4rt Oil Filter Changes

[jeffchri]

I've searched a bit and have seen a few notes on this, but wanted to discuss further without hijacking another not-quite-related thread ...

How often are folks changing their 4RT oil filters compared to the engine oil itself? That fiter is a definite drag, but I'd like to keep putting fresh blood the bike ... seems like there is still a lot of value in doing so even without changing the filter, yes?

(and is it me? am I the only one who has to replace the dang LHS cover gasket whenever I change the filter?)

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

[montesaman]

Ha ha, yeh me too Jeff. And I always get flakes everywhere when trying to scrape the old one off, not to mention the "joy" of trying to get the bash plate back on again afterwards..

I have always changed both together as that's what it says in the manual, but interested in anyone else's advice because it is such a faff as you say....

[big john]

Correct the manual says change the filter and oil together, most riders do this for safety.

Last oil change, my son changed the oil (got it warm, dropped used oil out, put new oil in) no adverse effect.

However, he has decided that as the filters are not expensive he will put up with the hassle of a new gasket to make sure a new filter is used at each change.

Consider this though..

When Montesa 4RT's are used in long events like the SSDT, riders usually check the oil level every day, but they don't change the oil or filter half way through the event and those motors are covering around 600 miles, mostly off road under competition conditions, its a thought isn't it?

Big John

[gii]

I have an hour meter on the bike and change the oil (Mobil 1) every 25 hours, the oil & filter every 50 hours.

That's the sort of frequency recommended on other wet service engines like jetskis,

25 hours equates to 12-15 club trials.

I ran my first 4RT this way, 50+ trials per year for 4 years, engine sounded like new when I sold it, it's replacement is treated the same.

Try putting a smear of high temp grease on the ignition cover before you re assemble it.

[dond]

I usually change the filter every 2nd oil change. I smear a thin coat of grease on the gasket (both sides) so that it does not stick to the cases. I do that because #1 I'm Cheap #2 I hate scraping the old one off #3 It is too easy to damage the case as you scrape the gasket off. If you use good oil there should be no problem with changing the oil only. The filter is there to collect large pieces out of the oil. It is a rare day when a Montesa has large pieces in it so I think we throw out a lot of oil filters that are still perfectly good.

[big john]

I subscribe to the view that "oil is cheap whereas engines are expensive" and regular oil changes on a small capacity motor with a small capacity oil supply should be the rule of the day.

However, the oils are so good at doing their job nowadays, (assuming 4 stroke owners buy good quality oil) then changing the filter every time is not really so important. Ever second change is probably safe enough.

However Honda gaskets are actually impregnated with a silicon so that this takes up any abnormalities in the casings and Honda trained mechanics will tell you not to apply grease or silicon to a genuine Honda gasket, to avoid leakage.

I run AJS & Matchless bikes from the 1960's. They have no oil filtration to speak of, other than a metal gauze in the flow line or flow part of the oil tank. I change the oil, which is a SAE50 grade mineral, after every trial and the oil is hardly discoloured. At worst it will usually have a line of black which is carbon deposit. The gauze is rarely coated with anything other than oil and it is designed to pick up any swarf that may flow around the system.

Just an observation!

Big John

[leanin]

I change the oil every 3 rides and the oil filter every 3 oil changes. I use the blue(oil resistant) silicone seal on the gasket. The gasket comes off easily, it can be reused and I've had no problems with leakage. These motors contain so little oil, I'm more concerned with oil break-down than particles clogging the oil filter. Inspection of the inside of the oil filter has not shown anything to cause concern.

[bfa]

Using stainless steel oil filters means you don't have to throw anything away but broken down oil. The Monty uses the same filter as the CRF 250. They have really dropped in price.

The newer high quality oils, especially synthetics, tend to break down slower. It would seem that we tend to be over-cautious, but for the little effort it's good assurance to keep it up.

[fastducs]

Instead of silicone or grease I recommend Hylomar Gasket Dressing. One little tube will last you many years. I think it is some kind of polymer paste, much thicker and tackier than grease, and it never dries, doesn't wash out, and doesn't run when the engine gets hot. Like the name says, it is specifically designed for use on gaskets. I use it on brand new gaskets, and years later they come off the cases with no effort whatsoever, and I can reuse a gasket many times if I'm careful not to over-torque the cover bolts in the first place.