Harley-Davidson Oil Capacities

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Is there a chart or web page that gives the oil capacities for Harley Davidson Motorcycles? I've searched for a while with no luck. Specifically, I'm trying to find how many quarts of oil are needed for a 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHTK Electra Glide Ultra Limited. If I could tell how much for the engine, transmission and the primary chaincase separately, that would be best, but even just the total amount would be very helpful. Thanks!
smile.gif
 
I found the following page: https://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/Owners/om/2012/en/touring/file-8.comp

It says to start with 3 quarts in the engine (then bring up to appropriate mark on dipstick).

Transmission takes .28oz (0.875 qt).

Chaincase takes .38oz (1.1875 qt).

So altogether it would be 5.0625 before bringing up the engine to proper level. So am I correct in thinking 6 quarts of oil would work for all three holes with a little to spare?
 
Originally Posted By: loneryder
4 qts in engine
1 qt in trans
a little over 1 qt in the primary. about 1.3.


You beat me to it.
laugh.gif


So loneryder, would I be best off buying 7 quarts for a full fluid change?
 
Hello. It depends on the oil that you buy. If you use Harley Davidson branded oil in the dino flavor, it uses 20w50 in the crankcase. It uses a different oil for the tranny and primary case.

If you use the Harley syn3 you can use that one oil in all 3 holes.

So it really depends on what oil you select to buy. If you buy a different brand of oil, they may or may not be applicable to use in all 3 holes.

Please read up on the oils carefully.
 
Good point. The fluid will be Amsoil MCV 20W-50 which can be used in all three holes. I'm just not sure how many quarts I will need for a full fluid change in the bike posted above.
 
2012 FLHTK has the 103 engine and 6 spd same as my 2011 FLHTK.

Amsoil 20w-50 in Engine. Book calls for 4 quarts but Put in 3.5 quarts with filter change and then run bike until it gets hot and recheck. Because the oil is Synthetic is will not expand. If you run bike at highway speeds and oil starts coming out of the air cleaner, you've put too much in the engine.
Amsoil 75-110w (SVT) Gear oil in the Tranny - 1 qt. Amsoil chart shows the 20w-50 engine oil because that's Harley's recommendation. Call Amsoil Tech department if you don't believe me. The SVT gear oil will get rid of the dreadded tranny whine and hard shifting..
Amsoil 20w-50 in Primary - Book calls for 38 oz but most techs drop in 32 oz or 1 qt cause their too [censored] lazy to look at the shop manual. Fill it too the lip inside the Primary. You will see the lip when you take the cover off..

or 6 quarts Amsoil 20w-50 will cover all three holes.
 
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Originally Posted By: rossn2
2012 FLHTK has the 103 engine and 6 spd same as my 2011 FLHTK.

Amsoil 20w-50 in Engine. Book calls for 4 quarts but Put in 3.5 quarts with filter change and then run bike until it gets hot and recheck. Because the oil is Synthetic is will not expand. If you run bike at highway speeds and oil starts coming out of the air cleaner, you've put too much in the engine.
Amsoil 75-110w (SVT) Gear oil in the Tranny - 1 qt. Amsoil chart shows the 20w-50 engine oil because that's Harley's recommendation. Call Amsoil Tech department if you don't believe me.
Amsoil 20w-50 in Primary - Book calls for 38 oz but most techs drop in 32 oz or 1 qt cause their too [censored] lazy to look at the shop manual. Fill it too the lip inside the Primary. You will see the lip when you take the cover off..


Excellent info! Thank you very much!
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: rossn2
No problems..
The Amsoil 75w-110 SVT Gear Oil will help with the tranny whine and notchy shifting.


+1 true
 
Ring the local dealer and ask the service manager.

Alternately check the owners manual if you have it to hand.
The relevant fluid specifications and capacities will be in the manual.
 
Originally Posted By: Ducman
Ring the local dealer and ask the service manager.

Alternately check the owners manual if you have it to hand.
The relevant fluid specifications and capacities will be in the manual.


This isn't my bike, it's a relative's bike. I'm doing some research for him as I'll be buying the fluids when the time comes using my preferred customer account. I'm not sure if he has the owners manual or not.

To be honest, I don't like motorcycling (tried it and didn't like it). But to each their own.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: rossn2
2012 FLHTK has the 103 engine and 6 spd same as my 2011 FLHTK.

