XR650L: Spud's Oil Cooler

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by Lane_N

That looks great Spud! What kind of oil temperatures are you observing now under operating conditions?

On my 110-mile test ride I traveled on the freeway, gravel roads, and paved, secondary roads. My engine oil temperatures were usually running 170-210 degrees, Fahrenheit. I rode at 75-80 mph for 26 miles on the interstate. At the end of that ride my engine oil reached a high temperature of 258 degrees. I backed off the throttle to 65 mph for the last 3 miles before my exit, and the oil temperature dropped to 250 degrees before I exited the freeway. Once off the freeway, the oil temperatures quickly returned to lower levels. If you turn off the engine, the oil temperature cools rapidly. If necessary, I plan to cut out the drilled portion of my front fender, and install aluminum hardware mesh to increase airflow to the oil cooler. However, I will wait for warmer weather to see if this is necessary.

Spud

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by elsalvadorklr

damn goo job man!

I need to do something like this too...

is that temp reading you took right after shut down after or during the ride and what kind of riding was it?

cheers

Thank you Christian. That photograph was taken immediately after I returned home, and stopped the bike at the end of a long ride.

Spud

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by XRider

Very nice!

Thank you, XRider.

Spud

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by Onederer

You have designed in too many points for potential oil leaks, rattles and front suspension interference.

The fender is that close to the frame to allow room for the tire under it during full compression, lowering the fender may allow the tire to contact it, which depends on the tire used. No matter what type of material the strap at the top is, the bracket will most likely vibrate against the frame. For what you paid for all the fittings, you could have bought an inexpensive tubing bender and some tubing, requiring only four short pieces of hose and eight clamps to connect it all. You would still need a double flaring kit, but maybe you could borrow one because that would be expensive for a one time use. The way you mounted the cooler, you have blocked 1/3 of the direct air flow.

The first attempt is often not successful. You made your first attempt, but it is not worth praise, keep trying.

You are correct about potential problems with full fork compression, and I'm glad you mentioned this. While designing this oil cooler I realized the front wheel would strike the oil cooler with full compression of the forks. However, I don't ride hard enough to fully compress the forks on my XR650L, so I reckoned this scenario would not be a problem for me. If I were going to jump the motorcycle, et cetera, I would not have installed my oil cooler in this location.

My oil cooler installation is quite solid, and doesn't rattle. However, the installation does have enough flexibility to absorb vibration from riding. The 3/8-inch elbows have 4 hose barbs on each end, so I am confident they will not leak. I seem to be getting sufficient airflow from my drilled fender. However, I plan to cut a window in the fender, and install wire mesh if it is necessary to increase airflow.

I'm still experimenting with this installation, so I appreciate all constructive input. If I encounter any problems with my current configuration of this oil cooler, I will be certainly report them.

Spud

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by techforlife

Holy smokes Spud.....did ya buy stock in a hose clamp factory


Kiddin.........looks quite decent.........how are your clearances when the wheel is turned full left/right........and hows the clearance for the fender and wheel at full compression??????????????

If that checks out it looks good to me...i still like Marks cooler though.........but this is definately cheaper.

Hey.i started a rebuild thread if you`re interested...read along,,,i have a few issues so far..but what doesn`t when you gut something completely apart........

Good job.....know how about a good stereo install.....i`d love to have tunes on my bike going through the woods


B

I can't fool you, Brian! I invested in hose clamp stock just before I started this project.

I mounted the oil cooler as high as possible while still maintaining good clearance with the forks when turned to full lock at both left, and right positions. Here are a few photographs to show the full lock, fork positions.















I don't doubt the wheel would contact the oil cooler with full fork compression. However, I don't ride the bike hard enough for that scenario to concern me. If I jumped the bike, or even came close to using full fork compression, I would not have mounted my oil cooler in this location.

I haven't measured for clearance of the oil cooler with full fork compression. However, the doctored photograph below simulates the amount of fork travel available before the wheel impacts the oil cooler. Incidentally, my front fender is now in a different position than the one shown in the photograph.



If I pushed my "piggie" this hard, I certainly wouldn't consider mounting my oil cooler in its present location. However, I plan to ride my KDX220 in the nastier terrain, so I wanted to install an oil cooler for sustained, high engine rpms while riding on the freeway. I am confident I have enough fork travel available for the off road riding I have now reserved for my XR650L.

During the design process for this oil cooler I conferred with my friend Andy, who is an experienced trail rider, and an experienced mechanic of 30 years. I have ridden with him a lot, and he doesn't think I will ever hit the oil cooler with my front wheel. He is also convinced this design is durable, and will not fail me. However, only time will tell. I will be sure to report any problems I encounter with this design.

