Greetings All, since it is winter and I am not getting much riding done, I do what most of us do at this time.... I am completing a few winter mod projects. I am in the military and will be moving on to my next assignment in June 2011 to Tampa, Florida. Currently I live in Atlanta where the Summers can get quite HOT. I already have an oil cooler (HD) on my 2009 Ultra Classic EG. It works fine and I am not having any problems with it, but now that I am going even further South, I am thinking of adding a second oil cooler. I know there is a lot of debate about them, but I have seen the benefits they provide both while moving and while sitting still. I have a fan on my current oil cooler, so I am able to do some cooling while sitting in traffic, but in Tampa, I will have to deal with the higher humidity as well as the heat. The ambient humidity has a significant impact on an oil cooled engine's ability to cool itself. There is a company called oil bud that makes an oil cooler that goes under the frame. If you have a subscription to American Iron Magazine, you can occasionally see an ad for this product. It is said to reduce the temp from the engine to the oil tank as much as 35 degrees. I am thinking of linking it to my current oil cooler for some increased cooling capacity. I spoke with the owner of the company today. He offered the oil bud to me (minus the head unit) to include the cooling fins and hoses for $350.00. He did give a few cautions about nipples and hose fittings, but the tech at my local HD dealership said he could make it work. What are your thoughts? Is this extra cooling capacity worth the time and money?
An inquiring mind wants to know.
Thanks, Dwayne

 

First off thank you for your service. I think you will get varying opinions on this but if you already have an oil cooler you probably don't need a second one, especially if your engine is stock. I've ridden in the baking heat without a cooler and I never went above 245. Personally, I'd save the money for other mods.

 

I have been seeing temps as high as 270 degrees in August with the oil cooler.

 

Do you know what your oil temp is running now at the extremes? Therein lies your answer. If they're within an acceptable range then why bother.

Edit: Too late LOL

 

extra oil capacity is always a good thing.
- unless you introduce areas in which sediment may collect, and not be flushed out at oil change- and I wonder if that applies to this product.

- I also wonder:

how much airflow will this see mounted like that...?

is it prone to damage from road debris...or speed bumps? ( my Pal's Ultra limited is lowered an inch and he has speed bump scraping problems)

I am skeptical.

our 09 bikes have the improved oil tank design with a baffle system to allow returning oil to wind around before it can be picked up again, rather than previous return and supply ports adjacent.

We end up doing alot of warm weather testing here is AZ- I have the H-D oil cooler, seems to do the job.

Tuning can also be an issue- I use the nightrider.com XIEDS. slightly richer mixture, slightly cooler motor.

mike

 

Greetings fellow servicemember. I am pro-oil cooler, some would say an oil cooler freak. I would recommend moving to Florida first and see if you actually require additional cooling. You never mentioned your oil temp in Atlanta in the summer. If you are running "hot" now with a cooler and a fan, you may have other issues. Tell us about all your engine mods and tune.

 

try a parade fan...don't see adding a second oil cooler.

 

I'm too slow. At 270F with cooler and fan, I'm inclined to say you have something else going on. First, validate your reading, if you got a pan mounted sending unit, double check it with a turkey thermometer in the dipstick hole and make comparison. Then, validate the function of the HD cooler, I believe it is thremostated, make sure the tstat is working. Then, validate your tune condition.

 

I would consider one of those fans on the left side of the motor before I would go for another oil cooler.

 

I just put one of those on my bike and posted a thread... Search for thread titled "Engine Cooling" if you're interested in seeing it. There's a few pics there.