damaged oil cooler

floyd l collins · Feb 12, 2011

:blush:I have a 2010 triglide that is showing damage to the oil cooler fins and core. It is pretty obvious that it is the result of rocks or other debris thrown back and up from the rotation of the front tire. Trike has never been on anything other than a hard road surface. (no gravel roads) but it appears that I have picked up something on occasion. Any suggestions out there for a type of screen material that might reduce, or eliminate this damage taking place without stopping cool air flow to the oil cooler. Big concern would be an eventual oil leak from cooler assembly while driving down the road.

blush:Not good)

Baz · Feb 12, 2011

Just cut out a suitable size screen from Aluminium mesh with a appropriate mesh size & attach it using lock wire. You may be able to buy over there an after market screen made for your specific model. Regardless they are essential in my opinion. Baz.

Gorilla · Feb 12, 2011

floyd l collins said:
:blush:I have a 2010 triglide that is showing damage to the oil cooler fins and core. It is pretty obvious that it is the result of rocks or other debris thrown back and up from the rotation of the front tire. Trike has never been on anything other than a hard road surface. (no gravel roads) but it appears that I have picked up something on occasion. Any suggestions out there for a type of screen material that might reduce, or eliminate this damage taking place without stopping cool air flow to the oil cooler. Big concern would be an eventual oil leak from cooler assembly while driving down the road. blush:Not good)

Any thought of adding a mud flap to the bottom of the fender to prevent the rocks from being kicked up into the cooler to start with?

Baz · Feb 12, 2011

Gorilla said:
Any thought of adding a mud flap to the bottom of the fender to prevent the rocks from being kicked up into the cooler to start with?

Sorry but that wont help you when the stone is fired at you from another vehicle.

Oldmsocko · Feb 13, 2011

Baz said:
Sorry but that wont help you when the stone is fired at you from another vehicle.

I agree but I would bet you that is a very rare case. Most of the debree comes from your front tire. I installed a mud flap on my TG and feel more comfortable about not getting oil cooler leaks.

msocko3 · Feb 13, 2011

floyd l collins said:
:blush:I have a 2010 triglide that is showing damage to the oil cooler fins and core. It is pretty obvious that it is the result of rocks or other debris thrown back and up from the rotation of the front tire. Trike has never been on anything other than a hard road surface. (no gravel roads) but it appears that I have picked up something on occasion. Any suggestions out there for a type of screen material that might reduce, or eliminate this damage taking place without stopping cool air flow to the oil cooler. Big concern would be an eventual oil leak from cooler assembly while driving down the road. blush:Not good)

You would be amazed at the crud thrown around on normal paved streets, last years trip to SD cost me a windshield from all the sand an junk tossed up from cars and trucks in front of me, put so many small chips and pock marks in it I couldn't stand to look through it. I had a oil cooler on a 2005 FLHTCI that developed a leak from a rock being tossed into it from the front tire. This is my oil cooler from having to ride on a dirt section where they removed the asphalt.

Since then my dad and I have added a mud flap from this guy HARLEY MUD FLAPS
and no more junk has seemed to hit the cooler.

rwhgme · Feb 13, 2011

What mudflap did you order?

Baz · Feb 13, 2011

Oldmsocko said:
I agree but I would bet you that is a very rare case. Most of the debree comes from your front tire. I installed a mud flap on my TG and feel more comfortable about not getting oil cooler leaks.

In my experience most frontal damage including radiators is due to stones / etc fired at you from other road users. Use your own 4 wheelers as an example. When did you last fire a rock through the windscreen or radiator of your own car ??

Gorilla · Feb 13, 2011

Baz said:
In my experience most frontal damage including radiators is due to stones / etc fired at you from other road users. Use your own 4 wheelers as an example. When did you last fire a rock through the windscreen or radiator of your own car ??

