Oil temps

[Mark_Bench]

OK normally running around my guae gets up to about 200degrees, but I went on an extended 2+hours on the highway, and temps were just south of 250 degrees. I am running Redline 20w60HD, and it was bout 70-75 degrees outside, I was cruising about 80-85ish.
been thinking bout an oil cooler just wondering opinion on that.

[arby]

Only in the 40's in Connecticut and I can not get my oil temp above 150. ;)
Bob

[flathead45]

I was riding next to a bagger in a chrismas parade (21* out) and the dude with the bagger said he was worried cause his bike was runnin at 237* and it was starting to miss and stutter , but I think that was fron all the start and stop driving (uphill to boot) even the jap cruzer with water cooling was spitting flames at the end of that ride
hell my clutch took a sh!t and wodn't grap worth a &%^#$%

but is your twofitty too high ? I don't know for sure

[TechRep]

I have read that the "normal" range is 200F-240F. After my bike is broken in from the conversion, I plan on running Moble 1 V twin oil. I will be watching the temp and trying to see if I have a big delta between the HD non syn and the syn when I change it over.

Now, if it will just warm up around here!!!!

[skooter]

http://www.heavydutycycles.com/sporttech.htm Check this link. It has some pretty interesting information about oils and oil temps. Browse the different topics.

[xllent01]

The oil is ALWAYS HOTTER IN THE TANK than it
is in the motor. Don't worry about the oil being under
250 in the tank at 80-85ish. The oil tank is like a car radiator
the oil is sent back to the tank to cool down.

A properly tuned bike will run alot cooler and longer, than a bike
that has been tuned by the seat of your pants by some shade tree mechanic.

I run the mobil1 and the most i have seen it get up to during
the hot summer months will be around 220 degrees. My scoot will
run around 190 all day on the highway.

Question #1 Do you need a oil cooler? Answer, no i don't
think your bike is running overly hot to justify the installation
of a cooler. Oil coolers are more trouable than they are worth.
A properly tuned bike will out way the money spent on a cooler.

One last thing those temp gauges you buy from the stealer are
not always quite accurate. They are out from 5-10 degress sometimes.
:yikes

[skooter]

I have read that the "normal" range is 200F-240F. After my bike is broken in from the conversion, I plan on running Moble 1 V twin oil. I will be watching the temp and trying to see if I have a big delta between the HD non syn and the syn when I change it over.

Now, if it will just warm up around here!!!!

Friction produces heat. Since the SYN oil lowers friction between parts than it might be reasonable to assume that your oil temp should drop somewhat when changing from a MINERAL based oil to a full SYNTHETIC provided everything else stays the same. Don't know how much that drop will be though. I'm running Mobil 1 15w50 because it is good oil. I never really looked for any temp drop though.

[TechRep]

Skooter... I never had a gauge either and ran syn after the first 700 miles. I have dino in it now for the break-in. I just ordered a temp gauge and plan on monitoring the temp to see what I get before, during, and then after break-in with the syn oil. I plan on testing the gauge when I get it to check how close it is to reality.
I was running Amsoil with no complaints, but I changed to Mobil 1 in my Jeep and really like it. It gets the oil up top right away in the cold weather and still has plenty of PSI when it's hot. So I'm going to try it in the bike.

[skooter]

hi TechRep: I'm sure your findings will be of some interest to everyone here so don't forget to list them.

Did you check the link I posted on this thread earlier. There are interesting articles covering the use of Mobil 1. "The SJ Oil Contreversy" and the "Motorcycle Oil verses Auto Oil" are pretty good reading.

[rider1951]

On my 10 city mile commute home tonight air temps around 34 degrees oil temp never got above 150 degrees, Mobil 1 15W50.

[skooter]

When Oil temps run too low as they do in cold weather it is advisable to change the oil more often because the gas fumes that get into the oil from blow by don't get hot enough to evaporate and will eventually dilute the oil and it will loose it's ability to lubricate properly. The enrichener (choke) gets used more and this makes the feul dilution of the oil worse. 150 degrees is too cold. Mine doesn't get that much warmer in this cold weather either. Drain the oil more often.

[skooter]

Oh ya I forgot. If the engine doesn't get hot enough it wouldn't be able to burn off condensation and sludging up of the inside of your engine will begin. !50 degrees is too cold to accomplish this as well.

[Stephen Hawk]

I am running Mobil 1 15w50 automotive oil and love it. I was running Syn3 from Screaming Eagle but there was too much top end noise and the oil would never retain any heat. So, at 35* ambient, the oil would literally cool down to 50-60* in less than 1 hour after being at 150* when it was first shut down. Using the Mobil 1 allows the engine to warm up faster, maintain 200* or less in any condition up to 95* ambient and the engine runs so quiet by comparison to the Syn3. I'll stay with Mobil 1 in the Harley and my Yamaha sportbike.

