Monday, December 9, 2013
How to Add an Oil Cooler to a 1980 Sportster
Ironhead Sportsters, like your 1980 1000cc model, are notorious for overheating. Oil coolers work by providing additional oil in your system and an additional surface from which heat can radiate. Almost any oil cooler will work on an Ironhead engine as long as you understand the oil line routing on the motorcycle. In a 1980 Sportster with an after-market inline, as well as a drop-in, oil filter, the oil pump is fed by gravity from the oil tank. Oil pressure from the pump pushes the oil to the oil filter in-port. The oil then flows under pressure from the filter out-port to the oil cooler in-port, and from the cooler out-port to the oil tank return.
Instructions
- 1
Drain the oil from the oil tank through the drain hose into a pan. Use a screwdriver to loosen the hose clamp. Remove the drain plug with a pair of pliers if the oil is hot. Remove and clean the drop-in oil filter.
2Reseal and replace the drain hose. Spin off the in-line oil filter, if your Sportster has one, with an oil filter wrench. Drain the filter into the pan. Clean up any spilled oil with shop rags.
3Disconnect the filter out-line from the filter out-port by loosening the hose clamp with a screwdriver.
4Replace the filter out-line with the cooler in-line. Tighten the cooler in-line to the filter out-port with a hose clamp and screwdriver.
5Bolt the oil cooler mounting clamps to the left down tube or both frame down tubes as specified in the instructions that came with your oil cooler. Use a box wrench or an open-end wrench to mount the clamps.
6Bolt the cooler to the mounting clamps with a box wrench or an open-end wrench. Ensure that the cooler is facing forward and tighten the mounting clamp fasteners, as specified in your oil cooler documentation.
7Attach the oil cooler in-line to the oil cooler in-port using high-temperature gasket sealer, a hose clamp and a screwdriver.
8Disconnect the oil tank return line from the return line port. Discard the return line.
9Attach the oil cooler out-line to the oil tank return port using high-temperature gasket sealer, a hose fitting and a screwdriver. Attach the oil cooler out-line to the oil cooler using high-temperature gasket sealer, a hose clamp and a screwdriver.
10Check all hoses for kinks and bindings. Hand-tighten a new in-line air filter to the in-line oil filter fitting. Add four quarts of oil to the oil tank. Replace the drop-in oil filter.
11Start your Sportster in neutral and allow it to run until warm. While the Sportster is running, check all hose fittings for leaks. Make sure the oil cooler becomes warm to the touch.
12Turn off the bike. Check the oil in the oil tank and add oil as needed.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
How to Install the Harley Oil Cooler
Oil coolers are a practical add-on for bikers who ride long distances, who ride in the desert Southwest in the summer or who have modified their engines to produce 130 percent or more power than a stock engine. For riders who frequently make short commutes in winter in cold climates, oil coolers may do more harm than good. Several aftermarket manufacturers, including Lockhart, Jagg and Ultracool, pioneered these accessories. Harley-Davidson markets its own line of oil coolers and this is how the motor company recommends that you install one of theirs.
Instructions
- 1
Drain your motor oil into a pan using the proper procedure for your Harley. Most Harleys use a drain plug. Softails drain through a hose.
2Remove the oil filter with an oil filter wrench and drain the residual oil into the pan. Clean all spilled oil off the front of the motorcycle with rags. Legally dispose of all waste.
3Remove the oil feed hose from the oil pump. Remove the feed hose fitting from the crankcase and discard the oil feed hose.
4Apply gasket and thread sealer to two oil line fittings included with your Harley oil cooler kit. Attach one fitting to the oil pump and the other to the crankcase. Torque to between 55 and 65 inch-pounds.
5Loosely install the oil cooler return hose assembly included with your kit to the crankcase fitting. Loosely install the oil cooler supply hose assembly in your kit to the oil pump fitting.
6Remove the two clips that secure your clutch cable and wire harness to the left frame down tube of your motorcycle. Replace them with the oil cooler clamps included in your kit.
7Loosely attach the oil cooler to the clamps using the Allen screws and hex nuts in your kit. Use a flathead screwdriver to attach the oil return hose to the inboard connection of the oil cooler with a hose clamp.
8Attach the oil feed hose to the outboard connection of the oil using a hose clamp and flathead screwdriver. Tighten the hose clamps.
9Adjust the oil cooler so it is facing forward and there is no tension on the hoses. Tighten the oil cooler clamp screws to 30 inch-pounds of torque.
10Insert the clutch cable and the wiring harness into the clips on the oil cooler clamps.
11Disconnect the oil cooler supply hose assembly from the oil pump fitting. Attach the oil cooler return hose assembly to crankcase and tighten to 18 to 20 foot-pounds of torque.
12Re-attach the oil cooler supply hose assembly to the oil pump fitting and tighten the nut to 18 to 20 foot-pounds of torque.
13Install the oil line clips to the metal tubing of the oil cooler feed and supply lines.
14Screw on a new oil filter. Add oil to the oil tank until the dipstick indicates that the tank is full.
15Put the motorcycle in neutral. Start the motorcycle and allow it to run until the engine becomes warm. Check all fittings for leaks. Ensure that the oil cooler becomes warm.
16Retighten all fasteners to torque after the engine has cooled. Remove and read the oil tank dipstick. Add oil as needed.