By Wroosterl - Member # 2619 on http://www.thumpertalk.com/
Visit this thread on thumpertalk here http://www.thumpertalk.com/bike/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=10&t=003911
first go off and read this:
http://www.thumpertalk.com/bike/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=10&t=003892
second, order some spare OEM filters from www.partsfish.com or www.rockymountainmc.com (see the new OEM parts section at rockymountain).
third, go re-read your manual. along with the detailed torque specs and so on, there are nice pictorials of what you are looking for (like the oil fill/dispstick, case oil drain plug, frame oil drain plug, oil filter cover, etc.)
fourth, get a good 3/8" drive torque wrench, you'll need this for the rest of your bike-owning life anyway. especially if you ever buy a RED BIKE. just kiddin' big fellas take it easy, don't split your case over this little joke...now you have the right tool (and of course the associated sockets including a 3/8" drive 5mm allen for the oil cover bolt).
the next most important thing is a empty TIDE laundry detergent bottle, or similar BIG MOUTHED container. GRANDE BOCA, that's the key here chief. take your pliers and pull the plastic "spout" insert out of the bottle, you now have a jug with a gaping hole at the top. run your bike for a few minutes to warm the oil (it will flow easier and more of the bad stuff [dirt, clutch debris, etc] will come out with the oil). i should point out that you should have cleaned your bike already, esp on the right side in the area of the filter cover. you don't want any dirt/sand getting in there.
then we can get started on the actual oil change...
first we are going to work on the left side of the bike, then the right side. we'll finish one side, tighten everything back up, then move to the other side. working this way you won't find yourself on the trail with the connecting rod hanging out of the side of the engine because you forgot to torque the case drain bolt. ooops.
ok, start like this... fully loosen the oil fill plug/dipstick, but leave it loose right there in its hole behind the steering head. (btw, loosening the oil fill plug/dipstick lets air into the system so the oil drains out of the bottom of the engine faster -- and leaving it there loose will be a reminder later on) now put the TIDE jug under the bike (btw probably the easiest way to change your oil at this point is using the sidestand (WRF) or the triangle (YZF). put a scrap of 2x4 under the sidestand and the bike will be more level.) remove the oil drain plug, on left side of the engine case (12mm head). warning, there is a washer with the bolt, don't let that washer fall into the TIDE bottle. about 3/4 of a quart of oil will come out from the bottom drain. (the rest of the oil is still up in the frame tank). wait for the big action to stop, put a paper towel/disposable shop rag in place of the TIDE jug.
ok now the fun part. the frame tank drain bolt (located on the front "downtube" of the frame, right behind the front tire) also has a 12mm head, and a washer as well. the first time you change your oil this bolt will be a bitch to get out. so lean on it, unseat it, and then follow carefully these next directions... the trick here is to loosen the frame tank drain bolt part of the way, pick up the TIDE jug, put it's big mouth right where the bolt is, and back the bolt out the last couple of threads with your fingertips. if you don't follow this procedure nothing bad will happen to your bike but you'll have oil on your front wheel/tire, your shoes, and your garage floor. think i'm kidding, right? go ahead, try it -- the oil shoots out like 6-8 inches horizontally.
ok, now you have gotten around 95% of the oil out of the bike. i'm into procedure here so bear with me. put the frame tank bolt back in, apply torque per user manual. put the case bolt back in, again apply the correct torque. you did remember the washers on both bolts, right? wipe up all excess oil around the bolts you took out-- you'll check back later to see if there's a leak and having these areas dry is prep. that completes the left side of the bike, everything is finished there, so we'll go around and work the right side now.
there are three bolts that secure the oil filter cover in place, they are all different lengths and one is an allen (internal hex) head. remove these three bolts and remove the oil filter cover. beware the "O" rings in the grooves in the cover. *usually* they will stay right in place. there will be minimal oil in the filter cavity -- not much you can do about it except watch it sliver down the case and drip into, you guessed it, the big mouth of the TIDE jug.
the oil filter *may* have come out with the filter cover, or it may still be "hanging" in the filter cavity. IMPORTANT: the filter has a blue gasket on each end (internal end=no hole in filter endcap/ external end=hole in filter endcap). sometimes (for me ~50% of the time) the blue gasket on the internal end doesn't come out with the filter and you gotta get your fingers/screwdriver/whatever in there and gently pry it out of the back of the oil filter cavity. so, if the filter you pulled out doesn't have a blue gasket on both ends of it, assume that the blue "internal end" gasket is still in the back of the oil filter cavity and go get it.
there will probably be some gritty oil in the bottom/back of the oil filter cavity -- blot that up/out with a clean paper towel. wipe off the gasket/sealing surface of the oil filter cover and also on the block itself.
cleaning the filter... DON'T do it now. this is why you bought an extra filter (or two) for $8. so you'll put the clean filter in now and wash the dirty one later.
put the clean filter in (after oiling the blue gaskets, on both sides of each gasket, with some new oil). the filter only goes into the cavity one way (the endcap with a hole will be facing outward). make sure the oil filter cover O-rings are still in place, and ensure that the cover is oriented correctly on the block. tighten the bolts in a criss-cross pattern, then torque them using the aforementioned 3/8" drive "low range" torque wrench. if you are doing this by feel you are asking for a stripped thread, and in turn a ruined week of riding, and a machine shop bill that will make the torque wrench look cheap. oh, and if a bolt is too loose, well the bill to rebuild the siezed engine will be *at least* 10X the wrench. again, wipe off any "loose" oil runoff on the cover, frame, bolts, wherever.
ok, left side? check. right side? check. top side? hmmm, the oil fillplug/dipstick is loose -- a reminder that there is NO OIL IN THE ENGINE. put 1.5 qts into the opening, and close the dipstick. this may not be the exact amount you need but it will be close enough for right now. start her up, note anything that looks like a leak near the bolts you touched and around the filter cover. read your manual on how to test for oil pressure using the indicating bolt on the right hand side of the engine block. i guess i should do this more often but i rarely have. turn bike off, check oil level, and top off as needed. run engine after adding ANY oil or you will get a bogus reading on the dipstick! recall that you don't screw the dipstick in when reading the level.
the bike is done, but you have a dirty filter sitting on top of a pile of oily rags, along with a TIDE container of oil. wrap the TIDE container in a plastic shopping bag, and put it in the back of your truck so you can drop it off tommorrow at the recyclo-drome in town. put the oily rags in a suitable container so your house doesn't burn down.
using kerosene, gasoline, brake cleaner, whatever, clean the old filter but good. you may want to use an air compressor blow-gun as well. carefully inspect the brass filter mesh closely for tears or holes. let the filter sit and dry, then put it back in the special clean filter place so you can pull the same swap-out trick next time.
with practice, you can do this whole operation in a few minutes. FOLLOW THE LEFT SIDE-RIGHT SIDE-TOP SIDE procedure. don't go back and forth between sides, don't chat with the neighbor, don't sing along with britney spears, just crank through the motions of the procedure. usually it takes me longer to requisition a TIDE bottle than to do the oil change.
if you do filter changes with every other oil change it all becomes very natural...you just delete the right side work completely. and by following the LEFT/RIGHT/TOP procedure the danger of "OH SH!T -- THERE'S NO OIL IN MY BABY" becomes minimal even though you are working quickly.