Hitchcocks Forum

Changed the oil and filter on my efi today. Removed both drain plugs and the little plate underneath. Oil was hot but only 2 litres came out. Let it drain for ages, is that normal as I thought it held far more? Put 2 litres back and ran it, level is fine.

It's not possible to drain all 2.75 litres from a UCE engine because of its design. According to the workshop manual you should get 2.4 litres (the amount specified to put in again) but to do this you need to lean the bike to each side (on its main stand) and also lower the rear wheel to the ground ie try to drain out as much oil as possible. That is what I do and I find that adding 2.4 litres brings mine to the proper level. However, if you get a measured 2 litres out then IF the level was correct before draining logic dictates that it should be right afterwards. Personally I feel that like with some other makes with quirky oil level checking procedures eg BMW oilheads people obsess about it unnecessarily. No doubt others will offer their take on the procedure, which differs in terms of oil quantity anyway depending on whether it's a two-drain UCE or the later three-drain type. I'd just check it as per the handbook and the act accordingly.

Ok thanks, I did have the bike serviced a couple of weeks ago. But, I could see they didn't touch the front drain plug or suction filter. So, that bugged me hence my own change today. Good job I did, the magnet was covered in metal fragments. Couldn't use my usual dealer as was away touring so got it done hundreds of miles away.

Hi, I just changed the oil (300mile first service) on my new c5 classic. I was following the instructions in the handbook which said to undo the two drain plugs at the bottom of the sump. I noticed there was also another plate held in with two bolts, but the instructions didn't say anything about that, so I left it alone. Should I also have taken the little plate off the bottom of the sump to drain the oil? (What's the plate for??).

Back to your question, I got just under 2.25l of oil back in, which eventually settled a little over the 'dot' in the oil level window. Cheers.

"the magnet was covered in metal fragments"
That is not good.
Do you mean fine dust or actual fragments?
A bit of dust is OK on a new engine but fragments mean something is very amiss.

Yes you should have it covers the sump oil filter and should be cleaned at every service, the gauze filter is quite fragile so care is needed when re assembling.

Pete, yes tiny little fragments a bit like dust. I've seen worse!

25TOm. The owners manual does include the instruction to remove the plate - Place motorcycle on its center stand on a firm flat surface. Start engine and warm up for 2 minutes. Keep a clean tray below the engine. * Remove primary drain cap, to drain oil & clean suction filter, magnet. Then remove secondary drain plug to drain oil & clean the magnet. Finally remove primay drain bolt to drain the complete oil. . . . its the bit about the 'primary drain cap' etc etc. A thin covering of dust size metal particles is fine mixed in with a bit of marmite.

nigelphoto - Hmmmmmm! Marmite! Lovely - I know what I'm having for lunch today now.....

The problem is that the handbook is dated 2009, or at least the one that came with my 2015 C5 is. That refers to the two drain earlier version. Also, the terminology used by RE, certainly in the W/shop manual, is very strange. It's about time RE updated their handbooks etc. Seven years is a long time.