Hawk

[xllent01]

On my 10 city mile commute home tonight air temps around 34 degrees oil temp never got above 150 degrees, Mobil 1 15W50.
A ten minute ride will not get the oil up to operation
temps as needed to help burn off any condensation
that has settled in the oil tank from the low temps
{34 degrees} that you were riding in. :tour

[maddog]

[QUOTE=xllent01]The oil is ALWAYS HOTTER IN THE TANK than it
is in the motor.

That doesn't sound right to me. I think I read that when you use the analog tank guage, you have to ADD 10 % to guage temp because the oil bag is cooler than the motor. On a hot bike I can put my hand on the oil bag but not the engine.

Also, I don't see the point in comparing the temp you run with dino vs syn. The point is moot. The syn won't break down till 350*, so it don't matter if you run warmer or cooler than the dino. The dino is garbage @ 250*.
Now that I run MOB-1 I rarely look at the guage. Since the oil is bullet proof, my only concern about heat is engine ping. If it pings I shut it down. But at least I don't have to dump the oil.

[xllent01]

[QUOTE=xllent01]The oil is ALWAYS HOTTER IN THE TANK than it
is in the motor.

That doesn't sound right to me. I think I read that when you use the analog tank guage, you have to ADD 10 % to guage temp because the oil bag is cooler than the motor. On a hot bike I can put my hand on the oil bag but not the engine.

Also, I don't see the point in comparing the temp you run with dino vs syn. The point is moot. The syn won't break down till 350*, so it don't matter if you run warmer or cooler than the dino. The dino is garbage @ 250*.
Now that I run MOB-1 I rarely look at the guage. Since the oil is bullet proof, my only concern about heat is engine ping. If it pings I shut it down. But at least I don't have to dump the oil.


O.K i think you have this oil thing backwards, oil in the evo motor
does three things
#1 it cools the motor, so motor gets hot, oil cools it correct?
oil is returned to tank to cool it down, thus repeating cycle #1

#2 it flushs all combustion deposits out and away from motor
This is why oil will get that dirty look to it, Black oil is no good
this means it has broken down and done it's job. This is were the
filter comes in place to help the longevity of the motor.

#3 it lubricates the motor, without oil the engine will self destruct
in less than a few miles. Friction creates heat,thus your motor
gets hot from internal combustion.

Yes syn will tolerate much higher heat levels than your average dino
oil will. That's why the majority of us use it. In my experience with
the syn versus the dino it does matter that the syn runs cooler
than the dino.Once the dino heats up and stays above normal heat
levels it starts breaking down faster and that means your bike starts
pinging and running rough.
Once your bike reaches that stage of being overly hot it is just a
matter of time before you blow a head or base gasket.

If you are running syn and your bike is properly tuned your bike
will not over heat thus creating the pinging effect you are getting. :yikes

[Shu]

Oil does aid in the cooling of our air cooled V-Twins, but as the name states, they are air cooled as well. When you are sitting in stop and go traffic, oil flow is the main thing cooling the engine. If your engine is improperly tuned, stop and go heat in the heads can get too hot and cause problems and or damage. Out on the highway, it take both airflow and oil flow to keep the engine cool. The oil in the engine is hotter than in the oil tank. The oil has detergents in it that grab ahold of the dirt and also keep the inside of the engine from sludging up. The filter cleans out the dirt that is trapped by the detergents, etc. When the oil turns darker color, that doesn't mean the oil has lost all of it lubricating properties, it just means that the detergents are doing their job. Unless you cook the oil and litterally are heating it past it's limits, then it will blacken, but that is most often not the case. There is no way a filter can be fine enough to grab the microscopic particles that are discoloring the oil and still flow free enough not to starve the engine. Anyway, heat does begin to break down an oils ability to lubricate from the first time you fire the engine. Synthetic oils are much more resistant to breaking sown from heat and therefore maintain their viscosity longer than dyno oils. Some would argue that some synthetics have a better ability to reduce friction and some ball bearing test (which may be a poor indication of friction) have proved it. However, dino oil is fine under most conditions provided the engine is tuned properly and the proper viscosity is being used and you change it regularly.

As far as the threads begininng, oil temps in the winter are going to be much cooler than the summer. It is going to take longer for the oil to heat up and on the highway the oil will run cooler because the colder air is cooling the engine much better. Change your oil more frequently if you do a lot of winter riding and make sure you check the owner manual for the specific viscosity to be running for the ambient temps in your area.

[rider1951]

A ten minute ride will not get the oil up to operation
temps as needed to help burn off any condensation
that has settled in the oil tank from the low temps
{34 degrees} that you were riding in. :tour

My 10 mile commute is mostly city and takes 25 minutes. I know it will take longer than that to heat up the oil in 34 degree weather. During the summer the same commute the temps reach 210+ degrees.

