Running Hot... Go Synthetic?
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Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 32
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From: Lake George N.Y.
Running Hot... Go Synthetic?
I am due for my 1k service and I have heard running synthetic will help with the temp? ( I have just over 1k on her, appointment is 10 days out should i stay off her?)
Also now that I have you guys here! Is lugging the motor on a twin cam a bad thing? I was told it will cause the cam to twist apart.
Also now that I have you guys here! Is lugging the motor on a twin cam a bad thing? I was told it will cause the cam to twist apart.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,642
Likes: 48
From: Ogden, UT
Where to start...lol
Syn will not necessarily make your motor run cooler, but it does stand up better to a hot motor than dino oil.
Don't worry about the 10 days, unless you are planning to ride more than 500 miles during that time, a couple hundred miles won't hurt you.
Lugging is not a good practice, but twisting the cams apart, that's a new one that I have never heard, nor can even theoretically imagine being possible. Lugging means low torque, it would take a lot of torque to twist a cam apart.
Hope this helps.
Syn will not necessarily make your motor run cooler, but it does stand up better to a hot motor than dino oil.
Don't worry about the 10 days, unless you are planning to ride more than 500 miles during that time, a couple hundred miles won't hurt you.
Lugging is not a good practice, but twisting the cams apart, that's a new one that I have never heard, nor can even theoretically imagine being possible. Lugging means low torque, it would take a lot of torque to twist a cam apart.
Hope this helps.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,562
Likes: 11
From: Palm Harbor fl.
first, don't lug your motor. Synthetic does lower the operating temp from what I have read. Seems to be about 10-20 deg. or so. Synthetic has the advantage over dino juice in that it breaks down less as the temperature rises. So run synthetic.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,977
Likes: 85
From: Nevada
There is a model year or two where there were some issues with cams but it wasn't from lugging. Stll, lugging is not good for the motor.
As said earlier lower oil temps may or may not result from using synthetic oil, but, it does stand up much better to high operating temps.
As said earlier lower oil temps may or may not result from using synthetic oil, but, it does stand up much better to high operating temps.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,998
Likes: 14
From: Central Ohio
I am due for my 1k service and I have heard running synthetic will help with the temp? ( I have just over 1k on her, appointment is 10 days out should i stay off her?)
Also now that I have you guys here! Is lugging the motor on a twin cam a bad thing? I was told it will cause the cam to twist apart.
Also now that I have you guys here! Is lugging the motor on a twin cam a bad thing? I was told it will cause the cam to twist apart.
YES lugging the motor is a bad thing! With the full synthetic fluids running higher RPM's, for longer periods of time is not a problem.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,384
Likes: 12
From: Out on Deranged
If you lug for a second or 2 nothing's going to happen,but I can't see why anyone would want to do that,just downshift. Syn oil won't cool your engine extra fuel will do that! There's ways of adding fuel, the cheap easy way is with nightrider's Xied's, other ways are more expensive fuel injection modules such as a powercommanderV, or try not to run so much in heavy traffic. Last if you want to keep ridin the *** off a her just get a filter and 2.5 quarts of oil and do the engine oil change 'tis mornin'
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,642
Likes: 48
From: Ogden, UT
While lugging the motor is not a good practice, it will NOT hurt a 4 stroke motor. It will cause issues for a 2 stroke which are designed to run at high RPM's. You don't want to continually cruise below 2000 RPM, but occasional low RPM's will not damage anything.
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wrong
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 56,052
Likes: 88,765
From: Western South Dakota
I am due for my 1k service and I have heard running synthetic will help with the temp? ( I have just over 1k on her, appointment is 10 days out should i stay off her?)
Also now that I have you guys here! Is lugging the motor on a twin cam a bad thing? I was told it will cause the cam to twist apart.
Also now that I have you guys here! Is lugging the motor on a twin cam a bad thing? I was told it will cause the cam to twist apart.
A Power Commander would be a no brainer/plug and play unit that works for many, (myself included) and then a stage 1 air cleaner, a free flowing exhaust and then you would start to get some cooling.