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Hey Ya'll
I've not had a great deal of saddle time this summer, travel and health issues with my sweatheart has had me closer to home. This time last year, througth the winter, spring till now the bike was running at 209 to 213 so says my older digital dipstick. I thought that was good, maybe 1&1/2 hrs all local some 2 lane @ 55 ish and interstate @ 75 to 80. The last 2 trips out I've noticed that temp has shimmied up to 235 to 240 with somewhat cooler temps. I'm likely due for an oil change and had that on for over the winter. Checked the level, down slightly 1/4 qt. and that emerald blue color is getting a little dusky as one might expect just before the change. I have an oil cooler and when I did all the up grades the cooler got the new gasket, its the sandwich style with the T-stat. I had taken the T-stat and turnedd it around "per instructions" to get a free flow,no holding the oil back to sit in the lines and oil cooler.
So before I start conjuring evil spirits and gremlins to joust with, thought I'd ask the more learned staff here to see what Ive missed. The one thing I have not done yet was to collect my data on the ThunderMax and see if it might be running a bit lean? The targets for both cylinders is/has been 13.5, I have both pipes heat wraped and covered with the heat shields in an effort to send the heat as much as possible out the back yet here I am. Insight, thoughts, questions, answers all accepted. My oil cooler set up and metal catcher on the oil filter
[QUOTE=dfixit1;21447657] I have an oil cooler and when I did all the up grades the cooler got the new gasket, its the sandwich style with the T-stat. I had taken the T-stat and turnedd it around "per instructions" to get a free flow,no holding the oil back to sit in the lines and oil cooler.
So before I start conjuring evil spirits and gremlins to joust with, thought I'd ask the more learned staff here to see what Ive missed. The one thing I have not done yet was to collect my data on the ThunderMax and see if it might be running a bit lean? The targets for both cylinders is/has been 13.5, I have both pipes heat wraped and covered with the heat shields in an effort to send the heat as much as possible out the back yet here I am. Insight, thoughts, questions, answers all accepted. [/QUOTE]
Just a thought, as it sounds like you were running cooler before and just disassembled it to change it to free-flowing.
Is it possible that it was free-flowing before and you inadvertently flipped it to thermostat mode?🤔
Last edited by Bayou FLHR-M8-128"; Nov 8, 2023 at 10:38 PM.
Free flowing might be allowing the oil to pass through the cooler too quickly. Not long enough to actually get the oil cooled down. Same thing happens when removing the thermostat from the radiator in your car.
[[i]QUOTE=dfixit1;21447657] I have an oil cooler and when I did all the up grades the cooler got the new gasket, its the sandwich style with the T-stat. I had taken the T-stat and turnedd it around "per instructions" to get a free flow,no holding the oil back to sit in the lines and oil cooler.
So before I start conjuring evil spirits and gremlins to joust with, thought I'd ask the more learned staff here to see what Ive missed. The one thing I have not done yet was to collect my data on the ThunderMax and see if it might be running a bit lean? The targets for both cylinders is/has been 13.5, I have both pipes heat wraped and covered with the heat shields in an effort to send the heat as much as possible out the back yet here I am. Insight, thoughts, questions, answers all accepted.
Just a thought, as it sounds like you were running cooler before and just disassembled it to change it to free-flowing.
Is it possible that it was free-flowing before and you inadvertently flipped it to thermostat mode?🤔[/QUOTE]
I had ran the sandwich adaptor with the t-stat in place and functioning for a bunch of years. Mostly while in Fl. where it is hotter than here in NC mountains. I had inspected the cam chain tensioners at about 31kish and wad 1/2 outta pad. I decided to just go all in,, well as all in as I could afford and while doing all that is when I did the filter adaptor rebuild, " new gasket and t-stat" and tha iis when I reversed the t-stat to free flo.After all that work I had kept a close eye on the temp to see how all those new parts were going to play together. So for about the past year the temp had been showing 209-213 consistantly. Now that we are well into fall with ambient temps a little above normal but still cooler than summer/july,aug. and now the temps are hovering in the upper 230's. So riding style still the same, finishing up on the first oil after rebuild and change out due soon, cooler than summer temps but oil getting a bit warmer. If anything I thought the outside temps comming down would have lowered or held the engine oil temp. but it seems to be going the other direction?
Sounds like something changed on its own.
Maybe spray some carb cleaner around the intake area while engine is idling to see if there is possibly a leak causing it to run lean and heat up. Engine idle will increase if there is a leak.
If that is not the case, definitely check the afr with yhe tmax as something is happening "or" temp gage is starting to act up (battery on gage?)
Free flowing might be allowing the oil to pass through the cooler too quickly. Not long enough to actually get the oil cooled down. Same thing happens when removing the thermostat from the radiator in your car.
I hear ya but what is confounding me is during the spring and summer when it was hotter the oil temps were lower 209-213, now that it is getting cooler in the fall, 60's and low 70's the oil temp has gone up near 30 degrees. Hummm,,,, I'm wondering that if the air temps are cooler and dryer if my tuner is off making the A/F ratio a bit leaner and in turn running hotter. Same gas 93 proof non ethonlol.
Guess its time to run the diagnostic and see thats up with the tuner.
I had expected the oil temps would have stayed the same or maybe dropped a wee bit espically as the seasonal temps are comming down.
Sounds like something changed on its own.
Maybe spray some carb cleaner around the intake area while engine is idling to see if there is possibly a leak causing it to run lean and heat up. Engine idle will increase if there is a leak.
If that is not the case, definitely check the afr with yhe tmax as something is happening "or" temp gage is starting to act up (battery on gage?)
I had that temp/dipstick from the early days 03-04 on . Then it went. I found another one "used" seemed in better condition than my orig. That is one thing I have not thought of. Will change out those 2032's tomorrow it has been about a year since I got the temp/stick.
Free flowing might be allowing the oil to pass through the cooler too quickly. Not long enough to actually get the oil cooled down. Same thing happens when removing the thermostat from the radiator in your car.
Never had the dip stick thermometer on my previous two touring bikes.
The one that came with the 2011 Streetglide I recently bought has one and it doesn't even work!
Never had the dip stick thermometer on my previous two touring bikes.
The one that came with the 2011 Streetglide I recently bought has one and it doesn't even work!
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Running warm in cooler weather
