So I was changing the oil for the first time on my 2008 SM450R and when I took off the cover on the left side to remove and clean the filters there were none! The service manual says there are supposed to be two small filters with screens that need to be cleaned and then replaced but neither one are there. I bought this bike used so who knows what the previous owner did. My question is what kind of damage if any can result from these missing and what are the part #'s so that I can order some new ones?
Did you reach in there with a finger to see if there is a tube screen that slides out? I almost see the edge of one of the 2 screens (#20 in the pic below) that are supposed to be in there. There is no filter in these holes, only screens. The one you have open is the pathway for the oil to get to the right side/clutch basket area of the motor. The magnet on the drain plug will be helping to keep steel pieces away from your clutch area, but other pieces will have gone over there. The more important one is to the left of that one you have open. The smaller one is the screen for the oil pump. Pieces of metal that get sucked into the oil pump could damage the oil pump. Any pieces that get pumped upwards will get filtered out by the oil filter but it's important to protect the oil pump from pieces of gunk that could damage the pump.
It's in there. You can see the mesh part. I found the best way to get them out, is to use a dentist pick (which you can get a set of 4 anywhere for cheap) and pull it straight out.
Those are the easy ones to get out, you also have a screen behind that allen plug to the left-that one can be tricky to get out.
