| Author | Message | ||
     Ronvc |
When I bought this bike the guy gave me a few adds. one was an Oil cooler (Jegs) it also has a thermostat (lockhart) Is it worth using? I was also thinking about buying a puke can. Should I? oil temp and pressure gauge. Does anyone make this for a Buell? could I just use a dip stick with a temp gauge from a 93-03 Sportster? | ||
| Lynrd |
My opinion - Oil Coolers are not bad things to have, but most of the time they are unnecessary. If you were in Arizona, it would be a different story, but in New Jersey, nah. I personally wouldn't want the additional stuff dangling from the bike for cosmetic reasons anyway since the benefit is negligible in that climate. A Puke can (Catch can) on the other hand is a good idea - especially if you do what many have and change out the rocker boxes for the XB style ones that have a PCV in the top of them. They stock system does tend to vent some out the air cleaner which can be messy (but will prevent rust...). A second catch can for the transmission vent is a good idea as well in case the crankcase seal goes and the transmission area of the engine pressurizes. A catch can can prevent that excess oil from landing on your rear tire where it will do nothing good, not even prevent rust. Oil Pressure gauge could be made from a big twin kit + some additional plastic tubing to go from the oil pressure switch hole at the front of the engine to wherever you decide to mount the gauge. If you choose to do this - I would suggest a tee at the switch to keep the warning light. HDs, being roller bearing motors, do not really require or generate high oil pressure. They instead move a high volume of oil at low pressure. With the engine hot - you may be shocked to discover that you only have ten pounds or so of pressure, which would be really scary low if it was a Chevy engine. Because the nature of the oil system is low pressure anyway, there is a big difference between ten or so lbs and no pressure at all. An idiot light that gets your attention right in the dash is a good idea to let you know if the system has failed completely - I know I would likely notice a light lighting up faster than I might notice a gauge, particularly if the gauge is mounted somewhere that my eyes do not normally travel when riding - like those big twin kits that mount off of the rocker box. Temp gauge on a dipstick - hey, it's your money. It's under the seat and you're never going to see it unless the seat is off and you are looking down at it. I personally seldom ride that way. Rather than measuring the temperature of the oil returning to the tank, I personally would think first of taping into the the cyl head temp sensor if I wanted more instrumentation. But, where I live (NorCal) or in Jersey, I would not worry too much about it. if I was in Texas or the southwest I might feel differently - not just about this subject either. I would feel differently about many, many things. Thank you for not asking about what sort of oil to run (Amsoil 20w50 in engine AND trans for me). | ||
| Hootowl |
I have the Jeggs cooler and thermostat on mine, but I live in Texas. Like John indicated, it's a rare day in New Jersey when you'd need one. The tuber engines are not air/oil cooled, they are only air cooled. Cooling the oil isn't really necessary (whereas the XB engines have oil jets that cool the pistons so cooling the oil becomes important.) In the summer here though, every little bit of heat I can shed helps, so I put on the cooler. I don't know how much it helps. May have been a waste of money. | ||
| Ronvc |
Got it. I forgot how good an air cooled bike runs once it warms up.. I got used to the water cooled bike I have now. Lynrd, Thanks for all that great information.. I didn't want to bolt too much crap on this bike. But I think I will opt for the puke can. Any opinion on size? I'ed like to keep it on the small side. | ||
| Hootowl |
Catch can can be pretty small. I used a tomato paste can for a while. Just make sure the breather lines run downhill from the vent holes the entire way. No uphill sections at all, and that the can is vented. | ||
| S1owner |
Here is a nice catch can for cheap its what I use https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.a sp?RecID=4703 | ||
| Purpony |
i second the pegasus can. works great. | ||
| Lynrd |
Each of my 3 has a very different catch can set up - they all do about the same thing, but they vary quite a bt from low tech to high tech. All three bikes run XB rocker covers with PCV valves. This is the Can on Rhonda - 1995 S2. It was on the bike when I got here, so origin is unknown. Features a drain on the bottom  Veronica, My 1998 S3, is undergoing a cosmetic resurrection, but has had this Go Cart catch can since she got her rocker boxes. It is mounted on the side support tube and serves as a place to also mount the shock reservoir. Features a drain on the bottom. Some young riders have been heard to speculate what the scary contraption is hanging off of the left side...  Finally, for Gloria, another S2 and subject of a bunch of very high tech, science fair experimentation, I opted for a ultra lightweight spun aluminum can formed of light gauge aluminum, fitted with high surface area, toroidially wound baffling. In other words, a Red Bull can stuffed with a couple of Chore boy pads.  |
