Dramatic Cooling with Baker +1.5 Touring Model Oil Pan Design
As with all of Bert Baker's product designs, the detail deep dive that is built into his 1.5 quart capacity oil pan for cooler 2009-2016 Touring models is an example of best practice at its most extreme.
The results are dynamic temperature readings that have shown this design to be good for an average 16-degree reduction in engine oil temperature and a 20-degree reduction in stop and go traffic in sub-90-degree ambient Michigan temperatures - compared to the engine oil temperature going up 315 degrees in stop and go traffic with the stock pan.
In an artful understatement Baker says that "it is very bad for engine oil to go above 300 degrees. Even higher reductions in engine oil temperature with the +1.5 oil pan can be achieved in warmer ambient climates in the south.
"Today's Big Twin engines make a lot more power and a lot more heat than its predecessor of 20 years ago. In 1993, the 80 ci Evo engine made 69 ft-lbs torque, according to online specs. In 2009, the 110 CVO engine made a claimed 115 ft-lbs torque. More torque equals more heat, but that’s just part of the story. The engine oil capacity of 4.0 quarts is unchanged from 1993 to present, even though modern engines make a lot more power and a lot more heat.
"To the engineers at BAKER Drivetrain, this didn’t make much sense. Engine oil does two things. It lubricates metal-on-metal interfaces and carries heat away from hot spots like cylinder heads and the underside of the pistons. So, our +1.5 quart oil pan was designed to lower engine oil temperature by using a larger volume of oil to carry heat away from the hot engine."
Each unit is pressure-tested before shipping and the two-piece 6061-T6 aluminum construction with metal core gasket features cooling fins on the bottom with highlighted finish. It features a co-planar baffle labyrinth design to channel oil through the pan and is clearanced in the rear for crossover exhaust pipe compatibility.
It uses 'Zero Leak' drain plugs for the engine and transmission oil and is described as an easy installation of about two hours with no modifications required. It works with aftermarket and OEM oil temperature sending units and is backed by a two-
year limited warranty.
It fits 2009-2016 Touring models (including Trike models), but is not compatible with S&S T series motors due to the width of the design and the external routing of the S&S oil lines. It comes in a wrinkle black finish - diamond cut pans available at additional cost.
BAKER DRIVETRAIN