Checking oil
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 7,323
Likes: 11,760
From: Omaha,NE
There is a cold check procedure, but hot checks are the only reliable way to do it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,525
Likes: 6,406
From: Honah Lee
Nope.. depends what you want. If you do the cold, your not done if you want the hot.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 1,538
Likes: 542
From: MN
This makes no sense. The manual says either is fine, not that you have to perform both.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,525
Likes: 6,406
From: Honah Lee
Make sense to me. There are preference in life. Having it at the full mark always allows allowed me to have never added any oil between changes.
Especially after a lot of miles on it . If I had started at mid-stick and it got down to 1/4 stick, that would be a little annoying to me.
Now if it was 3/4 stick I would be happy and saw that back when I traveled . Even at your preference, I would still be fine.
So it makes sense to me and I am fine with how you want it. Just not how I want it
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 1,538
Likes: 542
From: MN
Make sense to me. There are preference in life. Having it at the full mark always allows allowed me to have never added any oil between changes.
Especially after a lot of miles on it . If I had started at mid-stick and it got down to 1/4 stick, that would be a little annoying to me.
Now if it was 3/4 stick I would be happy and saw that back when I traveled . Even at your preference, I would still be fine.
So it makes sense to me and I am fine with how you want it. Just not how I want it
Especially after a lot of miles on it . If I had started at mid-stick and it got down to 1/4 stick, that would be a little annoying to me.
Now if it was 3/4 stick I would be happy and saw that back when I traveled . Even at your preference, I would still be fine.
So it makes sense to me and I am fine with how you want it. Just not how I want it
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,525
Likes: 6,406
From: Honah Lee
All cool. If you had read my original post way up there, I said the areas obviously never affect my Harley oil level.
However, my Cages for both the Power Steering and ATF can and do raise dramatically from the cold mark to the hot mark.
And if that's what you have found on your bike, obviously you sure don't want to go over the middle mark. I didn't either till I did the top line hot.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 1,538
Likes: 542
From: MN
All cool. If you had read my original post way up there, I said the areas obviously never affect my Harley oil level.
However, my Cages for both the Power Steering and ATF can and do raise dramatically from the cold mark to the hot mark.
And if that's what you have found on your bike, obviously you sure don't want to go over the middle mark. I didn't either till I did the top line hot.
However, my Cages for both the Power Steering and ATF can and do raise dramatically from the cold mark to the hot mark.
And if that's what you have found on your bike, obviously you sure don't want to go over the middle mark. I didn't either till I did the top line hot.
On air cooled engines I'd expect more oil expansion when it's 100F degrees out @ 90mph riding. So I don't plan to change anything. Yes it gets near 100F degrees here every summer in the American Siberia.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,525
Likes: 6,406
From: Honah Lee
Perfect opportunity for a new poll for someone.
Title it What is you perfect oil fill level or something on that lines.
Some Poll Questions should be like.
All ways middle of the stick.
I top off to full when hot.
It's hot enough around here that my cold middle of the stick reads full when bike is hot.
Anything else about it that's on your mind. If I do it, my trolls are just going to fuss and I only have a phone right now and polls and fat fingers don't work so well.
Use this thread to chime in on questions and how to word. Someone volunteer. Don't need more than one.
Title it What is you perfect oil fill level or something on that lines.
Some Poll Questions should be like.
All ways middle of the stick.
I top off to full when hot.
It's hot enough around here that my cold middle of the stick reads full when bike is hot.
Anything else about it that's on your mind. If I do it, my trolls are just going to fuss and I only have a phone right now and polls and fat fingers don't work so well.
Use this thread to chime in on questions and how to word. Someone volunteer. Don't need more than one.