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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> A couple of maintenance questions /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1216829878 Message started by ALittlebird on 07/23/08 at 09:17:58 |
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Title: A couple of maintenance questions Post by ALittlebird on 07/23/08 at 09:17:58 OK guys I'm getting brave enough to start doing some of my own maintenance. Oh I can hear it already from the peanut gallery. 1. Do you all have stands to keep the bike upright? Or do you just use the kick stand? And if you have stands what would you recommend? 2. The owners manual states you need to clean the air cleaner element with an air hose. So do I really need to put one on my wish list or is there another way aside from buying a new one? An incredibly beautiful day out today and I'm off work! How lucky is that? This afternoon I'm doing an oil/oil filter change. Start with the easy stuff. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by SimonTuffGuy on 07/23/08 at 09:20:58 You can probably get away with using a bottle of that canned air stuff from Walmart to do the air filter. It's not going to give the pressure that an air compressor with a blower on would... But it should work. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by bill67 on 07/23/08 at 09:21:48 You can use the kick stand You can clean it with a vacuum cleaner |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by ALittlebird on 07/23/08 at 09:32:33 Thanks guys! Should have thought of the vacuum cleaner. My landlord is probably going to freak when I turn the garage into a shop. :) He doesn't even like anyone storing anything in them. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by 07S40rider on 07/23/08 at 10:28:29 One thought on the air compressor - now that I have one, I find myself using it quite often. I especially like being able to check/correct my motorcycle tires air pressure without having to locate a public air source and paying .75 cents etc... I have this exact model http://www.toolbarn.com/product/griprite/GR153CHD/ and it is super handy for car tires, lawn mower tires, bicycle tires, blowing 'stuff' out of engine compartments, harrassing the dog etc... ;D |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by Gort on 07/23/08 at 10:37:31 I must disagree with cleaning the air filter using compressed air. Articles I've read over the years state that testing has found that an air filter may block organic dust and it may be blown off with compressed air, but it also absorbs petroleum based exhaust fumes, and petroleum based air pollutants. These do not collect on the surface of the element and therefore cannot be blown off with compressed air or removed by vacuum. These petroleum based contaminants are absorbed into the filter element and clog it. Removing them would require the correct solvents and subsequent cleaning processes, which a paper filter would never survive. K&N insists that their filters be treated with their water soluble oil because this oil stops petroleum base contaminants as well as organic dust from fouling the filter. The contaminants lay on top of the oil surface, thus allowing them to be washed away with the oil, leaving a un-contaminated filter. They warn you that not using the oil will ruin the filter. Suzuki recommends that their filter be cleaned every 2000 miles and replaced every 7500. This has to be an approximation because they can't know every locale and its environmental conditions. For example, in the So. CA. deserts, I have had to replace air filters weekly in some cases, due to organic dust. In Los Angeles city, my air filters needed replacement much more frequently than manufacturer's recommendations due to petroleum based air pollution. I ended up spending so much $ on air filters for my vehicles that I changed to K&N, simply because they were washable after being oiled. K&N does allow more particulate matter into the engine than does factory filters, but at least I didn't have to keep replacing them. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by sjaskow on 07/23/08 at 11:02:14 1F12372A2A323B3C372C3A5E0 wrote:
