Change Your Oil
 

Here's what you'll need:

17mm socket
10mm socket
Oil pan
10W-40 Oil ( I suggest synthetic, but that's up to you.)
New oil filter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


This is a very simple process.

Crank your bike and let it run for a few minutes.

First, put your bike on some jack stands, if you have them. This isn't an absolute must, but you're pretty much guaranteed to drain all of the oil with the bike flat, as opposed to leaning over on the kick stand.

http://upload2.postimage.org/432602/DSCN6463.jpg

Next, you'll unscrew the oil filler cap.

http://upload2.postimage.org/432607/DSCN8631.jpg

Now, slide your oil pan under the bike and unscrew the oil-drain bolt with your 17mm socket. You might want a 2-3" socket extension.

[attachment=0:21su1psy]Pq4jTbmr-f600ac863c36cc241c239cbe0e5a44ae.jpg[/attachment:21su1psy]

Once all of the oil drains out of the bike, go ahead and slide over to the oil filter cover and unscrew the 3 bolts using your 10mm socket. You'll want to turn out all three screws at the same time. Don't do one and then go on to another. There is a spring back there keeping pressure on cover and you need to turn one bolt a little, turn the other one, and so forth until they are all off. Oil will come dripping off of the filter and run down the side of your engine. So, you might want to have some shop towels around for clean-up. When you put the new filter back on, make sure it goes in the same way the old one came out.

http://upload2.postimage.org/432624/DSCN8627.jpg

Once the new filter is installed, bolt the cover back on and re-install the oil drain bolt. You then need to fill the bike with 1.5 quarts of your favorite oil. If you are not changing the filter, I believe you only need to use 1.4 quarts. It is EXTREMELY important that you refill the bike with oil. Do not forget it. I know it sounds silly, but it happens. People forget.

Once the oil settles in, reinstall the oil filler cap and crank 'er up. After a few minutes, take the bike for a ride and make sure everything works out.

*To properly check oil level in your bike, the bike needs to be standing up straight; not leaned over on the side stand. Checking oil level while the bike is on the side stand will result in overfilling the bike.

**Please be aware that some motor oils include friction modifiers which can cause clutch slippage in certain situations. The GZ250 seems very prone to this. To see if your oil of choice contains friction modifiers, check the API starburst on the back. If it says "Energy Conserving" or "Resource Conserving", the please look for a different brand or weight of oil. You want an oil that does not contain friction modifiers.

Enjoy,
Jonathan

Good job Johnathan.

Thanks Jonathan!
 

I appreciate it -- will let you know out it turned out!

The shop I went to didn't have Mobile 1 10W40, the only full synth oil at that weight was Syntec from Castrol. Hopefully that will work just as well.

-Bob

I'm currently running Castrol Syntec. I love it.

I get my Mobile1 for VTwins at WalMart. Ours has a small motorcycle section.

A thousand thanks and a nervous question...
 

Jonathan,

Your directions were faultless! I had a break in the honey-do list today and went ahead and changed the oil without incident. The only difference I saw between my experience and your directions was that the o-ring holding the filter cover was slightly sticky, so the 10MM nuts were no problem. All I had to do was slightly wiggle the cover and off she came. Thanks for a fun 20 minutes and, finally, an excuse to use my jack stands I have been toting around the country for twenty years!

On my trial run I did notice a new and worrisome problem however. All the gears were fine (to be honest, I didn't notice too much of a noise difference in shifting but the engine sound was a slightly different and more even pitch) up to fifth. And there something strange happened: I could shift into the top gear without any problem, but about halfway through accelerating, the clutch would slip: at 60 MPH I could feel the engine wind up in response to my thottle inputs, but the speedo would stick rock steady at 60. If I backed off the throttle I would regain what I thought must be clutch grip and my throttle inputs would result in bike movement as before. This happened three times on the return leg of my four mile test run.

