Oil temp/synthetic question

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Oil temp/synthetic question - 5/15/2008 8:12:24 AM

88tail

Posts: 9
Joined: 5/14/2008
Status: offline He all. I recently purchased my 88 Softail. The oil seems to be running a little hot. Its like 300 when its hot. Granted that the bike is twenty years old, and has a 88 big bore kit but im thinking of adding an oil cooler, and mabye switching to syn3 oil for the whole bike, (MOTOR PRIMARY, TRANS)cause i heard that the synthetic will run cooler. Any feedback? Im sure the cooler will help, but should I consider running synthetic in an older bike if conventional oil has been used thus far?

Post #: 1

RE: Oil temp/synthetic question - 5/15/2008 8:18:51 AM

sleepneagle

Posts: 3269
Joined: 5/24/2006
Status: offline Synthetic does a better job of keeping seals pliable. As for running cooler, syn coats the engine better than dino and helps dissipate the heat by better coating of the internal parts. I'm not much of a believer in engine oil in the trans. I believe in a good gear grease for the trans and any old oil is good for the primary. All you're doing in the primary is keeping a chain lubed and clutch plates wet.

300 is a little high, the cooler will help while moving, does no good while sitting. You will also increase your oil capacity with a cooler which helps lower the temp.

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RE: Oil temp/synthetic question - 5/15/2008 9:59:47 AM

KBFXDLI

Posts: 8071
Joined: 2/4/2006
From: Cleveland, Ohio USA
Status: offline
Scratch that...if your bike is a 1988 I would not run synthetic oil. The sealing technology of the 1980's may be incompatible with synthetics and you could be opening a can of worms with regards to leaks. Get an oil cooler. Put dino 75w90 or 80w90 GL5 gear oil in your trans. Valvoline makes a pretty good dino gear oil. If you don't want to use HD360 you might want to try some Havoline 20w50 and change it every 2500 miles and the filter every 5000 miles.

< Message edited by KBFXDLI -- 5/15/2008 1:05:46 PM >

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RE: Oil temp/synthetic question - 5/15/2008 3:42:10 PM

HD7585

Posts: 1342
Joined: 11/4/2006
Status: offline
Wow, My 85 sealing technolgy has done ok with amsoil for the past 5 years

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RE: Oil temp/synthetic question - 5/15/2008 4:30:03 PM

rbabos

Posts: 1485
Joined: 3/16/2007
From: Woodstock, Ont , Can
Status: offline Don't expect more than 10-20 degrees cooler on the norm for synthetic. If your oil temp is that high you have three problems. One is you are not moving or you have some serious blowby happening. This forces hot gases past the rings and really heats oil up. Could also be the gauge is full of shit. Start there and compare with another one.
Ron

< Message edited by rbabos -- 5/15/2008 5:45:22 PM >

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Post #: 5

RE: Oil temp/synthetic question - 5/15/2008 4:53:11 PM

PRrdglide

Posts: 190
Joined: 6/11/2007
Status: offline Not try to be smart here But Why would you change OIL and not the Filter/ it is only the best and cheapest thing you can do for your bike Even Amsoil tells you in the extend oil changes in cars (25,000 miles) That the oil filter needs to be changed at 15,000 miles.

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RE: Oil temp/synthetic question - 5/16/2008 4:37:38 AM

88tail

Posts: 9
Joined: 5/14/2008
Status: offline I change the filter every oil change. I looked at the gague yesterday when the bike was sitting in the shed and it was at 200!cold!(duh) guess im not getting an accurate reading huh?, so it seems that the bike is not running as hot as i thought! LOL. Like I said i just bought this bike so im still figuring things out with it. im still considering the oil cooler. Gonna get a new gauge, change the oil and filter and go from there!

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