Wilsons Sandbox

It's time for the good ol service once more, but this time I've got to do it in Africa and resources are almost non-existent... Have a few questions: 1) Most importantly, want to change the oil filter. There are no Kawa dealers or spare parts in sight. Found a Honda oil filter, will that fit or should I just keep the one I've got on until I can find an original stock oil filter again? 2) This'll sound stupid... But cleaning the air filter with premium's alright, isn't it?... I always thought it was until I saw a note in the Owner's Manual suggesting not to use diesel and then I started having doubts on premium too... 3) The rubber lining under the chain's starting to crack due to the salinity and humidity out here... Will a wab of vaseline do the trick or is it essential to get a new part? 4) Aside from cleaning the chain from all the grub on it, changing oil and oil filter and cleaning the air filter wasn't planning on doing anything else really as all seems to work just fine (brakes, clutch, etc. all in perfect condition). Anything any of you guys consider EXTREMELY important for the 12000km (7500 mi) service? Any help will be much appreciated, thanks. KvA

IMO the reason given for not using gasoline (petrol) to wash an air filter element is that the gasoline is both flammable and poisonous. We used to routinely use gasoline for this purpose so if nothing better is available...... I suggest that you avoid skin contact and breathing the vapours as much as is possible. As for the flammable part, Mom gave some good advice when she said, "Son, don't make a fuel of yourself!" HIH Enjoy your third world experience. We lived in the South Pacific and found it to be a fantastic, life changing and expanding experience. When you get back and talk to people, enjoy how they like to tell you how things are where you were. This despite that they have never left their own country....(LOL) Just because you lived there, you can't possibly know how it really is there. Norm [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]