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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Topic started on 04/14/2012 at 11:57:54 PM
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For a while I have been considering different options to install an inexpensive, well-protected oil cooler for my XR650L. I finally decided to experiment with one of the Long/Tru Cool, power steering coolers sold by Baker Precision.
Because I wished to keep the oil lines feeding the cooler well protected, and as short as possible, I decided to purchase the 4"x4"x3/4", small, power steering cooler, which sells for $29.95. After considering a side mount, I finally decided to mount the oil cooler on the bike’s downtube, as high as possible, directly behind the front fender.
I constructed a frame for the oil cooler from 3/4"x3/4”, aluminum angle stock, and 3/4”, aluminum bar stock I purchased from Home Depot. I bolted the oil cooler to the angle stock, and completed the cooler’s frame by bolting two cross pieces of 3/4” bar stock.
I mounted the bottom of the cooler to the frame with two, 1/4”x2” bolts, and a short piece of aluminum behind the downtube. I attached the top of the oil cooler to the frame with a plastic zip tie, which I intend to replace with a steel cable tie.
 
Spud  |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/15/2012 at 12:10:26 AM
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I purchased SAE J1019, transmission oil hose from a local CarQuest store. I ordered five, 90-degree, brass hose barbs from a local hose supply shop. Since I wanted to install a Trail Tech, TTO Temperature Gauge, I also bought some brass fittings from Fastenal. Most of these fittings are also available at many auto supply stores.
I cut the external oil pipe just above the rubber grommet on the frame, and plumbed the oil line into the bottom of my oil cooler as shown in the photographs below. I plumbed the top line from the oil cooler into the line feeding the oil reservoir in the frame. I installed the temperature probe in the oil line between the engine and the oil cooler so I can get a continuous reading of the oil temperature as it exits the engine, before it enters the oil cooler. I secured the oil hoses to the bike’s frame using 5/8” loom clamps I bought from Home Depot. I drilled holes in the front fender, and shimmed the fender down with nylon spacers so it would clear the oil cooler.
              
Spud
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05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/15/2012 at 12:15:30 AM
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After installing my Spud Cooler, I went on a 110-mile ride to test it.
     
I'm pleased to report the oil cooler works well. I paid approximately $95 to purchase the parts needed to assemble the oil cooler. I spent an additional $50 to plumb the TTO temperature gauge into the oil line. I will continue to report on the effectiveness and durability of this oil cooler as I accumulate more miles riding my XR650L with the oil cooler installed.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:18:05 PM
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I decided to figure out how much the forks could compress before the front wheel impacted my oil cooler. I removed the front fender, placed my XR650L on a stand, and measured the free sag at 1-1/8 inches. Taking the bike off the stand, I measured the travel from the wheel to the bottom of the oil cooler at 9-1/2 inches.
Adding the free sag to the last measurement, I got a total wheel travel of 10-5/8 inches. Therefore, the wheel will impact my oil cooler in the last inch of travel. I'm convinced 10-5/8 inches of fork travel is sufficient for the way I ride my XR650L, so I have decided my oil cooler is positioned high enough.  Incidentally, I raised my forks one inch when I installed my lowering link. Therefore, a stock bike would be able to accommodate maximum fork compression without striking my oil cooler.
Since the weather was nice, I rode my XR650L for 56 miles on the freeway, without the fender, to discover the highest level of cooling I could expect.
I maintained 75-80 mph the entire time, and passed a lot of automobiles along the way. My oil temperatures did not exceed 255 degrees; I am pleased with this result. Of course, once I exited the freeway, my oil temperatures quickly dropped to much lower levels.
I am going to trim my front fender a bit more, to ensure the wheel will not impact the fender before it would impact the oil cooler.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:26:26 PM
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When it comes to oil coolers, airflow is everything.
After finding the highest oil temperature my bike sustained without a front fender, I decided to test a drilled fender. I drilled as many holes as I could, while still trying to maintain the structural integrity of the fender.
After mounting this fender, I actually removed it, and drilled more holes on the outside edges. Then I went for a ride on the freeway. Riding at 75-80 mph for about 30 miles, my oil temperature reached a high of 279 degrees.  This oil temperature was 24 degrees higher than the 255 degrees I observed riding under similar conditions without a front fender, and I consider it unacceptable.
If I didn't fully understand before, I certainly understand now. Maximum airflow is the key to keeping oil temperatures lowest. Althought the drilled fender looks well ventilated, it is undoubtedly more than 50 percent blocked. Here are a few photographs of my bike after the freeway run.
 
