How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

[maddiedog]

Per the maintenance schedule (http://hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=323), the final drive oil should be replaced every 2 years. I recommend you change it more often if you ride a lot -- around 10k miles, my oil still looked good, but had some glitter in it. I would say 10k miles or every 2 years at minimum. You could do it every oil change if you want -- it's a 5 minute job once you've done it once.

Here's Honda's word on the maintenance:

IMG_8423.JPG (284.21 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

If you're concerned your levels are low, put the bike on the centerstand and take off the top bolt. Add oil using a syringe until it comes out of the hole. Simple!

I use 10w30, as recommended. ANY (n) w30 oil will work, but you can find 10w30 the easiest. I recommend you use synthetic oil.

Here's the tools we'll use -- a syringe, a container for the oil, and 12mm ratchet with extension. The syringe is necessary -- due to the angle and size of the hole, a funnel will not work. The syringe I'm using is a standard medical syringe. Even a turkey baster will work.

IMG_8426.JPG (397.99 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

Here's where the 3 bolts are on the PCX. Wipe this area clean before proceeding with maintenance. It gets REALLY dirty because the vent for the variator and clutch is just in front of the bolts.

IMG_8427.JPG (297.83 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

The top left bolt is the fill port. The top right bolt you won't touch, it's one of the 7 bolts that holds the other side of the drive casing in place. The bottom bolt is the drain bolt.

Put your PCX on the sidestand. Place the cup under the drain bolt. Remove the drain bolt.

IMG_8428.JPG (315.64 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

IMG_8429.JPG (294.86 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

About 7oz of oil will come out. The stock oil will smell funny, gear oil has a particular smell to it.

IMG_8439.JPG (267.48 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

Put the drain bolt back in, and remove the fill bolt.

IMG_8430.JPG (304.99 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

Dispose of the oil responsibly. Clean your cup out. Open your new oil and pour about 8 ounces into the cup.

Put your bike on the centerstand. Get out your syringe, and start syringing oil into the bike. Your oil should be amber in color. I did this how-to by request, so the oil in my bike is new enough that I just put it back in (that's why the oil you see is darker).

IMG_8440.JPG (288.24 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

IMG_8442.JPG (256.22 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

Keep pumping oil into the fill port until oil flows out when you put it in. At that point, just put the fill bolt back in, and you're done!

IMG_8446.JPG (276.18 KiB) Viewed 40725 times

If you have any issues / questions / etc, feel free to reply or PM me.

If this how-to saved you a few bucks or made your life easier, you can buy me a beer using the yellow "Donate" button all the way at the bottom of the page. I host the site out of my own pocket, and provide it all ad-free for the public. I even make all these awesome how-tos for free, so even a tiny donation means a lot to me personally.

[pcxpower]

Thank you very much, and I'm really sure that this "How-to" will be extremely helpful to all of us!

I have taken a couple of pics of my PCX so that users can see the bolts to remove, both with sealing washers, so that they can easily differenciate them from the other bolt, without sealing washers:

Final Drive Oil my PCX 01.jpg (177.41 KiB) Viewed 40701 times

Final Drive Oil my PCX 02.jpg (138.39 KiB) Viewed 40701 times

And in these instructions from another Honda model (I think) that forum user "dasshreddar" posted in another thread ( http://www.hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3209 ), the instructions say that, after removing both bots, to:

"Slowly turn the rear wheel and drain the oil"

Final Drive Oil NOT PCX.jpg (232.41 KiB) Viewed 40701 times

Do you think that it would be necessary to turn the rear wheel to drain all the oil?

[maddiedog]

No, you don't have to turn the rear wheel. That will rotate the gears in the final drive and may facilitate evacuating the oil, but is unnecessary. The oil comes out pretty quickly without rotating.

The drain plug is way below the gears at the bottom and there is no sump pump to circulate oil in the final drive. The gears are partially bathed in the oil, and one of the larger sprockets sprays oil all over the place inside of the chamber.

[pcxpower]

Very informative. Thanks a lot!

[sendler2112]

About 7oz of oil will come out. The stock oil will smell funny, gear oil has a particular smell to it.

So, the PCX comes with stinky, thick, gear oil in the final drive but the manual tells you to put back engine oil?

[pcxpower]

About 7oz of oil will come out. The stock oil will smell funny, gear oil has a particular smell to it.

So, the PCX comes with stinky, thick, gear oil in the final drive but the manual tells you to put back engine oil?

Very interesting question, and I also thought about it when I read it... let's hope that we can solve our doubt!

[frog13]

I'm new here and not trying to start controversy , I believe the refill amount for the final drive is : It is either .13 or .12 X 32 ounces which is between 3.86 or 4.16 ounces of fluid .

[maddiedog]

I'm new here and not trying to start controversy , I believe the refill amount for the final drive is : It is either .13 or .12 X 32 ounces which is between 3.86 or 4.16 ounces of fluid .

There's no controversy, or measurement. You're being silly.

The amount to fill is until oil starts coming out of the fill hole. Don't bother measuring, just fill until it pours out of the filling hole when you squirt more in.

[maddiedog]

About 7oz of oil will come out. The stock oil will smell funny, gear oil has a particular smell to it.

So, the PCX comes with stinky, thick, gear oil in the final drive but the manual tells you to put back engine oil?

Very interesting question, and I also thought about it when I read it... let's hope that we can solve our doubt!

The thick stinky gear oil is roughly the same viscosity as motor oil, actually! I'm serious -- google it if you don't believe me. 15w85 gear oil is about the same viscosity as 10w40 motor oil, so Honda's cool with you just using motor oil. It's easier, and with the extremely low torque a scooter puts out, the gears really don't care.

If you want to use gear oil, go for it, but you'll just be buying extra oil when the standard synthetic you use to lubricate the engine will lubricate your gears just as well.

[MikeP]

Maddiedog, thank you so much for this post. This is one area I could not find any info on in the past.

[pcxpower]

Thanks again for the very useful information! In this forum one learns a lot!

[frog13]

I'm new here and not trying to start controversy , I believe the refill amount for the final drive is : It is either .13 or .12 X 32 ounces which is between 3.86 or 4.16 ounces of fluid .

There's no controversy, or measurement. You're being silly.

The amount to fill is until oil starts coming out of the fill hole. Don't bother measuring, just fill until it pours out of the filling hole when you squirt more in.

Being silly , nah , math is a good thing really...lol. And yes , the manual advises to use engine oil in the final drive . Awesome.

[jkautz]

Good thread

[Mel46]

Dave, it says to replace the sealing washers. Where do you find those?

[jkautz]

Are the sealing washers for the final drive bolts the same as the crush washer on the motor oil drain bolt?

[you you]

Dave, it says to replace the sealing washers. Where do you find those?

End of the bolt you removed

[jkautz]

I'm pretty sure Mel46 meant, where can he can purchase them

[jkautz]

Is it okay to put 10w40 in the final drive?

I ride in temps between 45-100 ranging in spring/summer/fall.

[jkautz]

maddiedog. Can you use 10w40?

[Alibally]

Hope so. I have. It's what's left from a litre when changing your engine oil