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05 vt750dc Runs Rougher After Oil Change?

6K views 57 replies 12 participants last post by  KaBob 
#1 ·
I changed my oil and filter yesterday on my 2005 vt750dc @19k miles
Im in atlanta and used 15w 40 rotella because brutal summer heat is coming
one reason for the change was i just bought the bike
two, the clutch was slipping at higher revs

now the clutch is still slipping and the bike doesnt feel
smooth like it was yesterday before the oil change
like it feels like its not firing right when im on the interstate or in surface traffic


im not opposed to buying another 3 quarts of 10 40 motorcycle oil and dumping this rotella
honestly didnt think oil was gonna be a "thing" for this bike but
i read on here the shadow will let me know what it doesnt and does like
anyways , i suppose ima need to source a barnett clutch pack rebuild too

anyone else have this problem ?
 
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#30 ·
All ratings being the same and made from the same manufacturer, my guess is it's the same oil in slightly different packaging. (marketing thing)
Anything that has the min specs won't hurt your bike, here, I'm pretty sure they can be used interchangably...
 
#32 ·
Thanks for the info. I think I will try that Valvoline MC oil just to see if there is any difference in clutch operation.
 
#33 ·
Mon Morn: Put 100mi+ on Sat and Sun - Still Slippin...
And why should it Stop?, Haven't done anything - Continuing to do the same thing expecting a different result - that's Insanity!!!

I've learned a little, it doesn't slip when cold or within the first 10 mi or so. it slips more and worse progressively thru the day. Even though I can't break it free totally, it Aint Acceptable grip for my bike that's never had softness anywhere near the SuppppppperSlllllllllipppppage im gettin now!

I Ain't Insane - this T4's coming out ASAP! (while I still have a clutch, and hope it ain't trashed

However, I musta been Crazy to put this T4 which specifically states it's a "Heavy Duty Heavy Diesel Motor Oil" in my "Gasoline Engine" motorcycle with a wet clutch!!! Nowhere in/on the T4 specs or label is any mention "Gasoline Engine" or any Gas engine API Spec like/including/superseding the SF or SG that Honda recommends ( which would currently probably be "SN" )
T4 Ain't Gasoline Engine Oil!


Later , am out gettin some "Gasoline Motor " engine oil...
 
#34 ·
I'm betting that T4 you put in is "energy conserving", which is what is contributing to the slippage. For a wet clutch, it will stick to the clutch plates, and make them slick, causing them to slip more, instead of less. Since you'll probably be changing out the oil, you should also wipe that T4 off the plates and install higher tension springs on the clutch at the same time. That should eliminate the slippage.
 
#36 ·
t4 is clearly not the move for my 750

ive ordered the barnett springs and once they arrive, im gonna do the valvo mc oil ,
do a plate wipe and slap that clutch back togetehr,
in fact, **** that
im ordering new plates and the exhaust gaskets and ima do a new clutch
maybe get a new filter too

and no, im not going to dick around with the timing

ill use that last qt of t4 in my lawmower
 
#37 ·
Changed to new 10w40 oil yesterday, and Big Difference!
Still have a little slip but most is gone - pretty good Grrrip! (not Sllllllllliiiiiiiipppppp....), and a bit a leap in shifts - Acceptable for now...
I bought 5qts of cheap Wally Supertech 10w40 Api service SN for temp use as a washout oil - works ok, doesn't slip much. Still have about 2.5 qts left, may even drain and washout again (without new filter) just to washout all for sure.... Amazing, good ole Standard service 10w40(nothing special) and good Grip!
 
#38 · (Edited)
...I bought 5qts of cheap Wally Supertech 10w40 Api service SN for temp use as a washout oil...
What is washout oil? Was that a one-time thing to dilute an oil that was causing clutch slip?

My suggestion for anyone who used an oil that is causing clutch slip: If you have Seafoam, put an ounce in the crankcase. Warm the engine with a few minutes riding and drain the old oil. The Isopropanol in the Seafoam will help clean the plates.

Note: I would only use Seafoam in the crankcase immediately before draining.

