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[Goin Mobile]

I put in the Harley dipstick oil temp gauge this weekend. After a one hour ride with 85F outside temperature I got home and checked the gauge. It read 275 with an error. The error being that it was too hot to guarantee an accurate reading. We all notice the heat coming up from the engine on the 07s, but is this oil temp so hot that it is damaging the engine?

[RJ749]

You can get a lot of opinion when you start talking oil.

What oil are you using?  Was it town stop and go riding? 

Here's some discussion.

http://www.munising.com/harley_oil.html


4.  At what temperature will Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Oil
    break down?

    This oil has been designed for use at temperatures up to 300 deg F for extended periods with no significant breakdown.

5.  What oil temperature is best for my Harley-Davidson?

    A good oil operating temperature range is 200 deg to 240 deg F.  Water condensation and acids tend to build up in the oil if the temperature is consistently below 180 deg F, and oil thickness can become marginal at temperatures above 300 deg F.

[TallyClassic]

Check your dipstick in a pot of boiling water.  If it reads 100 then you know it is accurate.

But is 275 too high?  Hell yes!!  Even with synthetic.  Can you imagine what your cyl head temps are??

I'll bet you are still running stock muffs, ac and map......

[grc]

Check your dipstick in a pot of boiling water.  If it reads 100 then you know it is accurate.

But is 275 too high?  Hell yes!!  Even with synthetic.  Can you imagine what your cyl head temps are??

I'll bet you are still running stock muffs, ac and map......

That would be 100°C, or 212°F.

I agree, if that 275° reading was accurate, and not the result of an hour putting along at 10 mph, that is too high.  I would want to verify that the oil is in fact circulating through the oil cooler.

Jerry

[skreminegul07]

I posted earlier that I saw 288 without an error in Myrtle Beach, sitting in traffic.  255 in Laconia this weekend.  Verified digital dipstick gauge is correct.  Oil cooler is working. 
They just run hot!
Putting true duals on this week and will see if its any cooler, but at least the crossover will be gone.

[9 1/2 Beers]

do you still have your lowwers on?    i was running across the desert and i was running in the 250-275 range, a friend suggested to remove the lowwers for the summer

[Bojiboy]

Check that the lowers are completely open also. I've found mine will close some at higher speeds if the wind is up a bit. Also, the error can indicated an oil level that is too high. Should be tested with the engine off, at operating temperature and on the jiffy stand......

[JCZ]

Knowing how inaccurate all HD guages are......I'd first confirm that the temp guage is calibrated correctly.

[05ChromeUltra]

I run 300 degrees or more on a hot desert day (105 ambient) no problem. Stock 88 Stage 1 with DFO. What do I know, certified Petrolium/Chemical Department of Defense Inspector,  (DCMA) modern oils, especially synthetic no problem....don't worry about out. Flame level approx. 440 degrees or higher depending on brand...

[cuthbertss]

i hit 275 today in ABQ...  after local traffic at 95 + heat..been runnin 240-245 all week

[nixobilly]

I run 300 degrees or more on a hot desert day (105 ambient) no problem. Stock 88 Stage 1 with DFO. What do I know, certified Petrolium/Chemical Department of Defense Inspector,  (DCMA) modern oils, especially synthetic no problem....don't worry about out. Flame level approx. 440 degrees or higher depending on brand...

If this is the case, it sure would ease alot of minds along with cut down on the message traffic on the site!!!!

I'm looking at a long run across the desert (Reno, NV to Zion NP, UT) on my return from Nelson and would really feel relieved if I knew that I could see 280 on my Oil temp gauge and know it was in an acceptable range....   I do run Amsoil though...

I sure wish we could get someone from HD to give us an exact number "not to exceed".

Mark

[skippy]

I called HD customer service some time back and got a 45 min talk about how I was over concerned about the heat issue on my 07springer  the lady said it was normal to be between 240 to 300 degrees I fell out of my chair and busted my a%$.  she did call back to see if I was ok ....

[Chief]

I run 300 degrees or more on a hot desert day (105 ambient) no problem. Stock 88 Stage 1 with DFO. What do I know, certified Petrolium/Chemical Department of Defense Inspector,  (DCMA) modern oils, especially synthetic no problem....don't worry about out. Flame level approx. 440 degrees or higher depending on brand...

Here's my question.  If the oil in the tank is 275 degrees, then how friggin hot is it right when it is exiting the motor? That moment it leaves the motor would be the maximum temperature, and the most important temperature to monitor. The oil gauge is in the front of the oil tank. The oil enters the tank in the rear and then moves to the front, all the while cooling down. The temp you are measuring is the temp just before it goes back into the cam chest then filter and cooler.

In short, the oil dip stick, and oil gauge in the front of the pan, is not reading the maximum temperature the oil achieved. It's a number, but what it is actually telling us is rather vague.

[grc]

Here's my question.  If the oil in the tank is 275 degrees, then how friggin hot is it right when it is exiting the motor? That moment it leaves the motor would be the maximum temperature, and the most important temperature to monitor. The oil gauge is in the front of the oil tank. The oil enters the tank in the rear and then moves to the front, all the while cooling down. The temp you are measuring is the temp just before it goes back into the cam chest then filter and cooler.

In short, the oil dip stick, and oil gauge in the front of the pan, is not reading the maximum temperature the oil achieved. It's a number, but what it is actually telling us is rather vague.

Absolutely correct, the dipstick or the dash gauge both measure the oil temp in the pan after it has had an opportunity to mix and cool somewhat.  Rest assured, if you could measure the oil temp at the piston rings, you would really be worried.  

I haven't seen anything from H-D on what they consider to be the normal operating temp for the 110" engines, but they did indicate normal operating temp is 230°F for the 103" engine on the '05's.  That is with the bike running down the road, not sitting or barely moving in traffic.  As soon as you reduce/eliminate the air flow across the engine and oil cooler, the temp is going to climb fairly rapidly and there is nothing short of a big fan or shutting the engine down that is going to change that.  You can't run the mixture rich enough to offset the lack of airflow on an air cooled V-twin.  When I previously commented in this thread that 275°F was too high, it was with the caveat that I wasn't talking about sitting in traffic.

Fortunately, top quality synthetic oils like Amsoil and Mobil 1 can handle bulk temps in the 300°F range without suffering thermal breakdown.  I would never consider running anything but a top quality synthetic in one of these engines.

Jerry

[rlavigna]

After traveling in 10 mph heavy traffic Sunday, my oil was running at 260 to 288.  I welcome a water cooled motor that can rev higher.  If 300 is the temp mark to be concerned with, then I am concerned as my temp at 288 was close.  From now on I plan to ride like hell and stop looking at the temp gauge.  Rich