Author Topic: Oil Cooler Thread (Read 148921 times)

DrMark · « **on:** April 04, 2005, 09:02:29 am »

Hi Gang;
I saw a neat item for sale on EBAY this past weekend. Its a oil cooler that replaces the oil fill cap for the older hondas. But, they only have them for the 350's, 400's and the 750's. Do you think any of these will work for my cb550? I tried to attach a pic for folks to look at....hope it worked.

Here's what Ad says....This is great NOS (new old stock) item for the Honda 350F and CB 400 F Supersport fours. Perfect way to keep the heat down on a hard working lil' Honda Four. Great for the AHRMA Classic racer. This is the ISO cooler. Developed by a NASA engineer to use technology developed for the space program in the 70's.. A simple quick replacement for the engine dip stick. The cooler has a billet aluminum top and the hollow tube is filled with a patent liquid that wicks away the heat to the alloy "radiator" top where the heat is dispursed by airfow. Sturdy construction for years of "cool" service on your classic bike.

Warlock · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2005, 10:09:28 am »

I actually purchased one of these from Ebay several years back for my '71 CB500. Since it fits on my 500, theoretically it should fit on the 550. When installing it, you must have the insertion angle just right or it will hang on the internals. Be advised that I really couldn't detect any appreciable drop in the oil temp. In my opinion, this was just another gee-whiz gimmick being sold at the time. I have since re-installed the original dipstick. You might want to invest your cash in something a bit more tangible.....

And thereby hangs the tale....

mwvachon · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2005, 10:22:08 am »

I agree with Warlock - just another gimmick. I don't see how that device could possible transfer enough heat out of a constantly moving oil system. Early on I was concerned about the heat build-up on my own K1-750. The long lasting tick-tick-tick noises that came off the engine after a long ride, especially on a hot day, gave me a lot of concern. I ended up putting on an after-market oil cooler. This unit has a small radiator-type component that gets strapped to the front of the frame just below the steering neck. The other key piece is a plate that gets mounted behind the oil filter. This plate has two hose fittings that allow you to connect to the aforementioned radiator unit. A very simple installation and an amazing difference after the job was completed! No more tick-tick-tick!

cben750f0 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2005, 02:19:51 pm »

anyone know someone tht makes these oil cooler adaptor plates, would be interested in getting one... cheers
/

DrMark · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2005, 02:53:26 pm »

I figured I might go the oil cooler route....I have an address for a guy on our list here that makes the adaptor for screw-on filters and for oil cooler adaptors....Let me know and I'll send it to you. Dr. Mark

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2005, 08:54:56 pm »

I think they look great. I don't think they work though, if you want a cooler that works, have a look at these and contact me at sherriffbuck@yahoo.com Cheers, Terry (Cooler King)

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~sherriffbuck/gallery.html

chrometank · « **Reply #6 on:** May 22, 2005, 02:15:33 am »

found this oil cooler on ebay,the guys ebay id is" legendsmc".It has some sort of fandangled technoligy that draws heat from the oil out to the fins that are air cooled.I dont know how much cooler the oil runs but it cant hurt can it.
cheers

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #7 on:** May 22, 2005, 02:22:44 am »

Maybe others can chime in, but it seems more gimmick than practical to me. The oil gallery it threads into seems more dead-end space to me. You can insert a pressure gauge there, but I don't know if there is much 'flow' involved in this space. Also, I'm not sure the total finned area of the thing would disipate all that much heat. If you are really concerned about oil temp, I would consider a real oil cooler in which the oil is forced to flow through the unit out front of the engine. See the units Terry P. (SOHC/4 member) from Australia offers.

chrometank · « **Reply #8 on:** May 22, 2005, 02:33:17 am »

gday,yeh ilm still a little skeptical about this my self,but it did heat to a much higher temp than the surounding cases.and i figured more fins on the motor couldnt hurt.If your bolt there isnt done up tight plenty of oil comes out !Ive never really liked the look of a oil cooler stuck out the front on the k but ilm sure it would do the buisness.
cheers

Gordon · « **Reply #9 on:** May 22, 2005, 05:30:33 am »

I saw this auxillary oil cooler on a Triumph at the Old Bike Ride in Denver a couple of weeks ago. You can see it in the lower left of the picture. It's just an extra lenght of oil line with cooling fins on it that runs up one frame rail and down the other. I thought it was a rather unobtrusive way to get some extra cooling.

chrometank · « **Reply #10 on:** May 22, 2005, 05:41:19 am »

gday gordon,thats a good idea !i wonder if you would have to beef up the oil pump on a 750 to get it pumping at the rate it has to around the extra length ?
cheers

Warlock · « **Reply #11 on:** May 22, 2005, 02:11:08 pm »

Deja Vu...

See this earlier post on the item in question....
http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=166.msg833#msg833

Chrisboden · « **Reply #12 on:** May 22, 2005, 03:10:20 pm »

It's a "Heatpipe" type of cooler, it uses the physics of Phase Change to transmit heat. They do work very well (I build computers with them all the time), but I can't see it moving a whole lot of heat in an engine cooling application. You're locked into the problem of the fact that all the heat of your engine eventually has to be transferred to the surrounding air by either radiation (doesn't work well for us), or Conduction (the main cooling mechanism here). Even though the heatpipe in the cooler will draw the heat away, it just dumps it into the cap, and the cap can only get rid of so much heat, not nearly as much as the pipe can feed it.

Great idea....bad plan.

Welcome to the world of Thermodynamics. Next week, how losing a sock in the laundry contributes to the eventual heat-death of the universe.

