Engine heat tri glide

[snow]

I have a 2011 triglide ultra classic and this is the first harley i have owned.
My question is how can you tell when your engine is to hot and you need to shut it down to cool off. 105 here in Texas and at traffic lights some time they are very long and iam concerned about over heating the engine. any comments will help with my concern of frying the engine.

 

[Trent]

There are more threads here about this subject than I have hairs on my head! Go to the search link above and type in TriGlide heat issues and be prepared to be overwhelmed.

 

[TheBobs]

Welcome to the forum. My 2012 TG and I recently got stuck in a Denver rush hour traffic jam on my way back to California. It was 100 degrees that day. Spent about 45 minutes going 5-10 mph or so. I have a fairing mounted oil temperature gauge. Temps on the I-70 outside of town going 75 mph were about 280 deg. Within 15 minutes of traffic, oil temp reached around 300 deg. I was in the fast lane and couldn't get over. Never idled, so no ETIMS. By the time we got west side of the I-35 and moving again, oil temp was about 320 deg. It never went down even at 55 mph due to climbing in elevation up the mountain. I couldn't really get over until I got to about 7,000 ft. Oil temp was about 350 degrees or so and I finally got to a place where I could pull over. Chief Hosa offramp. Sat there for about 30 minutes. Oil temps back down to about 200 deg. For the rest of the climb to Loveland Pass, oil temps were about 270-300 degrees with air temps around 75 degrees above 8,000 feet. To put things in perspective, oil temps were 270-300 degrees for the rest of the trip. Sorry for long story, but you asked how hot the engine is when you have to shut it down and how can you tell. My answer is anicdotal, I ran it well above 300 degrees for a long time, pretty much because I had no choice. It started running poorly just before I pulled over and I had to get very aggressive to get in a position to pull off. I've since put another 1,500 miles on it and it's still running ok. I am running SYN-3 and a 50-state legal stage I tune. Even running it in some extreme conditions it held up pretty darn good. Make sure you run a good synthetic oil and the newest stock or stage I tune HD has for the 2011. You should be ok if my experience is any indication of what these new TGs can handle. There's a bunch of "cooling tactics" you can do, but that's another thread and there's a good sticky thread in this section by Wizard that is mandatory reading. Good luck, ride safe!

 

[snow]

thanks for all your info will help alot

 

[Bikerbozo]

Keep in mind, if sitting in traffic, the HD engines are designed to stop firing on the rear cylinder to cut down on heat. I learned this on the Cross Bronx Expressway years ago. Yes, as bad as the name implies. Didn't know why idle speed dropped so low until HD mechanic told me about it. Synthetic oil is a must also.

 

[Lakeman]

I was told by an H-D mechanic who left the H-D dealer to go it on his own not to shut it down when it is hot but to get some air moving, if you can't I guess you would have to shut down. I have the H-D parade fan and an UltraCool 18 row oil cooler with 2 high capacity fans. In HOT weather and in traffic it will run 230* to 250* max.

 

[snow]

I was thinking of getting the fan but $400.00 is a lot

 

[TheBobs]

I've recently installed Wards Parts Werks FCS fans. They work really good and look even better.

 

[Minnesota Dick]

This what I have done to combat the heat problem on 2012 Triglide.

1- took off the lowers
2- installed floor board extenders
3- installed 3 1/2 inch jackpot mufflers
4- installed fuel moto air cleaner
5- intalled a tune from fuel moto with the power vision tuner
6- opened up the bat wings to let the air flow thru

I have the Jackpot HTC Ceramic headpipes on order.

The trike run real good and most of the heat seems to be reduced alot. The mufflers have a great sound not to load and nice and deep rumble to them. I a happy camper so far.

 

[GARYD]

Crotch coolers work fantastic - that's the first thing I would do - then work from there.

Back a few years ago I was coming back from Canada (03 Ultra) and had bumber to bumper traffic up to the gestopo gates. I'm sitting there not moving more then 6 or 8 feet at a time - veeery slow. Anyway the bike starts moving - I have the clutch pulled all the way in - I can't stop it. So I pull over to the side and shut it off(could not get it into neutral if my life depended on it). Checked the LED dipstick - temps was 300*. I sat on the shoulder for 1/2 hour then got back in line and eventually passed the gates.
Immediately change all the fluids when I got home.
So I'm assuming the bike will move on it's own if the engine/fluids gets too hot.:Shrug: I don't have any other explanation.

 

[scooty]

I have a crotch cooler for sale if anybody is interested, it really helps but I amchanging my complete exhaust system
and hopefull won't need it $70 shipped I used it for 1 week.

 

[screwball]

New car coolant temperatures are usually 240* Synthetic oil temperature breakdown is over 400* You can't guess how hot your bike is. If it really bothers you, get an oil temp gage installed. Now you will spend 90% of your time looking at the gage instead of the beautiful scenery. Try and stay out of stop and go traffic and you won't have a problem. I live in Southern California, it is 109* today. Wife and I rode about 100 miles for lunch (and back) It's a Harley, they run hot. Put a fan on your oil cooler, where do you think that air blows....

 

[eagle1]

TO GARYD: you need to adjust your clutch. the engine should dis-engage when you pull -in the clutch. do you have 1/16" play in the clutchwhen you releas it?
to The bobs, have you tryed to put your trike in the parade mode? that should help. lb

 

[GARYD]

eagle1, my clutch is adjusted to factory specs. I only had this problem once more a few years later - again only after the temps reached 300*. It wasn't as bad as the first time, but it still started to creep with the clutch pulled in. No other times.
I understand the engine is suppose to dis-engage when the clutch is pulled in, but it diden't.
I have spoken to a couple of other riders that had the same thing happen to them, so I'm not the only one.

