[lp_]

Bringing this up because this subject was a constant issue on my trip to Sturgis.

I've always been on the "no need for an oil cooler" and "no need for synthetic" side of the fence.
This changed for me in the last two weeks...

I have two bikes, both without Cats, both with Fuelmoto setups (PCV etc) and running Dino. I've run Mobile 1 and Amsoil before with top end noise issues so I went back to Dino. I never believed I'd have any problems with engine heat because this dumbass WAS of the opinion that you can just pull off the road when you get into traffic... ahh No. Try that in 4 lanes of traffic with you stuck in the fast lane with a concrete barrier with no shoulder, moving about 5 feet every 5 seconds and your oil temp is going past 300 and climbing. No one is going to let you over and no one else cares... good times I tell ya.

Running through Kentucky and a major heat wave we (both bikes) were running 300 degrees or so at 75 miles per hour. Atlanta traffic = 350. Just tooling down the road = 230-250 and as soon as you stop for any reason the bike is automatically on one cylinder and going past 260 in a matter of seconds. This is unsat. Obviously I need better oil, and an oil cooler if I am going to run loaded down and in hot weather from here on out.

I know having an oil cooler is not going to help all that much in traffic but what it does mean is that once I hit traffic my oil will not already be at 260 which means it's about ready or is already going into heat management mode... It's about time. I need more time once I hit unexpected traffic before the bike goes soaring to 300 degrees...

So... I'm going to do this again next year with oil coolers and Synthetic. Maybe I'll have better results cause this year about sucked. We got stuck again in the fast lane in Nashville at night and we turned off both bikes (in traffic). As soon as traffic started to move again, neither bike would start. We had to push our fully packed bikes up hill (kinda) across 3 lanes of traffic to the shoulder. Again...gooooooood times. Hard to friggin believe I tell ya.

lp

 

[yarddog]

what a drag!!
I ride 30mi to work in 90 deg temp and by the time I get there I have 270-280oil temp with no oil pressure
sorry but I have very little faith for the road glide being a long distance tourer

 

[FLTRI]

Those temps seem outrageously high to me. I'd be seriously concerned about engine damage at 350*.

HD considers "Normal" oil temperature to be 230*, and that's about where I run, fully loaded, tour-pac, with lowers, two up, freeway speeds. I'll stay at 230 up to about 85* ambient, and 245-250* in slow-n-go at 100+*, which is pretty common for Las Vegas.

IMHO, syn oil (I run Amsoil) will help, but not hugely. Maybe 20* best case scenario.

Also, oil temps don't seem to directly correlate to my bike going into "limp" mode. I've seen oil at 240, no rear cylinder shut down, and sometimes at 200* it will shut down. Seems to me head temp and oil temp can be quite a ways apart.

If it was my bike, I'd double check my AFR. Do you have any pinging? Just my opinion...

My bike is a 2009, lowers, no oil cooler, Amsoil in all three holes, slip-on's, HD open A/C and a HD Super Tuner. I have the HD in-dash oil temp gauge to keep an eye on the temps.

Good luck in finding a solution...

 

[Stash905]

what a drag!!
I ride 30mi to work in 90 deg temp and by the time I get there I have 270-280oil temp with no oil pressure
sorry but I have very little faith for the road glide being a long distance tourer

Being that the Twin Cam is a roller bearing engine, you really don't need much oil pressure, just need it to flow for cooling. Also, don't trust that gauge too much, it is an automotive type instrument, not a calibrated analytical instrument. It may say zero, but who knows what your pressure really is. If you think it can't do long distance touring, then you are very much in a very small minority.
I may have an 88, but I know of plenty of people with the 96 that have taken some very long trips.

 

[Stash905]

lp, they make oil coolers with fans, that kick in on temp. That solves your stuck in traffic problem.
Also, as FLTRI said, you should get yourself a fuel manager and get the a/f/ mixture richened up. That will help lots with the engine temps.

