changing oil and filter on my 2013 softtail slim 103 cu in. only getting 2.5 us quarts out. is the oil tank smaller on a slim? owners manual says 3.5 quarts.

 

Are you running the bike before draining the oil?

You want to make sure the sump is fully scavenged and most oil is in the tank before draining. There will always be a few ounces in the engine sump, but with softails, when the engine is off, some oil will seep past the oil pump into the sump. That's also why they recommend that you DO NOT check the oil on a cold softail engine...

In my older (88ci) softails, when changing oil/filter, I fill with 3 qts. I run the bike to temp and then check the level with the dipstick. Rarely (if ever) have I needed to add any oil.....

 

yup, just got home from a ride. drained my engine oil and took my filter off. rocked the bike side to side a few times to get more oil out. only getting 2.5 quarts out. thanks for your reply.

 

Maybe it was low before? You should only have a few ounces in the engine.

 

nope only getting 2.5 back in

 

Do you have an oil cooler installed? If so it will retain some.

 

nope, no cooler, thanks for your reply.

 

i have been reading Sanjuro's thread, seems 2.5 quarts is somewhat normal. thank you all for tour replies.