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Harley Oil Cooler flow direction?

airdrie

airdrie

Member
After installing a HD oil cooler 26157-07 on my '06 Heritage I started up the bike in the garage to check for leaks and ensure the cooler was getting warm with the engine. The cooler didn't get much cooler than ambient temps while the engine warmed up to operating temps. It let it run until it was hot and still no heat coming off the cooler.

Once cold again, I pulled each line that runs into the cooler and confirmed oil flows through the filter when running. Suspiciously, when I did the same to the other line, oil flowed out the other direction as well. If both lines have positive pressure when running, this would explain why the cooler isn't radiating heat.

Anyone know which way it should flow and what I should check next?

thanks
 

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ya sure ya had it hot enough for the thermostat to open 185 oil temp is where it starts to open
 
airdrie said:
Oh yeah. It was sitting in the garage and I waited until the high temp alarm went off.
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If you installed per instructions, I would say it most likely is fine. Running in garage, engine temp. and oil temp. are two different things. No air going over engine, it may overheat before oil is up to temp. Do you have oil press. when bike is running? If so, I think you are good to go.:)
 
If you're sure to have proper Oil Pressure & have topped off oil level to compensate for the added volumn of the cooler... take it for about a 10 mile ride, then recheck the cooler for temperature.
 
I didn't realize the oil and engine temps could be that far apart.
The 10 mile ride sounds sounds like the good way to check it out for certain. I'll have to wait another 6 weeks or so until the snow and ice have cleared though.

Thanks.
 
The radiator part of the cooling system is just a core, and has no oil flow direction concerns. However, I like to feed the oil into the bottom most nipple on the core so that the core is flooded once the thermostat opens. This way the oil flows up through the core and out the top port back to the adapter.

TQ
 
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Understood. Note the photo however where the input and the output of the core are both at the top. The softail mounting instructions don't offer a horizontal option (though I suppose I could try). The flow direction is going to come from the adapter now installed behind the filter. I expected oil to flow up ONE of the hoses from the adapter, through the rad and down the other hose back into the adapter and engine. Instead, I'm getting pressure and flow from both hoses coming off adapter. Perhaps the thermostat in the adapter has to come into play before it flows one way only.
 
airdrie said:
Understood. Note the photo however where the input and the output of the core are both at the top. The softail mounting instructions don't offer a horizontal option (though I suppose I could try). The flow direction is going to come from the adapter now installed behind the filter. I expected oil to flow up ONE of the hoses from the adapter, through the rad and down the other hose back into the adapter and engine. Instead, I'm getting pressure and flow from both hoses coming off adapter. Perhaps the thermostat in the adapter has to come into play before it flows one way only.
Click to expand...

Right. Just looked at the photo more carefully, and it should not matter which hose is on which nipple.

As suggested above, as long as you have oil circulating (no obstruction) and oil pressure, take it for a ride to get the oil hot enough to open the thermostat in the adapter if so equipped. Then you should feel the cooler getting warmed up. Depending on air temps and whether stop-go or highway riding, it can take my bike up to half an hour and about 20 miles of riding to get the OIL temp up over the thermostat opening temp. And I ride in the Houston area! You guys in colder climes may not see the thermostat open during the winter months if you are taking short rides.

TQ
 
One other thing, it takes awhile for the oil to get up to 180 degrees, especially when it is winter out, and if your engine runs cool already (my 2004 Sporty takes almost 30 minutes) so freeway driving may take long time for oil tank temperature to rise above 160 deg F, as the engine cooling is still pretty good, so when you do your test you may want to do it on a relatively warm day to be sure.
 
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