Oil Cooler

[The Bearded Duc]

Are there any benefits to having a larger oil cooler? I love the look of the beefier coolers and radiators of the S4's! If there are any benefits does anyone know where can I get one?
Thanks!

[scott_araujo]

Might be a disadvantage.  There's no thermostat like with a radiator so oil is always running through the cooler.  If it's too big you could potentially run at too cool a temperature.  Not likely I suppose but possible.

Scptt

[Drunken Monkey]

As a minor threadjack, anyone know if someone still makes thermostatic oil bypasses for the oil cooler?

Once upon a time you could get them, but nobody seems to make them anymore.

[Scissors]

Without a fan, any radiator (for oil or coolant) doesn't do you any good when stopped, which is when it's most needed.

Going with a larger oil radiator is only necessary if your engine is running too hot at speed.

It should be noted that running too cool is bad.  One study, IIRC, found that water-cooled engines with a 160 degree thermostat had twice as much wear as the same engine with a 195 degree thermostat.

"Cooler" is good when you're talking about intake air, but not necessarily when you're talking about oil.

[Raux]

so a temp driven fan attached to a normal oil cooler would solve all the problems?

[Drunken Monkey]

Actually that's not entirely true. A larger radiator is going to shed more heat, even standing still, than a smaller one. But not much more, since radiant heat loss is much lower than convective heat loss.

This is one of the reasons I'm looking for a thermostat: My bike is very slow to heat up on my morning commute, but will overheat if I completely bypass the oil cooler.

[pennyrobber]

I was looking to go with one of the S4RS style trapizoid shaped oil cooler. I instead ended up with an S4R oil cooler. The frontal surface area is slightly larger than aircooled monster oil cooler. I also like the look better. My temperatures have dropped a few degrees consitantly over the stock unit. I don't know if the temperature drop is due to the cooler shape or slightly larger size but it is lower none the less.

[scott_araujo]

Aluminum foil over half the cooler?  Will warm up faster but still cools some once you're running.  

Scott

[Drunken Monkey]

Aluminum foil over half the cooler?  Will warm up faster but still cools some once you're running.  

Scott

Much as I loves me that polished Aluminum, that's a bit ghetto.

Although, technically it is better than cardboard 

[Raux]

get a billet screen that has smaller openings for the winter.

[ducpainter]

Aluminum foil over half the cooler?  Will warm up faster but still cools some once you're running.  

Scott

Duct tape. 

[Goat_Herder]

Aluminum foil over half the cooler?  Will warm up faster but still cools some once you're running.  

Scott

I install an oil cooler on my 620 in the fall and noticed that it's taking forever to get up to temp.  Was thinking about making a bracket + screen to snap onto the cooler.  I guess foil would be much easier and hassel free.  Why didn't I think of that?  Thanks for the tip

[scott_araujo]

Yeah, need to do it myself as the bike takes too long to get to temp.  I figure some heavy foil and two zip ties are easy and pop right off in the spring.  Duct tape leaves goo.   

Scott

[ducpainter]

Yeah, need to do it myself as the bike takes too long to get to temp.  I figure some heavy foil and two zip ties are easy and pop right off in the spring.  Duct tape leaves goo.   

Scott

Duct tape leaves very little goo at low temps and for short periods of time. It's also pretty easy to get off and I'm pretty lazy.

When I use tape it normally gets removed mid ride.

[scott_araujo]

Yeah, I just look at all those fins and I can't bring myself to duck it.  I don't need that thing full of goo AND dead bugs.