If you were contemplating buying an oil cooler for your two wheeled furnace, here's my take after 2 days of varied riding in S.Florida with my new oil cooler. I bought it with the intention of reducing the oil temp in my '07' FLSTC when stuck in stop and go traffic. Harleys oil cooler does nothing substantial in stop and go traffic. In fact, the oil cooler does not appear to reduce the oil temp unless you are in the 45-50 mph range, and even then you have to keep up the speed for the cooler to bring down the temp. Makes sense since air flow is required to transfer heat. When I get on my cold bike and ride without too many start and stops, I can keep the oil temp at about 205 degrees for an hour or so. Once I hit 60-70 mph range for 20 minutes or so and then find myself stuck in traffic, it's then that I find I have a $300.00 hood ornament. Useless. The only thing that keeps me from yanking this thing off my bike, is how fast it does cool the oil once you do get moving and KEEP moving. Sitting in stop and go traffic this afternoon (82 degress outside) my oil temp shot up to 235-240 degrees. Once I was able to get out of the traffic and get the bike up to 60 mph, it took only minute or so to bring the temp back down to 210 degrees. The real miracle was not ending up in a ditch after 5 hours of riding (3 of those hours glancing down at my oil temp gauge).

DJK

 

What kind of temps were you running before you installed the cooler? The cooler certainly looses efficiency when in stop and go traffic but even then as long as the ambient air temp is lower than the oil temp the oil will dissipate some heat energy in to the air. It may be less than you would prefer but even shedding a few degrees of oil temp makes it easier on the engine. If you are running a HD oil temp gauge ( they seem to be notoriously inaccurate) it may be incapable of detecting a difference of a few degrees. (Depends on the sensitivity and accuracy of the gauge that is installed.)

 

Not much is going help the heat other than fuel upgrade including exh,AC.The cooler has no airflow sitting in traffic,theres no fan per say like your car/truck.It was meant for cooling while bike is moving.Granted the extra capacity will help.Not sure of your oil cooler type but if it has the chrome cover removing that restriction may help more.

 

The temps I was seeing prior to the oil cooler installation are about the same as they are with the oil cooler. In traffic. The only difference I notice, and it's a big one, is that after the temp has reached the 240 degree range, the oil cooler will bring the temp down much more quickly once I get out of traffic. I had the temp hit around 240 a few weeks ago in heavy traffic (prior to oil cooler) and then got on I-95 doing 70 mph, the temp stayed there until I got home about 20 minutes later. Today I rode in heavy traffic, temp climbed to 235, got on I-95 doing 70 mph, the temp dropped to 205 in about 2 minutes. Without continuous airflow in the 50 mph range, it just doesn't do much. That's just my experience though. HD oil temp gauge read 210 when I put it in boiling water. My next small fortune will be spent on a tune job. Stock just ain't cutting it.

DJK

 

An oil cooler alone had no effect on my stock 07 either,at the time I figured it may ease the clatter i have-it did nothing.

 

I agree, upgrade is next on the list. I bought the oil cooler to help with the city riding. I had hoped that even just ambient air around the cooler would help while sitting in traffic. It doesn't. I will pull the chrome cover off and see if that helps.

DJK

 

False. It does.
2 days trial in the winter, yes we are in winter now, is not a good indication of what it is exactly doing for you.

And it is doing something sitting still. Ever heard the term "convection"? Sure it is not too effecient sitting at a stoplight on A1A in August when the air temp is 95 deg and the pavement is 120, but it is relieving some oil temp by convection. Not to mention the additional amount of oil that is added to the whole mix, that is always a good thing. HD motors use oil to cool, and in the tropics of Sofla it doesn't hurt to give it a boost of help.

I have plenty of data without a cooler, and with a cooler, and my oil is 25 deg cooler.
I never run over 225 now which is a good operating temp.

 

Hey Chops - We have some things in common.

I have the HD cooler on my o4 Fat Boy, and had them on my 89 and 92 Softail.

It appears your a drummer. I too play the drums. My most recent set is Pearl MLX Sequoia Red, 16 piece double-bass. Been playing since I was 7 years old. I'm 39 now.......

BTW - Your photo of the bike against the sunset is the most awesome bike pic I ever saw.

Cheers.

Bob

 

well said
although it might now seem like its working when sitting still it is ..

 

If this bike is seeing temps of 240 degrees in a South Florida "Winter", I'd hate to see it in 'Summer". By the way, when I installed the oil cooler I also changed the oil. 3 quarts of Amsoil 20-50w came out, 3 quarts of Amsoil 20-50w went back in. No more, no less. Yes it is at the 'Full When Hot' mark in the dipstick. The exact same quantity of oil I used without the cooler. Kinda kills that theory of additonal oil in the bike. I'm glad you are seeing a 25 degree drop in your bike. I'm just passing along my results, and they are negligable.

DJK