Oil Cooler, should I remove it?

New purchase came with Oil Cooler.

I don't have plugs for oil ports.

Should I search for the plugs and get rid of the Oil Cooler, or should I just leave it on?

The bike is down to the frame right now.

Seattle Washington... Most likely won't require due to outside temps not reaching 100* plus...

Same time, also depends on your engine build. Higher compressions, performance engines will run a tad hotter...

You can always add it on later outside of that, your call really...

The key is what you put in the engine, and how you plan on riding the bike.

Oil coolers can overcool the engine. If you have a high compression engine that runs hot, then the oil coolers can make sense. But with a stock engine run for only 20-30 miles at a time, there's really no benefit, and a ton of negatives in running an oil cooler in a cooler region like Washington state.

Your engine needs to come up to full operating temperature to burn off any condensation that accumulates in the engine. On bikes that are ridden for short trips, it's not unusual to get that milky white oil from the condensation inside the engine cases.

High temp Therm -o- stat.

Oil temp gauge...

just a thought.

:laugh:

These are from American Classix

Cheers.

In the 70's, air cooled fours japanese bikes imported to the US did not have oil coolers, but same bikes going to Europe had them.

I have a 91' 750 Zephyr and it came with a big oil cooler from factory. All Zephyrs had them, and any air cooled 4 cyl retro Japan may build today, would come with one. Even liquid cooled bikes have them. Most you don't see because is a coolant coil buried around the oil filter base. Suzies SV1000 or GXS-R1000 have conventional in front of oil filter. It is better to have it than not.

The oil cooler is not intended for cooling the engine, it is intended to prevent the oils from getting too hot, like in stop and go condition that requires slipping the wet clutch a lot. The oil cooler would not slow the warming up from cold start, as it does not have any telling effect, until bike is moving.

you have 2 choices leave it on or sell that nasty thing to me really cheap. i'd keep it on the bike it's cheap insurance if you plan on hotrodding your motor.

I will go through the box of receipts and find out what has been done/added to this bike by PO. (He loved to tinker, I found three stripped out bolt holes) I imagine that I am going to get rid of the cooler, so I will need to remove the hose nipples and plug up the ports on the engine.

Will this hardware be easy to find?

IMHO, oil coolers were a whole lot more necessary in the old days when oils were not so good. Use a top synthetic with a good additive package and you will have no worries. Unless you ride hard in a really hot climate, I can't see the need for an oil cooler.

Jeff.Saunders wrote:

On bikes that are ridden for short trips, it's not unusual to get that milky white oil from the condensation inside the engine cases.

From what I read, that condesnation combines with sulphur compounds to make sulfuric acid and can really screw up your engine. The oil has "buffers" in it to neutralize acid but you have to get the oil up to temp. Mechnics tell me the fastest way to destroy an engine is to do the "five minute idle" thing once a week over winter storage because of the condensation/acid formation.

id keep it man, the longer you run it the hotter it will get.
the thermostat is a great idea!

2 of my bikes came with lockhart coolers w/ thermostats. Do they work? Do they block the flow of oil thru the cooler in colder temps?