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Engine Heat

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Tech Talk' started by podsman, Jul 10, 2015.

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  1. podsman

    podsman Member

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    How hot is the temp that says uh-oh something aint right? Went about 35 miles today in a mixture of traffic conditions, and my oil temp was about 220 degrees. Just wondering.
    podsman, Jul 10, 2015
    #1
  3. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    That's not excessive for a Harley. What or how were you measuring the temp.
    FLHTbiker, Jul 10, 2015
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  4. Lucifer

    Lucifer Well-Known Member

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    That's fine...215°-230°F is the normal range...
    Lucifer, Jul 10, 2015
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  5. podsman

    podsman Member

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    A thermometer dipstick,
    podsman, Jul 10, 2015
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  6. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    You fine not excessive.
    FLHTbiker, Jul 10, 2015
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  7. marc 55

    marc 55 Well-Known Member

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    Depends on what year your bike is...I have an 04 Geezer Glide and run between 190 and 220 depending on the outside temp...Oil temp is measured by a McEwan gauge with the sending unit in the pan and also a digital dip stick...Temps are identical...Highest I ever got was 230...
    marc 55, Jul 10, 2015
    #6
  8. podsman

    podsman Member

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    Thanks guys, mine is a 98 heritage softail
    podsman, Jul 11, 2015
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  9. PatriotPete

    PatriotPete Member

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    My '87 Softail (for sale here on the forum) has an oil cooler up front and it rarely sees over 200 degrees on a hot summer day as long as it's rolling. There are some great aftermarket coolers out there that will provide more miles between rebuilds. The last owner used straight 50w in the summers which he swore by as far as a choice for hot weather.
    PatriotPete, Jul 11, 2015
    #8
  10. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    200-225 is normal operating temps
    FLHTbiker, Jul 11, 2015
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  11. baggerpaul

    baggerpaul Well-Known Member

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    That's oil temp boys .not engine temp those heads are hotter than that by far. They average north of 250f .and yes that's normal for summer temps.
    baggerpaul, Jul 12, 2015
    #10
  12. Tomflhrci98

    Tomflhrci98 Active Member

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    With an EVO I'd say stop when it makes too much noise. When I was in that position the engine would tell me when it has had enough and I would pull over and let it cool. My EVO would also tell me when it was ready for an oil change, usually just after 2,500 miles from last change. My old EVO talked to me a lot.
    Tomflhrci98, Jul 18, 2015
    #11
  13. monkey wrench

    monkey wrench Member

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    +1.

    I occasionally measure my engine temp with an ir gun. 247 deg. is a pretty common temp to see on my evo heads. the bike has usually been shut iff for a minute or so by the time I walk over to the tool box and get the gun. i do not open the oil bag and get a reading straight from the oil. I just shoot the outside of the bag and get 190 deg. or so.

    I'm not sure what temp is too hot. If I saw 300 deg. at the heads I would start investigating. I would imagine the bike would be knocking, running a high idle or making other odd noises when it started to overheat.
    monkey wrench, Jul 20, 2015
    #12
  14. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    The best way to solve your issue with oil temps is to get rid of the gauge,
    it's just a tool to help you worry, before you have one you simply think, man
    it's hot, then you put the thing on and you can see how hot.

    HD's are air cooled, they run hot, twinkies are worse, not because they
    run hotter, but they have larger fins which pull more hear out of the engine than the evos.

    Put an oil cooler on it, run synthetic, and make sure it's tuned correctly (ie not factory lean) a decent air filter (KN) and pipes help flow,
    hotroadking, Jul 20, 2015
    #13
  15. baggerpaul

    baggerpaul Well-Known Member

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    He'll if you really think about it .when you tune a bike on a dyno you won't start to make pulls or changes till the motor reaches 250f. Then once it reaches that temp we turn the fans on and do a pull .we don't care if it cools down below that but we wait till it gets there before any changes or high rpm wot pulls occur
    baggerpaul, Jul 20, 2015
    #14
  16. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    yeah I had one of those dip stick things, funny story about it, sucker didn't fit real tight, snug but not tight like the stock one. well a couple of friends challenged me to a duel at a stop light and being one to not disappoint I cracked the throttle and left them, guy behind me missed a shift went 1st to neutral and bumped his head on the windshield, left the others sitting and as soon as I hit second I heard a Phoooooom!

    just like a mortar going off, leg got hot, smoke everywhere, friends are riding through oil mist LOL, thought I'd busted it up good, but it just blew that oil dip stick to high heaven, we never found it.

    Rode back to the hotel with a pink exhaust plug from an ATV shop and over to the dealer at night to get the plug, they left it under a big rock with the bill, glad they had it..

    Tossed out the jeans though LOL
    hotroadking, Jul 20, 2015
    #15
  17. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    My wife's trike engine got so hot on yesterday's ride (100F) the heat from the left side burned her leg through her jeans and blistered her leg. There is no exhaust on that side but think the primary got really hot. Her leg never touched the housing but her leg blistered. I changed the oils and then pulled the lowers off her Ultra Trike. Never thought the left side would get that hot. Primary was not low on oil either. Felt terrible for her. Told her to keep her left foot up on the highway pegs as much as possible.
    FLHTbiker, Jul 20, 2015
    #16
  18. monkey wrench

    monkey wrench Member

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    funny. i agree.
    monkey wrench, Jul 20, 2015
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  19. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    Hope she didn't burn too bad,
    That's a lot of heat does it have and exhaust pipe on that side like the older baggers
    hotroadking, Jul 20, 2015
    #18
  20. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    Nope no exhaust on the left side. Should have taken the lowers off at the beginning of summer for her. Really strange that it got that hot on the left side with no exhaust present.
    It's an EFI bike and they did a tune on it but couldn't do a dyno tune because of it being a trike. Might be set to lean.
    FLHTbiker, Jul 20, 2015
    #19
  21. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    hotroadking, Jul 21, 2015
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