98 fatboy engine noise.
Harley's do run hot, anywhere from 220 to 240 normally, and a little hotter this time of year. I suggest running a straight weight oil, and a little heavier weight in the summer. I use Valvoline VR-1 30 weight most of the year, and 50 or 60 weight in the hot summer, and I use Lucas 20w50 primary/trans for the primary and tranny. I don't bother with the extremely high prices of the HD oils. For the whining noise, you need to determine which side of the engine it's coming from. Whining will almost always be in the bottom end. There's nothing in the top end that should whine, and if there is whining from the top, it's usually an air leak around the carb. Start by checking the fluid levels in the tranny, and primary. These are the two most common areas to pick up a whining noise. If it's coming from the left, it's going to be in the primary, and usually this is caused by low fluid levels. From the right, it's going to be either the tranny, low fluid, or the oil pump. The oil pump is a gear type system. If you're running a light weight oil, say a 10w40 or HD 20w50, when the engine heats up and the oil thins, it can cause the oil pump gears to whine a bit, especially in the summer heat. So, check the fluid levels, if they check good, then change the oil, since the summer is coming to an end, go with a straight 30 weight. This should clear up the whining noise. If it doesn't, get back to me with the exact location the noise is coming from, and we'll go to the next level of diagnosing the whine, but I believe that this will cure it.
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