Ironhead What weight oil?

[RicThompson]

This response was most useful and similar to my situation.

Originally Posted by class of 82

I run the lucas MC 70W oil in my 82 now it has been rebuilt with 4500 miles on it.. when I first got it HD dealer said 20/50 and it was hot as hell made all kinds of noise.. but it was high mileage and worn out and overheating due to the oil. then found some Valvoline 50W that help quit things down and helped on the heat.

I did my break in on the lucus 50w+ racing oil in the cool spring temps here in FL. at that time. engine builder said it was good/ok to use it..(his mind set was it is expensive but good oil-he recommended the cheapest 60W I can get and change it often.)

once the summer temps got up there my manual said 70W so I went to the lucas MC 70W runs quit/cool and the oil temps stay around 250* on the hottest of summer- 98*+ days here in FL. I did add an oil cooler/reusable oil filter/cooler

my brother 02 FLST was running hot as hell and rattled made lots of noise on the HD 20/50. showed him in his book that you go by the ambient air temps and should be running 60W. I suggested going right to the lucas MC 70W.

what a difference in performance/noise reduction/cooler temps it made on it.

couple local ironhead owners suggest that there is nothing wrong with running the lucas + 50w 60w 70w racing oil with high zinc. it is intended to be change often in the nitromethane racing engines so just change it often in the ironhead as well. the added zinc is a plus.

I most likely wont need to go back to the lucas 50w+ as I don't ride or get that low of temps here in Fl. so I have a 5 gallon pail of the lucus 60W+ for winter temps and a 5 gallon pail of the 70W MC oil for the summer temps.

yes I will be changing it very often now that it is rebuilt and got 4500 miles. changed it 8x since rebuild in the 4500 miles. stocked up on oil and will stretch service out to every 1500 miles then change oil and inspect/service oil filter.

[Iron Mike]

To the original post about asking for opinions on Lucas... Lucas was the series sponsor for an Indy Pro series car we were campaigning. 20/50 Racing High Zinc formula, changed often and oil analysis done frequently post race. Analysis was done by a Lucas competitor without disclosing the brand name to them. Other than the normal minute metallic deposits, the oil passed with flying colors and never was deemed "remove from service". Cannot comment on a higher mileage test as the oil was dumped frequently since it was supplied by Lucas by the pallet full.
We also run Lucas 20/50 as requested by our engine builder, same high zinc formula in our desert truck. 900+ HP continually run for 30+ hrs. Analysis post race only comes back with the suggestion to change oil/filter due to dirt contaminants. (Go figure). This sample is usually performed through a lab contracted by our local CAT diesel dealer.
You asked for opinions, that is mine.

[Serious Blac]

West coast of Norway - temperate climate. Run 10w60 stuff meant for high tech BMW M series. Just taken the oil cooler off as the bike wasn't getting warm enough even in the heat of summer. The bike is used mainly for touring does get a good thrash now and again + traffic.

[Gold Member]

Originally Posted by ryder rick

This has been covered many times.

I would not run 20-50 without an oil cooler, I am just north of the 42nd parallel south of here deffinitely. Farther north maybe not needed so much. Also the HD 20-50 (which I prefer) seems significantly heavier than "car" oil.
I maintained a fleet of rental bikes and we used 20-50 Silkolene (and coolers) in California with very good results in early Twinkie's (with none of the usual cam chest problems).
Personally I think the lifter and cam bearing problems seen on many EVO's was due to the use of 20-50 with no cooler. Its hard to compare though because most Twinkies have EFI so they don't see the gas contamination that the earlier bikes see.

Probably quieter operation with the heavier straight weight oils but you will have to live with sluggish cold starts. I'm not a kick only guy so this is a non-issue for me.

Cover the bike and put a 60w light under it to keep it somewhat warm? But that has risks.

Sumping is a much bigger starting issue with heavy oil.

Change whatever oil you chose often 2wice a year minimum. Even if you don't ride it regularly.
DONT IDLE IT TO WARM IT UP!!!!
Don't start it unless you ride it more than around the block.
Don't forget to turn off the fuel.
Don't trailer it or haul it in a truck with the fuel on.

Your Harley will thank you.

Why not idle it to warm it up?

[IronMick]

Originally Posted by Gold Member

Why not idle it to warm it up?

At idle RPM there is not enough oil flow to the top end.

[ryder rick]

To be more specific at idle speed there is not enough oil thrown up to lube the pistons.

They don't call me Ironhead Rick just because I'm hard headed

[Serious Blac]

What they said....especially if you are running syrup!

[IronMick]

To be even more specific, there is not enough oil thrown up there at idle to lube the pistons, especially when the oil is cold, thick.

[RicThompson]

Going from 20/50 to 70 did nothing for the smoking problem my bike is having. That said I've started a new thread on effects of improperly timed oil pump breather. In the end I expect I'll likely be freshening up the top end but in the mean time I'll rule out everything else while generating some valuable discussion points.