I checked the oil level and it is on the high side of the sight glass, but not over the top: when the bike is on the kickstand, the oil level disappears from the glass, and when I rock the bike into vertical, the level is right at the high notch (still space left on the sight glass above the oil level in other words). I used just slightly more than 1.5 QTS measuring from the not too accurate gauge on the side of the oil container - I may have overfilled it by a couple of tablespoons.

My question to anyone who cares to stick a toe in: WHY?

Have I: a) Overfilled the oil and the pressure of the high end of fifth gear somehow prevents the clutch from engaging fully, b) messed up that one gear by adding the Marvel Mystery Oil to my crankcase for a week (less than 100 miles of street travel), c) have an air bubble somewhere in the oil/clutch system that isn't releasing, d) did I somehow fry my clutch without realizing it, or e) none of the above?

Any and all assistance would be welcomed!
:sad: -Bob

I dunno, but that marvel mystery oil might solve the mystery. Didnt know there was ever a need for additives in wet clutch type engines.

What kind of oil did you use?

Most modern motor oils have friction modifiers that will make the oil very slippery and cause the issue you. I had the same problem, maybe worse, when Mobile1 changed their formula to one the had friction modifiers.

There is a discussion hear: Obsolete API Oil Ratings

I have only found one available locally that does not have these friction modifiers. Shell Rotella T This is what I use.

For some reason this does not seem to be a problem for everyone. It would not surprise me to find out that Suzuki uses clutch plates from more than one manufacturer and some are not affected.

Thanks BadBob
 

I read through your posting and it seems that you had the same result as I did first switching to a synthetic. I did check the bottle of the Syntec, it was SAE 10W40, API service SM/CF. When I checked some sites for an explanation of those codes, the best I could find is the higher the second number after the "S" (Spark), the better/slippier the oil. So, "M" is quite slippery. While it doesn't have a cleaning code that I could find, there are two one line blurbs in the marketing copy on the back label that it "reduces harmful deposit formation" and "An advanced additive package that neutralizes corrosive particles, preventing them from grouping together and forming power-robbing sludge."

You said that after switching to Shell Rotella T the slippage pretty much disappeared after two oil changes? Any update on that? My bike is a 1999, if that makes any difference.

-Bob

Re: Thanks BadBob
 

Update is here: Obsolete API Oil Ratings

I used this:


http://upload2.postimage.org/461044/DSCN8633.jpg

And I have no slippage.

BadBob Status...
 

I read that BadBob, what I was wondering was, if after the second and subsequent oil changes the slippage disappeared entirely or if you still get it occasionally as you stated in your earlier thread. In other words, is this something I will now have to live with, whether I change oils or not, or if this is temporary and it will go away as all the traces of this oil disappear.
-Bob

Looks about right...
 

Jonathan, my bottles look like that, but without the spash advertisement right below the brand name on the left side. On my bottles, that area is blank.

As BadBob mentioned, it is quite possible that Suzuki is using different manufacturers for the parts, especially as mine is an older bike. Perhaps mine reacts differently than yours.

I am just thinking that too much oil might to this too... I know too much oil can mess up seals from overpressure. Could such pressure act on a clutch plate at high revs I wonder? I am going to try to rig a little syphon and take out some of the oil to bring the level to the midpoint tonight, and then drive her to work tomorrow to see if there is any difference.

-Bob

Re: BadBob Status...
 

You must not have read it since I posted the update.

Re: Looks about right...
 

Get a small plastic tube. Push it in all the way to the bottom of the crank case. Put your thumb over the end of the tube and pull it out. The oil in the tube will stay in the tube. Hold the tube over a container and remove thumb. The oil will run out. A straw will work but its slow.

Go to WalMart and buy a measuring cup graduated in milliliters. Use this to measure your oil next time. Don't put it in the kitchen or your dinner might taste funny.

The clutch just spins in the oil.

Good write up!
You might want to add something about that little rubber oring for the oil filter. The first time I changed my oil I almost didn't put the oring back in as it was stuck to the old filter.

The dangers of measurement!
 

