Have a 107" all bore on my 2003 RKC. Had a Harley oil cooler on it. Sounds like this may have been partially responsible for debris entering my oil and taking out lifters. Easy answer would be skip the oil cooler this go around. Anyone have opinions? Live in MN, but do lots of riding west during summer. Minimal city driving, but some.

Thoughts?

 

Oil cooler is a good upgrade in my opinion. There is a reason all cop bikes are equipped with one. I don't understand how debris can enter because of an oil cooler?

 

???

don;t know how a cooler could affect your oil being full of shrapnel or not.

quality filter will correct valving and filter media should do it- an incorrect filter type will allow motor oil to bypass the filter ( which is why the twincam 5 micron filter shouldn;t be used on the evo)

oil is drawn from the tank into the pump then past a bleed off valve ( 35 PSI) oil not returned by teh bleed off goes past to oil pressure sender then through the oil filter.

- at this point most oil coolers are plumbed into the system-

from the filter, returning oil is directed to the top end and bottom end of the motor

an oil cooler is generally a good thing ( thermostatically controlled), Harley uses oil to cool the motor internals- cooler oil is better. there is also added benefit of slightly increased capacity

Mike

 

Start with the Wards Werks Fan. I put it on my 2003 Electra Glide Classic (stage 2) after having 111 degrees n the south west and top it off with rush hour traffic. Worked so good I put another one on my FXDXI. Read the performance date on it on Jasons web site. Then----- if you are still inclined put on the oil cooler.--------- 2003 Road King, I assume you've already changed the cam chain and put in hydraulic tensioners--- and put in the SE high volume oil pump while you were at it, did you think maybe the metal is from your your spring loaded tensioners going?

 

I def rec an oil cooler for a lrg HD v-twin motor and also agree proper filter and oil change maint should not be sending any contamination from oil cooler into the motors oiling system.

Any contamination in oiling system likely originated from mechanical part-s starting to fail internal to the motor that was blamed on the oil cooler for whatever the reason.

But when i recently installed an ultracool oil cooler with dual elec fans i 1st blew some brakleen thru it then 100psi compressed air after that to ensure there was no contamination left over from mfg prior to installing it.

I also installed wards cooling fans to,prior to installing those 2 cooling systems oi temp in 89 deg temps approx 235-240+ deg in stop/go traffic when going thru 3-4 stoplights in a row and at cruise was roughly 205-210deg in 89 deg heat.

Post installing the 2 cooling systems oil temp in same type riding cont in same 88-89 deg outside heat was reduced from 235-240+ deg in traffic stated above to approx 205-210 deg & from 205-210deg at cruise to now 180-185 deg at cruise.

Benefits i got post installing the 2 cooling systems on my 09 flhtcu 96" are:

* WITH OIL NOW RUNNING MUCH COOLER IT HAS INCREASED OIL PRESSURE BY APPROX 6-8LBS @ IDLE & 8-10 LBS AT CRUISE SO NOW THE MOTOR IDLES HOT @ 1K RPM WITH 16-17PSI & AT 2400-2500RPM CRUISE IN 5TH GEAR AT 55-60MPH OIL PRESSURE IS NOW 48-50PSI STD DINO 20-50 SPECTRO IN A BONE STOCK 09 96" MOTOR.

NOTE: FOR THOSE RUNNING 20-50 SYN OIL IN THEIR HD I FOUND IT REDUCES HOT OIL PRESSURE VS STD DINO OF SAME GRADE IN MY BIKE SO KEEP THAT IN MIND IF RUNNING SYN AND COMPARING YOUR BIKES HOT OIL PRESSURE TO MY BIKES HOT OIL PRESSURE WITH STD DINO.

* HELPED REDUCE VALVETRAIN / ENGINE NOISE.

* MOTOR STOPPED DETONATING AT TIMES WHEN UNDER LOAD & RUNNING THE REC BY HD 91 OCTANE FUEL.

* MOTOR RETAINS MORE POWER/TRQ WITRH CRISPER THROTTLE RESPONSE FEELING STRONGER THEN IT USED TO OH HOTTER DAYS.

* OIL RUNNING MUCH COOLER ALSO GAVE MUCH MORE OF A COMFORT LVL WHEN RUNNING STD DINO THAT I FOUND REDUCED VALVETRAIN & MOTOR NOISE IN GENERAL IN MY BIKE WHICH WAS A PLUS TOO.

BTW,IMHO installing an oil cooler without dual elec fans defeats the purpose because when you need the oil cooler most (that doesnt have elec cooling fans ) when stopped in traffic going from stoplight to stoplight where theres absolutely no cool air being moved thru the oil cooler to cool the oil and or when in slow moving traffic where there's still little airflow thru the oil cooler it doesnt reduce oil temp much then either.

I found with the oil cooler on my bike that unless i was going a minimum of 40-45mph the oil temp would not be reduced at the time UNLESS THE ELEC COOLING FANS KICKED IN WHICH THEN REDUCED OIL TEMP.

BTW,Though installing Wards cooling fans did reduce oil temp a bit ,BUT it was adding the oil cooler with dual elec cooling fans to Wards cooling fans that made the most significant reduction in oil temp having the most noticeable positive effect/impact on the motors oil pressure and overall perf.

But i also feel working collectively together as a team you cant beat Wards thermostatically controlled elec cooling fans working in combo with the Ultracool oil cooler with thermostatically controled dual elec cooling fans when it comes to reducing oil temp & engine temp of a lrg air cooled HD v-twin .

YI could feel the benefits right off the bat post installing both those cooling systems at the same time like i did for max effort cooling on my 09 flhtcu w-96' motor.

But if you install either of those systems by themselves /not both at the same time you will not get as much of a reduction in oil & or engine temp so like i stated for my bike ,so pls keep that in mind.

I may try xieds or rc componants xcelerator fuel management system someday to see if fattening up fuel curve a bit would make the motor run even better then it already does .

But since the motors running very well at this time with no hesitation ,not surging at cruise ,not detonating under load in hot weather anymore & doesnt seem to be lacking power with the stock ecu & fuel curve for emissions i dont think its running excessive lean or not lean enough to cause me to drop money where it doesnt seem to be needed at this time.

SCOTT

 

I added a Jagg Fan Assist to my bike. Have found it keeps it 30 to 40*F cooler on the oil temp. Well worth it as heat can be the enemy.

 

No offense, but all you guys except one live in the north. How hot could it be?

 

Well, oil analysis was run. Metal particles but also silica, etc. basically sand. No idea exactly how, but thermostat broken, etc. have email, too lazy to link or quote at the moment.

 

Silicon in an oil sample is usually from dust getting past your air filter. Sealants (RTV, Silicone,coated gaskets, etc) can also leech into the oil and show up during analysis.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/report-explanation.php

 

When you get rested up how about giving us the whole story?
How many miles on the build before the lifters went out?
Thermostat broken? Stuck open, closed?
Sand, ....
Metal particles, have you torn it down and seen any wear?
Who's doing the work, shop or you?