[hdryder1]

I am new to this forum, so first off, Hello to everybody. I run a 2004 Electraglide Classic. I am wanting to ad an oil cooler and can remember reading about using your engine guard to do this. Has anyone here done this and have you run into any problems with this setup?

[hotroadking]

I have not but I have seen multiple posts on other boards about it.

Basically you need to drill and tap into the engine guard at the bottom where the flanges go to the frame. Then you can run lines with A/N fittings from there to an adapter. I would run oil compliant hose or SS hose something that can move, however you could probably plumb hard lines if you ride a softail, still the vibration either way could frig it up with an A or B motor, same with evo going to it JMHO stick with flexible lines.

You would want an adapter with a thermostat, so you could get the stock HD adapter for your bike, not the full kit just the oil filter adapter. Other companies make adapters check here with DP and see what they have available.

You cannot pull the freeze plugs at the end of the mount on a twin cam as all oil would bypass the filter, not a good thing.

Other than the oil going to the bars, which you would probably have to increase the amount of oil going into the motor by a qt, I don't see how you save a ton of money by the time you buy the hose, fittings, clamps, and adapter. The only thing left out of the kit would be the cooler unit itself.

JMO. Still plenty have done it.

I would think a trans cooler would be a good idea for a HD.

[CD]

One time at band camp I saw a girl and an engine guard...oops another forum sorry.

Actually, a feller Sisco knows has run this setup for years on all his bikes. First time I saw it asked if it worked. He told me to touch the bar... Now, it was summer in the early morning about 7:00 or so and only about 90º in sunny Tucson AZ but, this bar was HOT to the touch. He said that it seemed to work and was worth the effort.

This was EVO based so all he did was slice into the return line after the filter and let it push from there. Pretty hard to tell it was even there.

[bxbutch]

do you think there might be a chance of contamination from inside of the bar?

[hdryder1]

I do not think there is much of a chance of contamination. The bars are sealed. I cut the crash bars for the saddlebags on my bike to make a cheap low mount and they were very clean inside. I would think the engine guard would be the same.

[hotroadking]

Its been done a lot, the only thing I'd caution is that unless you live in the desert and only ride on 90+ degree days you need an adapter for the filter mount with a thermostat.

Oil has to get to a minimum temp to work properly or it won't clean out the contaminents in the oil. So if you ride in Michigan (or up north) in the winter where it's 50 degrees out on a clear cool winter or fall day, the cooler will be working, but working against you because it's cooling off oil that's not up to temp.

[Sleepy]

This may be a dumb question but how hot does your oil have to be before there's a problem? If I lived in Michigan I'm not sure if I'd ever need an oil cooler unless I rode the bike in day to day rush hour traffic in the heat of summer. I've had my bike get a little warm but I'm running synthetic. I'd be more concerned with the oil not getting hot enough. Up this way at least.

[goliath]

If you are in rush hour traffic an oil cooler wont do much good. gotta have air passing by to remove the heat from the cooler. Unless you ride constantly in very hot weather i dont think oil coolers are worth the money and effort to install. There are some that have thermostats built in that bypass the cooler until the oil comes up to temp.

[Sleepy]

Originally Posted by goliath

If you are in rush hour traffic an oil cooler wont do much good. gotta have air passing by to remove the heat from the cooler.

Well duh!!!! Yep, what the heck was I thinking ?
As you can guess, I'm not running an oil cooler

[hotroadking]

I love that quote LOL actually there are benefits.,...

Actually they do help, when you are moving on the way up to traffic the cooler is working to keep the temps down, when you stop your oil is at a lower temp than those without them.

When you start moving it starts to cool the oil faster, so they do work, big trucks performance machines use oil coolers and trans coolers to keep temps down.

The oil has to get up to operating temps or it really doesn't clean like it should.

[goliath]

BUT, last I looked there was no radiator or fan to cool my evo while stopped in traffic.......to each his own!!

[hotroadking]

Yeah none on the my evo or TC either.

You don't need one, but it doesn't hurt to put one one, I have noticed signficant drop in temps on the softail with it, even with syn oil (uh oh an oil thread LOL)

wasn't picking on you or your choice sorry if it came across that way, but they do work and while they don't do a lot when stopped, when moving they help accelerate the heat reduction.

HD makes a parade fan if you want to blow hot air all over your legs at a stop LOL ALways thought that would be good in the winter to warm your hands LOL

[goliath]

no prob, didnt take it that way.

ride safe.

[TexasTripod]

I did the crash bar oil cooler on my 2004 FLHRCI. The best advice I can give on it is to use the largest fittings, e.g. 1/4 ipt, on the crash bar you can. Also, put in a third fitting to drain it unless you rig it differently like I did to mine. Anyway, you will carry an extra quart or more of oil. The additional best advice is this: plumb it to the oil return line between the engine and sump. Otherwise you will have one really dry start up if you plumb the crash bar cooler to fill before the oil gets to the engine such as by using the oil filter adapter set up (unless you drill a hole and put a filler cap on the crash bar which is a bit excessive for most folks). I also run a bypass/secondary oil filter at about 1 micron (Amsoil filter) and carry another quart of oil in it. Yeah, I run about 6 quarts of oil in a two cylinder engine, but I run it for 300 miles or so before I change the oil. I run this set up with the 35 micron absolute stainless oil filter as the primary oil filter. The entire system works together and I choose to not run one part of it without all the other parts of the system. As far as thermostats, well, it depends where you live and the ambient temperature variations. I don't think BMW runs a theromastat on their cooler. Anyway, the 1 micron bypass/secondary filter removes condensation, too. BTW, I used aeroquip sockless fittings and hoses for the crash bar set up: no hose clamps. Use the blue hose as it has higher temp ratings than the black hose. If blue offends you, put a hose cover on it.

BTW, none of this is HD approved or recommended. It is just what I did and my 114+ Millenium build runs fairly cool. I would hate to think how hot it would run without this set up.

Hope this helps.

[TexasTripod]

3000 miles or so

[Johnny O.]

Does anyone have a diagram of this? Do you drill and tap the fittings into the bar? Does the oil filter adapter thing have a built in bypass? somebody post me a link on this. Please.

[CD]

Originally Posted by Johnny O.

Does anyone have a diagram of this? Do you drill and tap the fittings into the bar? Does the oil filter adapter thing have a built in bypass? somebody post me a link on this. Please.

Agreed, nice setup. Can you post some images?

[hdryder1]

Yes please!! If anyone would have a diagram on this I would appreciate it. I live in south louisiana and last winter didn't even get a frost so I'm thinking a thermostat would not help or hurt in any way. Hotroadking, I agree that it does help even in stop and go traffic. Sort of like the old radiators we had in school. Radiated heat is lost heat.

[Seahag]

I don't have a diagram of how its done exactly but I saw this kit in the J&P cycles catalog...I'm sure CD could get his hands on it for a better price...J&P doesn't seem to sell anything at discount but their catalogs are free and have nice color pics.

http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup...=Harley&page=1

I suspect I'll end up doing this someday.

[SK]

Not that you're going to grab the engine guard with your hand, but I imagine the guard will get quite hot. Sounds like a cool setup. Does this work better than actual oil coolers designed as an add-on?