How To Change Oil On A 1981 Harley Davidson Sportster

Need to know how to change the oil on a 1981 Harley Davidson Sportster to save yourself time and money? Changing your own oil on a Harley Davidson is very easy to do. You can change your Sportster's oil with some basic tools which you most likely already own.

To change your own oil on a Harley Davidson Sportster, you will need:

• A new oil filter (you can either purchase a factory OEM filter or an aftermarket oil filter)
• Motor oil (depending on your preference, you can use either regular or synthetic motor oil)
• A filter wrench
• An oil drain pan

1. Warm up the motor oil on your 1981 Harley Davidson. Warming the oil first will allow you to drain your tank much easier. Let the motorcycle run for a couple minutes before you change the oil. Exercise caution when you're touching your engine, as it will be hot.
2. Remove the drain plug on the motor. Before you remove the drain plug, make sure you position the oil pan underneath. Let the old oil drain into the pan until the flow slows down to a few drips. After the oil is drained out, replace the drain plug.
3. Change the existing Harley Davidson oil filter. User the filter wrench to remove the old filter. Before you install the new filter, you should manually fill it with motor oil. When you put the new filter on, do not use the wrench to tighten it. You should tighten the filter by hand on your 1981 Harley Davidson Sportster.
4. Add fresh oil to your Harley Sportster. Remove the oil cap of the motor by turning it counterclockwise. Double check the oil dipstick to make sure you added enough oil to your Sportster. This step is very important. Running the motor without enough oil can permanently damage your 1981 Harley Davidson's engine.