Make oil changes easier, less messy

H

HoughMade

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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.
 
In this pic, you can see that the hose starts to the left of the seat tube (when facing front)- where the drain hole on the engine is. The hose goes around the seat tube and has the petcock on the end. It is held up in the air attached by a bracket I made that supports a PCV valve that is attached to the crankcase breather (my mod because I eliminated the original air box). You could attach it to anything in the vicinity.
 

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drain hose

just one more little thing added to one

fine looking motor bike

every time I see that MB
I want to ride something such as that
teaching this older guy
one day at a time
happy with what I have..

so as to Ride That Thing - Mountainman
 
Did you fab that tank yourself?

Yes- it is a cover that was made from a foam-board form, covered with fiberglass. The cover is over and permanently bonded to the standard metal gas tank. Some day I would like to fab a tank from sheetmetal to replace it.

...and thank, Mountain man. Now that she runs strong, it's a real joy to ride. Sure gets the looks.
 
I think pic will explain things.
 

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I think pic will explain things.
A brilliant idea HoghMade. How is the top end of the hose held in place so it doesn't drop down? can't quite see in the photo.
In Australia obviously we drain from above because we are at the bottom of the globe.
 
In back of the hose, you can see an aluminum bracket screwed to the engine. That bracket is "L" shaped (upside down). Because I do not use the original air box, and i did not want the crank vent hose just open, I grabbed a PCV valve from the local auto parts stor to plug the end of the hose but provide venting. The "L" bracket supports the hose and PCV valve. Also, a 14 ga copper wire is twisted onto it. I just put a nut on the end of the petcock so the twisted copper wire loop would have something to go around.

I hope that isn't too confusing.
 
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