P.S. Thank you for the kind words. I will certainly check out your rebuild thread!

Spud

[ThumpnRed]

Originally Posted by Spud Rider

I can't fool you, Brian! I invested in hose clamp stock just before I started this project.

I mounted the oil cooler as high as possible while still maintaining good clearance with the forks when turned to full lock at both left, and right positions. Here are a few photographs to show the full lock, fork positions.















I don't doubt the wheel would contact the oil cooler with full fork compression. However, I don't ride the bike hard enough for that scenario to concern me. If I jumped the bike, or even came close to using full fork compression, I would not have mounted my oil cooler in this location.

I haven't measured for clearance of the oil cooler with full fork compression. However, the doctored photograph below simulates the amount of fork travel available before the wheel impacts the oil cooler. Incidentally, my front fender is now in a different position than the one shown in the photograph.



If I pushed my "piggie" this hard, I certainly wouldn't consider mounting my oil cooler in its present location. However, I plan to ride my KDX220 in the nastier terrain, so I wanted to install an oil cooler for sustained, high engine rpms while riding on the freeway. I am confident I have enough fork travel available for the off road riding I have now reserved for my XR650L.

During the design process for this oil cooler I conferred with my friend Andy, who is an experienced trail rider, and an experienced mechanic of 30 years. I have ridden with him a lot, and he doesn't think I will ever hit the oil cooler with my front wheel. He is also convinced this design is durable, and will not fail me. However, only time will tell. I will be sure to report any problems I encounter with this design.

P.S. Thank you for the kind words. I will certainly check out your rebuild thread!

Spud

It's easy to see if it will hit. Pull the top caps off the forks and push the wheel up. I am not convinced that it will hit.

[techforlife]

Originally Posted by Spud Rider

I can't fool you, Brian! I invested in hose clamp stock just before I started this project.

I mounted the oil cooler as high as possible while still maintaining good clearance with the forks when turned to full lock at both left, and right positions. Here are a few photographs to show the full lock, fork positions.














I don't doubt the wheel would contact the oil cooler with full fork compression. However, I don't ride the bike hard enough for that scenario to concern me. If I jumped the bike, or even came close to using full fork compression, I would not have mounted my oil cooler in this location.

I haven't measured for clearance of the oil cooler with full fork compression. However, the doctored photograph below simulates the amount of fork travel available before the wheel impacts the oil cooler. Incidentally, my front fender is now in a different position than the one shown in the photograph.



If I pushed my "piggie" this hard, I certainly wouldn't consider mounting my oil cooler in its present location. However, I plan to ride my KDX220 in the nastier terrain, so I wanted to install an oil cooler for sustained, high engine rpms while riding on the freeway. I am confident I have enough fork travel available for the off road riding I have now reserved for my XR650L.

During the design process for this oil cooler I conferred with my friend Andy, who is an experienced trail rider, and an experienced mechanic of 30 years. I have ridden with him a lot, and he doesn't think I will ever hit the oil cooler with my front wheel. He is also convinced this design is durable, and will not fail me. However, only time will tell. I will be sure to report any problems I encounter with this design.

P.S. Thank you for the kind words. I will certainly check out your rebuild thread!

Spud

I`m just concerned that if you hit the brake hard while in a dip in the road that the tire may contact the fender or cooler and launch your butt over the bars when the tire stops turning........so don`t be posting pics of you squished against tree....don`t wanna see you get hurt bud

Otherwise it looks sturdy enough..but i`d paint the hose clamps black,,it`d blend in better,,the ones Mark provided were black,,not as noticeable...


B

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by techforlife

I`m just concerned that if you hit the brake hard while in a dip in the road that the tire may contact the fender or cooler and launch your butt over the bars when the tire stops turning........so don`t be posting pics of you squished against tree....don`t wanna see you get hurt bud

Otherwise it looks sturdy enough..but i`d paint the hose clamps black,,it`d blend in better,,the ones Mark provided were black,,not as noticeable...


B

I hope I didn't sound defensive; that was not my intention. I appreciate you feedback, and your concern, Brian. I might do as Red suggested, and pop the caps off the forks as an experiment.

Incidentally, I agree with you regarding the Sutton oil cooler. Mark's oil cooler is not only very functional, it is a work of art. Mark's oil cooler is also, obviously, a labor of love. I doubt Mark makes more than $0.25/hour fabricating all the parts for his excellent oil cooler.

Spud

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by purpledrake

Hey Spud,

Once again, you show your resourcefulness, and ability to keep us all in awe. Very good work.

