Oil line Sizes

As some here already know, I am having some problem with my oil pressure light after a bigger oil cooler install. After going from a 12 row oil cooler to a 13 row oil cooler it makes my oil light come on anything below 3 grand. it never used to before. i am running -8an size braided hose. Today i removed the cooler and put a stock oil bypass back on and started it up and let it run for 2 to 3 min. The oil light went right out like it should. I am worried about the top end not getting enough oil. I need to buy a oil pressure gauge, but havent yet. The question i have is. Do you think with me going with the one row bigger cooler and running the little larger than necassary line ( which i didnt change besides making it a little shorter) would cause me to run into issues? Should i buy new 1/4 size line and redo them? I just hate to spend the money to redo them, and the braided lines look really nice there also. Also i should mention that the old cooler was upside down so it always stood full of oil. The new cooler i installed it with the fittings exiting the bottom. I did try flipping the cooler over with no luck.

Only thing I can add is that my bike has a Lockhart cooler and I just replaced my old lines with some fresh rubber cooler line from Oreilly and mine is 3/8" with fittings on bottom of cooler. No issues on mine and good luck with your's.

thanks sbc1320, I need to purchase a oil pressure gauge. Maybe ill see about getting one ordered tonight. But iam not really sure why iam having this problem. I have changed the oil and filter, pump, checked all oil galleys and changed the switch with no luck. its got to have something to do with the cooler. I have blew thru the cooler so i know its not plugged. But anyway the switch is before the cooler so thats what gets me. but like stated already with the stock bypass on the light goes right out.

this is an issue on my bike ever since the cooler was installed..

just has to be that the pressure switch is no longer a pressure switch.

when the end plug was removed and a hose hooked up to divert the oil flow, there is enough drop in pressure to the switch to render it inoperable.

there also could be some turbulence caused with or by the 90 deg bend at the switch that could slightly pull down the ground shaft of the switch.

Thanks for the info 4thekz1000. i will be getting a oil pressure gauge to verify i still have oil flow. I just worry about it and dont understand why it started right after the cooler switch. 4thekz1000 what size oil lines are you running? Are your fittings at the bottom or top on your cooler

Powerstroke_fan wrote: Thanks for the info 4thekz1000. i will be getting a oil pressure gauge to verify i still have oil flow. I just worry about it and dont understand why it started right after the cooler switch. 4thekz1000 what size oil lines are you running? Are your fittings at the bottom or top on your cooler

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Im running 3/8" line

Fittings are on bottom, when bike is shut off, the lines begin to drain back.....it creates a suction or siphon and it pulls 95% of the oil out of the system back to crankcase. Really don't wish to have oil pool in cooler.

I was really thinking just the opposite. i was thinking i would want the oil to stay in the cooler. I was thinking it would give a more accurate oil level when checking the oil. Also i would think it would be easier on the pump to not have to fill the tanks and push it thru the cooler. Instead it would just push it thru. That was just my thoughts.

Powerstroke_fan wrote: I was really thinking just the opposite. i was thinking i would want the oil to stay in the cooler. I was thinking it would give a more accurate oil level when checking the oil. Also i would think it would be easier on the pump to not have to fill the tanks and push it thru the cooler. Instead it would just push it thru. That was just my thoughts.

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ya, thought about it both ways. I change oil 3 to 4 times a year and didn't want to have to breakdown cooler each time to empty oil.

I fill bike to full line and add another 1/2 qt for cooler and lines. Not hard to fill.

If you increased the size of the lines and cooler, did you also add additional oil? Not saying that is it, but thinking things through..... More cooler and lines means more volume. I wonder at lower engine speeds if your oil volume isn't making its voyage fast enough to keep the switch open.

Cory

I didnt change the lines. I actually cut them down to make them shorter. i just installed a 13 row cooler compared to the old 12 row. but yes i add extra oil to compensate for the cooler.

NakedFun wrote: If you increased the size of the lines and cooler, did you also add additional oil? Not saying that is it, but thinking things through..... More cooler and lines means more volume. I wonder at lower engine speeds if your oil volume isn't making its voyage fast enough to keep the switch open.

Cory

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Is this question for me?

before I finished my build, I installed the hoses to cooler and took a fresh qt of oil and filled lines and cooler to see what the volume was. I came up with 1/2 a qt to completely fill oil cooler and lines.

4TheKZ1000 wrote:

NakedFun wrote: If you increased the size of the lines and cooler, did you also add additional oil? Not saying that is it, but thinking things through..... More cooler and lines means more volume. I wonder at lower engine speeds if your oil volume isn't making its voyage fast enough to keep the switch open.

Cory

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Is this question for me?

before I finished my build, I installed the hoses to cooler and took a fresh qt of oil and filled lines and cooler to see what the volume was. I came up with 1/2 a qt to completely fill oil cooler and lines.

Thats actually what i did also. But i also wondered about the lines being to large. But it seems that 3/8 is a commen size. Iam actually running -8an but by the charts i found online its ruffly 3/8