[Mark_Bench]

OK seems people missed my original question
On long high speed highway trips my oil temps get pretty hot but normal riding they are fine...., and yes my bike is tuned correctly...

[Shu]

OK seems people missed my original question
On long high speed highway trips my oil temps get pretty hot but normal riding they are fine...., and yes my bike is tuned correctly...


When you say "HOT", what exactly does that mean? I ride mine pretty hard and in 100 plus heat and have never seen my dipstick read more than 210. Typically on a 100 degree day, it'll read about 190 to 195 on steady 70-75 mph cruises. If you are reading significantly hotter than that, then you may have a lean fuel issue at cruise speeds or timing may need some fine tuning, etc.

[Mark_Bench]

Regular round town riding gets to about 200, when I did an extended 2 +hours on the highwy at 80+mph the temp was around 250...so we will say hotter than normal.

[JaggedEdge]

My 883 runs 175-185 around town in 75-80 degree air temps.
JE

[xl-ed]

Well, I'm new here and would appreciate any comments. I've had a 2003 XL1200 since last winter. It has 2" drag pipes with Thunder Monster baffles, SE filter, #45 slow jet, '88 needle and Dyna 2000 ignition. Otherwise, everything is stock. I use Amsoil syn 20W50 and the bike runs great across the rpm range. The question is, my oil on a 98 degree day never gets over 155. It's winter now and with 35 degrees outside it runs 110 degrees. This is an analog thermometer in the tank. I put the thermometer in boiling water and it showed exactly 212. These temperatures don't agree with anything I've read on here. It starts good and the enrichener functions as it should. I would like to hear any ideas why it runs so cool.

[Shu]

xl-ed,

Are those temps just cruising around town or is that on a long 70 mph interstate ride?

[VTRII]

OK normally running around my guae gets up to about 200degrees, but I went on an extended 2+hours on the highway, and temps were just south of 250 degrees. I am running Redline 20w60HD, and it was bout 70-75 degrees outside, I was cruising about 80-85ish.
been thinking bout an oil cooler just wondering opinion on that.


I have an 04 1200R with an oil cooler. It has no other modifications. I also run dino. I frequently run the freeway at 80-85 for 175 - 200 miles at a time. I am seeing similar temps with the cooler when outside air temps get around 100 degrees. I think it is normal. I am planning to rejet, since they tend to run lean, and this should help. It doesn't get to these temperatures unless I run at high speeds for an extended period of time.

[xl-ed]

xl-ed,

Are those temps just cruising around town or is that on a long 70 mph interstate ride?

I'm riding to work and back this winter and most of it is 45-55 mph. With 35 deg outside it shows 110 in the tank. Last summer on an interstate trip at 70-75 mph it ran 155. That's as hot as it gets.

[Mark_Bench]

Wow talk about a post that just keeps on giving! I posted this almost 2 years ago

Seems my oil temps have capped out, about 200 no matter what the weather if I am crusising on the highway, bout 180 if I am just jotting around town.

[Shu]

xl-ed,

Those temps are low. In the winter, it can be difficult to get heat in the oil just running around town stop light to stop light, but even at that, you should be in the 130 to 150 range after 15 minutes or so. And with your summer temps only around 155, I'd say that is again about 20 to 30 degree below normal. Are you sure you have enough oil in the oil tank to register on the dipstick (and cause a temp reading)? Maybe get the bike up to temp, keep it running, pull the dipstick, wipe it off, hold the rpms about 2500 or so, insert dipstick and pull back out and make sure you have oil on it. Those temps are just too low. In the winter, keep an eye on the oil carefully so that you do not get a bunch of condensation build up. You may need to change the oil more frequently due to condensation.

[xl-ed]

xl-ed,

Those temps are low. In the winter, it can be difficult to get heat in the oil just running around town stop light to stop light, but even at that, you should be in the 130 to 150 range after 15 minutes or so. And with your summer temps only around 155, I'd say that is again about 20 to 30 degree below normal. Are you sure you have enough oil in the oil tank to register on the dipstick (and cause a temp reading)? Maybe get the bike up to temp, keep it running, pull the dipstick, wipe it off, hold the rpms about 2500 or so, insert dipstick and pull back out and make sure you have oil on it. Those temps are just too low. In the winter, keep an eye on the oil carefully so that you do not get a bunch of condensation build up. You may need to change the oil more frequently due to condensation.

Thanks for the suggestions, Shu. Right now, I'll take all the help I can get. I've always done all my own mechanical work but I'm out of ideas here. I've changed the oil recently and check it regularly so I'm sure the level is OK. I've tried several jetting combinations before arriving at the ones I'm using and none of the changes effected the temps. I would have guessed the thermometer was wrong but I put it in boiling water and it showed exactly 212. When I came home today it was 50 degrees outside and the oil showed 115. I could touch the cylinder heads with my hand. I could understand it and deal with it better if it was running a little hot but in this case, I'm baffled.