Seafoam is about $7 at Walmart for 16 oz so using 1 oz is about $.50 and a lot cheaper than any oil.
G.
 
#41 · (Edited)
"What is a washout? " - Just a rinse after draining the old oil, sorta like mouthwash. Exempt in this case (rather than broken parts, metal debris, sludge, etc) I want to rinse/washout any/all residue of any friction modifier, additive or anything left over from the T4 that contributed to the clutch slippage - any cheap new clean, non energy/resource conserving oil would probably work - just a slosh and gargle for a couple hundred miles. The MC oil I ordered will be in for pickup Wed(tomorrow), and I'm ready(all cleaned out) for good oil and No Slippage! I might even get lucky and revive the clutch (without surgery).
 
#46 ·
Run some Seafoam in the oil for a day (50 to 100 miles) then change the oil. It worked great for my Brother in-law when he used the wrong oil in his ATV.
 
#43 ·
The last Nissan dealership I worked for had an engine flush machine. Hooked up the the oil filter and had a return drain hose from the drain plug hole. Flushed a chemical solvent through the whole engine. Ran through a couple of cycles. Quite a process.
I have been using the Rotella T for a while and saw the "new and improved" T4 that was supposed to be better in some of the specs. Unsure now.
 
#48 ·
The last Nissan dealership I worked for had an engine flush machine. Hooked up the the oil filter and had a return drain hose from the drain plug hole. Flushed a chemical solvent through the whole engine. Ran through a couple of cycles. Quite a process....
Late 2007 Nissan issued a parts and services bulletin to all Dealers and Service Managers: "Nissan North America does not advocate the use of aftermarket flushing systems and strongly advises against performing these services on any Nissan or Infinity vehicle." Honda's warning was issued in 2006 while GM and Ford warned in early 2007.

G.
 
#44 ·
hey swifty
you.Do.not.want.

t4 is slippy sauce bro
hey HSN,wheres that lil "states ive rode thru" graphic thingy?

im working on a dragons tail fall ride aND A natchez trace tour for the remaINDER OF THE YEAR
 
#47 · (Edited)
Scooted to Breakfast this morn, much better, not gone - but a Nice ride...
"Run some Seafoam in the oil for a day (50 to 100 miles) then change the oil." - Not a Bad Idea, I have the Seafoam, gotta go pick up the new oil this afternoon, will read up on how much Seafoan to put in crankcase before I go ta town...


Easily found:
"Add 1 ounce to 1.5 ounces of Sea Foam Motor Treatment per oil quart for all 4-cycle gasoline and diesel engines. When ready, remove oil filler cap and simply pour the recommended amount of Sea Foam Motor Treatment directly into the engine crankcase. Use a funnel if needed."
Why not, am washin it out, a little cleaning fluid! (Naptha! LighterFluid!) shouldn't hurt...
Will give it a Shot! (per Qt), perhaps a Jigger...
 
#49 ·
You are right gdb069 the factory never authorizes most of the chemicals and such. We used it on all used car services for a while. Of course it is usually a salesman who talks the manger into the products and chemicals. After a while they quit doing that. When a new used manager comes on board he wants to cut cost for the services so they get trimmed down.
 
#50 ·
suppose ill do a ride out to get some oil and drop alil seafoam in , as soon as these clutch springs come in.
i joined a community garage last saturuday - basically a fully equipped motorcycle shop with stations to bring in my bike for work.
30 a month with rental mechanics on hand should i ever wanna rejet my carbs or whatever
 
#51 · (Edited)
If you have the Seafoam and new oil I would put 2 - 3 oz of Seafoam in with the old 15W40 and ride a bit (a day or 2. The Seafoam will dilute the 15W40 and drop the viscosity but still be within the 10W30 spec. The oil that may be causing slip is fresh so will be OK with Seafoam for a few days. Since you are also doing a clutch change we will never know whether it was plates, springs or oil but a lot of bikes are in the shop for clutch slip when there is nothing wrong but incorrect oil.

G.
 
#52 ·
it was slipping when i boaught it
i bought it with just 18.9k mles, so god knows if it needs plates from po rider habits or its springs or , maybe the po's choice of oil was the same as mine

i can ride just fine, just cant REALLY dig in, i wanna feel this bike when i have the clutch grabbing and the carbs synched and jetted for the straight pipes that are on it.
 
