H
HoughMade
Guest
I have a Honda GXH50 with a Grubee gearbox. It's a good setup, but when it comes time to change the oil, it gets a little messy. There is a "convenient" drain plug...but when you take it out, the oil will get all over the mounting plate because it is not convenient to get a funnel or anything under it to catch the oil.
Here's what I did- I was thinking of how the oil is drained on a Harley Sportster- you loosen a hose and drain right out of the hose. Why not do the same on this?
The standard drain plug is 8mm. I went down to the hardware store and found a brass plumbing fixture with a male threaded end (part of a compression fitting) that is slightly larger than 8mm- the other end had standard 1/4" pipe thread. I cut standard 8mm threads in the fitting (helps to have a tap and die set) and then drilled the inside of the fitting out so that there would be more flow. On the other end of the fitting, I put a hose barb, then attached about 8 to 10 inches of 1/4" fuel hose...at the end of the hose is the original petcock from the tank (engine has its own fuel cutoff). Of course, because we are dealing with the all important engine oil, I used worm drive clamps at the hose connections- don't want to have one come loose (if the worse happens, the Honda engine has an automatic low oil cutoff switch).
The hose is now held away from moving parts, up in the air by the seat tube. When it comes time to change oil, just make sure the engine is nice and warm, unclip the hose and point the hose into a drain pan, and open the petcock- drains slower, but drains well. Want to speed it up? Just plug the end of the hose and don't use the petcock. Take the plug out and it will flow better. Still slower than an open drain hole, but it goes where you want it.
Pics to follow.
Here's what I did- I was thinking of how the oil is drained on a Harley Sportster- you loosen a hose and drain right out of the hose. Why not do the same on this?
The standard drain plug is 8mm. I went down to the hardware store and found a brass plumbing fixture with a male threaded end (part of a compression fitting) that is slightly larger than 8mm- the other end had standard 1/4" pipe thread. I cut standard 8mm threads in the fitting (helps to have a tap and die set) and then drilled the inside of the fitting out so that there would be more flow. On the other end of the fitting, I put a hose barb, then attached about 8 to 10 inches of 1/4" fuel hose...at the end of the hose is the original petcock from the tank (engine has its own fuel cutoff). Of course, because we are dealing with the all important engine oil, I used worm drive clamps at the hose connections- don't want to have one come loose (if the worse happens, the Honda engine has an automatic low oil cutoff switch).
The hose is now held away from moving parts, up in the air by the seat tube. When it comes time to change oil, just make sure the engine is nice and warm, unclip the hose and point the hose into a drain pan, and open the petcock- drains slower, but drains well. Want to speed it up? Just plug the end of the hose and don't use the petcock. Take the plug out and it will flow better. Still slower than an open drain hole, but it goes where you want it.
Pics to follow.