How to do an Oil Change for Harley Davidson

Some of the Harley Davidson models have a few quirks about them when it comes to an oil change. This article will take you through an oil change for Harley Davidson Sportster. You would be sitting in front of your computer all day if all of the steps were included for every model. When I tried to do an oil change for my Harley Davidson, I thought this article might be needed by the other do-it-yourselfers out there.

The Sportster has a dry sump arrangement. That means that all of the oil is in a reservoir(oil bag) on the side of the bike. The oil sump sits outside of the oil bag. The pump circulates the oil through the engine and back into the bag. The primary chain reservoir is a little different because it does not have a filling hole nor a sight glass.

There are eleven basic steps to do on an oil change for Harley Davidson.

1. Ride your bike for a few miles to warm the oil. If your bike has sat for a few days the oil will settle in the engine and not be drained when you empty the oil bag. Also, warm oil flows easier.

2. Get you tools together. You are going to need a drain pan, flat head screw-driver, and a filter wrench. If this is the first time you have changed the oil yourself, the filter could be over tightened. After this you should be able to loosen the filter by hand.

3. Put the bike on the side stand, put the drain pan under your bike close to the rear wheel, and find the drain hose. The free end will have a plug that doubles as a clip to hold it to the frame.

4. Use the screw-driver to remove the hose clamp and move it past the plug.

5. Pinch the hose tightly and remove the plug. Tip it into the drain pan. Be careful, the oil will burn you. Remove the filter cap to speed up the flow of the oil.

6. Once the oil flow slows to a drip, straddle the bike and stand it up. The flow should start again, then slow again.

7. Lean the bike back onto the side stand. It will drain some more. Wait until the flow stops.

8. Put the plug back into the hose. Do not tighten the clamp yet. You will get back to it in a minute.

9. Put the drain pan under the filter and remove it.

10. Clean off the filter seat, fill the new filter with oil, coat the filter seat with oil, and put the new filter on your bike. Hand tighten only. When the gasket seats there will not be any leaking. On the off chance that there is, turn the filter about an 1/8 of a turn. That should seal it up.

11. Put the pan back under the drain hose. A little more oil should come out. When this flow stops, plug the hose, clamp it tight, then clip it back to your bike. Refill the oil bag.

After you follow all of these steps you will have a little bit of clean up left to do. There might be a few drops of oil on your bike. Clean them off with a rag them hose it down. As far as I can tell this is the easiest way to do an oil change for the Harley Davidson Sportster.