Dagnabbit - VLX Oil Plug

Message

Telesque · #1 Unread post by **Telesque** » Sat May 21, 2005 1:15 pm

I can't find the thing!

I know where the filter is, but where's that durned plug?

I'd planned on changing my oil today, along with my plugs and air filter, but I'm not getting very far.

blair · #2 Unread post by **blair** » Sat May 21, 2005 3:31 pm

Looking in my copy of the Haynes manual, it's on the lower-left side of the engine, behind the fuel pump.

Look for a big, flanged hex bolt sticking out of the left side of the lowest point of the engine.

From the picture, it looks like they had to remove the lower coolant hose to get a picture of the bolt from that side.

I just went out to my bike, and yeah, it's well-hidden by that big hose with the spiral winding on the bottom-left, just in front of the kickstand.

Wait a freakin' second...this is the internet, and I have all the toys...

Here's the left side of the engine, showing the gray ribbed hose, the silvery pump, the kickstand, and the dark brown oil filter. (click to enlarge)

Moving straight in and looking up from under the hose, there's the oil plug. Hmm. Mine's a bit mangled.

Hope this helps.

Telesque · #3 Unread post by **Telesque** » Sat May 21, 2005 4:10 pm

Thanks a million.

Say.. think you can figure out where all the seat bolts are too, while you're at it?

I'm trying to take off my sissybar (never have pillion, and it'd be nice to just 'swing' my leg over). I've taken four bolts out from underneath the fender, but it doesn't seem to have come completely loose- The sissy bar seems to, but as it's stuck under the not-yet-removeable set, it's not helping much.

blair · #4 Unread post by **blair** » Sat May 21, 2005 6:00 pm

Look in the little triangular gap between the pillion and the driver's seat. There is a hex screw on either side. When you get those out, put your hand between the seats and jerk it to the rear. Both seats come off as a unit.

To put it back on, there's a big tab at the front of the driver's seat that slips under the bodywork, and two tabs on the fender that slip into two square holes under the pillion. Takes some luck and force to get them all to engage.

I don't have a backrest, so I don't know about any of the mounting hardware for it. I do have saddlebags that sit on the fender under the seat, which makes putting the seat back on a matter of pushing down hard and blind-poking with the screw on the end of an allen wrench until something grabs. Way too tricky a design, IMO.

--Blair

Telesque · #5 Unread post by **Telesque** » Sat May 21, 2005 8:00 pm

Just got back in from a quick ride.

Managed to find a website that gave a (remote) clue as to where the seat bolts are, and found the rest from there. Luckily, the sissybar (which was stock for the VLX Deluxe, I think?) is mounted from those four nuts I had already unscrewed.

I rather like the look of the stock two-seater seats for the VLX.

I also took off my windshield, but I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that just yet. It's different, but I do a lot of highway travel, during cold nights.

Now all I need is to find a cheap turn signal relocater kit so that I can fit a decent size saddlebag on the thing and I'll be ready for dropping the insurance on the cage altogether.

blair · #6 Unread post by **blair** » Sun May 22, 2005 7:39 am

When you find that turn signal kit, post it here (i've got a watch on this thread). I've got some cheap, small bags on my 600, but I want some good, larger ones that definitely won't clear those martian eyes where they're set right now.

Oh, and be careful about the right side with your bags. That upper exhaust is really close to the low fender on these bikes. I melted the leatherette off the bottom of my right bag before I drilled new holes in the flaps and shortened the drop.

blair · #7 Unread post by **blair** » Sun May 22, 2005 7:48 am

This one looks adequate and cheap:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/sljahollo ... x.html.htm

Telesque · #8 Unread post by **Telesque** » Sun May 22, 2005 10:58 am

blair wrote:When you find that turn signal kit, post it here (i've got a watch on this thread). I've got some cheap, small bags on my 600, but I want some good, larger ones that definitely won't clear those martian eyes where they're set right now.

Oh, and be careful about the right side with your bags. That upper exhaust is really close to the low fender on these bikes. I melted the leatherette off the bottom of my right bag before I drilled new holes in the flaps and shortened the drop.

I've got an Cobra exhaust system, so I'm not sure if it sits in the same place as the stock one, but I've thrown on a couple bags just to see how they look, and it is a bit of a tight squeeze...

Telesque · #9 Unread post by **Telesque** » Sun May 22, 2005 11:03 am

blair wrote:When you find that turn signal kit, post it here (i've got a watch on this thread). I've got some cheap, small bags on my 600, but I want some good, larger ones that definitely won't clear those martian eyes where they're set right now.

Oh, and be careful about the right side with your bags. That upper exhaust is really close to the low fender on these bikes. I melted the leatherette off the bottom of my right bag before I drilled new holes in the flaps and shortened the drop.

Well hey, if you're getting new bags...