Complete 3-Hole Oil Change
2LaneLife
Two moto-vloggers passionate about traveling and the open road.
Let's face it, not everyone wants to take their bike to the shop for every little thing. We're just regular guys that want to do as much of our bike maintenance as we can ourselves. Our goal with these maintenance tutorials is to empower every rider to get to know their bike so that they can keep it running strong for as long as possible, and know when something is feeling off.
Every time you work on your own bike, you get to learn a little bit more about where things are, and how everything is put together. Every detail counts, and thats how to keep things runnin'!
Why It's Important to Keep Oil Fresh
When it comes to oil changes, and all scheduled maintenance for that matter, it's not just about keeping the bike in working order, it's about your safety!
Having a properly maintained bike will keep you from getting stranded, causing irreparable damage, or worse, getting injured. Delaying maintenance is never a good idea, so make sure to keep records and set reminders for maintenance in the future.
Different oils can withstand different temperatures for varying amounts of time before they deteriorate, so it is important to know when to change your oil. If an oil change is put off, your engine will reach higher temperatures, and will not run efficiently. Eventually, this will cause components to wear out and potentially break. As oils cycle through high and low temperatures, they break down and become thinner, making them less effective.
Over time as the oil breaks down, metal particles, dirt, and soot cause the fluids to become abrasive which eventually results in sludge. This thick sludge makes it difficult for fluids to lubricate essential parts and protect them from damage.
What is a 3-Hole Oil Change?
A 3-hole oil change is when you replace the oil in all 3 essential components of the powertrain:
- Engine
- Transmission
- Primary
While some may recommend having different intervals for all 3 components, we like to change the oil in all 3 every time we do a change, which is typically every 3000-4000 miles. Consult your owner's manual for recommended numbers, but the fresher you keep the oil, the better the bike will run.
Another thing to consult your owner's manual for before completing an oil change is the oil capacity recommended for each component of your powertrain. Putting in too much or too little oil can cause damage as the internal parts are not lubricated correctly.
There are also gaskets that will break down over time that need to be replaced every couple of changes.
Don't know which oil, oil filters, or gaskets to buy? The V-Twin Oil Change Kits are here to keep things simple. With the complete oil change kits, you have everything you need for a complete 3-hole oil change, all in one box! Simply find the kit that correlates with your model, and you're good to go!
We hope you found the video and blog informative and encourage you to reach out with any questions!
V-Twin Oil Change Kits
V-TWIN OIL CHANGE KITS are designed to ease the oil change process in your H-D® motorcycle. Each kit comes with all necessary products to complete a full oil change including engine oil, transmission oil, primary oil, drain plug o-rings and a ProFilter Wrench Removal Premium oil filter. Kits come in two forms; full change or quick change.
We stand behind all of the products on our site, and want to help you find whats right for you!
Check out our catalog of our favorite products, and feel free to reach out with any questions!
Will you ship the Oil Change in a Box to Hawaii?
New owner of immaculate ‘08 super glide (11,000 mi.). Attempting my first 3-hole change. Would have liked to see you wrestle with getting the oil filter off. Also, suggestions from riders I know say to put some oil in the new filter before installing so when you start the bike after the oil change, there is engine oil immediately available to the engine. If you don’t do this, the engine is starved of oil upon starting because it takes time from the oil pump to feed oil up to and to fill the filter before oil is delivered to the engine. Any comment would be helpful. Ride On
Well done