Oil coolers

[nastyjones]

On a motor w/an oil cooler (in this case a 02 Bandit 1200) can you run the motor without the cooler in place if you block the holes in the block? Will oil still circulate? I would like to ride while I wait for the replacement cooler to arrive.

[KGB]

Should be ok.
The motor pushes the oil, not the cooler.

[nastyjones]

I'm asking because friends have been saying that if you eliminate the cooler, oil will not actually circulate, it will not completely move around the motor. This does not make sense to me, so I am asking those with experience.

[Mr. Jiggles]

I would triple check this before riding. High price to pay if you're wrong. On the 1150's, which shipped with oil coolers, oil is partially diverted to the cooler by partially blocking a passage near the oil filter. Presumably even if flow through the cooler gets blocked the system does not completely stop flowing oil. The bandit relies almost exclusively on oil to cool the motor so there is no guarantee that suzuki kept the same design.

If you can find a bandit board that is even remotely as good as the GSR I'd post the question there.

[Clone]

You could also get a chunk of hydraulic hose with fittings to go from outlet to inlet, then you could be sure of having enough circulating oil. BUT, if the oil is doing a significant part of cooling the engine, I wouldn't ride even with a bypass.

[focus frenzy]

if we are talking about a Bandit then DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!
they are full flow and most important the bandit engine is primarily oil cooled (notice how big that cooler is?)
the Gs that came stock with coolers used the bypass method and only part of the oil flow passed through the cooler.
most of the aftermarket coolers used on the older GS are full flow and used a adapter that took the place of the sensor plate behind the cylinders.