Oil Cooler Bypass?

[lhanscom]

Has anybody ever put some kind of bypass valve on the oil cooler circuit? Living in Maine, in the summer it's great to have the cooler, but during the rest of the year it never heats up. Any thoughts?

[Billy Ricks]

Your bike already has a plunger to control that. It only allows oil to reach the cooler when needed.

[jpaul]

I have the same problem with my GS1100 here in northern Ohio. I think that the easiest solution is to make a cover for the oil cooler.

[Anonymous]

Your bike already has a plunger to control that. It only allows oil to reach the cooler when needed.

Say Billy
Your comment was an eye opener for me. What bikes had that device on them???

[lhanscom]

Your bike already has a plunger to control that. It only allows oil to reach the cooler when needed.

Where is that located? Is it something you can see, or is it buried in the engine somewhere? Are there other ways of helping things to warm up in the cold air? Thanks!

[Billy Ricks]

Say Billy
Your comment was an eye opener for me. What bikes had that device on them???

The '83 and up 700/750's for sure. I couldn't say about other models.

Where is that located? Is it something you can see, or is it buried in the engine somewhere? Are there other ways of helping things to warm up in the cold air? Thanks!

There are actually two of these controls located in the oil pan area of the crankcase. One controls flow to the oil cooler based on oil temperature and the other controls the spray of oil that goes to the underside of the pistons and cylinder walls to help cool those. The spray of oil was incorporated into the air-cooled GSX-R's and was called SACS on the Gixxers. SACS stand for Suzuki's Advanced Cooling System. The '83 up GS 700/750's also shared another thing in common with the early Gixxers that was part of SACS. Extra oil volume was pumped across the topside of the combustion chambers on the exhaust side to help cope with the high temps.

About the only thing you can do to help with warm up is to get off the choke as quickly as you can.

[Anonymous]

Is it possible to switch oil filter covers to turn off the cooler?

[lhanscom]

Not with my bike, the oil cooler does not come off of the cover. I would think you could do it with your 1100 though.

[Anonymous]

i made a cover for my oil cooler- it looked so sloppy i took it off--i had a valve in one of the lines but the valve would weep--so thats gone. if i remember, on the next oil change i'm going to drop a slug in the oil return line. Mine is a home made setup that has flexable lines and clamps. Even in florida it runs too cool in the winter. I switched back to dyno oil for the winter just to get the engine to warm up a litle more.

[saaz]

A cover is the easiest solution.

You can buy oil thermostats that can be put in between the cooler and the oil lines. Permacool makes one (transmission and cooler specialst in the US)

[Anonymous]

This was gone into in some detail for the gs1100.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=5565&highlight=oil+cooler

[Jeff Tate]

I've had the idea of having someone handy with leather craft tools make me a slip on cover with heavy duty snaps.

[saaz]

Probably simpler, particularly if you have an oil temp guage. I had a lockhart thermostat on my cooler (since the mid 80s) but more recently it stopped working. I would perfer changing the oil more often after winter than running too hot.

[Anonymous]

I've had the idea of having someone handy with leather craft tools make me a slip on cover with heavy duty snaps.

My budy with the harley had a leather cover for his oil cooler. It looks good also.