Changing Oil - Symptoms?

[mokwepa]

Bike: rev 3 270

Oil: ATF

What are the symptoms indicating that a oil change is required? Sticky gears? Etc, etc?

I am just curious and am keen to know what to look for. Guys have told me that your clutch feels funny but that doesn't describe much. What does a funny clutch feel like?

[charlie chitlins]

I can tell that the shifting begins to get a bit harder.

[nelly1]

atf is very cheap change it regular and you will never have a problem

[mokwepa]

Im using super cheap dextron 3 atf because its available everywhere and is super cheap. Its a mineral atf.

The top guys here in sa use dextron 6 atf that they say lasts about 6 months riding twice a week. The dex 3 I use, they recon should be changed once a month. Dex 6 handles heat better and does not break down as fast. The dex6 they use Iis fully synthetic.

I hate changinging to different oils all the time and prefer to use something I can get regularly. That way I can feel when things are changing.

I havent been on trials or atf long enough to identify when my oil has gone bad.

[tltel]

Only you know how much riding you have done in any given period. I personally don't change mine to a set time period but if I have ridden lot over a few months I will change it (ATF Dex3)

Drain it in to a clean container and look at the oil, Its a good indicator of whats going on inside the engine. By that I mean water seal leakage or any bits of broken bearing or as I found in my sons bike bits off the clutch friction plates.

It can save you a lot of money if you catch a problem early.

TLTEL

Can't say I notice any different feeling in gears or clutch,

[dombush]

I havent been on trials or atf long enough to identify when my oil has gone bad.

You may possibly have the wrong idea about oil life.

Whilst it might be possible to feel when your oil has deteriorated, the other properties of the oil may (will) have long since significantly deteriorated.

Oil life is limited by a number of factors; contamination, particulate build up, deterioration (loss of viscosity), deterioration (loss of film strength), corrosion resistance and more besides.

Its likely that the "feel" of an oil might be related to the viscosity (clutch action) or its film strength (ease of gear selection) BUT by this time the particulate build up or contamination is high and bearing life is suffering.

Bearing life is calculated in 1000's of hours and assumes "good" lubrication. You wont know that you've accelerated the wear in your gearbox until long after the damage is done.

Its also worth noting that mechanical wear doesn't occur at a steady rate. As component wear increases it accelerates for a number of reasons.... therefore you want to slow the early stages as much as possible.

Cutting to the chase... change it often because:-

• ATF and gearbox oil is cheap
  
• A trials bike doesn't hold much oil anyway.
  
• Contamination (clutch particles, dirt, gear particles, water etc.) limit its service life.
  
• Gearbox rebuilds are expensive and time consuming.
  
• Its easy to do.
  

This reminds me of a mate that raced bike engine race cars. The engine cost £4,000 and tuning work a further £8,000. The engine spent most of its life between 9000 and 13000 RPM. If we were forced to strip the engine before the perceived the oil life was up he would strain the oil through some ladies tights and put it back in...... even race oil was only £60!!! Doh!!!!!!

Dom

[mokwepa]

Thanks for the info.

The atf thats in at the moment has been in for about a month. I ride 4/5 times a week but for short periods, about a hour a day.

My plan is to change once a month with the cheap stuff.