I decided this was my final ride with this drilled front fender.
After I arrived home, I cut a large square out of the fender, and installed some 1/4-inch, galvanized hardware cloth.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:30:41 PM
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Here are several photographs of my front fender with the wire mesh installed.
 
Airflow over my oil cooler has been greatly increased with the wire mesh installed in my front fender. For comparison, here's a photograph of the drilled fender.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:32:18 PM
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Here's a photograph of the modified fender installed on my XR650L.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:33:24 PM
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Incidentally, I could easily get another 1/2-inch of clearance between the front wheel and my oil cooler, using my current hardware. Using bent pipe and compression fittings, one could probably mount this oil cooler even higher than that. Therefore, clearance with the front wheel isn't an issue, as long as the front fender is trimmed high enough so the front wheel doesn't grab it, and lock up, long before the wheel would have impacted the oil cooler.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:38:52 PM
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I made several, freeway test runs of my oil cooler, and the my fender modification was successful. Riding the same stretch of freeway that yielded a high oil temperature of 279 degrees with a drilled fender, my high oil temperature was 248 degrees with the wire mesh installed in the fender. 
I also rode the same section of freeway that yielded a high oil temperature of 255 degrees without my front fender mounted. With my modified fender mounted, I reached a high oil temperature of 253 degrees. Riding back home along this same stretch of freeway, I encountered very strong headwinds that kept my speed at 75 mph while riding wide-open-throttle. My high oil temperature under these conditions was 235 degrees.
This oil cooler installation works very well. Other than the XR650R C/S sprocket, I think this is the best modification I have made to my XR650L. I am very pleased with the current configuration of my oil cooler; at this point I don't plan to make any further changes. I will certainly report if I encounter any difficulties with this installation.
Another XR650L owner promised to loan me his XRs Only temperature dipstick. After riding a few miles with his oil dipstick thermometer, I will report the difference in temperature between my temperature probe located near the engine, and the oil dipstick thermometer located in the oil reservoir.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:41:47 PM
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Here is the configuration and setting of my XR650L as I am experimenting with this oil cooler. I'm currently using a 15T/48T sprocket combination. I will switch to 14T/48T sprocket combination after the snow melts from the mountain trails.
I made all of my freeway runs at 75-85 mph, which was near wide-open-throttle operation at approximately 5,000 above sea level, fighting Idaho's springtime winds.
Incidentally, please note, I saw a 31 degree drop in oil temperature merely by cutting a hole in the front fender, and installing wire mesh. This temperature reduction was observed after my oil cooler was installed with a drilled fender. Therefore, my oil temperature reduction from stock configuration must be even higher than 31 degrees.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:43:24 PM
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I'm convinced airflow is one the most important factors affecting the performance of an oil cooler. My oil cooler has 16 square inches of surface area, and all of it is perpendicular to unobstructed airflow under the fender. In addition, my oil cooler is mounted away from the engine block and exhaust header. I think all of these factors make a significant difference in an oil cooler's ability to dissipate heat.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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SpudRider
Idaho
USA
160 Posts |
Posted on 04/26/2012 at 9:51:31 PM
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A fellow XR650L owner graciously loaned me his XRs Only temperature dipstick. Therefore, I was able to take a ride and compare the oil temperatures between my TTO Temperature Gauge and the oil reservoir.
As you can see in the following photograph, the oil cooler receives an unobstructed airflow over the front wheel, and below the front fender.
The above and below photographs also reveal the oil lines are well protected by the forks and their high location inside the outer edge of the fuel tank.
The motorcycle must warm up a bit before the temperature of the oil in the reservoir stabilizes. However, after the temperature stabilizes, the oil temperature in the reservoir is 25 degrees cooler than the oil temperature exiting the engine, when the bike is idling. After riding about 50 miles, I took the following photograph of oil temperatures with the engine idling.
As you can see, the TTO temperature probe located in the oil line before the oil cooler shows a temperature of 225 degrees, while the oil dipstick thermometer shows a temperature of 200 degrees.
After the engine is turned off, the temperature of the oil in the external lines and cooler quickly drops 30 degrees in several minutes. In contrast, the oil in the reservoir cannot radiate the heat as well, and the temperature remains elevated. I took the following photograph about 3 minutes after turning off my bike’s engine. The oil temperature in the cooler has dropped to 94 degrees, but the oil in the reservoir is 125 degrees.
If you wait longer before starting the engine, the temperature of the oil in the external lines and oil cooler drops even more. After stopping to take some photographs and enjoy the scenery, I recorded the temperature difference in the following photograph. The temperature at the TTO probe is 97 degrees, while the temperature in the oil reservoir is 160 degrees.
 
