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 The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone

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Irishman301





The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone Empty
PostSubject: The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone   The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone EmptyThu May 18, 2017 12:14 am

Before doing my first oil change at 200 miles (all off-road, dirty riding miles), I discovered that this bike has an oil "bleeder bolt". I never heard of this before, but I think that it is an EXCELLENT feature. However, according to my search on this forum, my opinion goes against popular opinion which is along the lines of "the oil bleeder bolt is a stupid waste of time. Don't even bother touching that stupid thing."

Well, let me tell you why exactly I disagree completely with that line of thinking...

I've owned 6 bikes so far...4 street bikes, 1 race quad, 1 dirt bike, and now the WR250r. I've always changed my own oil. I change my oil frequently, as it's the #1 most important thing that you can do to prolong the life of your engine. Clean oil is the life blood of your motor...keep it fresh and clean!

I experienced a major disaster when I changed the oil on my other dirt bike, which is a Yamaha TTR230. I bought the bike brand new, and it had some issues with the countershaft seal "popping out" due to built-up back pressure inside of the crankcase. I took it back to the Yamaha dealer, and they simply put the countershaft seal back into place, and told me that they had never seen anything like that happen before. The next time that I went out for a ride, it happened again.

I decided to simply order a new countershaft seal online, and replace it myself. I did exactly that, but the problem persisted. I posted about this issue over on TT, and a very helpful guy helped troubleshoot why this was happening. It turns out that the breather hose which connects the crankcase and the airbox had a blockage in it. There was no hole in the airbox where the hose was connected, and therefore there was no place for the backed up air pressure to escape. The solution was to simply drill a tiny hole in the airbox where the hose was connected. I did exactly that, and the problem was solved. It turns out that this "blockage" was actually a recall on my exact model and year. However, I had determined the root cause before realizing that the recall had existed. 

I then proceeded to do the basic uncorking mods, just like we all do on here...new exhaust, larger jets in the carb, and open up the airbox...as well as fix the gearing.

The bike was running like a dream. The next step was to do my first oil change. I went to the shop where I bought the bike, and I ordered an oil filter. They knew who I was, and they knew the exact bike that I had since it had only been about a month since I bought it from them. I ordered an oil filter for a TTR230, and they sold it to me.

That night I did my first oil and oil filter change. 

The next day I took her out for a ride, and my engine started squealing like a pig in the middle of the woods. I had to push the bike home 1.5 miles through the woods. It was hell. Not to mention that I was furious, because I had just bought this bike and was having so much problems with it. 

I called up the shop and told them to come pick up this bike. It was defective. First the countershaft seal issue, and now this!

Unfortunately, the bike was no longer in stock form. Plus I had "fixed" the countershaft seal issue that came with my brand new bike. What this meant was that I was now left with a bike that had a seized motor, that had been "worked on" by me. It was now in question as to who was at fault, and in the meantime I was without my brand new bike.

After about 2 weeks, it turned out that the root cause of the issue was that the oil filter had been inserted incorrectly, and no oil was getting to the top end. This was impossible though because, like the WR250r, there isn't only 1 way for the oil filter to go in.

After further investigation, I found the box in the bottom of my trash that the oil filter came in. The part number for the oil filter was for a WR250f, NOT a TTR230. It was the same size, and it fit perfectly, but it was the wrong part number. They sold me the wrong oil filter.

Was I at fault for not verifying that the part number was correct, or were they at fault for selling me the wrong filter? 

In the end, they ended up covering it under the 5-year warranty that I had purchased. However, it was a major scare. Not to mention, I was without my brand new bike for about 2 months. Additionally, I now feel extremely awkward everytime I go in there.

I later learned that that bike has an "oil bleeder bolt" on it just like the WR250R, and part of the recommended oil change process is to verify that oil is getting to the top end after every oil change. Had I done that, none of that would have happened. Of course, verifying that I was using the correct oil filter would've likely avoided the issue as well, but doing the "bleeder bolt test" would have been another line of defense.

So...

This is a super long post I know, but the point is that I personally think that the oil bleeder bolt is an extremely useful function on this bike. It helps to ensure that the oil is flowing to the top end as it should. It may spurt out a little oil and cause a mess, but it will also ensure you that everything is functioning properly. I know that I will personally do this extra step after every single oil change in addition to triple checking the part numbers!

