To heck with conventional wisdom. I like your way of thinking. You cannot possibly do any damage to an engine by changing the oil cold. I have often wondered myself why it wasn't done this way.

Maniac

 

Sounds logical to me! So, if a beer is really cold, it goes down smoother if the oil is warm. But if the oil is cold, is the beer just as good??

 

Never thought of that one. You may be right.

 

I've always done mine cold because I am just lazy...

 

I would have to agree with Scraper. Since it has been sitting for many hours, there will be less oil up top.

 

I never do warm engine oil changes!

If you shut off your engine and the oil drains down, then why start it again??
Who cares if it sits overnight or what, it ain't gonna drain any more!

 

You are correct! I have been doing oil changes on my bike using the same procedure for the last year. I have been using the same logic as you. Works great, the oil drains faster, and I don't have to worry about getting burned in the process.

 

:idea: Cool. I might be on to something here.

I thought this thread would be filled with angry replies telling me I was plain nuts because "Doing a oil change with warm oil is the way my Dad taught me, and it's the way his Dad taught him! It's the only way to do it"

Nice to see others are doing it with cold engines too.


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I've always done mine cold because I am just lazy...

Me too! :lol: :lol: :lol: I've never had any problems doing mine cold.

 

I've always done mine cold because I am just lazy...

Me too! :lol: :lol: :lol: I've never had any problems doing mine cold.

I'm not gonna say it.

 

Not to mention the pipes are fairly close and those buggers get hot too!

 

Yup, do mine cold too. Works great and I don't get burned.

 

Conventional oil change

You may be right however consider:
1. The reason for warming the oil isn't to let it flow down into the pan. It's to distribute it throughout the engine. This way, the amount of oil in the pan is the manufacturering engineers specified amount that you measure on the dip stick/see in the window of C50s and vols. If you drain it all down, change it and measure it to the "full" amount, then start the engine and distribute the oil throughout the engine, wouldn't you be low on oil in the pan, and therefore throughout the system? And if we then top it off to bring it up to the correct "full" amount, what have we accomplished?

2. Single weight oils are still used today. They are not outmoded, such as the 30w specified in my Jeep. So don't let the weight system lead us to analyze the reason for warm/cold oil changes.

Just my opinion and would appreciate some comments.

 

Re: Conventional oil change

You may be right however consider:
1. The reason for warming the oil isn't to let it flow down into the pan. It's to distribute it throughout the engine. This way, the amount of oil in the pan is the manufacturering engineers specified amount that you measure on the dip stick/see in the window of C50s and vols. If you drain it all down, change it and measure it to the "full" amount, then start the engine and distribute the oil throughout the engine, wouldn't you be low on oil in the pan, and therefore throughout the system? And if we then top it off to bring it up to the correct "full" amount, what have we accomplished?

2. Single weight oils are still used today. They are not outmoded, such as the 30w specified in my Jeep. So don't let the weight system lead us to analyze the reason for warm/cold oil changes.

Just my opinion and would appreciate some comments.

Oil is supposed to be checked on a cold engine, so if it is checked warm, it will most likely indicate low. Adding oil at this time will overfill the crankcase.
Is your Jeep a 1962 model? I haven't seen a manufacturers manual specify single weight oil for quite a while...except for my lawn tractor!

 

I like it, well put.

but I thought thte main reason for doing it warm was that all the crap sediment would be suspended more in the warm oil.

 

I've been changing miy oil cold, simply 'cus I didn't know any better

 

Nothing like a good oil thread! I always drain mine cold but I allow it to drip for an hour before capping and refilling.
Ernie

 

I always drain cold and on a lift so the pan empties completely. And when measuring fresh oil level, remember to account for the new filter keeping some.

Also, my stealer recommends replacing the final drive oil at every engine oil change, even though the manual doesn't call for it. It's cheap and doesn't take much more time, so I do it. Anyone else?

 

Also, my stealer recommends replacing the final drive oil at every engine oil change, even though the manual doesn't call for it. It's cheap and doesn't take much more time, so I do it. Anyone else?

Oil, filter, and final drive oil every 3,000.... probably overkill but cheap insurance for the fun I get in return.

 

I thought the oil was supposed to be checked while warm. After the engine is warmed up, let it sit for 3 minutes or so so the oil drains down, then check it. I believe this is because the oil expands somewhat when hot, giving a different reading than if you checked it cold. Just what I heard or read somewhere... might be right or wrong.

