Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
Moderator: Team
-
- HotPass
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:27 am
- Location: LA and SF
Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
For instance, say you've got a hot rodded 350cc air cooled single with big cooling fins and enough oil capacity in the wet sump for an engine size of 550cc - 600cc; would you still need an oil cooler?
Re: Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
You mean an Italian single? It all depends on the engine and ambient temperatures.
Motorcycle land speed racing... wearing animal hides and clinging to vibrating oily machines propelled by fire
Re: Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
As someone who's passion is oil and lubrication, I'd want a cooler anyway.
Re: Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
My Sportster doesn't have an oil cooler.
Dry sump system.
The oil filter and oil tank would have some cooling capacity.
Don't know if having roller bearings makes a difference though.
Dry sump system.
The oil filter and oil tank would have some cooling capacity.
Don't know if having roller bearings makes a difference though.
Ed
Re: Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
More oil capacity just means it will take longer for the oil to reach the same temperature.
Oil temperature is load dependent. Install a cylinder head temperature guage and an oil temp gauge. The head temp will jump up almost immediately, but the engine has to hold a steady load for the oil temp to get up to operating temperature. More oil, longer time.
Then, put the ride on the road at above 50% load; the greater the load, the quicker the results, and hold it there. Usually, without an oil cooler, the oil temp will gradually continue to climb, as the load is adding temperature faster than the circulation and reservoir can shed it.
Oil temperature is load dependent. Install a cylinder head temperature guage and an oil temp gauge. The head temp will jump up almost immediately, but the engine has to hold a steady load for the oil temp to get up to operating temperature. More oil, longer time.
Then, put the ride on the road at above 50% load; the greater the load, the quicker the results, and hold it there. Usually, without an oil cooler, the oil temp will gradually continue to climb, as the load is adding temperature faster than the circulation and reservoir can shed it.
Jack Vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Obsolete Engineering
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Obsolete Engineering
-
- HotPass
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:27 am
- Location: LA and SF
Re: Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
PackardV8 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 11:07 am More oil capacity just means it will take longer for the oil to reach the same temperature.
Oil temperature is load dependent. Install a cylinder head temperature guage and an oil temp gauge. The head temp will jump up almost immediately, but the engine has to hold a steady load for the oil temp to get up to operating temperature. More oil, longer time.
Then, put the ride on the road at above 50% load; the greater the load, the quicker the results, and hold it there. Usually, without an oil cooler, the oil temp will gradually continue to climb, as the load is adding temperature faster than the circulation and reservoir can shed it.
Very helpful, thank you.
Re: Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
What is your application? Long or short time duration? Cruising or racing? It really depends on what your doing. I don't run an oil cooler on my single, have raced at 108F, but my races are over in under 4 minutes typically. Coolers add weight and are one more thing to damage if you crash. Races longer than 10-15 minutes or fast cruising in desert climes... I think a cooler starts to make sense.
- Paul
-
- HotPass
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:27 am
- Location: LA and SF
Re: Air Cooled Hot Rod: Huge Oil Capacity Means No Need For an Oil Cooler?
Also helpful, thank you.pcnsd wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 9:02 pm What is your application? Long or short time duration? Cruising or racing? It really depends on what your doing. I don't run an oil cooler on my single, have raced at 108F, but my races are over in under 4 minutes typically. Coolers add weight and are one more thing to damage if you crash. Races longer than 10-15 minutes or fast cruising in desert climes... I think a cooler starts to make sense.