Performance Oil Cooler System Good or Bad Idea?

Waste of time unless you live somewhere hot and spend a lot of time with a lot of load at modest speed. Climbing the Sierra Nevada two up in mid-summer might fit the bill. Stop-start in Naples traffic maybe but then the cooler's not much use when you're not moving. Otherwise, unless fitted with a thermostat, the cooler will prevent the engine running at the right temperature. The engine and the oil is supposed to get hot - well above 100C. The effect of overcooling an engine is very similar to making lots of short jouneys, oil can become contaminated with moisture, clearances never fully taken up. Not a problem if you change the oil frequently but why bother?

The cooler looks like a standard item, could be off a Trident. The plumbing looks pretty standard, connect in to the return line between engine and tank. I don't know what that cylinder is next to the oil tank, perhaps it's a thermosta but perhaps a filter. Mounting the cooler below the fuel tank and in front of the coils is about the worst place you can put it as it restricts the air flow behind but options are limited and it's what everyone does.

edit - When I look again, there appears to be just one pipe for the engine oil return which goes to the cooler. Therefore there's no thermostat. Unless you live somewhere really, really hot *and* you have trouble with other vehicles overheating, bin it.

What Stan said, without a thermostat it's dangerous in the UK, with a thermostat in the UK it will hardly be used.

.. plus it gives more opportunities for leaks!

I think the cylinder next to the oil tank is a catch tank with sight glass

The reseqrch by an individual that actually spent the time and instrumentation is as follows. Engine internal  thermocouple  instrumentation provided the data. The short version is generally the around town use does not need a cooler. For constant high speed and high power uses, the following is relevant. The oil that runs down inside the the head next to the exhaust ports does heat up and cook that oil and deteriorates it. After enough mile all the oil has flowed by that location and been excessively heated, many times. An oil cooler does not prevent it. The average oil temp is not that high and actually somewhat cool.

So the two principals counter act each other. The cooler will cool the oil "in general" but can not un-damage the locally over heated oil. Thermostat would be essential.

I would get rid of all the plumbing and hardware and change the oil more often..

When I had a '68 Bonneville, I used to do 200+ miles a week, much of that travelling from RAF bases to home at weekends.  Riding across central London at that time (early 1980s) involved traffic, though nothing like today's levels.  In summer, both the engine and the oil tank would get really hot in queuing traffic.  I fitted an oil pressure gauge - big mistake!  At Idle when hot, the pressure (with good big ends and a new oil pump) would drop from its normal cruising 60-80 PSI to as little as 5 PSI. The engine did not seem to be bothered as much as me, so I took the gauge off - out of sight, out of mind.

Next, I decided that if Triumph thought the Trident needed a cooler, I would fit one too - basically just accessorising!  I got a T150 cooler (it was just a Mini oil cooler) similar to the one in the photo, at the start of this thread,  and plumbed it into the scavenge line before the rocker feed tapping.  There was no thermostat and I am not sure whether the Trident ever had one.  I was never 100% sure what true benefit the cooler provided, though the oil tank definitely did not get so hot and it also meant a bit more oil system capacity.  Eventually the cooler was removed when I fitted a half fairing and there was no room for it.

Andy  

Ditch the oil cooler, use an oil that works at elevated temperatures and as Dave says, change it more often. You can use an infra-red temperature gun these days to get an appreciation of what temperatures you are experiencing. 

I live in a temperate  climate. more often than not my oil does not reach  a temperature that drives off water.I have some insulation  in front of my tank to deflect cold air. I need an oil that protects against rust thats not too expensive so I can afford to change it regularly. An oil tank heater would be an asset. I would prefer your problem!. 

Here in Australia it can get very hot in Summer. Ask the Essex boys who came to our International rally in 2008. I have recorded 47C on my back deck in Melbourne ! Some of the rally's that I attend are held in the middle of summer in inland locations. I don't see many oil coolers fitted to British bikes.

I agree with all the comments made on the topic. I often travel to these rally's on my S8 Sunbeam. Once I pulled into a town and stopped for a cold drink. When I came out of the shop I had to run to catch my bike as the side stand had sunk into the bitumen!

I have ridden a BSA twin in similar conditions with the oil pressure gauge showing zero, stripped the motor and found no wear to the big ends but the pump was knackered. If we are talking about motors with cast iron heads that's another matter.I had to rebuild the engine on my iron head Velo after a week long rally in the heat. I am restoring an iron head model 7 at the moment, it, along with the Velo will be on a curfew for temperatures above 33 C.

The oil cooler on the triples was a knee jerk reaction when the motors all cooked first time out at Daytona and a bad reputation was to be avoided at all costs for the new model. It is completely unnecessary for use in the UK and doesn`t have a thermostat. Having said that, I won`t be removing the one on mine as it was an original fitment.

My CCM R30 had an oil cooler stuck out the side which looked most unattractive so I repositioned it tucked away under the seat but took the precaution of fitting a thermostatically controlled fan and one of those temperature gauges that replace the oil filler cap. The only time the fan ever came on was when I sat stationary on the drive, revving the nuts off it to make sure it worked ok.

Regards, Al.

Hi Alan,

Did it not damage the frame or the hoses when the nuts fell off. LOL

Dick

Hi Richard,

No but it damaged my nuts with a seat about as comfortable as sitting on the edge of a cricket bat!!!

Keep yer pecker up! 

Today asked a Seeley framed Commando racer, why he had an oil cooler. He said his bike had a problem with too high oil temperature before fitting an oil cooler. Sweden is not a warm country. In todays race we had 12 to 14 degrees C. My Manx only had an oil temperature of 65C after race.