Baz you are correct about your own car and where the rocks come from, but do you realize the oil cooler in question sits about 8 inches behind the front tire of a Harley and in line with the bottom of the front fender? So any thing that comes off the front tire fires right at the cooler.

kkaykk · Feb 14, 2011

I like the mud flaps that Msocko showed.... if you are looking for a very cheap (inexpensive) alternative check out these from J C Whitney for $5.99. Not as pretty but pretty functional. Motorcycle Mud Flaps & Splash Guards - JCWhitney

1550vt · Feb 14, 2011

Yep.....yet another MOCO innovation. A combined oil cooler and debris deflector. The more ways you try to block the debris....the less cooling you get from the reduced air-flow. If I had a chin-mounted unit, I would replace it with one mounted elsewhere when/if it became damaged, or clogged to the point that replacement was required.

I am not a Harley-basher. I have been paying the Harley tax for over 25 years now, still have one and have been bitten by just about every bug they have thrown at us and a Harley is all I will ever own. I know they have been putting the oil coolers down there in the dirt for years and just inviting stuff like this to happen. If you put the mud-flap on there, you are defeating the purpose of the oil cooler by blocking the air path and IMO....adding dump-truck and 18-wheeler parts.

I had a voltage regulator wire get cut by a piece of debris in that same area. If something can cut a voltage regulator lead...it sure as heck can knock a hole in a flimsy oil cooler. I just don't like the idea of the thing being mounted down there in the first place.

msocko3 · Feb 15, 2011

1550vt said:
If you put the mud-flap on there, you are defeating the purpose of the oil cooler by blocking the air path and IMO....adding dump-truck and 18-wheeler parts.

So far I haven't noticed any ill effects from the mud flap, my oil temps have remained the same even with the ambient temp in the mid to upper 90's.

rwhgme · Feb 15, 2011

Hey msocko3 which mudflap did you order?

1550vt · Feb 16, 2011

Well.....darn it...I didn't know I was beating on the msocko boys.

That's what makes our Harleys "our" Harleys....we do what we like.

msocko3 · Feb 16, 2011

rwhgme said:
What mudflap did you order?

I got this one here Harley FL front mud flap skirt
It uses velcro to attach but I also used some small stainless screws to help hold it.

msocko3 · Feb 16, 2011

1550vt said:
Well.....darn it...I didn't know I was beating on the msocko boys.

That's what makes our Harleys "our" Harleys....we do what we like.

Alls good

Thats the best thing about owning a bike or a trike, you get to personalize it to your taste.

zoood · Feb 17, 2011

floyd l collins said:
:blush:I have a 2010 triglide that is showing damage to the oil cooler fins and core. It is pretty obvious that it is the result of rocks or other debris thrown back and up from the rotation of the front tire. Trike has never been on anything other than a hard road surface. (no gravel roads) but it appears that I have picked up something on occasion. Any suggestions out there for a type of screen material that might reduce, or eliminate this damage taking place without stopping cool air flow to the oil cooler. Big concern would be an eventual oil leak from cooler assembly while driving down the road. blush:Not good)

I took it upon myself to protect my ultra cool oil cooler and it's fan. Instead of the typical mud flap protection. I made myself a full chin spoiler.

If your not going to install protection as I did and your considering a screen. I recommend getting this instead.

That mesh for a storm door costs about 20 bucks. It's easy to form with your hands and will keep it's shape. Im using it as the grill for my spoiler. I was 20 minutes into a ride and a dam squirrel decided to cut in front of my path. He lost! The grill was hit and caused minimal damage. I removed it, straightened it out using my thigh and re-installed it. It looks like nothing ever hit it.

rwhgme · Feb 17, 2011

By the way, as a manager of a Home Depot, we have that, so get it there and help me pay for my trike!

Mouse · Mar 16, 2011

We purchased a Ultra Classic trike less than a month ago (2010). We took it for a ride and hit a stick in the road, it bounced up and punctured the oil cooler. Oil and smoke everywhere. We were stuck until the tow truck could come get us. The towing was going to be $300.00, plus we took it to Harley and they charged $600.00 to fix it. Luckily we had insurance and only had to put out the deductible. However, the Oil cooler is in a very bad place and Harley really should look at this. $250.00 deductible is still alot of money to put out for a motorcycle we had less than a month. We have ordered the front mud flap from JC Whitney, so we are hoping that helps.

Nana · Mar 16, 2011

Hi Mouse. Welcome to TrikeTalk

. Sorry to hear about the mishap! You are right --- a frustrating experience at the best of times, but with a brand new trike it had to be VERY frustrating!