Opinion on oil Filter cooler

Jigger · August 22, 2011, 02:58:01 AM

Looking at the picture is it possiable that the fins might be bottoming out on the filter houseing. What happens if you slid it forward a little ?

Lurkin · August 22, 2011, 09:26:01 AM

Looks like the fins might end up wearing into the coolant hose/coil. Maybe that's how the filter gets cooled

hootmon · August 22, 2011, 09:43:44 AM

Quote from: Jigger on August 22, 2011, 02:58:01 AM
Looking at the picture is it possiable that the fins might be bottoming out on the filter houseing. What happens if you slid it forward a little ?

That was might thoght that the cooler might be sitting on the roll over seal at the bottom of the filter.

lragan · August 22, 2011, 04:46:00 PM

Your points are well taken --

1) I will make sure that the rolled lip at the engine end of the filter is not covered -- but I am pretty sure that it is not.

2) The coiled wire around the bottom radiator hose may touch the fins -- and eventually wear through -- but the hose rubber does not.

3) The gaps are due to the out-of-round condition of the device. It is too stiff to be pulled against the filter all the way around the filter. It touches at two points only -- picture an ellipse around a circle, even though the shape is not truly elliptical, being open at one end.

I will probably remove the device, take it into the shop where I have a spare filter, and see if I can bend, push, squeeze, hammer, or otherwise persuade it into a more circular shape. If not, it will go on the "trophy shelf" of wasted time and money.

I wish this shelf was empty, but unfortunately it is very well populated, mostly with more expensive foibles...

hootmon · August 22, 2011, 05:30:52 PM

A little heat in the process might help as well...

Jigger · August 22, 2011, 05:55:00 PM

If you take something like a hack saw or Drummel grinder and made several shallows scores to the inside. It will allow a little more flexability but be abl to retain it's strength.

Gloveberg · August 22, 2011, 08:27:10 PM

Quote from: lragan on August 22, 2011, 04:46:00 PM
If not, it will go on the "trophy shelf" of wasted time and money.

I wish this shelf was empty, but unfortunately it is very well populated, mostly with more expensive foibles...

I think we all have that shelf (or two) Lawrence

hootmon · August 22, 2011, 09:20:23 PM

Quote from: Gloveberg on August 22, 2011, 08:27:10 PM

I think we all have that shelf (or two) Lawrence

Not me.. I have no shelf...

Wait a minute..
now that I think of it..
I think I had a couple shelves when I bought the house..
Hummm. I wonder where those went??
I guess I'll have to go back and see If I can find those over the week-end!!

Lurkin · August 23, 2011, 08:52:30 AM

Quote from: Gloveberg on August 22, 2011, 08:27:10 PM
Quote from: lragan on August 22, 2011, 04:46:00 PM
If not, it will go on the "trophy shelf" of wasted time and money.

I wish this shelf was empty, but unfortunately it is very well populated, mostly with more expensive foibles...

I think we all have that shelf (or two) Lawrence

Not me, I'll try something and if it doesn't work I find a forum where, or avenue to, "lesser informed" souls exist, and sell it to them.

Jumbobret · August 25, 2011, 04:53:53 PM

How about the best of three worlds. Cooler, filter, last one one you'll ever buy?!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CBR-VTX-ST-VT-600-900-1000-1300-1800-Oil-Filter-/150652490930?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23139694b2

lragan · August 25, 2011, 05:01:22 PM

Quote from: Jumbobret on August 25, 2011, 04:53:53 PM
How about the best of three worlds. Cooler, filter, last one one you'll ever buy?!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CBR-VTX-ST-VT-600-900-1000-1300-1800-Oil-Filter-/150652490930?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23139694b2

If I read this right, it does not fit 3rd gen Magnas...

guywheatley · August 25, 2011, 05:47:52 PM

QuoteGL 1500 Valkyrie 97-03

It says it will fit the Valkyrie, and that uses the same oil filter as the VF750 3rd GEN.

roboto65 · August 25, 2011, 06:27:31 PM

http://www.kandpengineering.com/S1.shtml

Yep it will fit the Magna and these people made them first LOL cheaper on Fleabay for sure.

Jerry G Turner · August 25, 2011, 07:41:28 PM

Lawrence you need to buy one if it doesn't work out you always have that shelf that you can but it on. lol

lragan · August 29, 2011, 05:33:45 PM

Progress report:

I have a bending jig, and one of the mandrels is approximately the same diameter as the oil filter ( a tad smaller). The mandrel consists of a steel cylinder with about a 3/4" hole in the center. Solid steel, for the purposes of this experiment. With a deadblow (brass) hammer and this mandrel, I was able to force the aluminum extrusion into "round" shape -- pretty close.

Without buying an oil temperature gauge, I was limited to an infrared measurement device which the wife uses to temper chocolate. The experiments were run with the bike in the trailer, all doors open. I took the "temperature" at the center of the oil filter. I was careful to hold the infrared absorption meter (calibrated as a thermometer) the same distance from the end of the filter in all cases. The device has a laser pointer built in, so it can be repeatedly centered. (The laser is a little misleading, since the field of view of the IR sensor is necessarily much wider than the laser dot implies, in case you use one of these devices.)

Yesterday, I measured the following, without the "cooler":

Before starting: 93.1 deg F
After 10 min idle: 135.7 deg F --> net temperature rise 42.6 deg F

Today, I repeated the experiment with the "cooler" installed -- including a bit of thermal grease I bought at Best Buy (not recommended because of price, but I had a credit there, so what the heck?)

Before starting: 101.3 deg F
After 10 min idle: 140.6 deg F --> net temperature rise of 39.3 deg F

These results are not at all conclusive, in that the starting temperatures were different.

The fan did not come on either day. I wonder...

I ran the other bike in the same trailer today, and actually got a lower overall temperature rise over ten minutes, without any aluminum fins on the filter:

Before starting: 101.8 deg F
After 10 min: 139.3 deg F --> temperature rise of 38.5 degrees However, the fan was running on this engine after 10 minutes idle. I did not notice if the fan came on when I started the engine.

Conclusion: When stationary, the "cooler" doesn't do much, if anything. It doesn't appear to make matters worse, so I think I will leave it installed until winter arrives. It may help some with air flow, I don't know.

Bottom line: (Still!!) Don't waste your money.

By the way, does anyone know what water temperature is supposed to activate the fan? I could not find numbers in either the Magna specific manual or the Honda shop manual. I did check that the fuse is intact, but have not done any more measuring of voltages into the temperature switch or into the fan. It is just too hot to fool with. Temperature here yesterday was 112 F! Reminds me of the summer of 1980, which I had hoped to completely forget.