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Oil Cooler OR Mighty Mite Fans
I have a 2021 Tri-Glide and I'm considering adding an oil cooler and moving the oil filter to a better cooling location (DK Customs has a kit that includes both) OR adding a set of Might Mite cooling fans.
Each run right around the $500 mark so I'm not going to be able to do both at the same time.
Question:
Since I can only do one which would be the BEST modification for cooling purposes to start with?
The Oil Cooler Kit OR the Mighty Mite Fans?
Thanking everyone in advance!!
Mighty Mite’s………👍..Originally Posted by Strohkr
Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar.....
2019 Tri-Glide.......
I have the DK oil filter relocation kit along with the larger love jugs on my 2017, I wish I would have went with the smaller mighty Mites because with the love Jugs you can't run the DK oil cooler. The reason is because the oil cooler hits the larger Love Jugs.
Mighty Mites first
Nuff Said," Were Burnin Daylight, Lets Ride"(Sober 37 years)
Current ride : 2021 FREEWHEELER M8, oldest ride 1960 FL
Definitely oil filter relocate and mighty mites first.
2018… I went with the Mighty Mites wired direct to the battery. Turn on the switch every time I fire up the bike.
I’m not an expert, but I have installed mighty mites on my 21 TG, and I plan to install a DK oil filter relocation kit. I already have installed the DK 1.5” tank lift, and foot board extensions; those two mods made a noticeable reduction in felt heat. I’m hoping that the mighty mites do a little to reduce the heat up around the heads.
The mighty mites do more than a little. I have come back from rides where the factory radiator fans don't come on when I shut the motor off, but they used to under the same conditions before the mighty mites.
If you get mighty mites , be sure to try Kevin from DKs trick of removing the left side rider heat shield under the seat. That also helps.
OK so its "Let Me Piss People Off Friday" boys and girls. I have the original Love Jugs on my '14 Dyna wired with a toggle switch plus a Jagg fan cooled oil cooler. That combination does wonders to cool down the Twin Cam motor. Me not so much. The LJ's blow hot air onto my right leg when stopped at a light. I do not have LJ's on my '18 FLRT oilhead, with factory fan cooled oil cooler, nor do I need them. I do have DK's oil filter relocation kit that shed a lot of heat- go ahead and touch that oil filter with a gloved hand-you'll see.M8 Bottom line? Oil cooler plus oil filter relocation= Good Money. LJ fans= Bad Money. Your property your choice.
As always YMMV.
With a 2021 TriGlide a fan oil cooler is not an option. I wish it was. I have a remote finned filter and oil cooler behind the lower fairing. I found a set of mighty mites on Ebay. All combined do a good job. I ran the mighty mites first. They helped but adding a tuner did more.
It really gets down to a combination of solutions. I’m not sure I could choose one solution as most effective though. Bottom line is we all knew these tractors run hot when we bought them and would require some Harley tax going forward.
I have both.
If you are only gonna put one of them on (for now...), which one depends on what kind of riding you do....
If you are mostly riding "at speed", back highways, interstates, put on the oil cooler. At speed, the air flowing through the cooler will cool the motor down from the inside.
If you ride in more urban areas, ride the trike to work, catch a lot of stop and go, put on the fans. When you are going slower, or stopped, the oil cooler won't help much, and those fans will keep the air going across your cylinders.....
My opinion anyways....
Chuck
Folks - I wonder why so many of you are having heat issues with your bikes. Perhaps you did a lot to the motor.
I have a 2021 Ultra - converted it using the CSC trike kit. Trike includes running boards - and I started to worry if it would get hot. I added the Harley cooling fan - which has an automatic position - or, you can keep it on all the time. I leave mine in automatic.
When riding, I rarely see it come on. When stopped at a light in the heat, it turns on. When I pull into my garage on a very hot day, it clicks on. So far, all has worked well and I have not felt a lot of heat.
I have to agree here, my 21 FLRT is not as hot feeling as my 15 or 17
I had Mighty Mites on the 15 and 17, nothing on my 21 except DK Customs defector wings
Nuff Said," Were Burnin Daylight, Lets Ride"(Sober 37 years)
Current ride : 2021 FREEWHEELER M8, oldest ride 1960 FL
Jack- the issue I was addressing was not heat to the rider. It was engine heat causing damage. When I added a tuner and was able to see engine temps north of 300 degrees it was obvious this would cause long term damage. I could have just accepted that as ‘normal’ and counted on my ESP to pay for the damage but chose the path of preventing damage and optimizing performance. We both know what excessive heat does to performance.
The cool flow fan does a good job of moving the heat away from the rider but nothing towards cooling the engine. By managing my engine heat I don’t feel heat or need a fan.
I think Kevin of DK has done a good job of documenting the effects of heat and researching ways to reduce it. Perhaps he will weigh in on this discussion.
Ultracool does make a thermostatically controlled oil cooler with electric fans, but it requires permanently altering the lower on the dual cooled bike. I've spoken to UltraCool tech about it, and they said this was the best and only solution they could come up with for dual cooled bikes. I'm not willing to go there so I've added a DK 1.5 lift, mighty mites, and DK floorboard extensions, so far. As soon as warranty is up, I will replace entire exhaust, do a cam chest kit, including high flow oil pump and tune with Power Vision. This will surely tame the heat beast.
The mods I have done help but it still gets hot! Especially here in SE Louisiana.
Oil Cooler
I ride a 2007 Ultra Classic with Roadsmith conversion based in South Florida
I installed the UltraCool system, with the finned reusable oil filter. Before the oil cooler, I would frequently see oil temps well above 270 in the summer. At stop lights, it was down right scary! Once I installed the Ultra Cool system, I never see above 230, which is normal operating temp. The cooler has twin fans that activate at 190 degrees which is more than adequate at stop lights in the summer.
I now ride with confidence.
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