Making Your Own Oil Cooler Adapter Plate

[Anonymous]

i AM WONDERING IF ANY ONE HAS TAKEN THE STOCK OIL COOLER COVER AND DRILLED IT TO ACCEPT FITTINGS FOR A HOME BREW OIL COOLER--SUCCESSES OR FAILURES WILL
EDUCATE US ALL I BELIEVE

 

[Anonymous]

Now that is one dang good idea. 8O There ain't nuttin' slow about you, SLOWPOKE. I too, would like to hear any thoughts on this.

 

[Anonymous]

slowpoke

slowpoke

did your bike come with a oil cooler? or you just went aftermarket? the gs550 i got the other night has the cooler with all the lines and fittings, so where would i hook the lines too?

 

[Anonymous]

Now that is one dang good idea. 8O There ain't nuttin' slow about you, SLOWPOKE. I too, would like to hear any thoughts on this.

WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT 8O 8O NOW I SHALL BE COMPELLED TO TELL THE TRUTH IT WAS BRANDONS IDEA ((BRS127) WE HAVE BEEN CORRESPONDING ABOUT THE MOD FOR A GOOD PART OF TODAY- I ASKED THE QUESTION BECAUSED I AM CONCERNED WITH THE SHAPE OF THE STOCKOIL FILTER COVER AS COMPARED TO THE ONES THAT WERE SOLD AS AFTERMARKET ADAPTERS--I SEEM TO RECALL THAT THEY ARE EXACTLY THE SAME FROM WHEN I PUT THE ONE THAT VIC GAVE ME ON MY BIKE--I AM NOT SURE AND IF BRANDON HAD ANY PROBLEMS I WOULD HAVE FELT PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ENGINE DAMMAGE--\\
SO I AM STILL JUST A SLOWPOKE

 

[Anonymous]

Re: slowpoke

Re: slowpoke

did your bike come with a oil cooler? or you just went aftermarket? the gs550 i got the other night has the cooler with all the lines and fittings, so where would i hook the lines too?

RICK
VIC CAMARGO GAVE ME AN ADAPTER AND THATS WHY I GOT INTO THE OIL COOLER FABRICATION THING--WE ALL STILL NEED TO WORK OUT THE PROS AND CONS SUCH AS
WILL THE STOCK COVER BE ABLE TO TAKE THE VIBRATION--
WILL WE HAVE TO HAVE IT WELDED OR BUILT UP WITH JB WELD--THINGS LIKE THIS ARE THE ITEMS WE SHOULD ALL GIVE FEEDBACK ON

 

[brs127s]

Scotty,
I went to a MC salvage yard at lunch to see if they had anything. They had all kinds of coolers and adapter for other bikes, but nothing for Suzuki's. The guy behind the counter said they had a kit for a Honda, but it sold last week. He also told me that if I figured a way to get the oil supply and return working, they could fix me up with the hoses and a Lockhart cooler.
I had also been corresponding with Don Lobacz on this subject. He told me I could probably fabricate a fitting for the oil supply that bolted on under the carbs, where the oil pressure sensor is. The return would be threaded into the oil filter cover plate.
After he mentioned this, I remembered that my cover plate does have a flat area that could be drilled and tapped. I think it was made this way for this purpose. My 77 550 had the same thing, but it was already drilled, tapped, and had a plug for draining the filter housing before removing the cover.
When I think about this setup, I realize this is a bypass cooling system. Will this restrict the flow of oil to the rest of the engine? I think you would know pretty quick, as the pressure sensor would cause the oil light come on. Don, maybe you can answer this question.

Anyone else's thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[brs127s]

Oh yeah, I forgot something else. if you had a supply line coming out of the filter housing and a return line going back in, you would probably have to have a couple of oneway valves to let the oil travel one direction only. I saw this on one adapter. Other adapters routed all of the oil through the cooler before going to the filter(intake on one side of plate, return on the other.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh yeah, I forgot something else. if you had a supply line coming out of the filter housing and a return line going back in, you would probably have to have a couple of oneway valves to let the oil travel one direction only. I saw this on one adapter. Other adapters routed all of the oil through the cooler before going to the filter(intake on one side of plate, return on the other.

the adapter plate seems to allow about 1/3 of the oil t go to the cooler and no valves are needed because of the locations of the taps--However the thing that don is talking about seems to be the most sanitary method--the junk yard sounds like they are peddling you a bill of goods--any oil cooler will work if you are willing to slice the steel lines and flare them---and unless you have a high pressure oil sysem you do not need special line--the line must only be a high quality oil restant line- i used the automatic transmission line bcause it will stand up--i dont know a thing about how you must hook up the adapter that comes from the oil pressure switch-it is done often though.
Frank has that setup on his bike

 

[Anonymous]

I seen a gs550 with a genuine yoshimura oil cooler kit on it once, and they tapped off the pressure relief valve plate , dont remember where the return went. It was about 10 years ago!
Maybe if you was really lucky you could find the kit, but if you find two LET ME KNOW!

 

[Hap Call]

Instead of using the adaptor plate, why not use the two oil gallies on the front of the motor. Suzuki put them there for oil coolers from what I understand. Use two banjo fittings to pipe the oil to and from the cooler. That is the way they do it on the GS1150 and you do not have to fight with the hoses when you are changing oil.

I do have a spare oil cooler pickup that mounts under the carbs. I am not using it because I have a top end oil kit that feeds from there and because I am going to use the two gallies I mentioned earlier as soon as I get an oil thermostat, steelbraided lines, and a cooler off of a TL1000.

