I purchased a Sifton oil cooler for my Heritage Classic 2003. Although the documentation tells that the cooler can be installed even with an HD engine guard, the opposite seems to be true.
The Sifton V-shaped oil cooler has to be installed along the front pipes of the frame, even with an engine guard. I have read the warning very carefully that I had to bear in mind the clearence of the front fender. As I did.
But because the Sifton couldnot installed with the top mount between the mount of the engine guard and the hole for the bolt within the V-shaped pipes of the frame, I had to mount it at the front side of the engine guard, at a distance of appr. 3 mms between the cooler and the tube of the engine guard. Beautiful and every seemed to be OK. Trying witt the brakes to jump the front wheel up and down to check the clearance there was enough clearance. TILL I met a speed bump with my passenger, not too fast but the front wheel and the fender make a good movement upwards. A loud 'bang' attracted my attention to the fact that the oil cooler has produced two round damages in my front fender.
Hopefully the fender can be repaired in specialized body shop without too many costs.
I made an emergency repair and shifted the top of the cooler inwards the pipes of the frame, applying tie raps.
Yesterday I mounted the oil cooler horizontally inwards of the left side of the engine guard, in this way secure the clearance of the fender.
As an extra benefit the cooler catch more wind and the oil stays a ten degrees cooler than mounted in the shadow of the front fender.
Has anybody experienced the same?

 

Oops. We're never too old to learn, eh?

 

I don't run an oil cooler, but was wondering about the need for one in the netherlands. I checked the average temps, and it seems like it barely gets over 70 degrees F. on average.

 

That's one of the main reason I don't like after-market accessories.

 

Yep, but we are preparing the bike for a month long ride in Spain and Marocco in July. Where the temp both in Spain and in Marocco easily can rise above 40 degrees Centigrade...And because the oil cooler is thermostatically bypassed at 180 F or not, there is no harm if the valve stay closed and the cooler is not in the oil circuit. But don't underestimate in the Netherlands the traffic density with at every 200 meters traffic lights. I had at 24 degrees centigrade the cooler already in action and the oil temp didnot raise above 190-200 F..It works and it works very well.

 

appreciate the reply, didn't think about travels and what not. Sorry that you kinda got a bad deal on the purchase!! Hope your road trip goes well!! Would love to see pix of your trip.

 

My wife is from Peru, would love to ride bike down there!!