so been having an issue where the bike will somtimes overheat on the freeway and ambiant temp has little effect on it. it can be 90° and temp stays at 170 and at night run at 280 when its 60°.. when it gets hot power drops and gets a little noisy when on the throttle.. what could cause it to over heat one day and be fine the next?

 

If you can show 170 at 90 ambient, then at 60 degrees, it would have to stop and go traffic for miles to do 280. I think you need to check what is saying 280. Unless of course, this is a tin man post on the latest fuel tuner, oil cooler or fan. Then that is OK.

These bikes are like lizards. (ones without oil cooler and radiators) Cold blooded..greatly affected by ambient air and speed. A heavy headwind and high speed will warm them up. Mine usually runs 220 at 65mph on the interstate at 80 ambient. Goes up or down almost directly of the ambient.

When I use to work and ride all the time, I got caught a few times at around 30. It was around 170 or so. And I was hugging the motor may have kept it at that. It's interesting that at 65, layered with sweats and jeans, hoodie and leather jacket and full face, it was just a loud purr... Harleys like that for sure better than summer. I leave the old girl now below 50 or above 90.

 

Sumping

 

I would say sumping also. On TCs, the first thing to check is oil pump alignment and replace the O ring behind the oil pump to the crankcase. It's also good to place the case to plate O rings. If the bike has not had it tensioners replaced, it's likely they broken up and were eaten by the scavenge pump. So check that also.

 

If you think it's sumping, idle it briefly and shut it off. Make sure oil level is correct.

Net time it gets noisy and temperature is high, if safe to do do, clutch, kick in netural, and hit the bar kill switch leaving lights on and pull over and check the oil.

Your old first generation TC like mine has a cup lip in the crank cavity where the oil pump entrance hole is. It runs at least 1 1/2" of oil level in the crank cavity for cam shaft bearing lubrication. The galley side where the oil pump is also runs with oil level there up to the crank main bearings.

I believe if your problem is sumping, you should be able to see a definite drop of oil level if you shut it off when problem is happening.

To me, sumping is a mechanical issue and would not be there on one day and not the next with the same speed and driving an interstate.

You say interstate but early TC were venerable to overheating at idle. What kind of oil pressure are you running at idle. Modified cam plate and relief oil pressure to bump idle oil pressure over 12 lbs or so tend to overheat oil. Oil injectors at cylinder base have pressure release springs that open around 15-18 lb . Engine can take brief hotter condition better then the oil.

 

Not sure I understand what you are saying in part 1 unless you are trying to describe sumping. The sump should not have 1 1/2 inches in the crank cavity as that would cover the bottom of the flywheels. You won't have 1 1/2 inches of oil in the cam chest either when functioning correctly. Level will be slightly higher than the bottom of the scavenge pickup..

In part 2, I seen a motor sump consistently at a certain speed but the ambient temps had to be above 90F. No parts issue but IMO a design issue.

 

At least up to 2004 the early sumps had this lip. It's in the OEM service and details how the inner cam bearings get their lubrication from splash wash...They may call them dry sump but it not 100% true. When you change out the cam tensioners, that cavity hold apx 1/4" drop of oil level in the oil bag when you start it up after repair. It's separate from the crank sump but access to it for oil travel and vent gas is thru spaces in that huge crank pin roller bearing.

 

that trap looks deceptive. one thing you have to consider is windage. flywheel motion will cause oil to collect in the trap and diff'l pressure will move it to the scavenge area. their newer designs help eliminate some of the issue, but as mr. max said, if oil is that high, something is def wrong and with the history of the machine, a screwed oil pump is a likely suspect. on older machines with the flywheel case plugs, if you remove it, there will be maybe a couple of ounces at best.
as a side note: have you seen hd sportsters on a track? while not bt, they are similar. after a hard straight run, when they throttle down to do the curves, they will usually huff smoke especially out the rear pipe. this is sumping as rpm's increase, the diff'l pressure get less and oil transfer becomes less, one reason for a large trap, to hold the oil off the wheels. the rear cyls get flooded past oil control capabilities. on serious engines, oil is scavenged from the flywheel area as well, wish i could find a pic of a case with a large breather hole under the rear jug. another issue could arise IF the oil bag is below the sump level. under certain conditions and with mods to the engine induction/exh, the engine could go into vapor lock, when this happens, pressures in the system will equalize. hd knows of this issue but it is not a warranty issue since the machine is considered modified, their suggestion is to run a lower bag level so as the oil return and c/c equalizer line remain open, not a part of the old wives tale that is circulating which is unfounded when tank is higher than sump.

 

Couple things.

First off that is a softail case. Dyna cases are different. The pickup is in the bottom of the case..



Don't have a picture of the opening but it's towards the front at the bottom.


Second, the oil level will not run as high are you are showing. As the flywheel spins, it picks the oil up and tosses it rearward where to runs down into the cavity. Oil level is never much higher than the lower part of the flywheel. If that pick up area overflows you got sumping.

 

Don't disagree on what you guys are saying . Just mentioned in my post a quick check unofficial way for checking.

The actual centrificial force is in a circle but away from opening. The amount of oil I reported in the cam galley is what I see normally.

Maybe the TCb is designed for more splash for the balance system. Been reported on here many time of about 20 oz in a TCb. However, that sumping procedure for late model in no more the 3-5 oz.

Never have heard back on how BRC is measuring the temperature. I assumed a digital Harley dipstick. They usually last about a few years from what most say about them. I have an old antilog one however and other the putting on o-ring on it to tighten it up, it still works.