Opinion on oil Filter cooler

hootmon · August 07, 2011, 10:19:48 AM

With the oil filter on the Magna sticking straight out the front of the engine block, I wondered if this might be a good buy?

Since this is a place that seems to have LOTS of Opinions, and some thought talent, I thought I'd run this by, and see what people think...

What would you think of an Oil Filter Cooler?? Remember I live in Florida and it's HOT down here 7 months of the year.

This guy created this for his RoadStar motorcycle because of it's oil Filter location, some have experienced oil filter damage or even piercing while on the road. It was intended 1st as a protector, then as a cooler.
Since the filter sticks straight out, instead of sideways, I would not get the same protection factor, but I do like the idea of cooling the oil some.. Would this cool better with the fins in line with the airflow, or would most of the air miss the fins?

SO, What do you think???

Buck's Oil Filter Protector/Cooler

Chad in Michigan · August 07, 2011, 10:30:03 AM

i'm pretty sure you can open up the holes on the front of the engine block that are already blocked off and use a vfr style oil cooler. I think chokse said the bottom half of the block is the same casting and the holes are just plugged off for our bike. edit: i looked at the link after i wrote a response. i see it slides over the oil filter, lol. why not? it looks better anyways. I'd get it

Greg Cothern · August 07, 2011, 10:41:03 AM

I personally think the Magna WOULD benefit from cooler engine oil.

As Chad suggests using the VFR oil cooler would be an option. OR if anyone wanted to tackle the tast of making a deeper oil pan with more area and fins would also be of benefit.

With all this said, I have NEVER heard of a Magna engine grenading..

Chad in Michigan · August 07, 2011, 10:42:54 AM

here's some pics from one that dropped a valve on another forum I saw a few days ago. Not sure what caused ths, but he said there was a tick that he was told to ignore and then this happened:

http://v4musclebike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2038

"previous owner said when he took it to get serviced there was a slight ticking/tapping noise and they told him it was normal.. Apparently they were wrong. "

lragan · August 07, 2011, 12:45:59 PM

I like the idea, Hoot. In my opinion, it will cool better with airflow parallel to the fins, as it would be (well, if the motor case was not there to block it) in the Magna installation.

Nice thing is, you can take it off for winter riding, when colder oil is not a benefit.

lragan · August 07, 2011, 03:18:47 PM

I sent the inventor/manufacturer an e-mail with dimensions of the K&N filters I use. We shall see what he has to say about it.

hootmon · August 07, 2011, 04:29:23 PM

Quote from: lragan on August 07, 2011, 03:18:47 PM
I sent the inventor/manufacturer an e-mail with dimensions of the K&N filters I use. We shall see what he has to say about it.

Lawrence - would you think about removing the paint from the filter and putting some heat sink compound between the filter and heat sink?

TLRam1 · August 07, 2011, 04:53:11 PM

Concerning oil coolers in general, I just read a tech help article from someone who wrote in.

To summarize - if your oil cooler is working in a different location, not allowing your oil to heat up enough or in this case, needed.

Your oil needs to reach a temperature of at least 220 to vaporize any water in your oil, if your ride hard and your oil reaches say 280 degrees than cools back to 240-250 your cooler is working as it should or in this case you might not need to add a external cooler. In any case you want your oil in the sub 300 degree range.

His recommendation was to invest in a oil temp gauge, screw in type, and see how yours is doing.

The one you are looking at Hoot doesn't look like it would cool as well as a full blown cooler and may not affect the oil temp where it would be a concern.

lragan · August 07, 2011, 05:10:24 PM

Terry, that is precisely why I would (will?) remove it in the winter. I have little doubt that we can reach 220 degrees on a 105 degree day -- only a 115 degree rise.

