Changing Oil

[fshfindr]

I changed my engine oil and gear oil so I have two questions.  I certainly did it the hard way but how do you measure and install the gear oil.  I think I need a special funnel for the gear oil.  Also, I found a steel washer under the gear oil drain plug (The one with the strainer).  Do you replace it with copper?  Where did you get the copper washer?  Can a penny be drilled and filed down to get it to the right size?

Richard L.

[Wil B.]

Richard, I've always used a big syringe with long needle to fill the trans (gear) oil on my scooters.  I use a $7.00 syringe I bought a long time ago that is for injecting oil, spices, garlic, etc. into big pieces of meat like turkey or roasts.  Although not a  'scooter' tool it works well for me.  These gearboxes don't use all that much oil.

Wil B.
Broadview, IL

'71 Guzzi Ambassador
'91 Nighthawk
'04 Kymco Super 9 (my baby)
'10 Kymco Yager 200

[fshfindr]

Wil B.  I'll have to look for such a needle, it sounds good.  About using the "copper" penny, forget it.  It is not copper, it is copper plated zinc, the zinc is too hard,  I may try lead.

[CapnJ]

You can reuse the same washer many times. I use a small lever type oil can to squirt the oil in, you fill it until it starts to run out of the fill port.

[fshfindr]

CaptJ, I like the oilcan idea.  I have a pretty good squirt oilcan that I haven't used in a long time.  I can put a measured amount of oil in the can and squirt it in.  I think I remember seeing a post that over filling it will run it into the air filter.  As to the washer, I also saw a post about annealing it, which sounds like it would work as well.

Capt. Rich (Ret)

[juice]

Walmart sells a big syringe called the "Hopkins mixmizer" . It sure makes the task easier . Good luck .

[slugrocket rob]

I get my gearbox oil from the local Honda shop. the Honda brand oil comes in a squert bottle that works purfect. It also has mesurments on the side so you can keep track of how much oil you put in (on my People S200 it should be around 6.5 oz.). This product may only be a U.S. market thing and not avalable in U.K. or other places. Also, I re use my washer (unless it's buggered). Good luck and Scoot on!
-rob
Slugrocket scooter club.

[fshfindr]

I think you guys have solved my problem with replacing the gear oil, thank you.  Getting back to the copper washer, I have fashioned a lead washer from an old fishing weight.  I have it the right size so that's not a problem.  My question with the washer is, will I have a problem with lead on the aluminum gear case?  This old yacht captain knows that sometimes dissimilar metals will cause corrosion.  Will the lead be ok with the aluminum?  Or, is it only a problem in salt water with the battery effect?

Rich L.

[CapnJ]

I expect to reuse my washer, which I think is Aluminum, probably for as long as I have the scoot. Unless your having a leak I don't know why you wouldn't reuse your old washer.  I don't think you will have any electrolysis issues using a lead washer. I'd be more worried about tightening it too much and splitting it. I am using 75/90 Synthetic gear lube and I highly recommend it.

[axy]

I think you guys have solved my problem with replacing the gear oil, thank you.  Getting back to the copper washer, I have fashioned a lead washer from an old fishing weight.  I have it the right size so that's not a problem.  My question with the washer is, will I have a problem with lead on the aluminum gear case?  This old yacht captain knows that sometimes dissimilar metals will cause corrosion.  Will the lead be ok with the aluminum?  Or, is it only a problem in salt water with the battery effect?

Rich L.

Aluminum and lead are mid way between being "cathodic" and "anodic" and the difference of electric potentials between them is very low, if any at all.

[CapnJ]

We'll I learned that my Kymco and my old Chinese Scoots are very different animals. If you fill the transmission up to the overflow level you will indeed get loads of gear oil sucked into your air filter. I just cleaned mine this morning.

[Yager200i]

For the gear oil, what I do is fill it up to the overflow, then jack up the front wheel about a foot off the ground, and let the excess run out of the fill hole. That seems to work pretty well, I had a few drops get sucked into the air filter and subsequently drip out that little bulb at the bottom of the air filter, but not much.

Maybe next time I change the oil, I'll jack up the front wheel a few inches more.

[fshfindr]

I put in as much as I take out.

[fshfindr]

CaptJ, I like the oilcan idea.  I have a pretty good squirt oilcan that I haven't used in a long time.  I can put a measured amount of oil in the can and squirt it in.  I think I remember seeing a post that over filling it will run it into the air filter.  As to the washer, I also saw a post about annealing it, which sounds like it would work as well.

Capt. Rich (Ret)

I changed the gear oil today, the squirt can worked great.  I put the same amount that came out, back in.  Less than 6.5oz came out even though I spun the wheel both ways.

[fshfindr]

I also changed the engine oil and filter today.  No problem.  With the new filter it took exactly 1 qt.  I like it better with out the left over oil. 

CaptJ, we have to meet some time.  I'm in Bellmawr across the river and I am a recently retired Yacht Delivery Capt.  I just let my license expire.  I'd like to see your tug.  And, I'm looking foreward to my first trip across The Walt or The Ben.

Rich L.