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Engine Oil Temp ?

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Anyone have an idea of what is a concerning oil temp with my 08 nightrain. I know that it is not really burning hot here in south Mississippi now, but I've been noticing my oil temp more lately and it is showing 200 degrees after 15 and 20 miles, semi-hwy and semi-city, combined on each run. not sure about the temp back in july, but the weather temp was hotter, so 200 degrees doesn't seem to cause me a concern now that I've been noticing it and I'm running the Harley 360 20/50 oil. and I know this is not on temp, but my oil pressure "hot" seems to low idle about 17-18 psi and 35 psi normal running. "cold idle" is about 40 psi according to the gauge. I had my 96" EFI idled down as low as the Harley Tech could set. I have a Screamin Eagle Race Tuner and he said it would not set lower than 952 rpms. so thats my idle speed now.
 
200 degrees is nothing to worry about. I would bring up my idle RPM to spec. Did you lower it to reduce heat.?
 
200 degrees is fine. My '07 Electra Glide was running 215 - 225 degrees on a 150 mile ride Saturday. The temp. needs to get above 200 to evaporate the small amount of water that is always present. Your oil pressure is also ok. I'd rather have my idle at factory recommended rpm for slightly higher oil pressure, and more output from the charging system.
 
200 degrees is fine. My '07 Electra Glide was running 215 - 225 degrees on a 150 mile ride Saturday. The temp. needs to get above 200 to evaporate the small amount of water that is always present. Your oil pressure is also ok. I'd rather have my idle at factory recommended rpm for slightly higher oil pressure, and more output from the charging system.

Roger that one:s
 
I was really surprised the lower limit was 952 RPM. I have to see if the same is true on my bike. That seems to be an oddball ECM target number for sure.
 
It was the first Harley I ever had that idled that high, The Harley Mech. said it was idling about 1050 rpms and that the 952 was as low as it would set, The Why? maybe it was trying to get some of the Rice Rocket sound at the traffic light, seems that even at 952 is still high, but you are right, new technoligy, old school thinking, I knew it could not and should not be idled real low and I also knew the 96B" would never have the "Potato" sound, but the 1050 sounded tooooo smooth. so I can bring it back up to the 1050 it was at when the S/E Race Tuner was first installed. BUT, one thing it doesn't do now since the tuner was re-run and idled that 100 rpms lower is it doesn't POP, sometimes when you go to bust her off. before, sometimes it would pop and people would almost hit the ground. maybe not that bad, but it would POP when you hit the starter. it hasn't done that since it was put back on the puter. ya think the 952 rpms will hurt it? I will tend to it, I dang sure don't want to break the thing. and thanks.

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I was really surprised the lower limit was 952 RPM. I have to see if the same is true on my bike. That seems to be an oddball ECM target number for sure.

Hoople, I thought the rpm number was odd, but thats what the mech. said it was showing on the screen. Wonder if I get him to bring it up to say 1000, ya think thats still low? lol, I was even thinking about taking all the EFI off and CARB the thing, lol, I know that would work about as good as a screen door on a submarine, but my old school brain and this new tech. stuff is taking some getting use to. Actually, the SE Race Tuner re-run made the thing crank and seems to run better, the popping (out of the exhaust) that it would do at times, stopped. it hasn't sounded like a gun shot since. maybe something else got corrected in the process. I just don't know that much about this EFI T/C stuff. I guess I need an older carbed bike to piddle with. and just only ride this new thing. anyway, thanks for the imput.
 
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If I was going to make that change (drop RPM) to my bike, I would make sure it was ok to do so by taking some measurements. The two key questions are charging current output and oil pressure at your new reduced RPM. Lets face it, if the oil pressure and charging current output remained the same as they were at 1050 RPM, there would be no harm done. That is a simple fact. You would even benefit from some reduced engine heat with a lower RPM. BUT the big question is... How much did your oil pressure drop and how much did my charging current drop when I reduced my RPM by 10% because we know they both will drop.

If you can not make those measurements and determine what the answer to those questions are, then I would set my RPM back to the way it was @ 1050.
 
Hoople, very good points, the charging and oil pressure, I called and talked to the Harley shop after reading more, their comment on the charging part, was that the Night train doesn't have a bunch of light and electrical pull, radio, intercom, lights , stuff the bigger tourer road bikes have, I only have a brake, headlight and turn signals, they said I have no big power pulls or surges, and the oil pressure , not a lot of access idling to start with and 15-18 psi would feed the engine at 952 rpms, then the service guy said he now remembers me bringing my bike in, I don't have fairings, big fender, tire and stuff that would deflect or curve air flow to my engine and that actually, barring a lot of traffic or idling, cooling shouldn't be a problem, so Hoople, your view and comments are well taken as the other guys too, I may bump the idle to 1000 rpms next time I'm at the shop, but the 952 rpms will hlod until then, and once again, thanks for the conversation.
 
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