what is the optimal oil temp?

If I were to put an oil cooler on my bike, with a thermostat what heat range should I look for?

What temp do I want to keep the oil at?

If there is any information you folks can point me to about this topic please pass it along.

im gonna say between 180-220 is gonna be in the ballpark on an aircooled motor depending on where you live.im gonna guess an oil cooler would drop it 10-20 degrees depending on how big it is and how fast air is moving over it

Water boils at 212 F so you'd want your oil to be hotter than that to "burn off the moisture" but not enough to suffer thermal breakdown.

I'd check with the engine building people as to what oil cooler might possibly be needed. This all depends on what part of the country your talking about and weight of oil.

I think Jeff Saunders when he gets a bike with an oil cooler is the first thing he removes.

Some engine rebuilders:

www.aperaceparts.com
www.bore-tech.com
www.flowbenchtech.com
www.fastbygast.com
www.grccranks.com
www.schnitzracing.com
www.valleyspeed.ca/services.html

I know an oil cooler is not a good idea for a stock motor, as it can over cool the motor. However I will be fitting a gpz oil pan and cooler soon, I was going to make new oil lines and include a thermostat with oil bypass to keep the temp correct.

I am not sure if I will be adding the 810 kit this winter or instead having the head re-done. I asked LarryC what he recommended as the order of events (810 kit and ride it a year and a stock 750 head, or get the head done this winter then go 810 next winter) he never really gave me an answer... so I think I will send an e-mail to ape and see what they recommend.

the point is, that one day fairly soon this motor will probably need the extra cooling; and even if it does not need the oil cooler a thermostat set for the proper temperature will keep the oil in a specified heat range.
That is why I want to know what heat range to look for.

hardr0ck68 wrote:

I know an oil cooler is not a good idea for a stock motor, as it can over cool the motor.

The thermostat should prevent that.

Ok Mocal makes 2 different oil thermostats the ot1 and the ot2, and they both offer 2 different heat ranges.


I am unsure of which model I will chose, probably the ot1 as it is about half the price.

Now they offer both in 180* and 203* temps, so the cooler goes from part open (they say the thermostat never fully shuts off flow to the oil cooler) to full open at either 180* or 203*


Hearing from you folks I am tempted to go for the high temp thermostat...

Any other folks have wisdom to offer up? I could certainly use it!

Just curious here, how will the supply line be plumbed so that when the thermostat is nearly closed, the engine does not starve for oil?

Some info

97.74.103.94/files/thermos$.pdf?Submit1=Get+Pricing

www.theflyingbanana.com/oil-cooler.htm


both good reads and full of info.

hurm, well the first link seems to be bunk,

ok go here

www.batinc.net/thermos.htm


scroll down and click "get pricing" there are some great pictures and information in that link.

Personally, I wouldnt use a thermostat. I've seen it create strange problems.

You get riding along and the bike starts to get hot then blam, the thermostat opens and all that super cold oil from your last ride smashes into your engine super fast.

This would make my friends bike have wacky power issues. Took forever to figure that one out...

We tossed the thermostat and ran it without. Had to use a rad cover to get the bike up to 220+f. Then just open the rad cover and ride on...

use a nice oil cap thermometer. www.americanclassix.com/kawa_improvements.html

Made the bike alot more predictable.

according the the manufacturer that is why the thermostat never fully closes off the oil cooler, to get the oil in the oil cooler up to temp as well and prevent thermo-shock when it does open.

When I read those claims I thought thermo-shock surrreee, yeah right; but apparently it is a concern, but a concern this company has apparently designed for.

Thanks for letting me know this thermostat is better than I thought!!

hardr0ck68 wrote:

according the the manufacturer that is why the thermostat never fully closes off the oil cooler, to get the oil in the oil cooler up to temp as well and prevent thermo-shock when it does open.

Right... That makes sense. The one I took out of my friends bike was really old and probally sticking. It made such a huge difference without it...

The oil thermometer should be a priority purchase for anybody changing carburetion/modding thier bikes!! :laugh:

Cheers.



PS. I read somewhere that temps should reach at least 200f, but never over 250f. Sounds ok to me...