Dr.Duck

hymodyne · « **Reply #13 on:** June 06, 2005, 12:30:04 pm »

Hello,

what are folk's thoughts on oil coolers? would an add on require some sort of oil pump upgrade as well? Do they work?

hym

eldar · « **Reply #14 on:** June 06, 2005, 01:16:46 pm »

I suppose it depends on how you set up the cooler as to if you need to replace the pump. For the most part, you don't need to worry about engine temp unless you run lean. If you are worried about oil temp, find a synthetic 5-50 or use a oil made for racing. It just has to be compatiable with wet clutches.

MikeDeB · « **Reply #15 on:** June 06, 2005, 01:41:15 pm »

Quote from: hymodyne on June 06, 2005, 12:30:04 pm

Hello,

what are folk's thoughts on oil coolers? would an add on require some sort of oil pump upgrade as well? Do they work?

hym

The stock oil pump will handle an oil cooler just fine. I don't have any on my CB's and haven't really found the need to add one.

MRieck · « **Reply #16 on:** June 06, 2005, 02:28:03 pm »

I have an Earls unit- it works very well.

kghost · « **Reply #17 on:** June 06, 2005, 03:36:31 pm »

Terry in Australia makes adapter plates.

I cobbled my together with parts off another Honda, Just can't remember which model. Works great though.

TwoTired · « **Reply #18 on:** June 06, 2005, 05:57:10 pm »

I’ve some questions for those of you who have, or are recommending, oil coolers for the SOHC4.

What prompted your decision an oil cooler was needed?

What were your oil temps before and after cooler installation?

What were your cylinder head temps before and after installation?

Where were the temp sensors installed?

Are the coolers you have bypass types for when the oil is too cold?

Does the cooler have its own thermostat to regulate the oil temp?

Is any of this data available on line somewhere?

I have a 77 750 F (K engine transplant) that came with a lockhart oil cooler on it. I'm wondering if I should move the oil cooler to the 78 CB750F to improve longevity of that engine.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

seaweb11 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 06, 2005, 07:39:28 pm »

Wow, I'm waiting for the answers to the question above!
I am also concidering a cooler.

tomasz · « **Reply #20 on:** June 06, 2005, 08:35:02 pm »

greetings Hym,
I adopted mine from a CB900, if I'm not mistaken, that I had found at a local junk yard. Any cooler would probably do fine as long as it fits well onto the frame. I mounted mine right where the horn used to be. The coller had steel lines and its own adapter so I cut all that off and instead mounted rubber houses and ran them down to an adapter plate, local bike yard again, which fits between the engine and the original filter housing. You will need a longer oil filter bolt. The set up works very well.
tomasz

MRieck · « **Reply #21 on:** June 07, 2005, 05:02:17 am »

Quote from: TwoTired on June 06, 2005, 05:57:10 pm

I’ve some questions for those of you who have, or are recommending, oil coolers for the SOHC4.

What prompted your decision an oil cooler was needed?

What were your oil temps before and after cooler installation?

What were your cylinder head temps before and after installation?

Where were the temp sensors installed?

Are the coolers you have bypass types for when the oil is too cold?

Does the cooler have its own thermostat to regulate the oil temp?

Is any of this data available on line somewhere?

I have a 77 750 F (K engine transplant) that came with a lockhart oil cooler on it. I'm wondering if I should move the oil cooler to the 78 CB750F to improve longevity of that engine.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

#1 Because air cooled engines get very hot in warm weather especially in stop and go conditions. #2 Don't know before temps but teardown of engines suggest in the 250 to 275 range for extended periods. Now between 180 to 210 with a good cooler. I use a digital temp gauge. #3 Don't know though a point and shoot temp gauge can tell you now.#4 Temp gauge sender is installed where the oil pan drain plug was. #5 No bypass but it is a good idea.#6 No internal thermostat on any coolers I've seen . #7 Probably. Oil coolers are good but bike companies are cheap. They eventually had to install them for some of the reasons stated above. You cannot hurt an engine by installing one (well...I'm sure someone could but if done correctly no problems.)

Zeke · « **Reply #22 on:** June 07, 2005, 07:00:38 am »

If you need to bypass the cooling somewhat when it's chilly all you need to do is block the airflow thru the cooler. In the north, this is done on big rigs all the time. So if it's cold, just lay a strip of duct tape (any colour you like) across the cooler.

I began investigating the coolers as it's really hot here in CA in the summer, and sometimes after extended riding the old light would blink on and off when idling. It's true that in the early 80s honda began putting coolers on these bikes.

I bought an adapter from Terry -- it's installed but I don't have the cooler on yet. Being able to use a modern spin on filter is great.

My cooler is from an 83 650 or something -- don't know what kind of fittings to use, that's why I haven't installed it. Need to take it to a pipe fitting store and have them figure it out.

Zeke

Robert · « **Reply #23 on:** June 07, 2005, 01:50:35 pm »

Quote from: Zeke on June 07, 2005, 07:00:38 am

I bought an adapter from Terry -- it's installed but I don't have the cooler on yet. Being able to use a modern spin on filter is great.
Zeke

Zeke, that CB750 Terry - cooler fits to the 1980-1981 CB650?

eldar · « **Reply #24 on:** June 07, 2005, 01:59:55 pm »

I would like to get a cooler for my bike, what would be my best option considering what year I have? Also what all would be needed and what special mods?

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Author Topic: Oil Cooler Thread (Read 148921 times)

Chrisboden

eldar

tomasz

eldar