#54 ·
No wussy purist here... Better living thru Chemistry! What ever it takes to get all remnants and residue of that T4 out there - ASAP!
Common sense and all in moderation...

Got too busy yesterday so this morn, put 3oz Seafoam in the washout oil, scooted to town, picked up the Valvoline 10w40 MC oil, changed oil & filter, and Not Bad at All. It never was an instant lockdown clutch to begin with - but good solid Grip and Grab is Back! Pulls the tack right down Fast! - Quite Acceptable...
(and I put it to it , long ride, oil good and hot, strong full 5K+ rpm power shifts, all gears - more than Good Nuff.)
My scoot didn't like that Shell Rotella T4 15w40 (HeavyDutyDieselOil) - At All!


Gad to have the bike back to runnin as it should - a nice, lazy local scoot and run about...
( and No Slippin - don't think it needs stronger clutch springs [yet] )
 
#55 ·
Well I did it too. Had very few miles on the T4 so I added a few oz. of Seafoam to the oil and rode about 20 miles. Then took out the T4 and put in the Valvoline 10-40 MC oil. Took it for a ride only about 20 miles or so, but the clutch feels the same. If I try to rev and drop the clutch to slip check the clutch grab, is does OK as it did before. But at about 40MPH and hard throttle it breaks loose and RPMs increase about 1000 or so. Maybe I need some more miles to get it worked in better. Tomorrow I will see if it changes.
 
#57 ·
Jury is still out for me because I haven't seen an improvement on mine yet. Maybe I just need a clutch at this point.
 
#58 · (Edited)
Swifty, I didn't put seafoam in the T4. I drained all the T4 out, put in cheap new clean 10W40 and seafoam, ran it around a bit, then changed oil again (a second time) before I got the slippage stopped (and the T4 wasn't in there long).

I bought my scoot Oct 2014, a little over 13k miles, had fresh oil, and no noticeable clutch slip...
Have changed oil with Valvoline MC twice and run up to about 22.5K miles without any noticeable slippage anytime.
I put in T4 at 22.5K and within the first 150 miles I got Serious Slipping with shifts into 4th and 5th! I mentioned it surprised me as that was totally new to the bike! It was a superslipp on any strong shift into upper gears, and the more I checked it out, the hotter it got, the sllllliiiiippppppaaggge got worse and would last a full 2-3 seconds to pull the r's down... It never broke loose on a steady pull, but slipped badly on just strong shifts (not even close to a powershift).
Hey, that was it, I live in TN, not Big Mtns but lots a Boonies and Serious Hills, and I wasn't gonna wait and keep riding till I couldn't get up the Hill! I had to get that T4 outa the bike ASAP...

Didn't have any MC oil so I went to Wally and got a gal of SuperTech 10w40 and filter for a temporary change just wash that T4 outa there. That helped a lot and stopped the long 3 second rpm pull downs, but still had slippage, like One!full second(One Thousand One) slippage on strong shifts. Someone mentioned Seafoam in crankcase, OK, I put 3oz a Seafoam in the new temp oil and scooted to town to get the MC oil I had ordered... So two oil & filter changes, with the first being a temp wash out and cleansing flush, and I think I'm good to go. (with full 5500r Bad Boy Power Shifts and the tach falls back Fast! [like a 1/4 to 1/2 sec Grab, just (One!) and already a Firm Grip). Certainly Acceptable for a Not So Fast 750 Shadow. I seldom put BadBoy Powershifts on my scoot cause it just aint fast enough to benefit from em, but sometimes ya just gotta make sure the clutch will pull ya up the Tennessee Hills...

Am no OilOlogist, but my clutch didn't slip much before Rotella T4 HeavyDutyDieselOil, and it doesn't seam to now after T4, but it sure did Sssllllliiiiipppp... for the short time(200 miles at most) it was in there...
And I don't know how long one can let em slip as bad as mine did and still recover acceptability with new good oil?
My instinct was to Stop the Slippin ASAP!
 
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