Oil cooler cover

[bigdog63]

I ordered on line an HD oil cooler for my 2004 Heritage Softail Classic and I was very disappointed to see the cheesy cover that has to be basically glued on to the cooler. I would thing that Harley Davidson could have come up with a better design than that!!    Does anyone have a better idea of how to put this cover on??? I am concerned with the heating and cooling that the damn thing would fall off and I would run over it ab blow out a back tire!!!!

[HDDOC]

Throw the cover in the trash, or just silicone the chit out it and stick it on. I tried useing pull ties but it looked like chit also.   Doc

[Ed Y]

The purpose of an oil cooler is to cool oil. Never did understand why HD has a cover you stick on it to impede the cooling process. I'd just throw it away as HDDOC suggested.

[iclick]

The purpose of an oil cooler is to cool oil. Never did understand why HD has a cover you stick on it to impede the cooling process. I'd just throw it away as HDDOC suggested.

I agree with you and HDDoc--just throw the cover into one of your Harley boxes in the attic.  I have the HD Premium cooler on my FLHX and although it is fixed to the cooler properly, i.e. no glue, I removed it, as it would seem to impede airflow when sitting still.  There is some convection when motionless and I think the cover reduces that effect.  Besides, who needs to call attention to the cooler by installing a flashy chrome cover?  The cooler doesn't look bad down there by itself, IMO, as it isn't very noticeable, and being black you're eye isn't drawn to it.

[MMOCGuy]

The only purpose for the cover is to impede oil cooling in cool weather. Under normal operating conditions in warm - hot weather the cover is not needed. In simple terms, In cold/cool weather, if the oil cooler is functioning, the oil cannot get up to proper operating temperature so the cover is needed.

With all of that said, what most folks do is throw the factory cover in a box somewhere and forget it. When they ride in conditions that call for the cooler being covered, they simple cover all or part of the cooler with duct tape or something similar. Some folks have gone far enough to rig bypass valves so that they bypass the oil cooler manually on cold days. I'm not sure how the oil cooler is set up on Twin Cams (I haven't installed one on my Twin Cam yet) but, on my Shovelhead, the lines to the cooler are rubber. There are bypass valves available in the aftermarket that are inserted between the rubber feed line and the rubber output line of the cooler making it very easy to switch back a forth as needed.

Hope this helps.

NormS.

[bigdog63]

Thank you everyone....I will not worry about installing it

[iclick]

The only purpose for the cover is to impede oil cooling in cool weather. Under normal operating conditions in warm - hot weather the cover is not needed. In simple terms, In cold/cool weather, if the oil cooler is functioning, the oil cannot get up to proper operating temperature so the cover is needed.

This isn't a cover like you're thinking, that covers the entire cooler and fully impedes airflow.  To my knowledge HD doesn't make this type of cover for their coolers, and theirs have thermostats that regulate the oil flow based on temperature (185° opens it).  This the chrome frame that comes with the cooler and is designed to stay on the cooler at all times.  It's a bling item only that serves no real function that I know of.

[GaryD]

When I saw this post, I thought they were talking about a "Cover" to cover the whole cooler. I would like to get one, but can't fine one anywhere. I made a Rube Goldburg type cover. I put velcro on each side of the cooler and used a piece of metal the same size as the cooler. That way I can pop it off when the weather gets warm. Some air does go around the edges, but does stop the direct air flow through the cooler. It does have a thermostat, but I don't really trust it. I do ride a lot in the winter here outside of Chicago.

[Ed Y]

Gary,

If you can find someone who sews (the wife maybe), take the measurements and pass it on to whomever. My wife has made a couple of covers for me over the years out of leather with velcro tabs to hold them on. It was actually pretty easy, according to her.

I would think one of the people who repair leather stuff, saddle shop for instance, could fix you up.

[Magnumwideglide]

The H-D cooler I have allegedly has a thermostat.  I would hope there's no friggin "cover on cold weather, cover off warm weather" policy!!!

