How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Maintenance, guides, and walkthroughs for your PCX. Please do not post questions about repairing or fixing your bike here.

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maddiedog
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How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by 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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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About 7oz of oil will come out. The stock oil will smell funny, gear oil has a particular smell to it.
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Put the drain bolt back in, and remove the fill bolt.
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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).
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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!
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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. ;)
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by 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
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Final Drive Oil my PCX 02.jpg
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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
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Do you think that it would be necessary to turn the rear wheel to drain all the oil? ;)
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by 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. :)
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by pcxpower »

Very informative. Thanks a lot! ;)
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by sendler2112 »

maddiedog wrote: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?
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by pcxpower »

sendler2112 wrote:
maddiedog wrote: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! ;)
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by 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 .
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by maddiedog »

frog13 wrote: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. :lol:
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by maddiedog »

pcxpower wrote:
sendler2112 wrote:
maddiedog wrote: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. :D
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by MikeP »

Maddiedog, thank you so much for this post. This is one area I could not find any info on in the past. :D
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by pcxpower »

Thanks again for the very useful information! In this forum one learns a lot! :D :D :D :D
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by frog13 »

maddiedog wrote:
frog13 wrote: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. :lol:
Being silly , nah , math is a good thing really...lol. And yes , the manual advises to use engine oil in the final drive . Awesome.
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by jkautz »

Good thread
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by Mel46 »

Dave, it says to replace the sealing washers. Where do you find those?
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by jkautz »

Are the sealing washers for the final drive bolts the same as the crush washer on the motor oil drain bolt?
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by you you »

Mel46 wrote:Dave, it says to replace the sealing washers. Where do you find those?
End of the bolt you removed
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by jkautz »

I'm pretty sure Mel46 meant, where can he can purchase them
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by jkautz »

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

I ride in temps between 45-100 ranging in spring/summer/fall.
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by jkautz »

maddiedog. Can you use 10w40?
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Re: How-To: Change Final Drive Oil

Post by Alibally »

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