Well folks, I just got back from draining the excess oil from the bike. What I am now sharing may seem stupid, but hey, hopefully someone else may learn from my mistake.

As I mentioned earlier, I had checked the site glass after adding the 1.5 quarts of Syntec and it looked fine - right at the high mark. BUT, having gone back and looked again tonight, the site glass was completely filled when the bike was cold! I drained the excess until the oil level was 2/3rds of the way up between the low and high levels on the site glass. The excess? Would you believe 1.5 CUPS! Yikes!

Looking back over my oil change, I did three things wrong:

• 1) I was checking the level while the tail end of the bike was elevated about an inch on jackstands. Since the sight glass is toward the rear end of the housing, it is not surprising it was giving me a false low reading.
  2) I blindly trusted the bottles and put what I thought was 1.5 quarts in.
  3) I didn't do the math.

Next time I know to check the oil level after the bike is back to flat... I thought I had, but I must have had a senior moment.

Next time I will pour the oil into a measuring device before putting it in the engine. My "cager" days betrayed me: I am too used to just opening quarts and dumping them into the hole.

Next time I will believe my third grade teacher and realize that one day math may save my life. The engine cover is clearly marked "1300 ml" and since I was educated in the 1960's that means absolutely nothing to me - I spent my time learning "a pint is a pound the world around" instead. But luckily, now I have Excel. That mysterious and even-sounding "1300 ml" really means 1.37 quarts or five-and-a-half cups (5.496829 to be exact). Meaning that by adding a quart-and-a-half I was adding a half-cup too much. Since I have already admitted to having a heavy thumb on this, it was probabily closer to three-quarters-of-a-cup or more.

My cup-and-a-half error seems to be evenly split between poor technique (the one-inch rear elevation must throw the sight glass off about three-quarters-of-a-cup) and failure to follow directions. (Note: I did drain the engine completely - let it drip until nothing was coming out -- but again, if the oil pools forward of the drain plug, perhaps some of the old oil remained. The oil did slighty darken after I drove it the four-mile test run: don't know if that is from heat or old stuff mixing in... just being honest.)

So, tomorrow, on the way to work, I will ramp the old girl up to 60 in fifth and see if perhaps the slippage was due to overfilling the oil (if the symptoms go away) or if it is due to the oil itself (if the slip continues). I will let you folks know either way.

Sorry to be such a bonehead about all of this, but I am still learning. Thanks for the syphoning suggestions BadBob.
-Bob
:oops:

P.S., I did then crank her up, let her warm, and checked the oil level on flat ground. The level was about the same.

Re: The dangers of measurement!
 

I can't quite believe that after all these messages (in more than one thread apparently), nobody has suggested that you also check the clutch adjustment. If you haven't, you definitely should.

Lower Oil Results: WORSE!
 

Just got back in. The clutch slippage is worse, now occuring as low as third gear whenever I am going up a hill, popping the throttle or otherwise putting a heavy load on the system.

Easy Rider, I would be more than willing to check the clutch adjustment - I just don't know how. I will look over the site to see if I can find any advice on that - anything you care to share will be greatly appreciated.

As for me, back to work (this time in a cage) and off to buy some regular 10W40 oil. I will dump out the Syntec and see if dead dinosaur drippings work better than the erzatz stuff. Who would have thought that one day oil would be too slippery to be useful? Only in America!

:??:
-Bob

Re: Lower Oil Results: WORSE!
 

What year is your bike? You REALLY need an owner's manual. I think someone has posted a link somewhere on here to an online copy.

What I should have said is check the adjustment of the clutch CABLE, not the clutch itself.

There should be a tiny bit of free play in the clutch lever; that is, the lever should move just a tiny bit before you feel resistance from the clutch. The adjustment is at the lever end of the cable.....near to where the cable attaches to the lever.

For this to be visible, you may have to slide a rubber boot out of the way.

If there is NO free play in the lever, this can cause the clutch to slip because the tight cable may not be allowing it to engage fully. The adjustment should be somewhat obvious when you get the boot out of the way. If not let us know.

