V7 Oil Cooler

[ssmith71]

I have gone through all the old posts, looked on the internet, but I can find no information or conversations on an oil cooler for a V7. Is this something that just cannot be done on these bikes?

 

[pokeyjoe]

As an option, you could just increase the size of the sump. There's at least one kit out there to do so.

 

[ssmith71]

Yes I saw discussions about that. Maybe increase in the sump size with plugs incorporated to be able to connect to a thermostatically controlled cooler?

 

[pyoungbl]

You could plumb oil supply and return lines into the sump, then install an electric pump to circulate the oil through a cooler. To make the system work you need to insure there is a backflow preventer valve so all that extra oil does not pool into the sump. It would be smart to have a thermostatic switch to turn the pump on/off so you don't over cool the oil. Most fuel injection ECUs will inject extra fuel when the engine is considered to be cold. My ST2 and Multistrada would normally get about 45 mpg when fully warmed up but if I rode into a rainstorm or it was chilly outside the engine temp would drop to as low as 140F and my fuel mileage could go as low as 32 mpg. Putting duct tape over the oil cooler would bring the oil temp back up to 180-200 and the bike ran much better.

Have you had a problem with your small block getting so hot that the oil failed...that would happen at about 350F for synthetic oil.

 

[akos27]

Yes I saw discussions about that. Maybe increase in the sump size with plugs incorporated to be able to connect to a thermostatically controlled cooler?

An option:
http://www.guzziepiushop.de/shop/Oe....html?xc72cc=ea124173288acecc98cf2228ffb32c6b

http://www.guzziepiushop.de/shop/Oelwannenzwischenring-kl.Mod-mit-Oelkuehleranschlussadapter..html

 

[sign216]

An oil cooler would be nice. Ed Milich looked into it for his racing smallblocks, but it's not easily done. Not at all.

Akos27 gave a link to a European solution. Here's how it looks, fitted;

The factory also created an oil cooler for their Baja racer, but to do it they replaced the oil filter. Unfiltered, but cooled, oil was used in that project bike:

In the photo section of the yahoo group (http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/MG_750/) is an album of smallblock oil coolers. Just more photos of the above examples.

Pyoungbl, I had your idea too; using an electric pump to circulate the oil. It could be done, but as you pointed out, is it worth the complexity? Still, it's an attractive idea. I've wrestled with it, but haven't made an attempt.
Who will be the point man on this?

 

[pyoungbl]

The electric pump idea has been used on some F650 thumpers for the water cooling circuit. Some of those Rotax engines develop a problem with the OEM water pump and it seems that once the pump starts to leak a new pump becomes just a temporary solution. The electric pump has several benefits: at low speed the water is moved faster since it's not limited to engine speed, this is really important when crawling through rough terrain when the engine is generating lots of heat but not much air flow; at higher rpm the electric pump is pushing the water at a slower speed than an engine driven pump so the water has more time to give up heat. I believe the pump was controlled by a thermostat. On those bikes the fan is a real power hog but with an electric pump the fan seldom kicks in. All in all it seems to be a great idea for the water cooled bike. On the oil circuit, still lots of work but if the oil is actually getting super hot it might be worth doing.

More info here:
http://f650.com/forum/showthread.php?25 ... water+pump

Peter Y.

 

[ssmith71]

I am not sure if I am having any issues, other than I have had to replace several valve cover gaskets, my guess is they are drying out, or getting hot maybe. I have just started making my own out of differnet material, and see if that helps. I am already running synth. oil. I live in Florida and in the summer, with 95 deg F and 95% humidity, sitting in traffic, I am sure it does get hot. I would like to have it just for more safety.

I had a BMW R100S back in the late 70s. San Jose BMW mad an oil cooler for it that had the thermostatic control built into the nipple that screwed into the sump. I guess BMW set the bike was up to add the oil cooler from the factor somehow. ( I don't remember if I had to drill and tap the sump or not, too long ago)

I was thinking that if a clever machinist was to build and bigger sump and created a path in the new sump that tapped into the oil filter area to route a portion of the pressure over to the front of the sump, then you would not have to add an electric pump. The new sump would not have to run the oil cooler, but you could then easily add one of you wanted

 

[pyoungbl]

Just thinking out loud here, if you plumbed the oil line as you say (using the pressure line to the oil filter) to avoid a pump you could add in a thermostat with a bypass circuit.
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/produ ... uct%3D1228

I'm sure there are others out there but this is just an example. The idea is to bring the oil up to operating temp but not over-cool it later.