I have two questions.

First, what problems (overheating) did you encounter that led you to add an oil cooler? I am guessing that the high Idaho desert in the summertime causes problems, but what were they?

The second question regards the placement of the new oil cooler, and access to the spark plug. I don't know about you, but I can barely get my hand in there right now--have you tried to remove the plug since you installed the cooler?

PD

I haven't had any overheating problems yet, PD. I'm trying to prevent problems. I can tell the oil gets mighty hot inside these engines, and I decided adding an oil cooler was a good idea, since I removed the stock air scoops when I installed my aftermarket fuel tank. Also, I wanted to be able to monitor the oil temperature with the digital, TTO temperature gauge. Now, if the oil temperature rises too high, I can at least back off the power, or stop the engine until it cools down.

Removing the spark plug is not any more difficult after installing my oil cooler. My oil hoses are all routed away from the spark plug, so they do not hinder access to it.

Spud

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by elsalvadorklr

...again spud congrats hope the cooler lasts and it looks like it works well so far...maybe just add a littel protection to the pipes and hoses so they dont get snagged?

cheers

Thank you, Christian.

The oil hoses are located behind the forks, and well inside the outside edge of the fuel tank. In fact, the oil lines are located just about even with the edge of the engine cylinder. Therefore, I think the hoses are well protected. However, I will report any problems I might encounter.

Spud

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by ThumpnRed

It's easy to see if it will hit. Pull the top caps off the forks and push the wheel up. I am not convinced that it will hit.

Thanks for the tip, Red. I haven't changed my fork oil yet. How difficult would it be to get the caps back on if I made a quick check in this manner?

A while back someone posted a photograph of his bike with the forks fully compressed after a jump. One can't always tell from photographs, but it sure looked as if the wheel would hit my oil cooler in a similar situation.

Spud

[beechum1]

Originally Posted by Spud Rider

On my 110-mile test ride I traveled on the freeway, gravel roads, and paved, secondary roads. My engine oil temperatures were usually running 170-210 degrees, Fahrenheit. I rode at 75-80 mph for 26 miles on the interstate. At the end of that ride my engine oil reached a high temperature of 258 degrees. I backed off the throttle to 65 mph for the last 3 miles before my exit, and the oil temperature dropped to 250 degrees before I exited the freeway. Once off the freeway, the oil temperatures quickly returned to lower levels. If you turn off the engine, the oil temperature cools rapidly. If necessary, I plan to cut out the drilled portion of my front fender, and install aluminum hardware mesh to increase airflow to the oil cooler. However, I will wait for warmer weather to see if this is necessary.

Spud

258degF AFTER the oil cooler?? (looking at the pics) that doesn't sound right....

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by beechum1

258degF AFTER the oil cooler?? (looking at the pics) that doesn't sound right....

Yes, at the end of 26-mile, full throttle run on the freeway, my oil temperature slowly rose to 258 degrees. I backed off the throttle to 65 mph, and the oil temperatures kept dropping for 3 miles. Then I turned off my exit, and the freeway experiment was over.

Please note, I intentionally installed my temperature probe in the oil line closest to the engine, before the oil enters my oil cooler.



I placed the probe in this location in order to get a reading as close as possible to the temperature of the oil inside the engine. In contrast, the XRs Only temperature gauge is located in the oil reservoir, which probably contains the coolest oil in the system.

If someone will loan me an XRs Only temperature gauge, I will be glad to compare the temperatures simultaneously, at both locations. I would return the XRs Only temperature gauge after a few days of experimentation.

Spud

[Spud Rider]

As I said earlier, I suspect the front wheel might hit the oil cooler with full compression of the forks. This is a valid concern, so I want to provide some additional information. I have installed a lowering link, and raised my forks 1-inch in the triple tree. I don't know how much free sag I have with my current forks. The doctored photograph below shows approximately how much the front wheel can travel before it impacts the oil cooler on my lowered motorcycle.



I think I can raise the oil cooler about an inch, if necessary. I can also trim the rear of the fender so the wheel will not grab it long before it would impact the fender. When I get a chance, I will lift the front wheel and see how much free sag I have in my forks.

Spud

[KyoXR]

Good job Spud!

we need more fabricators out there doing stuff like this!

don't let the nay-Sayers get you down,(from reading several different forums)

also on a side note,I keep reading about how bad it would be if you got mud on your cooler (from several different forums)...um...the oil will still be cooler then without a oil cooler...to think that somehow getting mud on your oil cooler will make it hotter then running no cooler at all just doesn't make sense.