safe too junk the oil cooler ?

[chrisshrops]

hi folks I have my r100 rt mono almost done now
I was wondering if it would be ok too bin the oil cooler ? the bike has a glass flow head and Richie Moore pistons the oil cooler us just plain fuggly the hose fixings are rusty as hell I did think of getting the stainless hose kit but as i don't live in the city I'm not sat in traffic I wonder if it will cool well enough now the bike is naked ? any of you lot done this

 

[Canuck]

Lots of people have done it and I have yet to hear of anyone putting it back on.

 

[solidstate100]

Not done exactly what you are asking BUT I did a Seibenrock 1000cc conversion on my R80 G/S (bigger barrels, forged lightweight pistons) and was a little concerend about oil cooling with the extra heat/power being generated so did a bit of research re oil cooler needed or not. I got 50/50 aswers for and against, (no suprise there really I suppose) but in the end didnt fit a cooler, partly due to the inconvinience as I would have to mount it high (the HPN fuel tank gets in the way when the cooler is on the crash bars) which would also have meant ditching the high fender which , aesthetically speaking, I didn't want to do.

I no longer live in London and generally speaking dont sit idling/filtering to much now (YAY!) and find that I dont need one, no problems at all so far, not even close - and the HPN tank sits so low that it almost certainly shrouds the cylinders from some cooling, so may even be worse than yours.

I do change all my oils every 3k tho.

 

[Kenny]

I personally wouldn't worry about losing the oil cooler Takes a lot for these engines to actually overheat.

 

[Beemerboff]

What sump to you have, and what type of oil do you use, and where do you ride?

BMW fitted these coolers for a reason and that is that the oil can get hot, and thin.
I have an oil temp and pressure gauge on both my G/S and GS and even with the cooler fitted what little oil is in the tiny GS sump gets dangerously hot. Removing the silly little sump shield and fitting the largest BMW sump has helped to keep the temp down, and I use Motul Ester synth Oil which is noted for it's high temp performance.

My G/S has a sump extender and the big sump but still gets what would be dangerously hot easily, if I was silly enough to use a cheap Dino oil.
Ok, I ride probably 60/40 on/off road, 100F days are nothing unusual in this part of Oz and I occasionally push on a bit, but the fact remains- they both get dangerously hot,

I dont think any of those that claim to have removed the cooler have ever claimed to have a oil temp or pressure gauge, and the statement that no one ever posts that they have blown their motor is a bit like saying no one ever posts that they have killed themselves by running tubeless tires on tube rims.

It sounds as if you have already decided to remove your cooler, and if as you say you only do gentle riding in a cool climate you will probably get away with it, in the same way that a cloth cap gives you the same protection as a crash helmet. Until the day you need the protection and then you will be glad you have the correct equipment.
If you remove the cooler then you should consider either a sump extender or a deep sump - Niche Marketing have a nice looking cheap deep sump for less than most charge for an extender, and everyone who sells aftermarket tuning parts sells a sump extender. For a good reason.

 

[tuftywhite]

Not being funny, but what is the average annual temperature difference between Adelaide, Australia and Shrewsbury, England?

As they are air-cooled, surely the air temperature would have something to do with it. As we only get 5 days of sun here would it make that much difference taking the cooler off?

 

[John Armstrong]

On my ex R100GS I had an extended sump, and no oil cooler, and used 20W / 50 semi synthetic, and apart from the odd pass in the Alps two up when it was warm, the oil temperature never got that hot:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/200208-Cortina-2009?p=1989588&viewfull=1#post1989588

If all you're doing is gentle runs, then I'd buy one of the filler plug temperature gauges to get an idea of what the oil temperature is trending, and if it gets too hot for a long time, then stop and have a cuppa, or go down the mountain pass you've just come up.

 

[ChasF]

My 89 100GS has persistent problems with stripped crankcase threads. This started on one of the first trips we did to Cape Town and on advice from Bracken I removed the oil cooler to avoid the risk of breaking a pipe in the middle of nowhere. Now I've always related the two things but there may well be no connection, apparently later airhead crankcases were made from a different grade of alloy??

I refitted the oil cooler after the trip and it's been there for the past 20 years. On my other airhead which was originally an 81 80G/S I just use a deep sump.

 

[chrisshrops]

thanks folks as you say tufty I don't live in the desert ,and use my bikes too run too work and the odd couple of hundred mile trip ,I change the oil every 3000 miles ,so I think I may well get ridand look at a deep sump.
I have had 30 bikes over the years,but this will be my first airhead bmw when its running so I'm not up the most clued up on them it came in bits as a non runner I'm almost done now and looking forward too finally riding the thing after hours and hours pissing about putting it together.

 

[cookie]

i don't know about BMWs, but a deep sump on a guzzi is to make it faster (supposedly). same amount of oil, just keeps the crank out of it.

 

[fayeslane]

but the fact remains- they both get dangerously hot

BB, what actual oil temps are you achieving?

 

[Ras Thurlo]

Not being funny, but what is the average annual temperature difference between Adelaide, Australia and Shrewsbury, England?

As they are air-cooled, surely the air temperature would have something to do with it. As we only get 5 days of sun here would it make that much difference taking the cooler off?

air temp and style of use must be all important here

a UK road bike will run at very different temperatures than say an Australian dirt bike doing technical enduro

 

[Rob Farmer]

81 to 84 bmw dumped the oil cooler and fitted a deeper sump on the road bikes. There's nothing stopping you fitting this sump and pickup if you haven't got one fitted already. These bikes ran higher compression and bigger carbs than the mono.

personlly Id upgrade your lines and keep the cooler as well as fitting the deeper sump.

 

[chrisshrops]

81 to 84 bmw dumped the oil cooler and fitted a deeper sump on the road bikes. There's nothing stopping you fitting this sump and pickup if you haven't got one fitted already. These bikes ran higher compression and bigger carbs than the mono.

personlly Id upgrade your lines and keep the cooler as well as fitting the deeper sump.

I may well do that Rob I was just looking online for stainless hose for it now