablished. With the switch
on, the engine fires up easily. While not a part of the oil and filter
change process, Bruce accomplishes one more maintenance procedure
with the used shop rag in his hand. After removing the left side
cover, with his pliers he loosens the clinch rings on the crankcase
breather tubes, then one-by-one, removes the plugs from the tubes,
catching the liquid residue from the tubes in his shop rag. (Photo
H.) He reinstalls the plugs and repositions the clinch rings
to complete this often-overlooked job. Honda recommends frequent
service of the breather tubes if the motorcycle is ridden frequently
in rain or at full throttle. Whether motorcycle maintenance is done by the bike owner himself (or herself) or by a dealership or service facility, it needs to be done regularly and properly. Bruce points out the chief advantage of having a professional do the work is that someone who works on bikes every day is more likely to notice discrepancies than the occasional shade-tree mechanic. “Our goal is to provide maintenance, diagnostics and repair at reasonable rates,” he says, “with every motorcycle that leaves our care operating with optimum performance and safety standards.”
This article originally appeared in Wing World Magazine
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