Hap

 

[brs127s]

Yeah, I am going to look the bike over tonight to see what I need to do. Don told me he had a couple of coolers. I agree with you...any cooler that will bolt to the bike and accept the lines will work. I am also going to try and get another filter cover plate. I don't was to ruin mine and have this setup not work.

If anyone has an extra filter cover laying around, I will be in the market. I would like to have a black cover, as my engine is painted black(factory job), but any 3 bolt cover should work. I think the 8-valve engines all had the 3 bolt cover. I am not picky on this one. After all, it is recessed into the front of the engine, behind headers.

Frank or Don,
Could either one of you provide us with a picture of the fitting for the oil pressure switch? I would appreciate it greatly.

 

[Hap Call]

Yeah, I am going to look the bike over tonight to see what I need to do. Don told me he had a couple of coolers. I agree with you...any cooler that will bolt to the bike and accept the lines will work. I am also going to try and get another filter cover plate. I don't was to ruin mine and have this setup not work.

If anyone has an extra filter cover laying around, I will be in the market. I would like to have a black cover, as my engine is painted black(factory job), but any 3 bolt cover should work. I think the 8-valve engines all had the 3 bolt cover. I am not picky on this one. After all, it is recessed into the front of the engine, behind headers.

Frank or Don,
Could either one of you provide us with a picture of the fitting for the oil pressure switch? I would appreciate it greatly.

Brandon, I have one and will take a picture of it tonight and send it to you.

Hap

 

[brs127s]

Thanks Hap, I sent you an e-mail. By the way, I have been out to your web site. The top end oil kit looks good. May I ask the reason for installing it? I don't do much agressive riding(only once in awhile :twisted: ). After all, its just a 850GL. Now my 550...that was a different story. Straight wise, it wasn't the fastest, but through the corners, it was quick, nimble, and I could pull away from the big boys I rode with.

 

[Hap Call]

The top end oil kit looks good. May I ask the reason for installing it?

Don't you think you are getting a little personal here? In proper social circles, people do not ask about other people's top end oilers! 8O Just kidding! :lol: Scotty also has asked me about that. I put it on because the cams are the only rotating masses in my bike that do not ride on ball bearings. The more oil you have going to the cams the less chance that oil starvation will occur. Most likely, I would never have a problem with the oil supply to the top end but it is just extra insurance. I have cams that are a little hot but when you start running extreme high lift cams the oil kit becomes a necessity.


Hap

 

[Anonymous]

Yes indeed, you'd need to have a flow path. Porting two hoses into the same area wouldn't work since both ports would be under the same pressure. You'd likely just trap an air bubble in the cooler. Even one way valves wouldn't help because the pressure would be equal on both ends of the hose. You really need to have a pressure side (to pump) and a non-pressure side (to dump) the oil. On my GS-750E I don't know if I've got the banjo fittings Hap refers to, but maybe I do. But even if I don't, I'd be able to take a tap off the Oil-pressure switch and then feed it back to the engine somewhere else -- as long as the pressure drop was enough to still allow the pressure switch to indicate.

Just my 2 pennies

Roger

 

[Anonymous]

My bike already had an oil cooler on it, but it looks like they just drilled and tapped the stock block-off for the AN fittings and used braided line.

If I had photo hosting, I would take a pic and post it, but I don't...

 

[Anonymous]

Yes indeed, you'd need to have a flow path. Porting two hoses into the same area wouldn't work since both ports would be under the same pressure. You'd likely just trap an air bubble in the cooler. Even one way valves wouldn't help because the pressure would be equal on both ends of the hose. You really need to have a pressure side (to pump) and a non-pressure side (to dump) the oil. On my GS-750E I don't know if I've got the banjo fittings Hap refers to, but maybe I do. But even if I don't, I'd be able to take a tap off the Oil-pressure switch and then feed it back to the engine somewhere else -- as long as the pressure drop was enough to still allow the pressure switch to indicate.

Just my 2 pennies

Roger

Say roger
if he did in fact put holes on the filter plate the pressure drop should be across the oil filter--thats why they work ok

 

[Anonymous]

Scotty,

Perhaps I'm the one slow today, but as I recall everything under the filter cover is the same pressure and it forces oil through the filter, so that the only pressure drop is "though the filter" and would only have to do with sending oil back to the sump.

I'm not sure what the oil path is through the engine, but I'm pretty sure that under the filter cover the pressure is all the same, so two holes drilled in there would not allow for flow. I'll have to look at that a little closer when I change my oil again, which should be soon. I'm just running this oil change for a couple weeks, since it is the first oil change in a few years. But I do have a spare cooler that I'd like to put on too, if I can figure out a good way to do it.

Roger

 

[Anonymous]

Scotty,

Perhaps I'm the one slow today, but as I recall everything under the filter cover is the same pressure and it forces oil through the filter, so that the only pressure drop is "though the filter" and would only have to do with sending oil back to the sump.

I'm not sure what the oil path is through the engine, but I'm pretty sure that under the filter cover the pressure is all the same, so two holes drilled in there would not allow for flow. I'll have to look at that a little closer when I change my oil again, which should be soon. I'm just running this oil change for a couple weeks, since it is the first oil change in a few years. But I do have a spare cooler that I'd like to put on too, if I can figure out a good way to do it.

Roger

Well Roger then perhaps you have just explained exactly why the original filter plate is not even a candidate for modification??

 

[Anonymous]

Well Roger then perhaps you have just explained exactly why the original filter plate is not even a candidate for modification??

I could maybe polish it a little more than it is :wink: