Heiden filter!

Originally, the Heiden oil filter came with fins, and was much more attractive, in my opinion. I'm sure the cooling effect of the fins is negligible or non-existent, and I guess they decided to save money on billet aluminum and machining by eliminating them. I'm a huge Heiden fan, but this was a shame. Glad I got mine when they still had the fins.

 

On the sump filter I pull and clean it at every oil change. I have a couple of the sump plates and several stock filters I have patched up.
I have a clean filter and sump plate ready to just swap out at oil changes.
On the filter housing sticking out of the side cover I think they hinder the smooth lines of the engine. The side cover mods I have done on my 75 allows me to add an oil cooler or an external spin on filter.
As I was working on the mod i found adding the extra filter did cool the engine a bit, about 5* on the head and cylinders. Adding the cooler drop temps about 50* at the head and cylinders.
I still run the stock filters in the sump and side cover. I took of the extra filter, cost a few bucks every oil change. If you do oil changes at the reccomended intervals that's all you need.
Leo

 

Ya know, just to play devils advocate... and not taking a position either way, but just about all car engines spend their life having never had the sump screen removed or cleaned. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
OK... I'll run and hide now...

 

True that. The only time my screen on my car will see daylight is when I rebuild the engine (happening right now). But the factory screen is metal and I’ve never heard of one coming apart. That’s why this metal screen look interesting and promising.

 

Difference is, there's a fibre-shedding clutch in nearly all of our motorcycle engines.
When I had the GS up on the ramp I decided it would be a good idea to drop the sump plate and inspect the pick-up strainer. I nearly didn't bother as I was pushed for time.
It was 90% blocked with fragments of gasket and (mostly) fibrous material that could only have come from the clutch over many years.

 

Never saw a sump filter fail at the left end like that. Maybe it's time to retire that one too, lol.

 

Just received this in the mail yesterday. In it goes tomorrow then the bike goes to sleep for the winter. The old sump filter looked like new (shouldn’t have more than 1500 km on it?). I’ll keep it just in case. Can they be washed out in solvent or gasoline? Thx

 

yes.

 

Jim the po had copper sealing washers on the bolts for the sump plate. Are these necessary? I was just going to replace the plate with a new gasket and a bit of sealant.

 

Depends on who you ask.
The parts catalog does not call for any washers. I use lock washers and don't have any leaks down there.

 

K thx

 

This is my TX750 sump screen. It had 11,000 mls on it when I got it. Never thought to look at it until 14,000mls.
Quite a lot of debris on the screen, did it’s job I’d say.
My first XS 1973, sold it with 13,000 on it I never had the sump of that one, but changed the oil regularly.

 

I don't like to tighten a bare bolt or a lock washer directly on an alloy surface. In this case I've used a stainless 6mm flat washer and no lock washer. Copper washers are fine, stainless are a little more re-usable.

 

I have both of his filters - sump and finned side cover. Haven't ran them yet, but for the price of the sump vs a stock replacement, it was more than worth it IMO

 

Yes... always use a plain washer 'tween aluminum and any sort of lock washer. To me that's a given, so I neglected to answer correctly. Mea culpa.