HarleyTechTalk

I've seen a few threads over the years on using the crashbar as an oil cooler. It's winter and I'm bored. The factory Lockhart on my shovel is ugly so for some drilling and tapping I might try this. The oil would return to my tank where I have a drop-in element with no bypass. 

The question: Has anyone actually had any negative results from doing this?

Thanks
   Mark

Most of my buddies and me ran oil cooler crash bars back in the day. They lowered the oil temperature, only downside was the bar was hot. Seemed to transfer heat to the pegs though.

I'd be concerned with the rust and whatever that is inside the bar from welding and manufacture.
If you can flush is thorouly you might be ok though.

We did it last spring,

  Drilled and tapped the bar, then flushed it with a couple cans of brake cleaner then
hosed it out and hit it with the brake cleaner again and then finished up with air.

   We are running in on our Ultra with the lowers in place, no problems.  I did not
have a oil temp gauge but we could feel a difference in it.  We took off the SE unit
and did not want it under the CE Regulator, Cycle Electric did not want it there.

    Still using the SE oil filter mount with the thermostat so it does not run when cold.

    I've got the oil temp guage to install while we are working on the bike now so I
will know what our temps are then.

Quote from: turboprop on January 07, 2012, 02:06:53 PM
Most of my buddies and me ran oil cooler crash bars back in the day. They lowered the oil temperature, only downside was the bar was hot. Seemed to transfer heat to the pegs though.

As in take the skin off your hand hot? (the bar)

The bar would run about almost as hot as the oil tank, a little less as it is out in the wind. But it was hot, nothing you want to grab with a bare hand. Not enough to melt shoes or anything. But something that quite a few chicks did learn the hard way not to brush up against with their bare legs.

Highly recommend it. I drilled and tapped mine, took to rad shop and had them "boil it", then did the brake clean/air thing. When i was running the Jims 131 ( for the short time it actually ran ) never hit higher than 230 oil temp. The 120R has yet to register over 200.  Yes it gets hot. 200 degrees hot. That means it's working in my book. 
Jag cooler adapter with thermostat works very well. [/img]

Guess I'll round up some fittings. with the Lockhart the oil tank on this (S&S) shovel tops at 180 on the hottest Michigan day. At the beginning and end of the season I usually have Gorilla tape across the front of it. This had me wondering so I boiled the tank thermometer and it's right on. Maybe I'll sneak in a bypass with I'm at it.

Thanks

How do you get the oil out of the crashbar when changing ?
SR

Quote from: sandrooney on January 09, 2012, 04:41:39 AM
How do you get the oil out of the crashbar when changing ?
SR

Simply unhook the hoses from each end of the crash bar and let the oil drain out.

It works great!! Go for it.

Do it. It's a cheap cooler without adding bolt on stuff.  Jims 131 never exceeds 225F unless beating on it.  I followed the proceedure shown here on HTT and got anil with the cleanliness factor.
I used sulfuric acid-based drain cleaner from the hardware store to descale any crap from inside. This nasty stuff came in a plastic bottle, which was in-turn, wrapped in a plastic bag. Funnel three or four ounces in, plug the threaded holes with pipe plugs and shake it awhile. Drain, repeat. Lots of scale came out. Have the garden hose charged in case of a spill or burn, wear safety glasses and rubber gloves. The acid WILL dull chrome a bit and WILL REMOVE porcellain from a cast iron sink. (Ol' Mamasahn was pissed. Ehh..)The pipe will get warm to the touch from the acid doing it's thing.
A bore scope will show a nice, clean pipe wall when done. Rinse the shiite out of it several times and blow it dry quickly to halt rust formation. Coat the inside w/ erl to preserve the bare metal if not installing it right away.
Dave

Quote from: 04GLIDER2 on January 07, 2012, 02:45:58 PM
I'd be concerned with the rust and whatever that is inside the bar from welding and manufacture.
If you can flush is thorouly you might be ok though.

Good point. When the first Triumph Company first went to the three-cylinder engine, they used the backbone of the frame for an oil tank. This was a nice idea but was poorly executed since the frames had not been cleaned of weld slag and were bare metal inside which led to rust from condensation. The result was a number of damaged engines. I'd be concerned that there was some "stuff" in the crash guards that the oil filter might not clear out.......

Some of the 1980's and 1990's FL's used the front crash bar for the air reservoir for the front fork units. My 1993 FLHS used the handlebars for that purpose. Air is one thing but oil needs to stay clean.

JMO. 

I ran one for 3 years,then when I rebuilt my engine,I took the oil pan off to inspect it.No medal was in the pan.Sooo I guess it works pretty well.

Quote from: turboprop on January 09, 2012, 04:54:39 AM

Quote from: sandrooney on January 09, 2012, 04:41:39 AM
How do you get the oil out of the crashbar when changing ?
SR

Simply unhook the hoses from each end of the crash bar and let the oil drain out.

Or drill and tap 4 holes per side.  Upper ones for oil hose bibs and lower ones for drain plugs.  Pop each drain, let the oil run out and then fish around with a small magnet to see if any metal flakes are showing up.

Why not coat the inside like you would a new gas tank. Would eliminate any possibility for rust. Just a thought.

I would thin that hot detergent based oil would not be good for a gas tank coating. When we did it years ago we ran the return line from the crash bar into the oil filter before it went into the tank. Some will claim the bypass filter, yada, yada, yada (please do not turn this into an oil filter discussion). I like the idea of having a radiator shop boil it.  If I were to do it again, thats what I would do.

I am still tossing the idea around for my Ultra Classic .But I am still concerned about getting all the slag and whatever else out of the bar that might create an ugly surprise for my engine. I like the acid trick, I might start experimenting with some scrap pipe. The thing I like most about the engine guard cooler is the extra quart of oil or so you will gain. After all air cooled engines are mostly kept alive by filtered oil circulating at a decent temperature. So the more the merrier!

For those that are worried about chips and slag from the crash bar, you could put a small inline oil screen on the return side of the crash bar. Filters of this type are very low restriction and do not have a bypass valve.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Moroso/710/97060/10002/-1?CT=999

interesting thread to be sure!

justa thought - the heat resulting from using the crash bars - does that effect where an Ultra's lowers mount to the crash bars at all?

Mine has been on for about 80,000 miles & 5 yrs.. No problems. Bike still runs strong & uses no oil at 105,000 miles. I first remember guys doing that in the 50's. Worked good then & still does. Never have the lowers on as I don't like em.

Quote from: texaskatfish on January 13, 2012, 06:07:43 AM

interesting thread to be sure!

justa thought - the heat resulting from using the crash bars - does that effect where an Ultra's lowers mount to the crash bars at all?

We run our lowers year round, and yes the crash bar was warm at them but it does not seem
to bother them.  Todd at THP has done this for a few and they have been running for a while
with no problem to the lowers.