Oil cooler
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,090
Likes: 3,882
From: Murfreesboro , TN
Not sure what year your bike is but will share my experience.
On my 01 Roadglide, have a 95ci engine with some other mods. Always ran hot as hell. Toyed with the thought of an external oil cooler as I have one on another one of my other bikes (96ci evo). Before I made the purchase I switched to a cooler running plug, made all the difference in the world! Two years now and no pinging especially considering we just came off one of the hottest suumers on record in the midwest. Also switched to synthetic oil, all three holes. Am very happy with it now, but being an air cooled engine, it will get hot at times especially in stop and go traffic. Not much an oil cooler can do for you then. Also found the external oil cooler to be a bit of a pain in colder weather (ex: toys for tots), seemed the engine took an hour, maybe longer to heat up properly, although some folks use a thermostat, I don't.
I suggest trying a cooler running plug first, you might be surprised. If you are doing a lot of highway riding, an oil cooler shouldn't be neccessary anyway.
Good luck
On my 01 Roadglide, have a 95ci engine with some other mods. Always ran hot as hell. Toyed with the thought of an external oil cooler as I have one on another one of my other bikes (96ci evo). Before I made the purchase I switched to a cooler running plug, made all the difference in the world! Two years now and no pinging especially considering we just came off one of the hottest suumers on record in the midwest. Also switched to synthetic oil, all three holes. Am very happy with it now, but being an air cooled engine, it will get hot at times especially in stop and go traffic. Not much an oil cooler can do for you then. Also found the external oil cooler to be a bit of a pain in colder weather (ex: toys for tots), seemed the engine took an hour, maybe longer to heat up properly, although some folks use a thermostat, I don't.
I suggest trying a cooler running plug first, you might be surprised. If you are doing a lot of highway riding, an oil cooler shouldn't be neccessary anyway.
Good luck
I live in Arizona, and I haven't had any problems with the bike overheating, even when it's 115 out (I try not to ride too much at that point though to be honest!) It certainly ran fairly hot when it was stock, but once I swapped the pipes, A/C and PCIII on it, it's run like a champ. Besides, with me averaging about 4000 miles a year, it'll about 25 years before I might be looking at a rebuild.
Supporter
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 15,788
Likes: 5,625
From: along the shore of Mishigami
My 02 has a cooler on it and made a leather cover for it when temps are at down to 50 degrees F. When my 05 went over 1500 miles I put synthetic in it. After drive a highway speeds, then checked the oil and I never saw syn oil smoke like that, next item was the cooler with a thermostat, bike runs cooler now. Good article in American Iron Mag. and American Rider Magazine.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,012
Likes: 298
From: Central Fl
I run Amsoil 20w50 in all 3 holes. Great on the hiway but still a little warm in traffic. Noticed in the HD parts (if memory serves) book an electric fan that blows air between the cylinders when in heavy traffic. It mounts in the area where the horn is and the horn is relocated. The price is in the $350.00 range. I am seriously considering one of these units for my RG.
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 0
From: Chicago.
Stupid question, but are you talking spark plug? What type do you recommend (if that's the case)?
I live in Arizona, and I haven't had any problems with the bike overheating, even when it's 115 out (I try not to ride too much at that point though to be honest!) It certainly ran fairly hot when it was stock, but once I swapped the pipes, A/C and PCIII on it, it's run like a champ. Besides, with me averaging about 4000 miles a year, it'll about 25 years before I might be looking at a rebuild.
I live in Arizona, and I haven't had any problems with the bike overheating, even when it's 115 out (I try not to ride too much at that point though to be honest!) It certainly ran fairly hot when it was stock, but once I swapped the pipes, A/C and PCIII on it, it's run like a champ. Besides, with me averaging about 4000 miles a year, it'll about 25 years before I might be looking at a rebuild.
"A quick and easy step in the right direction is to use colder plugs. Rather than spend the exorbitant price Harley charges for [colder] EX12P plugs (part #32321-91, $13 per pair) I recommend installing Champion RA6HC plugs, which are colder than RA8HC and cost considerably less than SE plugs."
This information was per TC88 spec and worked for me.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,404
Likes: 12
From: Haymarket, VA
AI magazine had a good arcticle on oil coolers couple months back. Latest issue of American Rider has a good one on oil coolers also. Name of article is: Oil Coolers, do you really need one? Very informative...
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 452
Likes: 93
From: Center of Kalifornia
I run Amsoil 20w50 in all 3 holes. Great on the hiway but still a little warm in traffic. Noticed in the HD parts (if memory serves) book an electric fan that blows air between the cylinders when in heavy traffic. It mounts in the area where the horn is and the horn is relocated. The price is in the $350.00 range. I am seriously considering one of these units for my RG.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,946
Likes: 822
From: Nevada
Check out the current issue of American Rider. Joe Minton did a nice article on oil coolers. The HD brand cooler (made by Lockhart) was considered best. Coolers with a built in thermostat were considerd the best.
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Personally, I use Mobil1 v-twin in the engine and crankcase and 85-140 Mobil1 gear oil in the tranny. A few years back I installed a HD Super Premium oil cooler. Between switching to Mobil1 v-twin and the oil cooler my overheating problems are gone.