Delvac in a Honda Rebel 250?

[bbslider001]

Hey guys. I put Delvac 15w-40 in my Honda Rebel 250 when I added to it. It belonged to a friend of mine (girl) who didn't check the oil in the 2 years she owned it!!!!!

When I checked it, it didn't even register on the dipstick!!!! OMFG! So, all I had on hand at the time was the Delvac I use in my Dmax. I know 10w-40 is what it calls for, but didn't have any at the time so I put it in what was available in my garage. Do I need to change it soon? Thanks. I know a lot about diesel trucks and PMC's, but I know NOTHING about motorcycles.

 

[Redline955]

I would change it, and put the correct viscosity in there. Not because you put Dalvac 15/40 in there, but because you should always change the oil on a used bike, especially when you don't know how long it's been in there.

 

[1WildPig]

Yep, the Delvac will be a good oil to use in that bike as would Rotella T in 15w40...I'd change the oil filter as well and then do regular oil changes around every 2500 miles and change the oil filter about every third oil change...check the air filter too!

 

[tomcat27]

I would stick with the delvac 15-40

 

[craigq]

The diesel or HDEO should be fine. IIRC there's no "consumable" oil filter on the Rebel 250, just an oil screen. These seem to be the top two forums for the Rebel I was able to find when I was researching the bike:

Rebel 250 . Com
Honda Rebel Forum . Com

 

[daman]

You are fine!!!

keep the delvac 15w-40 in there,it works with out hurting a thing. Thats all i use in my ATV's is HDEO.

 

[bbslider001]

Suhweet. Thanks guys and yeah, I do believe that the only filter is the screen. Changing it just after I get off this thread. Going with the Delvac since it is what I have in my truck anyways.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: cowhorse01
Suhweet. Thanks guys and yeah, I do believe that the only filter is the screen. Changing it just after I get off this thread. Going with the Delvac since it is what I have in my truck anyways.

 

[dnewton3]

Cowhorse01 - you know me; dino HDEO all the way!

If anything, I'd OCI the bike and put HDEO right back in it.

That little engine isn't exactly known for being hard on anything; the power is moderate, to be polite. The Delvac is probably a step up from whatever was in there ...

 

[sunruh]

in my tests. delvac was a couple of hairs shy of SRT and 5 or so shy of ST. not bad, but not as good a bang for the buck.

if it were me (and i'm telling you like as if it was), i would do about 3 or 4 oci's in 200 miles. ie 50mi for an oci on whatever oil you got laying around or can find on sale. then run any of the HDEOs.

 

[bbslider001]

Thanks D and all the others for your input. I love this forum. I looked all over for an Owner's Man, but no luck. I got the answers I needed right here in about 20 minutes! I changed it and put Delvac back in it. Whatever came outta there was very sludgy. I had 2 gallons of Delvac, so I changed it, drove it for about 30 minutes and drained and changed again.....sort of my own inexpensive engine flush. When I checked it after the second change, it was nice and clean and running noticeably smoother. I'll probably change one more time in the next 200-300 miles since it is cheap and who knows if it was ever changed in its first 2600 miles that are on the OD.

 

[beanoil]

No need to get crazy. Delvac is fine for the Rebel. That is a very simple designed motor. The single carb and EPA have all but eliminated fuel dilution. There is no filter, as you found out. The major source of contamination is clutch material, but IIRC, Honda still only recommends the oil changed at 3k intervals. As far as the difference between a 10-40 and a 15-40, personally, I'll take a 15-40 with the narrower visc spread, and more z and p than say, GTX 10-40. Seems like every bike website has a thread on GTX. A gallon jug of Delvac is 10 dollars at WM? A dealer is going to charge 40 dollars or more for an oil change. With a reasonable oci, you'll get 100k out of that motor on Delvac. Slightly OT, my friend at work just bought a Yamaha T-Max scooter. 500cc twin. His dealer wanted 75.00 for an oil change!

 

[daman]

I did the same as you, when i got the kids little yamaha moto-4 100 it was very black and thick did a few "flush" short OCI then ran it out for the season,cleaned it up nice, to this day it stays cleaner longer now.

keep doing what your doing it'll run forever.

 

[bbslider001]

Originally Posted By: beanoil
No need to get crazy. Delvac is fine for the Rebel. That is a very simple designed motor. The single carb and EPA have all but eliminated fuel dilution. There is no filter, as you found out. The major source of contamination is clutch material, but IIRC, Honda still only recommends the oil changed at 3k intervals. As far as the difference between a 10-40 and a 15-40, personally, I'll take a 15-40 with the narrower visc spread, and more z and p than say, GTX 10-40. Seems like every bike website has a thread on GTX. A gallon jug of Delvac is 10 dollars at WM? A dealer is going to charge 40 dollars or more for an oil change. With a reasonable oci, you'll get 100k out of that motor on Delvac. Slightly OT, my friend at work just bought a Yamaha T-Max scooter. 500cc twin. His dealer wanted 75.00 for an oil change!


$75.00 for an oil change??!! What a joke! Not only was the gallon only $10, but it took me about 5 minutes, literally, to drain and fill. So glad to be somewhat mechanically adept.

 

[RWEST]

Those engines are about indestructible - it'll run forever on Delvac (or about anything else you put in there).

Have you ever seen pictures of the ones running in those 3rd world countries with pigs stacked 6 high on 'em, or the whole family, dad/mom/kids, jammed on there? Who knows what they have in there for lube, and they keep chugging along!!

 

[dnewton3]

There is good money to be made doing things for others that they choose/cannot not to do for themselves.

 

[1WildPig]

Yep, you're right, I got my friend's next bike, a Yamaha Virago, mixed up in my mind when thinking about the oil and filter...he started on a Honda Rebel and I changed the oil in it with Rotella, then, after about three months, he got the Yamaha and it's the one with the internal replaceable filer - just got'em mixed up ...

But, if the Rebel has an oil screen, I'd clean it now (or next oil change) and at least on a yearly basis ... and don't forget to check the air filter!

 

[RWEST]

Quote:
But, if the Rebel has an oil screen, I'd clean it now (or next oil change) and at least on a yearly basis

Hopefully, it's not like my 250 Honda Recon, that only has an internal screen filter, and you must break the cases to get at it!!

 

[1WildPig]

Have to split the cases! Good Grief! I'd likely always do short OCIs and hope for the best unless the cases had to be opened anyway ...

 

[bbslider001]

I did everything as far as tune up goes...plugs, air filter, changed oil, drained fuel and added fresh, and got the chain adjusted. I took it up the 101 today for about 2 hours. The thing loves me now. This girl did not take great care of this bike, and it still runs like its new.......new to me anyways.