As for draining when cold... it probably is just fine for our Volusias and C50s, but that doesn't work for a dry sump system with an external tank like my Buell. The oil is drained from the external tank via a hose. When the engine is run, oil is pumped into the tank. After it sits for a while, some of the oil drains from the tank back into the crankcase. Therefore on this particular bike, there is no way you could drain all the oil if you do it cold. I try to drain the tank immediately when shutting the engine down. No problem with burning fingers on this one though. If you check the oil on this bike when cold, the level will look low and if you top it off, you will definitely be overfilled. I know... not a Volusia... but I'm just passing along this info should someone read this thread and apply the knowledge to all bikes.

Steve

 

I agree with 1983Z28.

Oil is contaminated with abrasive and chemical impurities. But the dirt in oil is just like dirt in water, leave it undisturbed and it settles to the bottom. Drain cold oil and much of the sludge may stay behind. Therefore, I run the engine and get all of the contaminants in suspension so they come out with the oil.

Another trick, after oil is drained, is to add fresh oil and let it wash out the sludge before you install the drain plug.

 

There are sound mechanical reasons for running an engine for a brief period of time prior to changing the oil. To remove all of the impurities that cause engine wear, it's necessary for the engine to be run. (It isn't necessary to run the engine to the point at which the oil is hot and unsafe to handle.) The problem is that the filter only removes 98 to 99% of the dirt and impurities from the oil. Sub-micron particles and particles up to two to three microns will invariably pass through the filter and, over time, contaminate the oil. This is the reason to change the oil in the first place. (plus thermal breakdown) These particles will settle out into the bottom of the engine oil pan and there is no way to get them back into suspension to be removed when the oil is drained out without running the engine first. Eventually, the "cold" method will result in excessive engine wear and premature mechanical failures. Hence, there are two reasons for running the engine prior to draining the oil: 1) to get all of the impurities into suspension in the oil for removal and 2) to warm the oil to a point at which it will readily drain from the engine. Experience with your own type and model engine will tell you how long you must run it to get the oil warm. At that point you may be satisfied that all of the smaller particles not trapped in the filter are being removed along with the old oil.

So here is my answer. Do it warm. Not hot, just warm. I know that's how I will always do mine cause it's not just about the flow. That is of course, unless someone can find me a write up that says something different.

 

Last week I was getting ready to change the oil on my Volusia, and I was about to warm the bike up for the process. That's when I got to thinking about the conventional wisdom surrounding an oil change.

Conventional wisdom: An oil change should only be done after the engine has warmed up to operating temperature. Once an engine is shutoff, all the warm oil will flow from the top of the engine down to the oil pan/sump for easier draining. That's because warm oil flows better than cold oil.

But here's where I really started questioning that.

1) The last time I used the bike the engine was nice and warm and so was the oil. Consequently, when I shut the bike off the warm oil took its time and drained down to the sump as the bike slowly cooled. All engine oil should have made its way to the oil pan by the time the engine cools off, leaving virtually no oil hanging around up in the valve train, or on cylinder walls, pistons, rods, etc.

2). Modern multi-weight oil (e.g. 10W-40) is engineered to act just like thinner 10W oil when it is cold (to aid in oil circulation when cold starting) and the same oil actually thickens viscosity up to act like 40W oil when it is warmed up to operating temperatures. That's what makes multi-weight oil great.

So..... follow me on this....when the engine is cold, all the oil has already drained down into the engine's oil pan and this cold oil is at it's thinest multi-weight properties. Bingo! That should be the ideal time to do an oil change.

You know what? My cold engine oil change went great. The oil drained as quickly, if not quicker, then usual. And there was no danger of gently scalding myself on hot oil.

My theory on this? This engine-must-be-warm-to-do-an-oil-change myth was formed in the old days of cars using single weight oil, like straight 30W, when owners would actually switch to thinner 20W in cold climates for winter use, and back to 30W for summertime. Way back then, it made sense to warm up the straight weight oil because it would thin out at operating temperatures. But I don't think that is true any more.

Try it for yourself on your next oil change.


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I've always changed oil on my 2004 cold - never any issues. I also use conventional and have NEVER had a problem. Same with lawnmower etc! Always cold!

 

I've always changed oil on my 2004 cold - never any issues. I also use conventional and have NEVER had a problem. Same with lawnmower etc! Always cold!

Welcome from Kennesaw GA!

Your 2004 was only a year old when this thread was last updated. [emoji6]

 

I change my oil and filter cold every 5000 miles whether it needs it or not. So once every 2 or 3 years.