[JAFHR]

If you have the thermostat, then you're covered in the winter. The cooler will not open unless you achieve a certain temperature. You can cover it up in order to keep debris from getting into the fins, but be careful the temp on the bike gets high enough that it wants to use the cooler.

[Magnumwideglide]

OK maybe I'm missing something.  If the bike has an oil cooler with a thermostat, and the oil doesn't get above 160 degrees I think, the oil cooler thermostat doesn't open up and the bike's oil acts as if the bike does not have a cooler.  Same as stock for my model.  Now when the oil gets hot enough, the thermostat opens and the oil cooler passages are used as extra cooling surface area to help cool the oil more then the stock unit without a cooler.  So if you put a cover on it for whatever reason, that covers the cooling unit.  The oil temperature thermostat still senses the engine oil temp right?  So regardless of cover or not, the unit will work as designed with the oil cooler, cover or no cover.  The negative I see is if the oil cooler has kicked in, a cover that covers the finned surface area might negate some of the cooler's efficiency, but it's still cooling through the cooler which is going to be more cooling than what the stock bike without would do.  Correcto?  So by worrying about a cover here or there, because it might prematurely turn the cooler on or off, is not correct IMHO.  I personally don't cover mine.  But if I sealed it off it would still turn on when the oil reaches 160, on not before, if the thermostat is working right...I think this is being over thought. 

[MMOCGuy]

I'm thinking that this whole thread is getting confused. I thought that Bigdog was talking about a cover which covered the whole cooler thereby allowing one to use the cooler or not depending on temperature. If a thermostat or bypass valve is used, then the full cover is not required.

Sorry for any confusion I caused with my post.

NormS.

[GaryD]

NormS, that's what I thought at first too. Then I started seeing all the replys about the chrome cover thingy.
On my reply I was concerned about the t'stat stuck open while riding in the winter and wanted a "cover" cover.
Kinda like what trucks and buses do in the winter when they put cardboard in front of their radiator.

[FXDRYDR]

Ed's idea works.  Or, Drag used to carry one made of naugahyde with velcro straps.  Works real well on my Jagg.  I'm the thermostat.  It goes on when it's cool out -- early Spring.  Comes off for Summer.  Goes back on if I ride into the cold weather.  Failsafe.

[rawshog]

Reread the 1st post.  Apparentl he did not buy the premium cooler.  He has one that the chrome cover is not bolted on.

[MMOCGuy]

GaryD.

Thanks for your reply. One thing you can do is use duct tape (As I mentioned). A lot of guys I know use the duct tape method on the old Lockhart coolers on Shovelheads. Personally, I have a manual bypass valve for my Shovelhead cooler.

Thanks,

NormS.

[Ed Y]

Definitely is a lot easier to put a bypass valve on a shovel, evo or even a pan. TC's (because of the oiling route) make it a lot more difficult.

[GaryD]

The duct tape sounds like the best and easiest, but what about that awful residue it leaves behind when you take it off? I suppose I could use Goo-B-Gone (GREAT stuff) once a year. 

[boooby1744]

A nice hard piece of corrugated cardboard cut to size,wrap with a couple layers of heavy duty aluminun foil,wire or plastic ties. Shiny side out fer you folks that crave chrome.............

[MMOCGuy]

GaryD.

If there is any residue left from Duct Tape, it can be removed easily with Naptha solvent which is available from any hardware store. You can also use cigarette lighter fluid such as Ronson lighter fluid because one of the main ingredients is Naptha. Naptha does not hurt painted surfaces but it is always a good idea to test it on an inconspicuous area of paint first.

As an aside, I have used Naptha to remove residue after I have removed graphics from painted surfaces. Once finished, there was absolutely no indication that the graphics were ever there.

Hope this helps.

NormS.

[GaryD]

NormS, when I was a kid and smoked, I used lighter fluid to clean just about everything.