Oil Cooler Cover
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,205
Likes: 1,193
From: Anywhere we stop
Oil Cooler Cover
Was watching an episode of Pacific Mike on YouTube and he was talking about one of his Shovels and the oil cooler. Said if you need a jacket so does the oil cooler.
Made sense to me? Couldn't find a bypass switch that I liked so I made a cover out of leather. First attempt was measured wrong, but it worked. Found a leather shop here in Quartzsite, and bought a cutoff piece of thick hide.
Will be my "project" during the rain over the next few days. New to leather, have some leather hand tools but never got to figuring out how to use them. Figure it'll be fun!!
Cool project. Didn't know you did leather work. I love that stuff. Beautiful. They just opened a Tandy Leather store next to my shop. I like to go over there just to soak up the smell.
Not to throw a wet blanket on your project, but wouldn't you want as much air hitting the oil cooler as possible?
Not to throw a wet blanket on your project, but wouldn't you want as much air hitting the oil cooler as possible?
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,054
Likes: 441
From: Tejas
Too Cheap
To buy leather covers, so I use a piece of cardboard and paint it black. Use black zip ties to hold it on during the winter riding season. It's lasted about 7 or 8 years so far. Not nearly as pretty as yours will be, but I'm cheap. LoL
Griz
Griz
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,601
Likes: 9,919
From: Florida's gorgeous East coast
Cool project. Didn't know you did leather work. I love that stuff. Beautiful. They just opened a Tandy Leather store next to my shop. I like to go over there just to soak up the smell.
Not to throw a wet blanket on your project, but wouldn't you want as much air hitting the oil cooler as possible?
Not to throw a wet blanket on your project, but wouldn't you want as much air hitting the oil cooler as possible?
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,434
Likes: 801
From: Colorado
Just a FYI, but HD did make stock oil cooler covers to begin with,
If you check around, can find them for less than $100, if one does not want to make one themselves, or looking for how HD designed them in the first place.
One for a shovel head if your not looking to reinvent the wheel with design,,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/166449683792
If you check around, can find them for less than $100, if one does not want to make one themselves, or looking for how HD designed them in the first place.
One for a shovel head if your not looking to reinvent the wheel with design,,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/166449683792
Covering the oil cooler will make your oil hotter, thinner, and less able to pull heat out of your engine. Why would you ever want that?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 9,586
Likes: 7,969
From: Long Island, New York
Cover the oil cooler in the Winter.
We used to just cover them up with black electrical tape, kept the air from going over the cooling fins. Just rip it off in the Spring. Currently only my Road Glide has an oil cooler, I just leave it alone in the winter. Good luck.
We used to just cover them up with black electrical tape, kept the air from going over the cooling fins. Just rip it off in the Spring. Currently only my Road Glide has an oil cooler, I just leave it alone in the winter. Good luck.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,849
Likes: 1,389
From: Florida
If anybody is looking for one that is easily removable, drag makes one. It's pretty nice and I've had it for awhile. I live in Florida and today is 40 degrees. Tomorrow it will be 75. It's nice to be able to take it off.
I had to shorten mine a little bit for one of my jags
I had to shorten mine a little bit for one of my jags
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Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,161
Likes: 653
From: Potter County, PA
In cold temperatures if you have an oil cooler on your Harley, it will not reach operating temperature, hence the oil cooler cover or what they originally called a Bra when it came out on early Low Riders. There is also a thermostat that does the same thing. I run my cover if below 50 degrees here in the mountains, and have for 40 years. I have made them out of duct tape. The originals have a way of growing legs.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 912
Likes: 647
From: west coast
The oil can be too cool in cold weather (like under 200F) with a cooler, condensation won't evaporate, etc...not good.