I have an 88B motor in my 2005 Heritage and was wondering what a couple of plugs are for...

They are on the front of the engine, rider's right side, 2 hex plugs at the base of the oil filter. They are on the front side of the filter mount.

Are these for tapping in with an oil filter? If so, I assume their flow is not controlled by a thermostat...

Edmo

 

Just a quess , but possible an oil cooler ?

 

My mistake, I meant tapping in with an oil cooler...

I ran the bike down the big road the other day at speeds of 75-80 mph and she heated up to around 240-250 degrees F after 20 minutes. It was 85 degrees outside using Mobil 1 20W50 synthetic, but I would still think that is kinda hot in my mind.

I've seen the aftermarket thermostats which mount between your filter and the engine. They have points to hook lines up for the cooler. If my engine already has connection points I thought I might use those.

I'm thinking about tapping into the engine guard bar to use it as the cooler. I've seen the link from these boards and have wondered about the pitfalls. Things I can think of are:
1) What kind of and how much loose "gunk" is inside the guard bar tube which I really don't want in my engine?
2) After I shut down the engine, will the guard bar oil drain back into the crankcase or other part of the motor and cause oil in the breather or other problems?
3) During oil changes I would think you would need a plug to drain the oil from the guard bar. After your oil change is complete, would there be a time after the engine warms up and the thermostat reopens in which the oil pump is filling the guard bar and not supplying oil to the engine?

Edmo