Husqvarna 401 Oil Change

I can't imagine riding the bike is necessary to fully warm it up... The engine heats the water. And if you aren't moving, the water isn't being well cooled.
I suspect on a cold day, the engine gets warmer on the side stand than when being ridden.
I mean, I've never noticed the fan going on while I'm moving, I've only heard it kick in when I'm stopped. Now, that only indicates water temperature, not oil temperature. But I think the water temperature lags behind the engine temperature.
I'll do a sight glass test, warm it up on the stand, check and then see if it looks higher after after a ride. (Vanessa said she already did that!)

(Of course, I was wrong on the whole "need to check the oil level when hot" thing. First bike that works this way!)
 
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Vintage Veloce said:
This situation where "you can't see the oil level until the bike is hot" is a bit annoying. I generally like to check the oil before a I go a ride. This makes that "easy site glass check" rather harder to do. And I had been doing that for many years on my other "site glass" bikes, all of which are air cooled. It's not likely a problem, just a new habit to learn, checking the oil after a ride.
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Yep, I know what you mean, it seems counter-intuitive to have to start and run an engine before you can accurately check the oil level. The engineer in me wants to check the oil before I start it up. On my Harley it gives me an oil level when cold, and a different oil level when hot, on the dipstick, so I can check oil level both when it's cold and hot. Not seen that feature on any other bike. But out of the two, I'd prefer the option to check when cold the most.
 
Well, being and engineer myself, I just ran a test.
I started the bike and idled it for a amount of time, stopped it, waited a minute and then checked the level. I did this for a total of 1 min, 4 min, 6 min, 9 min and 11 min.
It's 75 degrees here in San Diego.
Running the bike a couple minutes wasn't enough to make oil show in the sight glass. I had to run it till the bike was very warm and the fan came on. That was about 10 minutes. At that point both the left and right side engine cases were hot, too hot to keep your hand on them. When I checked it, the oil looked about how it was after riding the bike.
So then I took a ride, about 3 or 4 miles, with a couple runs to redline and some stop and go traffic. I heard the fan go on at a stop and it went on again when I parked the bike at home.
Checking the oil again, it might have been a bit higher... maybe. Frankly, holding the bike perfectly the same ever time I check is impossible. And the bike lean angle makes a real difference in the sight glass. So there is a degree of variation every time.
What I learned was: However you check the oil, the bike needs to be fully warmed up. I'd be comfortable letting it idle till the fan came on and the engine cases were hot. But that takes a while, so many might prefer to take a 15 minute ride instead.
And from now on I'll check it after a ride, not before one.
 
And... I just received my oil filter extraction tool $12. Worth it, because I can also use it when I change the filter on my KTM 350 EXC every 5-10 hours, depending. But it's a lot.
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But, you can't leave now, I'm just about to get to 100 posts! Ah, that did it! But we may have beaten the oil change thread into the ground... but people love these topis, so we will see. Maybe we can debate what is the best oil filter or something. :cool:
 
Just did the second oil change (much earlier than required). It took 1.8 liters to get it to about the middle of the sight glass, fully warm, a couple minutes after stopping.
The mesh screens were nice and clean this time.
 
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More on the oil change.
A couple weeks ago I noticed some oil dips under the bike. Egads!
I was incredibly careful with the first oil change and used a torque wrench on the plug etc. I couldn't believe it.
So I cleaned the area, ran the bike and two days later...
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Sure enough, there was a drop of oil forming.

Well, I had wanted to do another oil change so it was time to check it out. I drained the oil and examined the drain hole...
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That certainly isn't the smoothest machine work that i have seen. But there is no sign of damage.

How about the o-ring...
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Well, that is a mess! It is clearly grooved and deformed. It must really get mashed between the plug and the cases. This looks like the problem, time for a new o-ring.
Incidentally, the parts list calls the o-ring: 12,5x2. I found that confusing for a bit before I remembered some countries use commas instead of periods.
So that really means 12.5 x 2 for those of us who use a "." for the decimal delimiter. So the o-ring spec is 12.5mm inside diameter and 2mm thickness.
It was easiest just to pick one up at the dealer, so I did.

I think I'll replace this o-ring at every oil change now, and I'll check the others on the oil filter and mesh screen carefully as well. I'll keep all three types of o-rings "in stock".

Reinstalled and no leaks!
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If you can get them, it is handy to have an oil change kit around.

They include new screens, filter, o-rings, and drain plugs.
 
BISavage said:
If you can get them, it is handy to have an oil change kit around.

They include new screens, filter, o-rings, and drain plugs.
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Hilariously, I had one of those kits and used the screen from it as the original was a bit messed up. But I reused the plug and o-ring! I guess that was a mistake!
Hey, the two times I've changed the oil, the screen has stayed behind in the engine and I have had to use needle nose piers to extract it. Does the screen stay attached to the plug on anyone's bike?
 
Vintage Veloce said:
Hey, the two times I've changed the oil, the screen has stayed behind in the engine and I have had to use needle nose piers to extract it. Does the screen stay attached to the plug on anyone's bike?
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It feels like the o-ring on the other end of screen holds it in pretty well in place, so either with gloved-fingers after whipeing the oil off, or with pliers seem to be the best options.
 
I replaced the first one because when it didn't stay attached to the plug, I thought it was messed up, but I guess they are all that way.
 
Exactly what I did.

When i put it in I was like... :unsure: ... then what are these clippy things here for if they dont do clippy typed stuff...
 
BISavage said:
Exactly what I did.

When i put it in I was like... :unsure: ... then what are these clippy things here for if they dont do clippy typed stuff...
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Exactly here too! Lol. Yours is a 2019 right? Is the machining nicer/smoother around the drain? I may try a copper washer next time..
 
Machining was about the same.
Looks alot better since I cleaned it up (you know... like with any gasket surface)
I would stick to the o-ring personally.
 
I gotta say, the machining and paint look shockingly bad on these bikes. When I took my skid plate off for the first time, I thought my bike was a reject or something. Alas, this is Indian engineering.
 
Yeah, the seating depth for the filter might be wrong with a copper washer, so probably a bad idea. I did order some viton o-rings...
On the machining, I ran a tap in all the skid plate holes, made a big difference.
 
Can someone show me how the hell I can remove the bottom bolt next to the exhaust? what tools do I need to do this? I called the dealer and they said the exhaust needs to be removed to reach the bottom filter...

I have a 2020 vitpilen.
 
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