Please pardon my confusion. This is my first "DIY" fluid change. My recently purchased '06 Heritage Softail just hit 5000 miles. I am changing the fluids in all three resorvoirs from dino to Synthetic. I am using Amsoil 20w-50 in the engine and the primary. I am using Amsoil 75W-90 in the transmission. I have three questions I hope you can help me with.

1) I bought a filter that the helpful person at the auto parts store where I bought the Amsoil oil said would fit and was a very good filter. It is a Wix #51348. This filter has a female threaded attachment hole in the center. When I removed the existing original HD filter, it has a male threaded nipple sticking out the center of the oil filter attachment face. Do I have the wrong sort of filter - that is should the filter have a male threaded nipple? Or is the nipple in this HD original removed filter supposed to be removed and used to attach the new Wix filter?

2) In this forum, I read that one of the preferred transmission fluids was Amsoil 75W-90 Severe Gear Lube. The auto parts store at which I bought the Amsoil had "Amsoil synthetic gear lube SAE 75W-90". Is this the same as the "Amsoil 75w-90 severe gear lube"? If not, is it a reasonable alternative?

3) I drained the engine oil and only got out about 2 to 3 qts. The owners manual says that the engine oil quantity is 3.5 qts. It would seem that the rest is hung up in the engine. Are there any "tricks" to getting the rest out? Once I add the new 2-3 qts of synthetic Amsoil, do I need to run the engine for a while and do ANOTHER oil change (another ~$30 of oil) with synthetic oil to wash out the rest of the old dino oil?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

G'day,

Vinish
Central Michigan

 

1) It sounds like you have the wrong filter. There's really not much to it. Unscrew the old one and screw in the new one the exact opposite way. K&N is what a lot of people on this forum use for a filter (myself included). Autozone carries them and you can lookup your filter part number on K&N's web site. I looked up your bike and for chrome use http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=KN-171C and for black use http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=KN-171B. Double-check those just to be sure.

2) It is not the same otherwise why would they sell it in two separate containers with two (slightly) different names. You want the 75W-90 Severe Gear lube (http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/svg.aspx)

3) Some oil will remain in the reservoir. You won't get out all of it and it's totally normal. I've heard from some "experts" say this is even good for the engine. There are products to get out all the oil, but it really isn't necessary. Just use the dip stick to be sure on how much to put back in. You should always run the engine for a bit after an oil change and recheck the level. Levels can fluctuate depending on engine temp but final measurement should be done when hot (check your manual to be sure). I don't believe you need to do another change to "wash out" the remaining dino oil, but I'm by no means sure on that one. Someone else can hopefully help with that one.

 

It sounds like your filter adapter unscrewed from the engine and stayed on the filter, which it shouldn't do. Unscrew it from the filter and put back on the engine.
You're gonna love Amsoil. Soon you too shall be an Amwhore like many of us oil acolytes! Bike will run cooler, primary may be a little noisy, but means nothing.

 

Quadancer, good call on the adapter. Hadn't thought about that one.

Vinish, below is a popular system to get all the oil out if that's something you want to do.
http://www.roguechopper.com/products..._Kit_RC120.htm

 

I am certain that, as Quadancer suggested, the oil filter adaptor came out stuck to the filter. I thought this might be the case even before posting but my attempts to unscrew the adaptor from the old filter were unsuccessful. I did not have a closed end wrench or socket large enough to go on the hexagonal portion of this adaptor so I used an adjustable crescent wrench on the adaptor and a strap wrench on the body of the oil filter but no joy. I then put the hexagonal portion of the adaptor into a vice and tried to turn the oil filter body with the strap wrench but stil no joy. The adaptor just twisted out of the vice. That oil filter is really screwed on tight to that adaptor. Tomorrow I will buy a larger socket and will get that adaptor out.

I don't like using HD parts or fluids since they seem to cost about twice as much as comparable items from other companies and often seem not as good. In this case, I bought a Wix #51348 oil filter. According to various things I've read, the oil filter should filter out 10 micron particles and should have a by-pass feature. According to the Wix filter packaging, it has the by-pass but the package is silent on the filtering capability. Does anyone know if this oil filter has 10 micron filtering capability? Thanks.

G'day,

Vinish

 

Sent you a PM

 

Your on the right track on everthing!

 

The Wix is a good filter. run with it. It sounds like someone must have cranked that old filter on for it to be stuck so bad. You might end up buying another adapter if you screw that one up getting it loose. When you get to it only put in 3 qts and ride it. Check it hot after riding. Don't worry about any left over dino oil. It's all good.

 

I believe the newer models call for a 5 micron filter. I bought a K&N that claims to be a 3 micron

 

Don't worry about the micron rating it's all bullshit anyway. Harley rates theirs at 5 but at what flow rate? get them to tell you that. Is it 5 micron at 2 gpm, 5 gpm? I guarantee you they will never give you an answer. Run the Wix!