As for the oil, (probably too late now) you probably should get motorcycle specific oil.......since you are already having clutch slippage problems.

Here's hoping that the cable is too tight and adjusting it fixes the problem without changing oil. :tup:

Thanks Easy Rider
 

From your description, I believe that my clutch is adjusted properly. I can pull it in and the friction zone is between a third and two-thirds of the way to the grip. Everything was working fine (even with the slight bit of MMO I added in) until I put in the synthetic oil.

I am hoping the oil change will help.

I do have the manual, I printed it from here (luckily, it seems to be for a 1999 - my year!). I try to ask those that have done it first before hitting the book because the experienced folks normally know to add those little things (like hold onto the cover because it is spring-loaded) that are somehow forgotten by the service manual writer (or assumed to be common knowledge to the experienced mechanic reader, to be kind to manual writers).

Thanks again!
-Bob

Hi Stretch, sounds like the crash course in Metric conversion is paying off. Just don't ever try to figure out how many liters of gas for every 100 kms travelled. That will cause serious brain damage. Metric, Imperial measure and U.S. measure are a bitch to convert without a decent conversion chart or smart calculator.
Really hate to hear you will dump the synthetic oil but it might serve to provide a good rinse to remove any other additives that could cause clutch slippage. Maybe check the bottom end of the clutch cable and assorted parts for anything hanging up or not fully releasing the clutch mechanism. Does the clutch cable itself have any serious bend in it to cause binding ?? Keep us informed.

Re: Thanks Easy Rider
 

Unfortunately for us. Service manuals are written for experienced motorcycle mechanics. Seems to me it would be better to hit the book first and ask questions when you don't understand something.

Re: Thanks Easy Rider
 

I'm not trying to be snippy here but this is important.

I said nothing about friction zone. Friction zone is hard to gauge by feel. Slack is not.
It is the SLACK that is important. With everything released (IE you not touching anything) there MUST be slack in the cable/lever. You measure this by taking 2 fingers and LIGHTLY trying to move the clutch lever back and forth; it should move at least 5 MM, measured at the end of the lever, with virtually 0 force applied. Or to put it another way, when fully engaged, there should be some "slop" in the lever.

If the cable is too tight, the clutch will not engage fully and will slip.

Maybe you got that from the previous message but your response didn't really indicate that.

My guess: The high solvent content of the MMO has penetrated the clutch plates and made them soft. The slippage just happened to show up about the time you put in the synthetic oil. The damage may be permanent.

Let's hope not and that either a cable adjustment or new oil solves the problem. I would love to be wrong about that! :tup:

Not Snippy at All!
 

Actually Easy Rider, after I read your last post and sort of quickly said "it is ok" (please remember I am brand new at motorcycling - I have had my bike only a couple of months and put barely 1000 miles on her - so I will be asking/saying stupid things now and again in order to learn), I went to the general books I have on motorcycle maintenance and they alll agreed with you that clutch cables could be the problem. But they didn't mention how to check it as you did (which is why I ask and read BadBob). So, let me go into the garage and check. BRB

Ok, I took a ruler with me and held it on the grip with the wheel straight ahead and, using one finger, I could gently move the clutch level 5mm before I felt strong tension... but that being said, it wasn't free and easy movement for that 5mm, there was a bit of stiffness, not as much as after the 5mm, but it didn't feel like what I could consider "slack." I didn't see any obvious kinks or bends Water Warrior, so, I am wondering if, based on my reading, the clutch cable may need lubrication. That would be a relatively easy fix (at least based on what I saw in the manuals). I just need to go out later today and get the goodies to do it. So here is my plan:

1) Lube the clutch cable (it can't hurt and it might help).
2) Retest for clutch slack and, if necessary, adjust the cable tension (I am assuming the service manual will tell me how, I haven't had a chance to break that out as yet and the general manual was fairly vague about it).
3) Make a trial run to test for clutch slippage: if it is still there, go ahead and dump the Syntec and replace it with cheap no-frills/no-additives 10W40 from Pennzoil.
4) Make a second trial run for clutch slippage: if it is still there, assume the worst and start reading about clutch overhauls because at that point, my assumption would be that either I did damage the clutch or it simply decided to die right about the time I decided to try to change the oil.