I just have to keep from getting into that position from now on.

 

[oldtimer]

Snow, as you'll read further on opinions differ on this but first thing I'd do is install a fairing mounted oil temp gauge in place of the silly air temp gauge. As Screwball noted it's easy to let yourself become obsessed with it and miss the ride so I try not to do that, but I'm into knowing what's going on with my engine-especially with heat. By simple interpolating I figure that cylinder head temp must run about 25* hotter than oil temp. EITMS is designed to kick in at 284* CHT I believe, and when it kicks in on mine at a light I'm usually showing about 260 on oil temp. Screwball is dead right on the best policy being just to stay out of traffic but sometimes for me it's unavoidable. After my mods so far I almost never see more than 230-240 oil temp now under any conditions until I get caught in traffic. Then all bets are off. Kind of a funny thing and I'll bet Screwball will know exactly what I'm talking about here, but my oil temp is a little like my blood sugar. Once it gets up high it tends to stay that way even after you reverse the variables that got it high to start with. So yes, absolutely try to stay out of traffic.

Keep in mind, if sitting in traffic, the HD engines are designed to stop firing on the rear cylinder to cut down on heat. I learned this on the Cross Bronx Expressway years ago. Yes, as bad as the name implies. Didn't know why idle speed dropped so low until HD mechanic told me about it. Synthetic oil is a must also.

+1 on the synthetic oil and do make sure your EITMS is enabled. I was so proud of mine because it was never coming on, so I figured the stock trike wasn't running too hot. Then I find out that for some reason it comes disabled from the factory, and my dealer never turned it on either. Make sure it is enabled. Procedure is in the OM and is very simple, if not a little counterintuitive.

I was told by an H-D mechanic who left the H-D dealer to go it on his own not to shut it down when it is hot but to get some air moving, if you can't I guess you would have to shut down. I have the H-D parade fan and an UltraCool 18 row oil cooler with 2 high capacity fans. In HOT weather and in traffic it will run 230* to 250* max.

Lakeman, how do you like that Ultracool cooler? I have only heard from people that have the Jagg. Did you do a before-after test to see how much heat it cuts out?

This what I have done to combat the heat problem on 2012 Triglide.

1- took off the lowers
2- installed floor board extenders
3- installed 3 1/2 inch jackpot mufflers
4- installed fuel moto air cleaner
5- intalled a tune from fuel moto with the power vision tuner
6- opened up the bat wings to let the air flow thru

I have the Jackpot HTC Ceramic headpipes on order.

The trike run real good and most of the heat seems to be reduced alot. The mufflers have a great sound not to load and nice and deep rumble to them. I a happy camper so far.

I've done almost exactly the same things with mine and it helped tremendously on mine too. Next up is a good fan-assisted oil cooler, then I will feel like I've done about all I can do. After that, what it is will just have to be what it is...

Good Luck, snow!

I promise the end result is worth the effort.

 

[Bikerbozo]

Almost forgot a clutch issue I ran across years ago. Metal expands when it is hot. My clutch cable was lengthening just enough that I could feel the extra play in it. Made stopping a lot harder since it wouldn't release clutch completely. And living near NYC, if I think of avoiding traffic...fugedaboudit!

 

[iaff84]

I have never been a "parade fan" fan. (a mouth full) But I started hearing about this small dual fan setup designed and built by a guy named Jason Ward. He designed and built it, then perfected it on and for his own Harley. After getting it right, offered to make for others, building them himself and the quality shows in finished product. Got mine a week ago. I had stopped using the trike for my short in-town trips just because of high temps after having to wait on traffic lights and trains. Now after riding till it warms up some, turn on fans and so far, great. I have even let bike idle waiting on trains and it will not raise head temp. Over the next few weeks I should be able to get it out on highways combined with stop and go traffic for an all day test.
You hardly notice them installed and with motor running, you do not hear them.
No interest in this company, just nice to report something good that was developed and made by a fellow rider that has so far done what it states it will do and makes them himself. (the American way)
Dennis Swan
TESTIMONIALS - WARDS PARTS WERKS
Link to show you the fans in action with a bike at idle.

 

[TheBobs]

+1 Dennis. I can vouch for their quality and cooling effectiveness. THEY WORKThumbUp

 

[GARYD]

Interesting set up, but doesn't that rear fan throw engine heat right onto your left leg?

 

[iaff84]

Interesting set up, but doesn't that rear fan throw engine heat right onto your left leg?

It blows across to the right side. To date, I feel little of it and it may be being caught by the crotch cooler I have installed.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Around town so far, a lot better. I hope in the next few days to get time to test all day and at different speeds. Rain here now, want a good hot day.<o></o>
What I can say, I let bike idle today till it had "head temp" reading of 260, turned on fans, went down to 225 and stayed in that area. the bike idled for 30 minutes, I never would be able to do that regardless of other things added and I still had some oil pressure which before at idle and hot would all but disappear.<o></o>
As a note, as I run the power vision tuner, I re-flashed bike with stock tune from Harley (bought July 2010) and never had any other tunes downloaded from them. So bike is stock except I have removed CAT from stock pipe and wrapped and have an aftermarket A/C on it, stock mufflers. Just wanted to see how it would handle a basic stock T Glide.<o></o>
Dennis