Oil Cooler adapter installation

[Fairlyodd45]

I have a wafer adapter like this one on my '79 and it leaks like a faucet when the thermostat opens. The only option to attach lines to this unit is via worm drive clamps and they just don't hold up to the pressures involved. I want to be able to use compression style braided lines with this unit. Is it possible to replace the fittings on this unit ?

[DiverRay]

Those look like 1/4" NPT fittings, so you should be able to replace them with fittings that will work with the hose you want to use. Part of your problem MAY be wrong type hose or over tightening the clamps. With the barbs, you are NOT trying to keep the line from slipping off with the clamps, just securing so you have two points of contact at the barbs to keep the hose on. The bikes are running about 50 to 60psi if I remember from a lot of years ago.Transmission oil cooler line works well for these bikes.

[DEEBS11]

On this type of unit, there are two large O-rings. One in between the adapter and the bike. And one in between the filter cover and the adapter. The oil filter bolt is longer than stock (because of an adapter). If these things are correctly mounted and it's only an output issue, you are correct to look at your barb/hose connections. The hose inner diameter might be too large for the barb. The housing output from the thermostat could also be cracked slightly and heat makes it worse.

[Fairlyodd45]

Those look like 1/4" NPT fittings, so you should be able to replace them with fittings that will work with the hose you want to use. Part of your problem MAY be wrong type hose or over tightening the clamps. With the barbs, you are NOT trying to keep the line from slipping off with the clamps, just securing so you have two points of contact at the barbs to keep the hose on. The bikes are running about 50 to 60psi if I remember from a lot of years ago.Transmission oil cooler line works well for these bikes.

I guess I should have clarified. The adapter that is mounted to my bike does not have barbed fittings or if it did when it was installed it on longer has them. The previous owner swapped them out for these Harley Davidson style stubby fittings which are so short it's very difficult to get enough hose on the shaft to properly clamp it down. I don't use the standard worm drive hose clamps because they dig into the hose when tightened. I use high pressure fuel injector clamps that don't deform the hose when tightened. However these fittings leak terribly when the thermostat opens to allow oil to circulate through the cooler under pressure. This is a two piece unit with a separate thermostatic bypass valve and radiator like the ones used on the '79 Sportsters and FX models (See photo) the brand name escapes me at the moment but it is a very cumbersome system with multiple connection points which in turn welcomes multiple failure points. None of the hose fittings are barbed which makes it extremely challenging to fit the hose on tight enough without deforming. My question is would I be able to remove the wafer adapter completely without having to modify the oil filter housing ? These bikes are notoriously cold blooded anyway and mine rarely gets above 80 Celsius unless I'm stuck in traffic on a hot day, so I'd rather just remove the problem all together if it doesn't involve any major modifications. Thanks

[DEEBS11]

The brand name is Lockhart. I pulled the oil cooler off of mine as well. It's not needed unless you live in Arizona. You just need a new O-ring and remove the adapter bolt.

[DEEBS11]

The O-ring. Don't forget the thrust washer #5. It's almost always missing from the previous owner.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/156789108085?_skw=93211-19413&epid=1923078269&itmmeta=01JSKP27GGEZQ03M0VNWCN9PKR&hash=item24815bed75:g:gk8AAOSwcoVn0csl&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA0FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1deovRe9lNUjl0t%2Flwcr2k%2BuHn7O%2BN3r7SxxFPsWdIx9kSIJO2OyNCG6tk1KUbwui3v52oFP1IW0I8QLzfGMf3WyBhFZK1oQTFkBszWSCmGEoqe4JPwjimCE9jKAM9mMEi%2Fuu%2FhD%2F1RzHc3fqk11N%2FMrWylWvIlb7edtnS1LZLsOx5w%2Bn7jyjXwzfCCFXsJoqtf5dxdrxC0Ni8m%2FCs9DMdYPnyzs97QEfnXA0tITFj5%2BZQcjGk5B59%2BrewIo5YeKjQ%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8D4iPbMZQ

[DEEBS11]

2 sets of oil cooler adapters.

[DEEBS11]

I use one of these to monitor the oil temp. Even in the summer lugging a sidecar around it never gets over 225° which is good. 250° is hot enough to start breaking down the oil. Even if that's the case you change the oil more often. No big deal. If you see 300° on a bike you need an oil cooler (like a old GSXR they run hot in the summer). When I see oil coolers on Shovelhead and Evo Harleys in New England it always makes me chuckle. They run pretty cool unless they are not jetted properly (many are not, you hear it every day).

[DiverRay]

I had a VDO temp gauge on my first XS1100. Fulll dress, stock, oil cooler after seeing 275F to 325F running up and down I5 through the central Valley of California. Yes, they can get hot, but it's usually in heavy traffic that they need the cooler.

[Larrym]

I pulled the oil cooler off of mine as well. It's not needed unless you live in Arizona. You just need a new O-ring and remove the adapter bolt.

I, who DO live in AZ, thought about installing some type of oil cooler. (ー_ーゞ

Aside from adding multiple connections/devices I consider as potential Failure Points? (O_o)

I'd be tempted to drive my Special in the daytime temps ( from March thru October-90 degrees by 10 am and STAYS above that till 10 pm...) as well as in the stop-n-go traffic full of road ragers while treating my Special like it wuz a daily driver.... ( ´･_･`)

I noped outta that Idea pretty quickly.... (゜Д゜*)

MUCH happier to ride in the daytime only during the winter months and switch to nighttime about this time of year... (´_ゝ`)

I mean, no better reason to hop on my XS and cruise round than to be out-n-about at the same time as these guys-

[Fairlyodd45]

The brand name is Lockhart. I pulled the oil cooler off of mine as well. It's not needed unless you live in Arizona. You just need a new O-ring and remove the adapter bolt.

Yep that's the one. Okay cool it's gone as of tomorrow. I always keep an extra filter and O ring handy, so this should be an easy fix. Thanks so much !

[Fairlyodd45]

I use one of these to monitor the oil temp. Even in the summer lugging a sidecar around it never gets over 225° which is good. 250° is hot enough to start breaking down the oil. Even if that's the case you change the oil more often. No big deal. If you see 300° on a bike you need an oil cooler (like a old GSXR they run hot in the summer). When I see oil coolers on Shovelhead and Evo Harleys in New England it always makes me chuckle. They run pretty cool unless they are not jetted properly (many are not, you hear it every day).

Already have one I ordered out of the UK. Thanks

[bikerphil]

+1 on eliminating the oil cooler. I run 2 XS 's down here in the S Florida heat with conventional 20W/50, over 100K miles each with no issues. Just make sure the oil gets changed every 3K, these bikes run forever