Does this scheme make sense to those of you who are more experienced than I am at all of this? I am trying to move from cheap and easy fixes to the expensive and painful ones in a logical sequence.
-Bob

Re: Not Snippy at All!
 

Slack is slack. If it didn't feel like slack, then it isn't and needs to be adjusted. I would do that first BEFORE you try to lube the cable (which is NOT as easy as you might think).
And that 5 MM I suggested is BARE MINIMUM; the book says 10-15 MM.

What the owner's manual doesn't tell you is that the cable adjustment hardware is UNDER a rubber boot (at least on late models) which you must move first.

The instructions appear vague because the adjustment is really simple. No offense intended but if you can't figure this out, you had better find a mechanically inclined friend or a good shop. :roll:

Slack = absolutely no tension on the cable

The clutch lever should move the first few millimeters without pulling on the cable at all. If you don't have this the clutch can't fully engage and it slips. The clutch plates are held together by spring tension. When you pull on the clutch lever it pulls the plates apart. I know thats not a real good description but I'm at a loss as how to explain it better without drawing pictures.

Clutch Cable Adjusted...
 

Ok, I opened up the service manual and a maintenance book and took a look. (No offense taken Easy Rider -- I know what you mean and I agree.)

Initially the clutch handle moved through about 15 degrees of arc (5mm at the tip approximately) with slight resistance before hitting the "friction zone." When I took the rubber boot off, the tail end of the lever at the pivot point would seat itself against the arm (no space between the silver leading edge of the handle and the black trailing edge of the support just above the pivot).

When I adusted it to get 15MM of play the lever falls back and rests at the edge of the friction zone with a wide gap at the pivot point under the rubber boot. So, BadBob, I think I have it finally fully slack. There is no resistance at all, in fact, when I push the lower clutch lever (the one at the other end of the clutch cable that is on top of the engine housing) all the way to the right (which I believe is completely disengaged), it will slide back about 20 degrees to the resting position. So the clutch itself will push the clutch lever outward to some extent.

I just tried the bike and the friction zone is dramatically decreased. Where before I could engage the clutch with a couple fingers still resting between the lever and the handlebar, now the friction zone starts about an inch and a half from the bar and goes until full contact with the bar. Shifting is a bit quicker but not a subtle as before. I am still getting some slippage in 5th, but nothing I could detect in the lower gears. Traffic however held me up, so there is still a question mark on that. However, now I was at 63 MPH before the slippage and it was easier to handle than before with less playing around with the throttle.

I don't think that I adjusted it too tightly because when I hold the clutch fully in (lever against the grip), the bike doesn't creep forward.

My question is this... (and I haven't found it so far in the books I have looked at or the service manual): When at "rest" should the springs in the clutch hold that lower arm fully to the right (rearward) or is it ok to have it pull itself into a position about one-third of the way across its path of travel? I am wondering if my clutch is wearing out...

The syntec is still inside it and I haven't lubed the cable as yet.

I appreciate the help.
-Bob
:bow:

Re: Clutch Cable Adjusted...
 

Now you know what things feel like when the adjustment is at both extremes. 15 MM of slack is at one extreme. You probably should adjust once more and shoot for about half that. I find it much easier to gauge the adjustment by the gap near the pivot point, right there by the cable connection and the adjustment knobs. Once you know what that looks like when you have ~7-8MM of slack, you won't need a ruler next time.

Now, what next? I think you should just ride it for a while. With the clutch plates properly adjusted, the situation might improve a bit over time.......7-10 days. During that time, try not to stress it. If you TRY to slip the clutch, it will.......even on a new bike (this model).

Don't know about what is normal at the other end of that cable but will look later, if I remember.

