how to install an oil cooler on a 1982 gs450

[klparriott]

Hello I am new to this forum and was wondering if anyone has or knows how to install an oil cooler on my 450. I am riding it from coast to coast in two weeks and think that some extra oil and keeping the temp down could help save the motor. I have a Jagg oil cooler sitting in front of me and any help would be appreciated. I am pretty handy with a wrench, I am just not sure where to tap for the oil lines to go and where to hook them up at. I haven't worked on this motor but have done a lot to the bike. Hope you like what i have done so far..
Before:

http://s1347.photobucket.com/user/klparriott/media/b44ad2f5-02c8-4da2-be53-6b0188d253a2_zpsff6eeee8.jpg.html

And after:

http://s1347.photobucket.com/user/klparriott/media/after2_zps8fca2710.jpg.html

And another after shot:

http://s1347.photobucket.com/user/klparriott/media/after_zps593bd053.jpg.html

[greg78gs750]

[pete]

The only oil cooler I've seen is over on the GS Twins forum and requires relocating the stock oil filter externally and redirecting the oil from there to a cooler.

I don't recall the details but it was quite ugly and I think the parts would come from the UK, so I doubt you'd see them in two weeks.

On our 450's you shouldn't need an oil cooler as long as you keep moving, idling for long periods is what will kill them. Keep airflow to the engine and you'll be fine.

Looking at your pic's, I'd be more concerned about jetting those carbs correctly first. Make sure you're not running lean as that will potentially cause pistons to hole rather than your oil getting too hot...

[gearhead13]

Let us know how the long ride goes

[slayer61]

You are gonna ride a hard tail coast to coast and you're worried about oil temp? I would think you would have greater pains in the ass than oil temperature!

[klparriott]

oil cooler info

Thank you for the info. I could not find anything on installing and oil cooler because it just is not done or done ugly I suppose. On jetting I believe that we have her running in a pretty good spot running a 37.5 pilot jet and 137.5 main. Shimmed the needle with two 3mm washers, seems to have good power all the way through with no flat spots. I Was thinking of going up one more on the main. It would be better to run a little fat then skinny correct? I know now that I should have built around the stock air box but to late now. If you have ran pod filters on this bike and have any info it would be much appreciated. We well be trying to run her at 70 mph the hole way. Have geared her one up in the front and three down in the rear. In sixth she seems to cruz pretty well. So I am trying to gather as much info as I can on this little scooter so we can keep her alive as we ride her through hell.

[Big Rich]

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=207055

Here's a ton of jetting info for you.

If you REALLY want to take the easy way out on adding an oil cooler, look at the 2002+ GS500 motor. The bottom end works with the GS450 top end, and has a stock oil cooler already.

[bwanna]

Thought I'd resurrect this topic:

I have an 82 GS450T and do a fair amount of city commuting with it, so am concerned about keeping the oil cool.

The trick to adding JUST an oil cooler on this bike SEEMS to be in tapping the correct location so that oil is pressured to flow through the cooler. I'm considering using something easy like the GS550 oil coolers that are readily available.

On close examination I've come up with a few tap points to consider.
1. Oil Filter cover OFF-CENTER location (this way the Stock filter won't be bypassed)
2. Right side engine cover Drain Plug
3. Oil Pan drain plug (Stock location)
4. Oil Pan - new location: drill a hole under one of the two areas that's under the oil filter through holes.

For the sending, I'm thinking that the Oil Filter cover tap would provide enough oil pressure to pump through the cooler.

For the return, the side engine cover drain plug would seem to be a good location to send the oil back into the engine.

The GS550 Filter would fit great between the rails just in front of and slightly above the oil filter location.

Anyone have thoughts on these tap points? Better locations?

[pete]

The only thing I really have to add is that the side cover plug under the ignition cover isn't for draining, it's to test the oil pressure, so I would say that would be a sending option not a return option...

[tkent02]

Has anyone on the planet ever had a 450 engine have a problem due to high oil temperatures other than some form of racing or siting at idle for a half hour or so?

[bwanna]

The only thing I really have to add is that the side cover plug under the ignition cover isn't for draining, it's to test the oil pressure, so I would say that would be a sending option not a return option...

I wonder if that would work well then with the Oil Filter Cover offcenter tap? since that's the downstream area in the oil filter compartment.

[bwanna]

I ordered an oil filter cover and will experiment tapping that and connecting it to the side oil plug. I was already working on connecting an oil pressure gauge to that anyway.

With this arrangement I'll test if there's a pressured flow in one direction. If so, then I could easily hook that up to a GS550 cooler.

[GregT]

i wouldn't do it....the reason for a remote filter is because you have to take a line out of the oil filter cavity to the cooler - then feed it back into the circuit - and you can't do it with the stock filter.
I really don't see a need for one either.

[bwringer]

This whole thing is insane -- why solve a problem that doesn't exist?


In any case, as noted above, parts from a later model GS500 would probably be the way to go. You'd need the oil pan, lines, cooler, and possibly the oil filter cover. The oil pan had extra passages and fittings for the oil cooler.

These GS500 models only needed the cooler because for some silly reason Suzuki went to a full fairing on these models (sort of a mini-'busa thing) and jetted them stupidly, crazy lean.

Not sure what years went to the tupperware (2005+, maybe?), but a trip to the fiches would answer that.

With an engine out in the airflow and reasonable jetting, it's silly to add more potential failure points.

[scrapper]

Why not just add a cooling fan to the front? It would help get rid of a problem that you dont have ? I guess