When pushing the bike to it’s maximum oil temperature, the temperate at the TTO probe and the oil reservoir are identical. Indeed, this must be the case. If the temperature of the oil in the reservoir is lower, the reservoir temperature must continue to rise until the two temperatures are equal, or a maximum temperature cannot be reached.
During most of my ride today, the oil temperature at the TTO probe was 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the temperature at the oil dipstick. The temperature difference is greatest at idle and low engine rpms. The temperature difference decreases as the engine load and engine rpms increase; the two temperatures are identical at the maximum oil temperature of the system.
After exited the off ramp from an extended, wide-open-throttle run on the freeway, the oil cooler quickly drops the temperature of the oil it sends to the reservoir. Even after riding about ˝ mile, and pausing at several stop lights, the following photograph shows my cooler dropped the temperature of the oil in the reservoir 28 degrees before I parked the bike outside Wal-Mart. The oil coming from the engine is 253 degrees, but the oil inside the reservoir is 225 degrees.
Please note, in this instance, reading the dipstick thermometer alone would be deceiving, since the oil coming from the hot engine is still 253 degrees. It takes a short time for the cooler oil in the reservoir to quench the hotter oil still inside the engine.
I can easily keep oil temperature below 240 degrees if I ride at 65-70 mph on the freeway. When I push the bike continuously, wide-open-throttle for 40 miles or more, I can get a maximum oil temperature of 258 degrees, before the temperatures in both thermometers equalize. Running less than wide-open-throttle will always show the TTO temperature probe running at least 5 degrees hotter than the dipstick thermometer in the oil reservoir.
Spud |
05 XR650L: Shorai Battery Relocation; Spud Cooler; XR650R C/S Sprocket; Reinforced Subframe; Manracks Luggage Rack; MT21 rear tire; CST Surge I, Front Tire |
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jjones006
Red Bluff, CA
USA
287 Posts |
Posted on 04/27/2012 at 11:43:47 PM
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| keep the in depth research coming! |
07 XR650L - Northern California, elevation 300' - UNI filter,Clark 4.7 tank w/support, Vapor computer, MT21 rear tire, Cheng Shin Surge-I front tire, fork brace, EBC 320mm front rotor. |
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zipper
Southern Colo
USA
4 Posts |
Posted on 05/22/2012 at 04:54:07 AM
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This is so valuable. Thanks for putting in the time to do testing and posting - the only way to really know. Love this site.
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1993 XR650L, 26,000 miles - uni filter, stock exhaust, desnorkle, desmog, 15/48 sprocket, Kenda k270 tires, Dave's mods, 152 main jet, 50 pilot jet (air/fuel is still not perfect). Live at 8000 ft, ride at 6000 - 11000 ft |
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Bistineau
Elm Grove, LA
USA
221 Posts |
Posted on 06/20/2012 at 4:55:04 PM
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One other thing to consider doing is to compare both thermometers in the same medium together at the same time. Like a pot of warm to hot water, to check that both are indicating the same temps.There are margins of error allowed by manufacturers of these devices and can vary from one brand to another, or be variances within the same model by the same manufacturer.
Glad to see someone doing some comparison testing on this subject though. You might also want to consider ambient air temperatures during your testing, cooler air will cool better than hotter air and have an effect on your overall numbers and conclusions. One day you may be doing this and the temp is 90*, and the next day it may be 95*, not a big differance but enough to possibly skew your results. That may be where the differance came in between no fender and the one with the hardware cloth installed. Or it could be due to the fender funneling a little more air to the cooler, rather than no fender at all.
It seems to me the best air flow position would be behind the grill under the headlight, and move the horn to the position of your cooler. Looks like a lot more testing may be in order. Yet another excuse for going for a ride . |
2012 XR650L Clarke 4.7, Fisher seat,XR650R 15T CS sprocket, custom rear rack,desnorkeled,Continental TKC 80 Twinduro front & rear tires,K&N air filter |
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hydmech
Lake Stevens, WA
USA
4 Posts |
Posted on 06/26/2012 at 12:41:20 PM
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| Love your cooler!! Nice work!! |
85 XR350R, 00 KTM 400 SX |
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XR650L: Spud’s Oil Cooler