Amsoil 20w-50 in Engine. Book calls for 4 quarts but Put in 3.5 quarts with filter change and then run bike until it gets hot and recheck. Because the oil is Synthetic is will not expand. If you run bike at highway speeds and oil starts coming out of the air cleaner, you've put too much in the engine.
Amsoil 75-110w (SVT) Gear oil in the Tranny - 1 qt. Amsoil chart shows the 20w-50 engine oil because that's Harley's recommendation. Call Amsoil Tech department if you don't believe me. The SVT gear oil will get rid of the dreadded tranny whine and hard shifting..
Amsoil 20w-50 in Primary - Book calls for 38 oz but most techs drop in 32 oz or 1 qt cause their too [censored] lazy to look at the shop manual. Fill it too the lip inside the Primary. You will see the lip when you take the cover off..

or 6 quarts Amsoil 20w-50 will cover all three holes.



Synthetic oil has the same coefficient of expansion as mineral oil when heated.
Regardless of the basestock variant.

The only variation will possibly be in the temperature of the oil at operating temps.
High quality synthetic oils have been known to run a little cooler in service, and this is the only factor that will potentially influence operational fluid levels.
And only if one can actually take accurate enough readings to be able to tell with any absolute certainty when the machine is hot???

In practice, it's irrelevant to the proper operation of the machine, as long as the fluid levels are maintained in accordance with the tolerances outlined in the owners manual.

I totally agree in regards with the same oil in all three holes recommendation by Amsoil.
It only coincided with HD's release of the SYN 3 oil as their magic miracle oil for everything in Harley world.
After years of HD's synthetic oil technology denial.
All of a sudden HD released their SYN 3 oil as a miracle in a bottle, that was sooo good you can actually put it in all 3 holes, and a cure for coughs colds and all manner of genuine HD ailments.
It was so good, you could almost wash your genuine HD motorclothes with a capful added in the wash.

It was a marketing tool that has proven to be flawed in practice.
Harley have quietly backed away from the recommendation to put it in all 3 holes.

Even though I personally believe the Amsoil MCV is probably suitable in most applications for use in the transmission, I also think their recommendation was only to be seen to be inline with HD at the end of the day.
Again as a marketing tool on their side.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Amsoil change their recommendation in the fullness of time, to ultimately only recommend the SVT gear oil in the HD transmissions.

We shall see.

It's certainly a serious temptation though, to only have to buy a neat quantity of 6 x 1qt bottles of the same fluid, for the ultimate in convenience to service your bike.
With no dregs sitting around in bottles in the garage gathering dust and cluttering up the place.
 
I never understood why people think Harley denied the use of synthetic oil. They stated that they never tested it, so that's why they didn't recommend it's use in their motorcycles. If for some reason it didn't work out, they would be liable to fix alot of motorcycles. No mfgr will recommend use of a product they never tested. And Harley STILL recommends Syn 3 for use in transmissions. Here's their ad. http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/genuine-motor-oil.html
 
Quote:
Synthetic oil has the same coefficient of expansion as mineral oil when heated.
Regardless of the basestock variant.


Scratching head..I can put plain 20w-50 dino oil in the bike and ride it until it gets hot and the level will read higher on the dipstick than when cold. Change to Amsoil and there is no difference in level cold or hot..Maybe it's just my old eyes can't read a dipstick correctly anymore?

Quote:
Harley have quietly backed away from the recommendation to put it in all 3 holes.


Really, can you please post the technical bulletin or paperwork from Harley Davidson HQ on this notion?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
I never understood why people think Harley denied the use of synthetic oil. They stated that they never tested it, so that's why they didn't recommend it's use in their motorcycles. If for some reason it didn't work out, they would be liable to fix alot of motorcycles. No mfgr will recommend use of a product they never tested. And Harley STILL recommends Syn 3 for use in transmissions. Here's their ad. http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/genuine-motor-oil.html


Thanks for posting the link.
That's quite interesting, as I hadn't seen that ad before.
They must have found out the SYN 3 wasn't up to scratch in the first place so the supplier of the oil reformulated it for them.

I note they're careful regarding their wording in the ad, in that they state the SYN 3 "can be used" in all 3 holes.
In accordance with their own genuine HD carefully chosen words, it can be extrapolated that they certainly do not recommend the use of it in all 3 holes.

But that's just my interpretation, whilst wearing my service technician hat.
I could be wrong though.

It would be interesting to see an updated review of the oils in the Amsoil white paper including the new formulation of SYN 3 to see how it stacks up against the competition.
The SYN 3 didn't do very well in either of the previous editions.
Then nor did some of the other highly regarded golden halo name brand and boutique oils that some people swear by as being industry standards. LOL.
 
