After reading your reply I realized that Mark of Mark's site DOES say
to drain the oil unless you lean the bike over. I did manage to
catch most of it in a drain pan though. I did use just the lightest
coat of sealer I could, and after replacing the oil and running the
engine for about 20 minutes I changed the oil and filter again,
mainly because I thought it was possible some fragment of the old
gasket could have blown into the engine. I put about 65 miles on it
today (at 23 degrees F) and everything is still good. Thanks for all
the advice you and other members of the list have offered. It really
helps novice mechanics like myself to have the confidence to do
things we weren't sure we could.
The other job I did that I was apprehensive about prior to actually
doing it was replacement of the subframe bolts. Drilling holes in
the frame was scary at first but everything turned out o.k.
--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Saltzer"
wrote:
wrote:
> >
> > I've had the tools and new parts for a couple of months, but
> finally
> > got up the nerve to try it yesterday. I had read everything I
> could
> > find about the procedure, printed out the pdr instructions from
> > Mark's site and started. My observations:
> >
> > 1) Either drain the oil or lay the bike over on it's right side.
I
> > used a motorcycle lift which I thought was level, but it must
have
> > been leaning a little to the left because I ended up with all of
> the
> > oil on the floor.
>
>
> Even if your lift WAS level, you would have gotton oil all over the
> floor. You oil level in the motor is higher than the bottom of
that
> outside case cover. If you want to leave in the oil, you have to
lay
> the bike on it's side. I personally don't like to do the job with
> the bike on it's side.
>
>
> > 2) If you have even a smattering of mechanical ability you can do
> the
> > procedure. I did it and I am the guy who forgot that to close
the
> > choke you move the lever to the left, not the right. I was able
to
> > remove the rotor holding bolt with a 1/2 drive breaker bar and
not
> an
> > inordinate amount of effort. My doohickey was in good shape at
> 1750
> > miles.
>
>
> Cool! Good for you. And your yet another one that has discovered
> how simple the deed is, as long as your paying attention to what
your
> doing.
>
>
> > 3) The only difficulty I had was in removing the remnants of one
of
> > the gaskets. I was patient and slowly removed it. I used the
kit
> I
> > got from Fred Hink, which included new gaskets. I did use a
gasket
> > sealer.
>
>
> You didn't need sealer. I never use it, and never get leaks. If
you
> used enough for it to splooge out the sides (especially the inside)
> you can get that crap into your motor oil, and then maybe clogging
up
> the screen. But I'm sure you used it sparingly.
>
>
> > 4) I have 4 other motorcycles, a Honda CBR1100XX, a Suzuki DR-
> Z400E,
> > a Honda XR650R and a Honda XR600R. The KLR is my favorite and
when
> > the IRS finally gets around to me, it is one I will have after I
> have
> > gotten rid of the rest of them.
>
> Yes, you just can't help but love the KLR........or at least I
can't.
>
> MrMoose
> A8 (Barbie and Ken special)