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[LarrysBB]

     I just returned from a nice 2 week ride in the Arizona desert on my 10 CVO ultra. When I got home and was cleaning up the bike I noticed that there were several dents in the oil cooler fins. I didn't see any real damage to the oil passages though, but this shows there is a real potential for a problem.  I noticed it when the light was just right, I should have looked closer in the past maybe with a flashlight. I think the damage was from road rocks etc, thrown up by the front tire.
 
  Is there a cover or some kind of protection device that can be used to keep from having a hole punched in the cooler and loose all of the oil or worse?  I was thinking of building a screen out of expanded metal or something similar.
 Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[smiley1049]

The oil coolers are well made I have not seen one leak due to rock damage I have had oil coolers on my bikes since 2006. if you cover it with anything you will lose cooling for the oil.

[sadunbar]

     I just returned from a nice 2 week ride in the Arizona desert on my 10 CVO ultra. When I got home and was cleaning up the bike I noticed that there were several dents in the oil cooler fins. I didn't see any real damage to the oil passages though, but this shows there is a real potential for a problem.  I noticed it when the light was just right, I should have looked closer in the past maybe with a flashlight. I think the damage was from road rocks etc, thrown up by the front tire.
 
  Is there a cover or some kind of protection device that can be used to keep from having a hole punched in the cooler and loose all of the oil or worse?  I was thinking of building a screen out of expanded metal or something similar.
 Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I wouldn't recommend it...  Hold a screen or piece of expanded metal in front of a fan - you may be amazed by the small amount of air that actually makes it thru... 

[Fired00d]

I wouldn't recommend it...  Hold a screen or piece of expanded metal in front of a fan - you may be amazed by the small amount of air that actually makes it thru... 

Good point... Didn't realize it until I saw it first hand... when ventilating for firefighting operations I've witnessed the difference from leaving a screen in a window and taking it out... big difference on airflow.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Dead_Reckoning]

Good point... Didn't realize it until I saw it first hand... when ventilating for firefighting operations I've witnessed the difference from leaving a screen in a window and taking it out... big difference on airflow.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

From my Chief Mate days on texaco tankers, I have been thinking more along the lines of how the Tank Flame Screens were constructed.
They had your typical screen mesh first and then Wire Cloth, 304 SS, 5 x 5 Mesh for protection over the screen.
I have been tninking about trying the Chrome OC Cover with some Wire Cloth, 304 SS, 5 x 5 Mesh in it. It is large enough to allow air in, but small enough to block out a lot of road debris.

The other option i have seen is a dual Down Tube mounted OC.

DR

[ThunderBueller]

Right after the above pic was taken we headed east on CA Hwy 155 heading down the mountain into Wofford Heights and one of the pumpkins kicked up something which sailed into the oil cooler punching a very large hole in it. Not far behind him was a cherry red '05 SEEG who just about lost it going through the oil that pumped out of the pumpkin in about, oh, no time flat. You could stick your pinky finger in the hole. We coasted down the hill and luckily found an auto repair shop that was open after hours and bypassed the cooler for the trip back to Vegas.

[mrmagloo]

This is an issue near and dear to me.  Last summer as I was preparing for my run to Sturgis, I noticed my cooler was pretty clogged up with cottonwood and had bent fins. So I attempted to remove the cooler, and the damn lines broke. PITA because those lines are pricy and hard to find, so know in advance they are fragile.

Anyway, when I got my out, after trying to vacuum out the floaties, I noticed the whole thing was pretty much clogged by little stones. I made a flat poker and removed them all, and straightened the fins. Took a while, but it came out good. I then got some stainless screen material, and wrapped the front of the cooler prior to reinstalling it in the chrome housing. Worked great.



 

[ultrafxr]

Wife of a friend got a H-D trike several months ago.  Coming back from a road trip in late Oct she noticed it was losing power and then quit running.  Turned out that there was a hole in the oil cooler - big enough to stick a pencil into.  They have no idea what she hit.  Toasted the engine as she didn't realize what was going on until it lost power.  State Farm bought her a new engine.  She just got it back last week.  

[cahdbiker]

larrysBB, In the HD catalogue they sell rear mud flaps for Ultras on page 437,part numbers , 59385-98,59386-98  maybe you could adapt one of those to your front fender, or make one yourself out of some leather. I know if I went to my local shoemaker he would probably measure and cut a piece of leather to fit on the front fender for just a few dollars.   That wouldn't stop everything, but I know it would help.CAHDBIKER

[Dead_Reckoning]

Wife of a friend got a H-D trike several months ago.  Coming back from a road trip in late Oct she noticed it was losing power and then quit running.  Turned out that there was a hole in the oil cooler - big enough to stick a pencil into.  They have no idea what she hit.  Toasted the engine as she didn't realize what was going on until it lost power.  State Farm bought her a new engine.  She just got it back last week.  

That is Sad to Hear. I guess that Oil Light doesn't go on until it is a Hot Lunch.

[timo482]

when i still had the cooler mounted down low i put on a mudflap - had to drill the fender  but it kept the crap out of the cooler

now i have a cooler mounted to the right crash bar - if that gets hit it will be the last thing ill be worrying about

to

[JP]

A typical screen blocks 60% of air flow.

[Dead_Reckoning]

A typical screen blocks 60% of air flow.

Thank You for that figure.

I am thinking along the lines of a Protective Wire Mesh, not a screen per say. I do not think of screen as protexting much of anything other than bugs.

http://catalog.darbywiremesh.com/category/316-stainless-steel-mesh?&plpver=10
Depending on mesh size, you could have 0.25,0.5,0.75 or 1.0 inch openings. I suspect a lot more air flow than screening.
Ships use this sort of thing over screening in vents to protect the screening. Thinking it would work equally well over those precious Oil Cooler Fins.
As I wrote this though of possibly using "Stand Off" to mount the mesh. This would allow some space between the Oil Cooler Face and the mesh.

DR

[mrmagloo]

A typical screen blocks 60% of air flow.

While I'm sure a screen does effect flow, I don't buy that it's that much.  My screen was similar to that used in K&N air filters, which I think have done quite a bit of testing to optimize what size screen to use. I think you also have to take into account what additional protection it offers, and most importantly, the ease of cleaning. I think the point is, if you live in areas with the dreaded cottonwood floaties, these are nearly impossible to remove without totally disassembling the cooler. Worse, it's hard to tell if it's even clogged, they get wedged so deeply in there you can't even see it. With the screen, you simply wipe your hand over it quickly and they roll away easily.

As such, while I still question your stated loss percentage, I'd rather have a some restriction on on a cooler that is totally operational, than no protection and the thing is mostly clogged up, facing a major head ache to clean - pricy too when you add in the tightly kinked cooler lines that crack when you look at them. I do however agree that whichever route you go, you do need to keep tabs on your oil temp to make sure you are staying in a safe range at all times.