Oil cooler pipes

[wellerman]

Discovered I have an oil leak and it looks like it's coming from the area where the metal pipes from the oil cooler join to the big rubbery section in the middle of the oil cooling system...the joint itself looks like it's falling apart...the metal pipes both ends and cooler itself are fine. Would I be being completely stupid if I cut the metal pipes top and bottom got rid of the rubber section and jubilee clipped some new flexible hose in?

[m40man]

Oct 15, 2013 15:58:33 GMT wellerman said:

Would I be being completely stupid if I cut the metal pipes top and bottom got rid of the rubber section and jubilee clipped some new flexible hose in?

Not at all - sounds a perfectly reasonable cheap fix to me.

[wellerman]

It just seems so over engineered to me....am I right in thinking there's not a great deal of oil pressure flowing through there?

[HRHpenfold]

Oct 15, 2013 16:07:13 GMT wellerman said:

It just seems so over engineered to me....am I right in thinking there's not a great deal of oil pressure flowing through there?

There's very little oil pressure to the cooler!

[wellerman]

Sadly it has enough pressure to p*ss out all over my exhaust though :0(

[Mike D9]

I am keeping a close eye on my oil pipes as rusting up/seeping. I think what you are suggesting will work. May be worth buying some silicone auto hoses and stainless jubilee clips from a company called www.autosiliconehoses.com (I recently bought some and they seem ideal)
I seem to recall CD did a post on this subject some time ago? Hope this helps!

[wellerman]

Good link cheers bud

[wellerman]

Just been to see the bike mechanic I use and he refusing to do my intended fix reckons it's too dangerous

[teejayexc]

Oct 18, 2013 10:35:24 GMT wellerman said:

Just been to see the bike mechanic I use and he refusing to do my intended fix reckons it's too dangerous

Shouldn't think he really think it's dangerous. In todays crazy h&s environment he's probably just covering his ar5e

Can't you do it yourself?

[wellerman]

I took it to him as it needs a bit of welding on the exhaust so thought I would get him to do both at same time...he reckons with the heat and then cooling it will eventually fail and throw oil everywhere....what does everyone else think? It seemed to me that if I made sure the replacement pipe covered the existing metal ends by an inch or more with a couple of good quality jubilee type clips at each join it would be sturdy enough?

[bobh]

If you wanted to be doubly sure, you could make a couple of grooves in the ends of the metal pipes, or swage them out a bit, to give the hoses and clips something to purchase against.

Make sure you clean the pipes out thoroughly after sawing etc. - you don't want steel filings getting into the oil feed.

[CD]

The mechanic is over reacting. Oil pressure never gets above 100psi even when cold. I used reinforced fluoro lined silicone oil hose from ASH.
www.autosiliconehoses.com/silicone-hose-shop/fluoro-silicone-hoses/straight-fluoro-hoses.html

I used a plumbers pipe cutter to shorten the metal pipes from the cooler and filed the cut ends smooth. I then cut the ferrules off the hoses at the oil filter end. Use a Dremel or hack saw diagonally VERY carefully to avoid nipping the end of the oil pipe. This is only possible with the oil cooler boss off the bike. The original hoses are fabric reinforced. Nothing special.

Slip the hoses on about 30 mm and use jubillee clips that are one size too small. When tight they will be the right size. Seemingly correct size clips will pull up too much, go D shape and leak. How would I know that BTW cheap clips rust very quickly - get stainless.

But it was (almost) all a waste of time because the oil cooler banjos leaked. There is a how-to thread for fitting a narrow oil cooler by PWR. That will need preformed hose bends available from the same folks.

Hose bends - www.autosiliconehoses.com/silicone-hose-shop/fluoro-silicone-hoses/90-elbow-fluoro-hoses.html

Oil cooler - www.interex.co.uk/motorsport/shop/product.php?pid=282
The larger 150mm version will fit but needs much more care to avoid it hitting the front mudguard on full bump.

[wellerman]

I have finished doing all this and put the bike back together to find my oil cooler is now losing oil everywhere....how tight do the banjo bolts need doing up as I think I may have tightened mine up too much causing the damage myself

[m40man]

Nov 25, 2013 17:03:39 GMT wellerman said:

.... I think I may have tightened mine up too much causing the damage myself

Eek - I think you might be right .

[wellerman]

So how tight do they need to be, just nipped up and a tiny bit for luck?

[teejayexc]

Just tight enough

They are a bngger for the *nut* cracking on the oil cooler itself. There should be copper washers either side of the banjo so don't require overtightening, trick is to make sure you have a spanner on the oil cooler nut AND the banjo bolt to counteract each other.

[CD]

The banjo bosses on standard oil cooler will crack. As far as I know mine was never ever removed but when the oil pipes began to leak I had no option. It was done with well fitting spanners blah blah but the bosses cracked - both of the boogers. They are very very weak.

It is possible to get a Diversion cooler repaired but the bosses often crack again.

I fited a PWR transmission oil cooler from here www.interex.co.uk/motorsport/shop/product.php?pid=282

The taller 150mm might fit but risks fouling the front mudguard.

The pipe stubs have to face down or they will foul the fork yoke.

You will need to make brackets and it will need a stainless mesh grille to protect from stones.

Use preformed 90 degree hose bends on the cooler stub pipes. 10mm copper tube bent 90 degs to run between the exhaust pipes with the hose off cuts to join the metal pipes down by the oil cooler. I tried to run silicone all the way but (1) it looked rubbish and (2) it got cooked on the exhaust.

When the engine is first started leave the oil cooler hanging down so that all air gets pushed out. When its bolted in place oil (mostly) wont run out because air cant get in to fill the space.