Thanks Easy Rider, Jonathan180iq, BadBob & Water Warrior
 

I did tweak the adustment a bit last night and then took her out for a longer spin and the performance was much better. I will take your advice and chill about it for a week or so. But while I was down there playing with the clutch cable, I noticed the chain was starting to get dirty, so I did a kerosene cleaning last night... and then I noticed the chain appears a bit too slack... started reading up on that. It doesn't appear too difficult... Ok, I can see why maintenance starts to get addictive and why these topics (at least whenever I join in) can wander from the original topic...
:roll:

I really appreciate all the help everyone gave me. This may have been a simple fix to a simple problem, but when it is your first time and you are by yourself, it seems like a big deal. For anyone reading this thread and actually interested in the oil change itself: for the record, the syntec is still in the bike and doing fine. The oil didn't appear to cause the troubles I had, it just brought them to light.

Enjoy the ride!
-Bob

Re: Thanks Easy Rider, Jonathan180iq, BadBob & Water War
 

Been there done that!

Keep in mind that motorcycles are more alike than they are different. You can sometimes find the solution to your problem in a forum for another motorcycle.

Hey Stretch, glad to hear the learning curve is not giving you an ulcer. The more you tinker on the bike the easier it gets. Soon you will be hunting for tools for that special ocassion.

Any excuse for new tools :)
 

So long as I can keep making it run better, sound better, or ride better... I am a happy camper. And if we throw in the excuse for new tools -- it is worth any frustration!
-Bob
;)

Stretch you must still be young and full of enthusiasm.

I wish!
 

Young at heart perhaps, but 20 years of Naval service and another six or so years in front of college students has frayed most of my edges and dulled most of the sharp ends. Luckily, on the bike I am 12 again (unfortunately with the recovery time of an 80 year old -- but happily, memory is the first thing to go!).

:tongue:
-Bob

Stretch, first off thank you for your years of service from the GWN. Second, feel 12 but don't act 12 or you won't have a license and you will have to send me your bike to ride while you grow up.
I am continually amazed how young we get when 2 wheels are involved. Just don't tell the government or they will cancel a lot of pensions.

No worries Water Warrior
 

Even as a 12-year-old, I had a healthy respect for gravity, speed, and friction burns... so I guess you will have to wait a bit longer before you get my bike
;)
-Bob

Ouch - what a difference!
 

Well, I did get a chance to read up on the chain tightening and went out to check. My chain was so slack that I couldn't even get an accurate reading because it hit the frame when I lifted it and still wasn't tight! I tightened it up to the 1/2 inch specs and took it out for a spin. It is a whole new bike! The noise level is dramatically lower, the shifting is smoother (still slips in 5th when I upramp too quickly) and much more top end. I think my earlier problems with slow speed turns may have been aggravated by this loose chain/clutch and the resulting jerky acceleration and stopping. And here I was blaming my shifting technique (which can stll use some improvement)!

My real learning experience is in what to look for in when buying a used bike. I bought mine from the instructor/owner of the motorcycling training school I attended (actually bought it from the school itself, even though it was not a training bike). I relied on his "expertise" and assistance. After reading the wonderful posts here, I have found that (1) the handlebar weights were missing (replaced them), (2) the cracked tires "normal and no problem for a bike like this" need replacing (on order), (3) chain was dangerously loose, (4) the clutch wasn't adjusted properly, and his advice (5) "always rev the hell out of these bikes, they love it" wasn't very bright either. I am sure there are more learnings lurking in the bike...

I guess part of learning is unlearning. So far I have been able do it without the bike or I getting seriously hurt... I am going to try to keep it that way!

Thanks again for all of the help you folks gave me!
-Bob

The joys of a used bike. I have no ability to find a used cage or bike that is good so I have always resorted to new and debt. I figure new and a warranty gives me a fighting chance if all the parts are in the right place.

What? You miss out on all those great adventures. Just think what you could learn from doing all those repairs yourself. :)

Some of the best things I ever owned were bought used. I glad someone is willing to pay for the shiny part.