Just figured that I'd share this story. Maybe it will help some people in the future.
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Jens Eskildsen





The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone Empty
PostSubject: Re: The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone   The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone EmptyThu May 18, 2017 3:26 am

Sure, it will show you the symptoms if you install a wrong filter, but the real "mistake" was not verifying that the part purchased, was indeed the right part. (I guess that goes both for the shop, and for you) That will get you a long way in other areas aswell.

Its not a "bleeder" bolt, like on the top of the oilfiltercover on a xt600, xt350 ect ect. As i recall, its just an oilpipe you loosen, to verify flow. You can do this on any bike, so no special feature Yamaha invented in this case.
Do everything right, and its not an issue. I would do it if i tore down my engine, othersie there should be no logic use of this. The oilpump is "primed" and theres still oil in the topend/valvecover.

I think people should do it if it helps them sleep at night, so this is not a "you shouldn't do that" post.

Glad they covered the damage, I think wrong filters were sold for the xt225 aswell, have heard simular stories.
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YZEtc

YZEtc



The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone Empty
PostSubject: Re: The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone   The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone EmptyThu May 18, 2017 5:41 am

Do you mean that somebody handed you a Yamaha oil filter that starts with the part number digits 1UY or 5D3 instead of 5H0?
Does that person at that parts counter still want to talk to you when you walk in there?

Also, I don't see how the supposed excuse of the oil filter being put in backwards would fly because you would have to intentionally mash the oil filter in order to put the oil filter cover back on.

There are three different Yamaha oil filters that come in a box that look the same except for the part number on it:

5H0
1UY
5D3

5H0 (the oldest design coming from the 1981 SR185H street thumper) and 1UY (from the 1987 YFM350XT Warrior ATV) look very much the same, too, both being metal screen filters.

My advice is to learn how to read on-line parts catalogues for your bikes and double-check everything you buy for them.
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Irishman301





The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone Empty
PostSubject: Re: The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone   The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone EmptyThu May 18, 2017 8:59 am

Exactly.

I think mine required a "5HO", but they gave me a "5D3"...If I remember correctly.

And yes, I learned my lesson to always check part numbers before installing. I never expected that to happen. I've changed my oil a thousand times in my other bikes, and never experienced a problem. Just looking at the oil filter and seeing that it fit and was the correct size always worked for me. Unfortunately this one time, it didn't. 

Not sure what you mean by "does that person still want to talk to you". I definitely feel awkward as hell everytime I go in there now, so I avoid going there unless absolutely necessary. But all I did was order an oil filter for the bike that I just bought from them, then they handed me a similar-looking one...and then I used it...so am I really that much of an idiot?

But ya, I like that there there is a bleeder bolt so I can make sure things are running properly.
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Irishman301





The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone Empty
PostSubject: Re: The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone   The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone EmptyThu May 18, 2017 9:05 am

Jens Eskildsen wrote:
Sure, it will show you the symptoms if you install a wrong filter, but the real "mistake" was not verifying that the part purchased, was indeed the right part. (I guess that goes both for the shop, and for you) That will get you a long way in other areas as well.
Agreed!

But yes, after that disaster...being able to check for oil flow to the top end definitely does help me sleep at night. Everytime I change my oil now in any vehicle, I always check part numbers a million times, then check the site glass/dipstick multiple times, and listen extremely close to the motor while it's running.

I guess this paranoia is a good thing.
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YZEtc

YZEtc



The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone Empty
PostSubject: Re: The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone   The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone EmptyFri May 19, 2017 6:14 am

Irishman301 wrote:

Not sure what you mean by "does that person still want to talk to you".

I mean:

Since somebody handed you the wrong oil filter which opened the can of worms, is there any tension in the air when that somebody sees you coming?
Not implying that you did anything wrong in the situation, it's that I have been in similar situations, myself, although not one that caused a seized engine.

Just curious.
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Irishman301





The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone Empty
PostSubject: Re: The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone   The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone EmptyFri May 19, 2017 9:26 am

I definitely feel a weird tension when I go in there now. Any parts that I need, I order online and not through them. I only go in there when I need to use my warranty, which I had to use once aside from the engine seize issue.

I'm pretty sure they do not like me. Oh well.

None of this stopped me from buying my wrr there. I just felt a little awkward while I was buying it.
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PostSubject: Re: The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone   The "oil bleed bolt" and a helpful story for everyone Empty

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