If you haven't read it, read http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1099572561 I changed my oil in the driveway with the bike on the kick stand. A couple of notes: 1) You'll probably want a funnel to get the oil into the filler hole. You could do it with the just the oil bottle but the funnel was easier. 2) Take the three screws of the filter out at approximately the same time. Be prepared, there will be oil that will run down the case since there will be some left in it. Also, this link http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1167152229 in the tech section shows you how to build a cheap stand if you desire to do so. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by YonuhAdisi on 07/23/08 at 11:07:53 Every time I have to do something to the FireLizard that requires it to be upright, I pull out one of my car ramps and while I lift I have my daughter shove it under the bike. It is very stable. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by ALittlebird on 07/23/08 at 12:13:28 Thanks for the replies guys. So perhaps just buying a K&N filter might be a better solution that trying to clean or buy the paper filters. Seems reasonable. I do have a funnel - You are right it is much easier! Found that out the first time I had to top it up on the trip. Hit a snag this afternoon - the drain plug is in too tight for me to unscrew it! And I am strong! Not happy. The muscle men at the mechanic's must have used King King the last time they changed the oil. Guess I'll have to pop over there get them to unscrew and then sit there and change the oil in their parking lot. That way I can bug them about the throttle tube they supposedly ordered over a month ago to replace the one they snapped. Thanks for the links. I'd looked at the oil change that Greg put up. Helped with trying to find the plug since you can't see it from the left side very well. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by T Mack 1 on 07/23/08 at 12:24:33 When I change the oil, I take some aluminum foil and cover the exhaust pipe. Makes clean up a little easier. I form a lip/bend to help direct the drops of oil into the pan. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by ALittlebird on 07/23/08 at 14:10:07 Thanks T Mack. I got it done. Made the mechanic loosen the plug for me but I'd taken everything over with me and sat in the lot and changed it. Nice because I could leave the oil there instead of toting it to Valvoline. Found bits of the old o ring in the folds of the filter. The emergency O ring was really too big (they said it was when they saved my butt on the trip) so I'd bought a correct one and changed it out as well. It really was too big - it wasn't seated properly at all. Surprised it didn't still leak. Now that I have done it once I'm good to go. Easy I know but I had to start somewhere. ;) |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by Toymaker on 07/23/08 at 14:44:05 hey.we're proud of you.........pretty soon you;ll be wrenching with the best of them..... Can see it now.... "...Nah..ya gotta make sure ya torque that sucker good...or it'll leak bad........" Gee, Thanks LittleBird...I didn't know that... "No big deal...just something I picked up....." ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by FreeSpirit on 07/23/08 at 15:15:53 I always use the air compressor at the service station to clean the air filter....but have wanted one of my own.Since its nice to be able to keep tires at correct air pressure....at home,before a ride. but....$150.00....wow,cant afford that one. Anybody know of a cheaper one? Also there is a DIY bikestand here somewhere,I'm sure in the tech section! If interested. May come in handy at some point and time. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by ALittlebird on 07/23/08 at 15:33:04 Thanks Toymaker but it will be a while before I get to that stage. I do at least want to understand what might be wrong even if it's something I don't want to do myself. I think the mechanics were laying bets I have the oil filter in backwards. They'd lose - I had the Clymers hidden in my saddle bag. ;) |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by Paladin. on 07/23/08 at 16:31:04 586C7B7B4D6E776C776A1E0 wrote:
Harbor Freight has a 1 gal / 100 psi pancake compressor for $50; $65 for the same with a 3 gal tank. Another 3 gal model for $60. While they will not handle sustained use of air tools, they will give you brief use then wait to recharge the tank. A light duty air impact wrench is just $20 and will make short work of stubborn nuts and screws. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by FreeSpirit on 07/23/08 at 16:52:01 Paladin, Thanks....made notes on all good info! :) Yes,less expensive,not cheap ;) |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by Bear_Rider on 07/23/08 at 17:15:30 Two words about buying air equipment: Garage Sales. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by YonuhAdisi on 07/23/08 at 17:16:56 I picked up a 100psi 2 gallon Campbell Hausfeld (or however you spell it) from Wal-mart a couple of months ago and it seems to work just fine. Haven't used it for air tools such as air wrenches and the like, but it does really well for air paint guns and keeping the tires inflated properly. I think I paid between 60 70 bucks for it if I remember correctly. |
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Title: Re: A couple of maintenance questions Post by Jay on 07/24/08 at 02:41:41 077E1E32303862530 wrote:
That's a great idea!! Thanks for the tip. |
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