It is not clear to me that the temperature has to remain at 220 or above -- just reach it long enough to boil off any water accumulation. If you run the engine every week to temperature, that should take care of it. Water will accumulate due to the crankcase "breathing" when the bike sits. It will depend on the relative humidity and the temperature shift during the day/night cycle, so it is not wise to make projections as to amounts, but a few minutes above boiling should do it unless it has been sitting for quite some time, it seems to me.

roboto65 · August 07, 2011, 05:37:37 PM

Ok Hijack time well sort of. I am baffled and I work on stuff trying to wrap my brain around an engine at say 180 degrees cooling system working right.

So here is the conundrum I have. What difference does it make weather it is 100 degrees and even 120 degrees outside it is not hotter than 180 so why should the temp rise because it is hotter

Your bike should not run hotter just because it is hotter than hell out which it is LOL just because it feels like a 180 it is not

Or am I just being stupid...

hootmon · August 07, 2011, 06:07:00 PM

Quote from: TLRam1 on August 07, 2011, 04:53:11 PM
Concerning oil coolers in general, I just read a tech help article from someone who wrote in.

To summarize - if your oil cooler is working in a different location, not allowing your oil to heat up enough or in this case, needed.

Your oil needs to reach a temperature of at least 220 to vaporize any water in your oil, if your ride hard and your oil reaches say 280 degrees than cools back to 240-250 your cooler is working as it should or in this case you might not need to add a external cooler. In any case you want your oil in the sub 300 degree range.

His recommendation was to invest in a oil temp gauge, screw in type, and see how yours is doing.

The one you are looking at Hoot doesn't look like it would cool as well as a full blown cooler and may not affect the oil temp where it would be a concern.

As said, I don't think it is highly necessary on an water cooled bike, but if it cools the oil temp 10-15 degrees during the summer months then it might be a good investment..
I don't really want to add a full blown oil cooler, the Radiator is ugly enough on it's own..
So,

hootmon · August 07, 2011, 06:17:12 PM

Quote from: roboto65 on August 07, 2011, 05:37:37 PM
Ok Hijack time well sort of. I am baffled and I work on stuff trying to wrap my brain around an engine at say 180 degrees cooling system working right.

So here is the conundrum I have. What difference does it make weather it is 100 degrees and even 120 degrees outside it is not hotter than 180 so why should the temp rise because it is hotter

Your bike should not run hotter just because it is hotter than hell out which it is LOL just because it feels like a 180 it is not

Or am I just being stupid...

I'll avoid the last question...

IF you can cool the oil some then the oil can absorb more heat (temperature differential) and cool the pistons and cylinder walls directly as well as the bearings etc.. It's not that the coolant can not do the job, but the heat has to get to the coolant by conductance through the block metal.
By cooling the oil, you have cooler oil circulating throughout the engine while the coolant system maintains the temperature at the cylinders for optimal performance.

AND Maybe the radiator will run a little less at the stop light and not blast the heat onto me!!!!

roboto65 · August 07, 2011, 06:48:56 PM

QuoteI'll avoid the last question...

L J VFR · August 07, 2011, 07:05:08 PM

I am a big fan of the oil cooler on my VFR. However, it does get in the way when changing front spark plugs.

lragan · August 07, 2011, 07:20:21 PM

Quote from: hootmon on August 07, 2011, 04:29:23 PM
]Lawrence - would you think about removing the paint from the filter and putting some heat sink compound between the filter and heat sink?

You will get a little better heat transfer as you suggest, Hoot, but my guess is it is not worth the extra effort.

Allen, your point is well taken on a liquid cooled engine with a thermostat that controls the temperature of the liquid. The crankcase is pretty well removed from the water jacket around the top of the engine, so it can get hotter in the summer, and maybe not as hot in the winter, as the thermostat setting. If there were no differential between the liquid temperature and the crankcase temperature, one could never boil the water out of the crankcase, and corrosion would be rampant, so I suspect the crankcase is hotter even in the winter.

Terry's point is that with a thermometer in the crankcase, one can tell what the heck is going on, and all this speculation will end. I presume they replace the dipstick? Where does one buy one, and how much do they cost?