Oil Pressure
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
Oil Pressure
Those of you with oil pressure guages, what is your oil pressure at idle and the bike warm? Mine gets pretty close to 0 and that scares be. My bike is an 09 Street Glide and it's my first Harley with an oil pressure guage.
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,184
Likes: 0
From: The Peoples Republic of Massachusstts
Harley uses a low pressure high volume pump. When the oil is cold it is thicker and gives you a high reading. Thus when its hot and thinner the pressure drops but you'll see it come back up at higher rpms. Not a problem.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,878
Likes: 17
From: The Desert SouthWest
My '05 EGC was around 50+ psi when cold at first start-up in the morning.
Once warmed up it ran at 32-34 psi at freeway speeds and around 5 psi when at idle. As said above it's a low pressure/high volume oil system.
Once warmed up it ran at 32-34 psi at freeway speeds and around 5 psi when at idle. As said above it's a low pressure/high volume oil system.
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
From:
About the only time you need to be concerned about it is when you're stuck in traffic and getting REALLY hot. If you're hot and can't get any movement at all out of that needle by running the rpms up a little, you might want to start looking for a spot to park it and shut down for a bit.
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
Trending Topics
Banned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,551
Likes: 6
Yep, backsaddle has good advise
But wait.........we are talking about a tiny little cheap gauge that ain't been calibrated and we are looking at that gage near zero where no standard gage is ever accurate...........I for years performed gage calibration on nuclear submarines so I kinda know what I'm talking about when it comes to gages.
Hey, did you know that no newer HD can sound like the old potato-patato-patato engines?...Do you know why?....
It's because the newer engines need to idle at about 1K to keep enuff oil flowing thru the bearings.
So first check your idle RPM, then check your oil pressure gage....The old rule of thumb with small blocks is 10 psi per thousand RPMS.....But we ain't dealing with a water cooled small block, we are dealing with an air cooled heat monster that is outfitted with cheap assed gages......
With that in mind, you need to look for trends.....That cheap assed gage will register when cold and at higher RPM, so start noting how it reads thru cold start all the way to hot idle, plus thru the rpm range.....notice and etch that trend in your mind.....Make that trend your 'normal' zone and then watch to see if she ever falls below it.
A Harley at hot idle needs almost no oil presure, but it needs oil flow....Flow is what lubes and cools the bearings....Pressure is simply indicates a resistance to that flow....Pressure is always higher when oil is cold or at higher RPM's
Stop worring about it until you hear the lifters clatter. If that ever happens it will most likely be due to low level and not a bad oil pump.
But wait.........we are talking about a tiny little cheap gauge that ain't been calibrated and we are looking at that gage near zero where no standard gage is ever accurate...........I for years performed gage calibration on nuclear submarines so I kinda know what I'm talking about when it comes to gages.
Hey, did you know that no newer HD can sound like the old potato-patato-patato engines?...Do you know why?....
It's because the newer engines need to idle at about 1K to keep enuff oil flowing thru the bearings.
So first check your idle RPM, then check your oil pressure gage....The old rule of thumb with small blocks is 10 psi per thousand RPMS.....But we ain't dealing with a water cooled small block, we are dealing with an air cooled heat monster that is outfitted with cheap assed gages......
With that in mind, you need to look for trends.....That cheap assed gage will register when cold and at higher RPM, so start noting how it reads thru cold start all the way to hot idle, plus thru the rpm range.....notice and etch that trend in your mind.....Make that trend your 'normal' zone and then watch to see if she ever falls below it.
A Harley at hot idle needs almost no oil presure, but it needs oil flow....Flow is what lubes and cools the bearings....Pressure is simply indicates a resistance to that flow....Pressure is always higher when oil is cold or at higher RPM's
Stop worring about it until you hear the lifters clatter. If that ever happens it will most likely be due to low level and not a bad oil pump.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,410
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville, TN
You'll get all the tater-tater-tater you want.
Regarding oil pressure...it can be increased with minimal cost. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Baisley spring, in this thread.
I'm running a Feuling oil pump...50 lbs at startup...50 lbs while cruising...32 lbs idling warm. (these numbers vary 1-2 lbs, but that's the norm)
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 275
Likes: 0
My 2008 110 SG (conversion done at point of sale) ran all summer at near 0 when hot when the outside temp hit 90 degrees. I spoke to my service rep and he suggested the gauges are less than accurate. I asked whether the gauges were a warranty issue, he hedged his answer by saying, "most guys replace the air temp and oil pressure gauges with tweeters"...
Right?? He said I had nothing to worry about (???) I had the oil changed at 1000 miles with SE 20/50 and saw a huge improvement, 5 psi at idle at 98 degrees...
Right?? He said I had nothing to worry about (???) I had the oil changed at 1000 miles with SE 20/50 and saw a huge improvement, 5 psi at idle at 98 degrees...