 

[lp_]

Those temps seem outrageously high to me. I'd be seriously concerned about engine damage at 350*.

HD considers "Normal" oil temperature to be 230*, and that's about where I run, fully loaded, tour-pac, with lowers, two up, freeway speeds. I'll stay at 230 up to about 85* ambient, and 245-250* in slow-n-go at 100+*, which is pretty common for Las Vegas.

IMHO, syn oil (I run Amsoil) will help, but not hugely. Maybe 20* best case scenario.

Also, oil temps don't seem to directly correlate to my bike going into "limp" mode. I've seen oil at 240, no rear cylinder shut down, and sometimes at 200* it will shut down. Seems to me head temp and oil temp can be quite a ways apart.

If it was my bike, I'd double check my AFR. Do you have any pinging? Just my opinion...

My bike is a 2009, lowers, no oil cooler, Amsoil in all three holes, slip-on's, HD open A/C and a HD Super Tuner. I have the HD in-dash oil temp gauge to keep an eye on the temps.

Good luck in finding a solution...

Thanks for the input guys. Yes, I already have a PCV with a good "rich" maps from Jamie at Fuelmoto, although I am going to go back to him and see if there is anything more that can be done. Just might have to do a local dyno... Yes, I know the oil temp has nothing to do with Heat Management mode. Just saying that when the bike is that hot, as soon as you stop, your in it...

The scenario was that there was a major heat wave during that time. The air temp was around 102 with a heat index of 115-120. I guess the bikes were just too loaded down for those temps. I also believe I was low on oil. Took the advice of a few forum members and did not fill the oil to the top to lessen the chance of oil puking out the air cleaner. I think this was a mistake as I read later that you loose a good amount of your cooling capacity for each quart you are down. Maybe...

Any how, I have ordered oil coolers and am going to try Mobile 1 and see if things get better.

lp

 

[EasternSP]

I don't think the heat index effects the engine cooling. That only has to do with the human body ability to shed heat. You would only need to consider the actual air temp for engine cooling.

 

[xusnatc]

First off,..........I hope you dumped that oil that night !

Sounds as if your engine is leaner then a anorexic crack head whore. WOW,..300-350 !

I was running in major traffic (not stop and go, but stop and stop) when the outside temps were around 100 degrees and the hottest my oil temps got were 240.

I'd switch over to Mobile1, and I'd take another look at your Fuel Management to make sure it's dialed in right.

 

[lp_]

I don't think the heat index effects the engine cooling. That only has to do with the human body ability to shed heat. You would only need to consider the actual air temp for engine cooling.

Lol...Yep, know that. Just stating the overall environment we were in.
It was hot man. Very hot. Least that day.

We still had the bikes running around 260 doing 70-80 down the highway on cooler days. Say 80's and 90's.
I don't think that is normal so I'm going to try a few things you guys have suggested.
Still....two bikes, two different configurations and two different PCV maps... strange.

Another thing to this is that we were not out for dinner or bike night. We were doing 500-600 miles a day fully loaded during the day.
The problem was that once the temp got up there, it wouldn't come down. Even with an air temp change (getting dark or whatever).
At that point, if you had to stop for anything...instant heat management mode.

Yes, I dumped the oil.

lp

 

[Wally]

I had heat issues coming home from Sturgis with my 103" also.
I agree, starting your trip will the oil only halfway up the dipstick is probably not a good idea in intense heat.
The only way to bring the heat down was to let it sit for a while, then get moving, and keep moving.
Loaded down, in 100 plus degree heat is definately going to raise ther oil temperature, to levels that will dramatically reduce oil life.
I too have an oil temp guage, it went up to 300 degrees more than once.
I run amzoil, but I still dumped it when I got home.

 

[FUZZY]

Road from Houston to Sturgis loaded on 103 build w/tour pack & lowers. Went through 108 temps. Highest I saw was 285 1 time. Averaged 225-235. Never had a starting issue. I run Syn3. I do have an oil cooler.