Oil cooler hose routing!

[rcarteraz@hotmail.co]

Hi, just wanted to get some expertise on an oil cooler. I have a 1981 GS850G that I want to install an oil cooler on. The adapter I purchased replaces the oil sending unit housing under the carbs. You can route the lines either-up and over the top of the engine or go underneath the engine strapping the lines to the frame. Going underneath would make better sense putting everything out in the air for better cooling. My question, will the extra length of hose drop the oil pressure which would hurt the engine? We are only talking an extra foot routing the hoses under the engine. Any help would be appreciated. Riley

[Macmatic]

The length of the hose shouldn't have any effect on the pressure. Ok.... physics major, it will have SOME effect but I doubt you could measure it.

Once you get it installed try filling the cooler with oil before you put on the hose fitting and if it were me I'd crank the engine over by hand or with the plugs out to get the lines filled with oil...

Now that I think about it maybe running the lines under the engine would help in the long run. If the system doesn't have a check valve I could see oil tending to drain out of the hoses over time when the bike it sitting and giving you a second or two of lower oil pressure at startup. Repeat that a few hundred times and it might matter.

My $.02
/\/\ac

[renobruce]

I just finished installing an oil cooler on my 1000. I went over the top of the engine. I experimented a bit with routing under the engine, but I couldn't get it to look right... looked like a cheap add-on. Your bike might be a bit different as far as where you could route. I don't think routing under would cause any pressure problems. I might worry a little about the possibility of the hoses chaffing after time and getting exposed to dirt and road grime. I do know that these bikes' oil pump moves alot of volume. I can see the hoses "flex" when I give it some throttle

With the right fittings, the hoses will route between carbs 1-2 and 3-4 and hook up without any kinks. Here's a few pics of how mine turned out. I am very pleased. It looks professional, I think.

I used 3/8" SS flex fuel line and hose clamps with aluminum covers



Two 90 degree "L's" with an extension on the right side


Down between the carbs..

[renobruce]

Also, I ended up needing a total of 4 2/3 quarts of oil to compensate for the cooler and lines.

[focus frenzy]

my lines run down the back to the frame and follow the frame up to the cooler, supply line follows the left frame tube, return comes down the right.

this is a vintage Deral oil cooler that was on the bike when I got it 5 years ago with just under 100,000 miles on it and it now has 146K miles on it.

so I think I can safely say it works just fine. this fall I changed out the original Deral hoses as I was a bit concerned about the age of the lines. (bit hard but still in good shape after a close inspection.

when you first put it on it will take a healthy amount of oil to fill it up the first time, but due to the way the GS oil system works, you don't have to worry about the cooler draining back down. when I changed the lines on mine the cooler was full of oil and my bike had not been ridden (bad me) for three days.

[RobGS850L]

Uuuhhhh... Bruce. I think I spotted a speck of dirt. You think we could get that cleaned up? :P 8)

[focus frenzy]

Uuuhhhh... Bruce. I think I spotted a speck of dirt. You think we could get that cleaned up? :P 8)

ooo yea, you got me looking also, ick look at that crusty frayed wire for the oil pressure switch!!! JK!!

what exhaust system is that Bruce??

[renobruce]

Uuuhhhh... Bruce. I think I spotted a speck of dirt. You think we could get that cleaned up? :P 8)

ooo yea, you got me looking also, ick look at that crusty frayed wire for the oil pressure switch!!! JK!!

what exhaust system is that Bruce??

EEWWW, your right!! I'm on it!!! Actually, what you see is the cloth-like wire loom that protects the wire from heat. I'll put a small piece of heat shrink on the end there and make it purdy 8)

[renobruce]

what exhaust system is that Bruce??

It's a Vance & Hines 4-1 Megaphone.

[duaneage]

Bruce looks for every opportunity to show hi res full frame pics of tht baby. Ask him what the license plate holder is mounted with and the pipes are going to be in the picture.

[thor2k]

What model?

Quite nice install. What mfg/model is the cooler?

JH

I just finished installing an oil cooler on my 1000. I went over the top of the engine. I experimented a bit with routing under the engine, but I couldn't get it to look right... looked like a cheap add-on. Your bike might be a bit different as far as where you could route. I don't think routing under would cause any pressure problems. I might worry a little about the possibility of the hoses chaffing after time and getting exposed to dirt and road grime. I do know that these bikes' oil pump moves alot of volume. I can see the hoses "flex" when I give it some throttle

With the right fittings, the hoses will route between carbs 1-2 and 3-4 and hook up without any kinks. Here's a few pics of how mine turned out. I am very pleased. It looks professional, I think.

I used 3/8" SS flex fuel line and hose clamps with aluminum covers



Two 90 degree "L's" with an extension on the right side


Down between the carbs..

[Jethro]

I guess I'm lucky to have an 1100E that had provisions for the addition of an oil cooler.

[renobruce]

Re: What model?

Quite nice install. What mfg/model is the cooler?

JH

It's a Lockhart. Got it from a fellow GSR member, brand new. I don't think they make them anymore. This one had all the proper mounting plates to work for my bike, which was VERY nice. Just bolted it right on to the existing pre-tapped holes in the frame. You can look at the website www.lockhartphillips.com All I saw was coolers for Harleys, but maybe you can contact them to see if they make anything for your bike, or maybe one of the harley ones would work. They look very similar.

[focus frenzy]

oil coolers are easy to get, its the adapter than mounts on the engine and has the provision for the pressure switch thats difficult to find.