Oil Coolers. . . . .
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,115
Likes: 1
From: CA
RE: Oil Coolers. . . . .
From what I've learned so far, oil coolers only work effectively when the bike is moving and there is airflow. When the bike is in traffic, the oil cooler loses it's effectiveness. Kind of a catch-22 in my opinion.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,035
Likes: 5
From: near Buffalo, NY
RE: Oil Coolers. . . . .
From all that I have read, an oil cooler is not a needed item on a Harley.
Personally, I don't like the way they look. A radiator and a Harley just doesn't go together.
If you want to protect your engine, change the one thing that an oil cooler's job is to help protect against, and that's the standarddino oil heat breakdown temperature.
Switch to a full synthetic oil. The oil breakdown temps are greatly increased to the point of near impossibility.
It won't matter how hot the engine gets, because the syn oil will still be doing it's job without any problems..
An engine running on a full syn oil without the aid of a cooler will be around a lot longer than an engine with a cooler on a dino oil.
Personally, I don't like the way they look. A radiator and a Harley just doesn't go together.
If you want to protect your engine, change the one thing that an oil cooler's job is to help protect against, and that's the standarddino oil heat breakdown temperature.
Switch to a full synthetic oil. The oil breakdown temps are greatly increased to the point of near impossibility.
It won't matter how hot the engine gets, because the syn oil will still be doing it's job without any problems..
An engine running on a full syn oil without the aid of a cooler will be around a lot longer than an engine with a cooler on a dino oil.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,893
Likes: 2
From: USA
RE: Oil Coolers. . . . .
ORIGINAL: George C
From all that I have read, an oil cooler is not a needed item on a Harley.
From all that I have read, an oil cooler is not a needed item on a Harley.
Your post was number 23 in this thread, and quite a number of folks that have just posted above you, are incourging the use of oil coolers.As do I myself!
ORIGINAL: George C
Personally, I don't like the way they look. A radiator and a Harley just doesn't go together.
Personally, I don't like the way they look. A radiator and a Harley just doesn't go together.
ORIGINAL: George C
If you want to protect your engine, change the one thing that an oil cooler's job is to help protect against, and that's the standarddino oil heat breakdown temperature.
Switch to a full synthetic oil. The oil breakdown temps are greatly increased to the point of near impossibility.
If you want to protect your engine, change the one thing that an oil cooler's job is to help protect against, and that's the standarddino oil heat breakdown temperature.
Switch to a full synthetic oil. The oil breakdown temps are greatly increased to the point of near impossibility.
But, lets not forget most people don't spend the money for the few true synthetics out on the market.(RedLine / Amsoil / Mobil1, to name a few that I know are true synthetics with no oil base)
And the engine is still an air cooled engine, yes the oil does play a part in cooling, thats what makes the oil temps rise so high to start with.
Your point of "impossibility" in my opinionis a bit disconcerning even in the context of full synthetics.
Just because your engine maybe running away with heat, and the oil is getting hot as all crazy with out a cooler, it does not mean that its impurvious to damage from the situation. Thats why MoCo implemted a Heat managment program into the computer!
I'm sure that other folks even with full synthetics havegone into heat managment, with out running a cooler. I for one have.
ORIGINAL: George C
It won't matter how hot the engine gets, because the syn oil will still be doing it's job without any problems..
It won't matter how hot the engine gets, because the syn oil will still be doing it's job without any problems..
ORIGINAL: George C
An engine running on a full syn oil without the aid of a cooler will be around a lot longer than an engine with a cooler on a dino oil.
An engine running on a full syn oil without the aid of a cooler will be around a lot longer than an engine with a cooler on a dino oil.
I'm nottrying to start apissing contest, I'm just wondering how you have formulated some of your ideas.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
RE: Oil Coolers. . . . .
I think it the need for an oil cooler should be gauged on an individual basis. First, find out if you truly need one. When I bought my '00, I started to get a cooler, because I heard the "new" motor ran hotter and was paranoid about "protecting my investment." However, I wisely decided to monitor my oil temps to see if I really needed one. I rode the bike and checked the oil every now and then with a meat thermometer. I made up my mind against an oil cooler, when I say that my temps never got over 210* or so even in Myrtle Beach Bike Week traffic.....That was 64k miles ago. She doesn't smoke, use oil between changes, and still runs great....Oh yeah, I use dino oil.
My Ironhead has a factory Lockhart 500 cooler on it. I find that the bike never gets hot enough to need the cooler until temps get 95+*. The cooler has a factory cover on it. I rarely take it off.
My Ironhead has a factory Lockhart 500 cooler on it. I find that the bike never gets hot enough to need the cooler until temps get 95+*. The cooler has a factory cover on it. I rarely take it off.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,025
Likes: 2
From:
RE: Oil Coolers. . . . .
The cooler an air-cooled engine runs, the better. The hotter it gets the more parts expand and the extremes of expansion and contraction are what shortens the life of metal parts. If I can drop my oil temperature, and engine temperature,from 200 degrees to 170 degrees with the addition of an oil cooler I consider it money well-spent.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,234
Likes: 106
RE: Oil Coolers. . . . .
ORIGINAL: NYNickET
Who’s runnin w/ them?
Do you notice a real difference?
What about the mid August heat?
I’d like to hear pros / cons whatever ya got ta say.
I am not running w/ additional oil cooler but I may get one this summer.
Peace. --N.
Who’s runnin w/ them?
Do you notice a real difference?
What about the mid August heat?
I’d like to hear pros / cons whatever ya got ta say.
I am not running w/ additional oil cooler but I may get one this summer.
Peace. --N.
A billet oil cooler will shead heat moving and sitting still. It will not shead as much. I got approx 25º drop in oil temp this summer when I installed my cooler.
When I"m stopped in traffic I never see it go up more that 10º. Full flow to the cooler does not happen till 190º. Then the majority of the oil is going through the cooler.
Before the cooler I saw as much as 220º. I never see it go over 195º with the cooler.
Will your motor benefit from reduced oil temps. Ya Dang Skippy It Will.
I got all of the parts from Wimmer Custom Cycle.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,950
Likes: 2
From: Colorado Springs, CO
RE: Oil Coolers. . . . .
I agree with the above. Check your oil temps. If they are consistantly above your comfort level, add a cooler. If not, skip it. They add weight, complexity, and produce more areas of possible failure. They don't look all that good, either (IMO).
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,751
Likes: 1
From: USA
RE: Oil Coolers. . . . .
One thing I haven't seen discussed in this thread is the potential for leaks and weepage that can result from the external oil lines and cooler fittings. While I have no doubt that a properly designed (and installed) oil cooler will help keep oil temps down somewhat, I'm drawn to the clean look of the new Dynas and Baggers with their fully internal oil lines. The engines look cleaner, less cluttered and you eliminate one of the primary sources of oil leaks.
I currently have a Buell XB12 and it (like all Buell XB models) has a tendency to weep oil from the cooler fittings. I end up having to wipe it down after almost every ride. Of course on a Buell, you need all the cooling help you can get - I'm just not convinced that the benefits of a cooler outweigh the negatives I mentioned above on a TC88 or 96.
I currently have a Buell XB12 and it (like all Buell XB models) has a tendency to weep oil from the cooler fittings. I end up having to wipe it down after almost every ride. Of course on a Buell, you need all the cooling help you can get - I'm just not convinced that the benefits of a cooler outweigh the negatives I mentioned above on a TC88 or 96.