Road Smith Diff Oil Change

bikerbillone · Oct 4, 2016

Posting this here as well as the 'other' forum......Any suggestions on a simple way to change the differential oil on a Road Smith with aux fuel tank? It is tight under there, real tight. 2005 GW with 2012 conversion.

Gold Rush · Oct 4, 2016

bikerbillone said:
Posting this here as well as the 'other' forum......Any suggestions on a simple way to change the differential oil on a Road Smith with aux fuel tank? It is tight under there, real tight. 2005 GW with 2012 conversion.

Bill, I don't know if your conversion has the same arrangement as my 2015. Roadsmith chassis haven't changed much so hopefully it is. Here is a pix of the access hole at the rear of the trike (see the RED) used to drain/check level/add fluid. You have to use a suction device to remove to old fluid. Your owner manual give you some help/advise/warnings. I hope that helped.. :xszpv: :xszpv:

bikerbillone · Oct 4, 2016

Thanks gold, looks familiar, but the manual I got with my conversion doesn't tell me much except the 9 bolt and the ten bolt rear cover fluid level, one pic showing the 'red' plug, no info on 'when' to change, no 'how to' help. Soon as I get the time, I run it up on the two car racks, get up under there and see if there's a way. If I get it on the racks, I'm thinking that's gonna make the fluid level uneven and that will screw up the drain and add. I may wind up taking it to the Daytona Trike Shop to get it done. I'd rather not do that.

Phu Cat · Oct 4, 2016

Gold Rush,I'm curious about your changing the oil on your rear end. Does your instruction manual require it? Then by all means, do it. But if not, why change it as oil never wears out. Is there something unique about your type of rear end?

I have a lot of money invest in my bike too and want to give it the best care possible if that's where you're coming from. Sure understand that. If that's the case, change away.

PC

bikerbillone · Oct 4, 2016

What I've learned so far, since 2009 it's a Ford application differential, for the car the recommendation is change every 50K miles, since the diff is used in a trike, that mileage can be extended. The Trike Shop charges around $60 for that job. From old information I can find, it takes about one quart, hope that's good info, helpful since it's difficult to get your finger down there to figure the 1 inch below the filler hole.

Gold Rush · Oct 4, 2016

Phu Cat said:
Gold Rush,I'm curious about your changing the oil on your rear end. Does your instruction manual require it? Then by all means, do it. But if not, why change it as oil never wears out. Is there something unique about your type of rear end?

I have a lot of money invest in my bike too and want to give it the best care possible if that's where you're coming from. Sure understand that. If that's the case, change away.

PC

Here is a copy/paste from the owner manual.. You are correct in that it says nothing about replacing. Just checking and associated info.

Differential Fluid

Under normal driving conditions you should check the differential fluid by removing the fill/inspection plug. If the plug is rubber it can be removed with a screw driver.

If it is a metal plug with a “star-slot,” the plug can be removed by inserting the square end of a one-half inch extension for a ratchet wrench. For differentials with a 9-bolt rear cover, the fluid level should be one-half inch below the fill/inspection hole. For differentials with a 10-bolt rear cover, the fluid level should be one inch below the fill hole. (DO NOT overfill the 10-bolt differential – the fluid will leak through the breather vent – these differentials are filled with 1qt of fluid from the factory). This should be checked annually, or if you notice a leak.

- - - Updated - - -

bikerbillone said:
Thanks gold, looks familiar, but the manual I got with my conversion doesn't tell me much except the 9 bolt and the ten bolt rear cover fluid level, one pic showing the 'red' plug, no info on 'when' to change, no 'how to' help. Soon as I get the time, I run it up on the two car racks, get up under there and see if there's a way. If I get it on the racks, I'm thinking that's gonna make the fluid level uneven and that will screw up the drain and add. I may wind up taking it to the Daytona Trike Shop to get it done. I'd rather not do that.

Hey Bill, if you have a small floor jack you can slip it under the front of the engine right where the case halves meet and raise the front to match the rear.... I use that lifting point a lot.

Have since I started riding GL1800s 15 years ago... :xszpv: :xszpv:

bikerbillone · Oct 4, 2016

Thanks Gold, I have that information in my manual. Good tip and I can raise the front of my trike just not sure I can get to the plugs for drain and fill even if I get my body under there. I might try getting the two rear tires up on a couple two by 4's and raise the rear a bit, then raise the front if I can get jack under the front of the motor. This will probably be a challenge.

Gold Rush · Oct 4, 2016

bikerbillone said:
Thanks Gold, I have that information in my manual. Good tip and I can raise the front of my trike just not sure I can get to the plugs for drain and fill even if I get my body under there. I might try getting the two rear tires up on a couple two by 4's and raise the rear a bit, then raise the front if I can get jack under the front of the motor. This will probably be a challenge.

Sounds like you need a set of my homemade ramps !

bikerbillone · Oct 4, 2016

Have I seen them? Made from 3, 2 bys with angle cut of the front?

Gold Rush · Oct 4, 2016

bikerbillone said:
Have I seen them? Made from 3, 2 bys with angle cut of the front?

YUP. Them is it.... Word GREAT, inexpensive to build, and last a long time. I built mine in 2010 right after I converted my '06 to a Motor Trike Adventure. I've lost track of the many different trikes that have graced their decks.

I built mine entirely out of scrap lumber but even to buy the materials new I'd expect less than $30.

bikerbillone · Oct 4, 2016

I'll look into that, you have specs?

Gold Rush · Oct 4, 2016

bikerbillone said:
I'll look into that, you have specs?

Bill, shoot me a PM with your email address. I have an info file I will send you.

triker 12 · Oct 4, 2016

This is good information. Does the 9 bolt rear have breather vent?

mhgoldwing · Oct 4, 2016

bikerbillone said:
Posting this here as well as the 'other' forum......Any suggestions on a simple way to change the differential oil on a Road Smith with aux fuel tank? It is tight under there, real tight. 2005 GW with 2012 conversion.

I asked this question in May and got a response from the founder of the Trike Shop. Follow this thread down to his response. Easy peasy.

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/32514-How-to-change-differential-oil

bikerbillone · Oct 4, 2016

Well I'll just be dipped, I recall that conversation, now I have it in my 'saved' file. Again, many thanks.

Phu Cat · Oct 6, 2016

Well Bikerbill, that differential sounds like it should last a day or two short of forever! But just to be on the safe side I think I'd change the oil on it too.

PC