Oil cooler

[mbarr10]

Many times the Inference of written words is subject to the wrong interpretation.
My Mistake. My Apologies.

[UNCLE WILLIE]

for average riders i think an oil cooler on a WATER cooled engine is a waste --- the oil temp will be CLOSE to the water temp -- oil needs to be hot enough to boil off any moisture that naturally accumilates in the crankcase and that should be around 200* or more
water temp should be controlled by the thermostat but what i have experienced is the radiators arent able to transfer enough heat in warm weather to let that happen -- as a result the radiator controlls the upper limit of the temp because it dont cool the returning water enough to let the t-stat close an do its job -- so the engine temp keeps climbing - in turn the oil temp does too -- as long as the temp stays within the factory limits as shown on the temp guage and in the service manual it should be ok but most of us dont like it and start looking to make things better -- so oil coolers and air flow improvements are considered -- for the 1700 ivan has helped a lot with cooling but more can be done with air flow improvements -- also look at coolant strength -- most think u gotta have 50/50 but that isnt true - less coolant will cool better - im using 30% coolant 70% distilled water and have been over 30 years in 2 water cooled bikes with no problems -- most of us dont need freeze protection to 34*below and 30% still provides aluminum parts protection and good to @o* - dont have the exact figuers but most a-f bottles have a chart on them

[mbarr10]

also look at coolant strength -- most think u gotta have 50/50 but that isnt true - less coolant will cool better

I always wondered about that. But I thought it was the boiling points that were the advantage. What is it that makes it cool better? Does water disperse heat better?

[mike07nad]

Originally Posted by mbarr10

I always wondered about that. But I thought it was the boiling points that were the advantage. What is it that makes it cool better? Does water disperse heat better?

If I remember reading the "Hype" advertisement for Water Wetter - That somehow this magic potion allows the water molecules to have a greater surface area (or something like that). Also that is works better with Plain water than it does with Anti-freeze.

I was always under the impression that the anti-freeze did just that - Keeps the water in your cooling system from freezing and expanding thus breaking your engine when it expands. I also thought that the Anti-freeze had a Higher Boiling point than plain ole water, which allowed you to run a higher temp before boil over. (Then you add in all the Closed pressurized system stuff and it all works as it should (most of the time).

I have used Water Wetter with the 50/50 premixed stuff and had good luck. I'm currently running Engine Ice. I did not see much of a reduction in temp on the the Voyager gauge. I'll probably go back to Anti-Freeze and Water wetter next time.

I'm kind of a "If you always use the same thing, you never know if there is something better out there" guy.

[mike07nad]

Originally Posted by mbarr10

Many times the Inference of written words is subject to the wrong interpretation.
My Mistake. My Apologies.

May we all continue the Conversations, Banter and such and learn from each other. So much knowledge on these forums. I'm so glad Al Gore invented the internet.

[UNCLE WILLIE]

before anti-freeze some people used alcohol in winter but it evaporates quick and did not offer protection for aluminum parts when they came into production

the only explination i have on water wetter etc. is that it has less surface tension so it absorbs heat better than plain water -- currently i have the recommended amount in my 1700 -- that was the first thing i did to it but could not see any diff nor did it help cool my hot Yamaha

engineers no that hot engines [within reason] have cleaner emissions -- EPA jumped in in the early 70s and got us where we are now - hot and lean -
ok water boils at 212* sea level and cannot store any more BTUs cause it turns to steam and is gone -- add pressure and the temp rises to ??? * depending on amount of pressure and stores more BTUs read on temp gauge

a/f coolant at 50/50 boils at 265* and wont freeze until below -34*F so it is the recommended mix for USA -- in the car industry we no its acceptable to use a stronger mix way up north and weaker way south -- the older a/f bottles had a chart on the back to help u decide how much to use --my shell brand says no less than 33%or more than 66% using a 15 PSI rad cap -- using less or more press. cap would alter the boiling point --- ethylene/glycol does not cool as good as pure water -- have seen cars with small radiators and excessive a/f mix run higher temps down here in the south where i live and used to work so if u have a bike with a marginal size rad it helps to go with a 30% coolant mix but how much it helps i do not no -- i do not remember the diff between plain water and coolant mix boiling point when under pressure and think u would have to have a very sensitive gauge to see any diff -- maybe someone will comment on it before i find out---1 part coolant - 2 part water = 33% safe to 0*F -- not sure of boil point - think @240*---

found chart on internet -- looks like clean water boils at @ 252 with 15 psi --- 30% mix 260* --- 50% mix 275*
all a/f is not the same and all colors not same --- should use the type recomended by manufactuer