JaxShane650

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Okay so I drained the oil in my 1980 xs650 for the first time and found the usual gunk and tiny bits of metal that seems somewhat normal from what I have read on this thread. I drained the oil out and took both filters out and they look like they are in pretty bad shape. Here is some pictures for reference:
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From what I can tell these filters are not in the best of shape and have seen better days. The sump filter definitely has been repaired before by the PO (red gasket around base of filter) and both filters were pretty gummed up with crud. After seeing all the crud and debris lying in the sump plate and in these filters I feel like they need to be replaced at least. Preferably I would like to find a better oil filtration method considering how ineffective these filters are compared to modern day paper filters.
 
Your filters are typical of what these look like, including the tear in the bottom sump filter. The red epoxy is factory, that's how they're made. The small round side filter should be fine, as long as it has no tears or holes in it. Just clean it up good with solvent and you can re-use it. The bottom sump filter will need to be repaired or replaced. Many of us just repair them with J.B.Weld. The aftermarket replacements are advertised as being improved (reinforced), and they are reinforced, just not in the area that typically blows out - so they tear too. I recommend you do get replacements for both, but continue to use the originals too. You will then have spare clean filters to swap in at oil changes. Clean the ones you removed at your leisure so they are ready for the next oil change.

Here's some repaired filters. The one with the round magnet is an aftermarket replacement. As you can see, it had to be repaired as well. And on top of the tear in it, the magnet fell out too, lol .....

MZHYtbR.jpg


I finally had one of my repaired filters fail again recently. But it wasn't my repair that went bad. The filter simply developed a new tear somewhere else. We've pretty much come to the conclusion that these filters tear because the 50wt. oil we run is too thick when cold. So, to preserve the filter, take it easy on the bike when you first start it and for the first few miles of driving. Give the oil a chance to warm up before you rev the motor real high.
 
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Hi Jax,
the XS650's oil filters are better described as oil strainers, the metal screens have about the same opening size as those on commercial deep-fryer oil strainers and serve the same purpose, to keep the chunks out.
There's an aftermarket finned plug-in that replaces the 3/4moon shaped side filter and it's cover. It has a small paper filter from a Honda in it.
And there's an engine mod that'll let you run an external oil cooler. You could run an external filter there instead.
 
Know if its any good? Does not look like it costs too much and if it works it would seem to be a better replacement for the old filter.
I was looking at this one from Heiden Tuning http://www.xs650.biz/p/28/2170/mo74...04-oil-filter-cooler-kit-heiden-tuning-design Its much cheaper than the one offered through mikes xs and I love the idea of having a paper filter to catch the crap that the sump one lets through.
 
Your filters are typical of what these look like, including the tear in the bottom sump filter. The red epoxy is factory, that's how they're made. The small round side filter should be fine, as long as it has no tears or holes in it. Just clean it up good with solvent and you can re-use it. The bottom sump filter will need to be repaired or replaced. Many of us just repair them with J.B.Weld. The aftermarket replacements are advertised as being improved (reinforced), and they are reinforced, just not in the area that typically blows out - so they tear too. I recommend you do get replacements for both, but continue to use the originals too. You will then have spare clean filters to swap in at oil changes. Clean the ones you removed at your leisure so they are ready for the next oil change.

Here's some repaired filters. The one with the round magnet is an aftermarket replacement. As you can see, it had to be repaired as well. And on top of the tear in it, the magnet fell out too, lol .....

SumpFilters.jpg


I finally had one of my repaired filters fail again recently. But it wasn't my repair that went bad. The filter simply developed a new tear somewhere else. We've pretty much come to the conclusion that these filters tear because the 50wt. oil we run is too thick when cold. So, to preserve the filter, take it easy on the bike when you first start it and for the first few miles of driving. Give the oil a chance to warm up before you rev the motor real high.
I would not mind repairing the stock filters and putting them back in clean, but I am looking for a more long term/after market solution that will increase the life of my engine if that's possible.
 
I've only read one review. That poster was really impressed. If you decide to order let me know we are close enough to split postage costs.
 
I would be down do that with you as long as the shipping cost isn't outrageous from Heiden Tuning. Only really looked at the price of there parts which seem pretty reasonable, have no clue what shipping from them costs. Anyone have a clue what it costs and how long it takes to get to the US?
 
Okay I did some looking on the website and If I do order from them I'm gonna get a few other thing that I need for my bike and I got all the parts into one order and it looks like shipping is still 17,50 euro so if we split the shipping how do you want to do it?
 
cant see the link youve put up, cos my browser is calling it dangerous.... but going direct to Heiden website shows a few oil filter options and price in Euros.
conversion of the price of bottom oil strainer upgrade is around $60 Australian..cant find any postage costs and dont wanna commit till I find out my options....right now cleaning the old bottom strainer and repairing by blanking off the broken bit would seem the most economically viable.
As well as running a 20-50 oil not a straight 50 as thick oil and lack of warmup before revving seem to be the culprit it broken strainers...
 
Engine longevity even with the stock filters is ok, these engines are not 100.00 mile engines.
Regular oil changes at 1500 to 2000 mile intervals is needed. The gears in the tranny are harder on the oil than the engine, No filter can fix what the tranny does to the oil.
Leo
 
Ive got one of those Heiden sump kits sitting unused, its marked for a project engine. Can confirm quality is good.

Only concern is the filtration/straining area is less than stock and 'appears' to be quite coarse. Looks to be about .3mm by eyeball. You can see from my photo its obviously different to the stock unit.

Its certainly stronger than stock, and I guess better than one with a tear you don't know about. Plus you can inspect it without removing the sump plate. Ive been to the Heiden shop. It's the real deal, loads of XS650's getting repaired, rebuilt, customised etc and a pretty impressive collection of parts. I don't think he would put his name to a part with a bad design. If you're international, I would recommend just emailing him with what you want sent and where, and sending money via PayPal. His site is kinda weird.

Having said that I'm undecided if I will run it or a stock strainer.
 

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We end up reducing the surface area on the stock ones we patch and it doesn't seem to hurt. It's become an accepted fact that those originals were made bigger than they needed to be. But the design is flawed. There's too much suction at the end of the filter that bolts down around the oil feed hole. That end of the filter is where they always tear. It's usually that spot that juts out because for some reason, Yamaha didn't pleat the screening there, it's just flat. As I mentioned above, I had a patched filter tear again in a different spot. It seems the patch simply shifted the stress point to another area. That new tear was in a pleated area. Maybe the only way to really fix one of these would be to cover the whole end by the feed hole with JB Weld.
 
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