Interesting idea.

 

[draidt]

I am not sure if I am having any issues, other than I have had to replace several valve cover gaskets, my guess is they are drying out, or getting hot maybe. I have just started making my own out of differnet material, and see if that helps. I am already running synth. oil. I live in Florida and in the summer, with 95 deg F and 95% humidity, sitting in traffic, I am sure it does get hot. I would like to have it just for more safety.

I had a BMW R100S back in the late 70s. San Jose BMW mad an oil cooler for it that had the thermostatic control built into the nipple that screwed into the sump. I guess BMW set the bike was up to add the oil cooler from the factor somehow. ( I don't remember if I had to drill and tap the sump or not, too long ago)

I was thinking that if a clever machinist was to build and bigger sump and created a path in the new sump that tapped into the oil filter area to route a portion of the pressure over to the front of the sump, then you would not have to add an electric pump. The new sump would not have to run the oil cooler, but you could then easily add one of you wanted

I live in Florida as well and when I had my V7C the first thing I did was install a sump spacer to add an extra liter of oil. There simply was not ever an issue with engine over heating during normal operation I highly doubt your valve cover gasket issue is oil temperature related. I used the one's supplied by MG cycles. The sump extender came from Ed Miltch in California. The use of the recommended oil is essential any 10W60 4T Fully Synthetic, do not skimp. IMO your search for a method of cooling the oil is a search for a solution to a problem that does not exist.

 

[Holt]

I am not sure if I am having any issues, other than I have had to replace several valve cover gaskets, my guess is they are drying out, or getting hot maybe. I have just started making my own out of differnet material, and see if that helps. I am already running synth. oil. I live in Florida and in the summer, with 95 deg F and 95% humidity, sitting in traffic, I am sure it does get hot. I would like to have it just for more safety.

I had a BMW R100S back in the late 70s. San Jose BMW mad an oil cooler for it that had the thermostatic control built into the nipple that screwed into the sump. I guess BMW set the bike was up to add the oil cooler from the factor somehow. ( I don't remember if I had to drill and tap the sump or not, too long ago)

I was thinking that if a clever machinist was to build and bigger sump and created a path in the new sump that tapped into the oil filter area to route a portion of the pressure over to the front of the sump, then you would not have to add an electric pump. The new sump would not have to run the oil cooler, but you could then easily add one of you wanted

I live in Florida as well and when I had my V7C the first thing I did was install a sump spacer to add an extra liter of oil. There simply was not ever an issue with engine over heating during normal operation I highly doubt your valve cover gasket issue is oil temperature related. I used the one's supplied by MG cycles. The sump extender came from Ed Miltch in California. The use of the recommended oil is essential any 10W60 4T Fully Synthetic, do not skimp. IMO your search for a method of cooling the oil is a search for a solution to a problem that does not exist.

Agreed.
The sumpspacers doesn't do much to the oil temperature; maybe a centigrade or two. I've used the spacer for years on my Breva and despite of the chocking insight of very high measured oil temperatures there's never been any problems - using the recommended oils. At the beginning of Breva-life I used 10W-50 oils, which transformed into funny textures.

 

[Perazzimx14]

Smallblocks have been around for 30+ years now. If there were a problem that an oil cooler would fix i would think the factoy would have added one years ago. I will admit that sitting on the beltway in stop and go traffic on a 100* for hours you will probably have an issue, but I bet you'll give up before the bike.

 

[Holt]

Smallblocks have been around for 30+ years now. If there were a problem that an oil cooler would fix i would think the factoy would have added one years ago. I will admit that sitting on the beltway in stop and go traffic on a 100* for hours you will probably have an issue, but I bet you'll give up before the bike.

Not really; the EFI smallblocks have been around for only a decade, and they are significally hotter than the older carburetted ones.
But they still works very well without a cooler. Even in Mediterrainian summer stop-and-go traffic.