XH Motorcycles Forum
Motorcycle Resource Forums => Technical Resource Discussion => Topic started by: 2CoolWheels on April 19, 2015, 08:10:16 PM
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I think we all know how important it is to keep our oil cool in these bikes. A cooler was recommended by the factory, yet some of the coolers out there do little. I was never sure if I was harming my engine by running it down the highway in the desert on a very hot day (110 degrees plus!).
So, last summer I installed an oil temperature gauge. I mounted it to the left handle bar using a nice chrome bullet housing. I then purchased an aftermarket oil drain plug and drilled it out to accommodate the sending unit for the gauge. This way I didn't have to drill a hole into my engine case, and I can always removed the gauge if I no longer want it, and reinstall the stock drain plug.
When I drilled and tapped the drain plug, I made sure to recess the hole as much as possible so the sending unit wouldn't stick out too far. It still sticks out, but probably only a half inch farther than the kick stand bracket if that much. And since I don't go off-roading on my bike (at least not very often), I'm not too worried about it sticking out a little.
The problem I did encounter was that I had too many accessories on the fuse. My driving lamps, the fans for my oil cooler, and the new gauge were too much load for the circuit, so it kept blowing fuses. I finally ran an auxiliary hot from a relay with it's own fuse to handle the higher current. You may not have to take this approach, depending on where you connect the positive ignition power to your gauge.
I was very pleased to see that when riding on the hottest day of the year in Needles, CA on a 115 degree day, my oil never got hotter than 210 degrees. Heck, some car engines don't even go into closed loop until they reach 210!
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Here's a couple of pictures showing the clearance underneath.....not too bad.
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Nice work Mike!!
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Has anyone installed a thermostat switch like a Derale Performance In-Line Fan Control Thermostat instead of or in additon to an on/off switch? I would like to know what temperature it would need to activate and turn off the fan.
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Yes the "not for profit" oil cooler had a thermostatic switch built in it.... and it seemed to work well. I do not know the brand of that switch.
I myself... just let my fan run all the time......but have been known to shut it off on cold rides.
Bruce
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Anybody tried one of these oil temp dipsticks. Seems much easier than this set up. They are only about $6 on eBay. Don't know if they fit our oil tanks, but at that price, I think I'll give it a shot and let you all know if it works.
Jeff
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:o I don't think that will work, Jeff. Our dipsticks are much longer, and must be flexible to get into the oil reserve area of the trans. You are, of course, welcome to try.....