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Quote:
Screamin’ Eagle® SYN3® lubricant is the only synthetic lubricant custom-blended, tested and certified for use in Harley-Davidson® engine, chaincase and transmission applications – which makes changing and topping-off fluids a simple, one-product process


In their ad (scroll down the page) it looks to me like HD tested it and certified SYN3 for use in all three holes???
 
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Originally Posted By: rossn2
Quote:
Synthetic oil has the same coefficient of expansion as mineral oil when heated.
Regardless of the basestock variant.


Scratching head..I can put plain 20w-50 dino oil in the bike and ride it until it gets hot and the level will read higher on the dipstick than when cold. Change to Amsoil and there is no difference in level cold or hot..Maybe it's just my old eyes can't read a dipstick correctly anymore?

Quote:
Harley have quietly backed away from the recommendation to put it in all 3 holes.


Really, can you please post the technical bulletin or paperwork from Harley Davidson HQ on this notion?


Wow.
You really should be more careful of what type of junk mineral oil you put in your machines from now on.
It would appear the mineral oil stuff you like to use expands disproportionally to other oils that are better.
Or maybe the laws of physics are different for your machines?

I run Amsoil almost exclusively, and I always get a higher oil level reading when hot as opposed to cold.
I have experienced the exact same phenomenon in the same machines when changing from mineral oil to the Amsoil synthetic.

I can only speak from personal experience of working on, and servicing vehicles professionally over the last 30 odd years of looking into oil sight glasses, or looking at dipsticks.
Although over the years I have often found dipsticks to be somewhat inconsistent, when compared to the accuracy of a sight glass.
I have to wear glasses these days, and I've found that to be helpful for my tired old eyes.
But in 100% of cases, including all of my own machines.
The oil level has always been higher when the engine is hot and at normal operating temp, than when it's put in cold at the time of service.
Without any exceptions, regardless of whether the oil basestock is a group II/III mineral, or genuine synthetic basestock of any description or brand.

Numerous service manuals reinforce this fact by the detailed procedures stated in the manuals to check oil level after servicing, or at the time of performing the Pre-delivery inspection, whether the oil is mineral or synthetic.

The only machine I have encountered where it's not much difference in oil level cold to hot is in the DUCATI 1199 Superquardo engine.
But the oil level is noticeably higher when hot regardless.
I believe two things are coming into play there.

1, Is the oil temp bears a very close relationship with the coolant temp, and the oil is not expanding as much as other machines that also run an oil/coolant heat exchanger.
This manifests itself as a small increase in the oil level height when viewed through the sight glass in the crankcase when hot.
The oil simply isn't heating up as much as it would in another application under the same circumstances.
But an increase in height of the oil results when hot, none the less.
2, The oil also disappears into the far flung reaches and bowels of the assembly, and takes a very long time to completely drain and return to the sump when hot.
I believe that's why it's literally impossible to check the oil level with any degree of certainty on the Superquadro engine, until the assembly is dead cold the next day, and the oil has had a very long time to totally drain back into the sump.
Other than that it can be a bit of a guessing game in order to not over fill the assembly.

Carry on.
Keep scratching, and keep that oil level at the correct height regardless.
 
Originally Posted By: rossn2
Quote:
Screamin’ Eagle® SYN3® lubricant is the only synthetic lubricant custom-blended, tested and certified for use in Harley-Davidson® engine, chaincase and transmission applications – which makes changing and topping-off fluids a simple, one-product process


In their ad (scroll down the page) it looks to me like HD tested it and certified SYN3 for use in all three holes???


That makes total sense to me.
Of course "certified" by HD doesn't mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, unless you are an authorised dealer doing servicing, and warranty repairs on HD's behalf.

The question is, in that context.
Just what does HD's "certification" entail or involve???
And what are the real benefits to the consumer???
Perceived or otherwise.

I have performed VOA'S and UOA's on HD genuine oil in my previously owned HD's, and no offense to cats.
But I wouldn't pour the stuff down a dead cats throat to dispose of the used oil.

Perhaps I should take the first available opportunity to try some of the newly reformulated SYN 3 and re-evaluate my findings.
From my experience, it's over rated oil which is sold to the loyal unsuspecting consumer at over inflated prices. Feel free to call me a cynic if you like.

And that's coming from someone with extensive experience with HD motorcycles, and is a great fan of their motorcycles. I love them.
I can get the genuine HD oil for nothing if I want it.
But I won't touch the stuff.
As I sit here typing, I'm wearing a HD t-shirt.
But it's got Amsoil stains on it.

It's simply because I don't like wasting my money, if I can find better value else where without compromising on quality and proven real world performance.
 
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