I have recently aquired an 87 LT230S in a trade. This is my first quad and I have a couple of questions. First, what kind of oil should I use, the filler cap says SAE 10W40. Second, how much oil do I need to use. Also, when I drained the oil, it was not the consistency of normal car oil, it was alot thinner than normal oil. About 2 quarts of fliud came out. Is this normal? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Stick with the factory recommended oil. Nothing fancy is needed. I can't remember if the amount of CC's of oil was stamped on the side of the crankcase or not, but you should check, as it is stamped on a lot of motorcycle and atv engines. Whatever you do, don't overfill the case, which can cause a lot of problems. Your bike should have a clear site glass on the right side (brake pedal side) of the crankcase right near the tip of the brake pedal. There is a silver metal disc inside of the glass to show contrast when the oil is filled to that level. I fill mine to the upper-most portion of that site glass and leave a little room at the top. Can't really explain why your oil was thinner than expected unless the last owner put extremely thin stuff in for very cold weather, or there's a problem with the atv. When you drain your oil, check the waste oil for fine metal shavings (crankcase damage) and for a milky color (water in the oil)