oil cooler

how important to have a oil cooler

Sorta of. Depends on usage conditions, ambient temp, expected life span, etc.

Not needed for 90% of people. If you've got a high compression engine, big over bore, or live in very hot cLimate then you may want to consider one. Most people install a thermostat otherwise it takes too long to warm up the engine. There are a number of good threads on oil coolers and installs.

Did any air cooled kawasaki's have a thermostat as standard?

Strangely the Zephyr oil coolers are very much bigger than the earlier GPz coolers, despite the earlier GPz 's putting out more power. I wonder how much of this big oil cooler thing was about styling and marketing rather than engineering.

craig900 wrote: how important to have a oil cooler

On what?

Unless you have souped the motor to the max, you almost certainly don't need one. If your concern is for the oil, just use synthetic oil. Back in the 80's, motor oil was so weak that oil coolers were necessary to keep the oil from being destroyed. Now you can just buy synthetic oil.

I also asked about this when I had my engine bored out. The guy said that it wasnt needed in this climate. (Holland).
They do look good though.

hello people; I'm new. IMO a OC is needed on air cooled engines. I plan to use one in my project and I have one on my HD. But syn. oil could change things. I use syn. in my 4 wheel vehicles but have yet in my bike.
HI-jack ; I've seen different ways of OC line setups but is there a preferred way on a K1 engine? Also does anyone know if it matters if the OC lines go into a cooler from the top or bottom?
IBBY

jlat wrote: I'm new. IMO a OC is needed on air cooled engines. .....

Really? I've never felt I needed one on my bike, but then I have only put 57,000+ miles on it, so it's still a baby. I wonder if Ronkz650 has an oil cooler on the KZ650 he put 158,000 miles on? :laugh:

I would suggest it depends very much on the climate; how the bike is to be used (street use or race track for example); and what, if any, engine modifications have been made. The bikes that didn't come with oil coolers don't ordinarily need them unless they're going to be used on the track or in very hot climates. If an oil cooler is used without a thermostat in colder climates there is the possibility that the oil will not reach sufficient temperature to evaporate off condensation. In that case, the cooler could actually be detrimental to the engine. Ed

I live in central TX. and it gets well over 100 degrees here mid. summer
and I ran a cooler on the street year round.
Now with the 810 motor and not street riding it I removed it

hello; Every time this subject comes up in a site there's differences in opinions. I have mine and in Mass. the temps vary but the hot humid summer days to cold in fall. On my OC I just cover it up when it's cold and not when hot. Plus a a bit more oil should help things. I had a stat but got rid off it and I have not tried syn. oil and that will change things.
Do you think all K models run at the same temp?.
IBBY