Oil cooler? What do you think?

Saw an eBay ad for a Lockhart Oil Cooler for an XJ. (Item #140145329276 for the curious...) Never heard of such a beast, but am intrigued. What do you folks think? Advisable, or would it just muck things up?

 

I dont know much about the aftermarket oil coolers but I would say that I reallllllly like my stock oil cooler that I put on my xj700. Keeps the oil much cooler than without one And as we all know COOLER OIL IS BETTER. Also increases the amout of oil that the bike holds, as an added bonus. My adapter is from fron an 1982 xj650rk. Thats the secal turbo version. These can be hard to find at times. The cooler portion and lines are from a xj900 I believe. These can be fairly easy to find.
In conclusion, if you can find an oil cooler to install DO IT. You will not be dissapointed with the results. coooooooler.

 

The XJ-Bikes run coolers off an adapter plate that goes on before the Oil Filter and becomes the Oil Filter Platform.

I relocated the Horns on my 750 Maxim to run a large, XJ900RK Oil Cooler on the Max.

Strictly a Bolt-on affair after you make-up a mounting plate that gets bolted to the frame using the two captive nuts the Horns are mounted in.

Initially, I had a problem with the Lower Pinches if the Triple Tree hitting the Top of the Oil Cooler. Once I dropped the cooler down about 4 cm it cleared the top and everything is fine.

A Cooler is a nice way to make the engine run a little bit cooler. But the Oil getting cooled will do wonders for extending the life of the Cams, Bearings and Rings.

It you can make it work without a leak and ALL the mounting pieces are there...

Do it!

 

Missed the end of the eBay auction, but will keep an eye out for another. Sooner or later, all good things come to eBay.

 

The European XJ650RJ came with a stock oil cooler. The American version did not. I installed a Lockhart cooler shortly after purchase in 1982: no leaks, no problems. My bike spent almost 15 years on blocks, but rehabilitated 1 yr ago and runs great. Not exactly evidence in favor of the oil cooler, since the bike only has 33K miles, but I figure it can't hurt to have adjunct solutions for engine cooling in the great HOT state of Texas. Your decision probably depends as much on where you live as anything.

 

Glad to hear words of wisdom from an original owner, you folks are rare! Welcome to the forum Jathomas42.

 

The engine doesn't know where it lives. It only knows that it prefers running on oil that been circulated through a cooler.

You could be cool and find a UK Member to help you locate an Oil Cooler Package off a European Model form a "Breaker" in the UK.

Since it don't weigh very much; it might enjoy the trip "'Ore the Pond" to find a new job keeping your "Mill-Chilled"

It would be an easy bolt-on situation.

 

Thanks for the welcome. Am sure I will learn MUCH more than I can contribute, but I love the bike and am sure the community will be fun.

 

Where's the in and out on the engine for such a beast?

 

Right out of the front of the block. The oil filter bolt passes pressurized oil right through the filter. The standoff cooler plate sandwiched between the block and the oil filter housing is the port. I've got two of the assemblies, I guess I ought to photograph them carefully and post the pics.
Bear in mind that an oil cooler plate is available from one of our members, his link is at the top of the page in the Chat forum. $70USD or thereabouts.

 

Time for me to resurrect another long-lost thread... or beat another dead horse until it's glue. Take your pick.

I saw listed recently (as in tonight) an oil cooler made by Derale for the 1986 Yamaha XJ700S XJ 700 S/SC Maxim X.

Not knowing much about these things, would this by any chance fit a stock 82 750? Namely, mine?

 

The important fit would be the oil filter sandwich adapter. If that fits, then the cooler itself can be made to fit. I am waiting for XJ Monster's spin on adapter with the cooler attachment, and I plan to use a small aftermarket oil/transmission cooler, rather than risk getting a parted out setup that isn't in the best shape and could wind up leaking on me.

 

That's what I'm trying to find out. That and the bolt part thingie it comes with.

I thought that was (a) still in the prototype/testing stage, and (b) having issues with keeping the same amount of pressure in the system as the stock oil filter.

 

Why would the addition of an oil cooler (or even a spin-on filter) change the amount of oil pressure in the system? Either change will require the use of more OIL in the system, but that shouldn't change the pressure......?

BTW, as long as you have the factory oil cooler "adapter plate"---which is the part of the oil cooler system that the input/output lines bolt onto, it's the big round ribbed cast aluminum housing that actually fits into contact with the engine block machined pad---then the currently available spin-on oil filter adapter works just fine (it will go "on top" of the adapter plate).

The "oil cooler" version of the spin-on filter adapter is only needed if the factory "adapter plate" is missing.

 

I don't think it was the addition of the cooler so much as it was the automotive filter being used. The author was detailing how he was trying to match the oil pressure using a spin-on filter to using the stock Yamaha filter. I'll have to see if I can dig that up again; I don't remember if it was a thread I saw on here or if it was somewhere else on the net.

<eyebrow> Is/was there such a beast available for the 750J Maxim?

 

The 750 Maxims never used a factory oil cooler....at least, not the North American versions.....but the factory oil coolers from a 650 Turbo model (1982-83) or a 900 Seca model (1983) will work with a little bit of effort (mainly, making brackets to hold the oil cooler itself to the frame....everything else about the oil cooler system is bolt-on and will fit your bike correctly).

The 900 oil cooler is physically larger than the one used on the 650, and may require a bit more fiddling to get it to fit the 750. Either one will provide more than enough oil cooling even in the summertime. In fact, when I installed one on my bike, I added an in-line thermostat that bypasses the cooler until the oil temp reaches 180+.

Once you get all the correct parts and pieces, figure about a long afternoon's work on installing it and getting things aligned, etc.

 

I'd be interested in seeing this turned into a How-To. Do you still have part numbers for the oil cooler and bypass t-stat?

 

Well, the oil cooler I bought a complete used assembly, I can't remember whether it was off eBay or off this list or one of the other lists. I replaced all the replacable parts (o-rings, mounting bolts, by pass springs, etc.) and then bought a small remote oil cooler thermostat (some auto racing application) and cut the cooler lines and adapted the thermostat in.....it uses 1/2" NPT fittings, and it's small and light enough to just be able to "hang" in place without any additional support.

I can't remember a brand name for the thermostat but it was very small, and it actually always allows oil to circulate thru the cooler---it stays open 10% below 180-degrees (and bypasses 90% below 180-degrees) to allow the cooler to always stay filled and active and prevent air pockets from forming within it, which I thought was a very good idea. Above 180-degrees you get full 100% oil flow thru the cooler.

I'll look at it next time and see if I see any part numbers or mfg. ID on it.....

The spin-on adapter plate I bought from XJmonster but have since machined some myself, and they are available for sale in my parts list, along with the mounting o-rings and spin-on oil filters:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... rt=45.html

It's a neat set-up and work well, hasn't leaked a drop of oil since installed over a year ago.

 

...but not a 900/900F?

Reason I ask is just for gits and shiggles I bopped over to ebay's UK site. It promptly spit out one for the 900 (no mention of a Seca), complete with adapter plate. He says he's willing to ship overseas, but only if he's certain the item will fit the target bike.

Failing that, I sent an email to some place in Texas; I looked up the number for the adapter plate for the 650 Seca, let Google do its magic, and one match came up (a successful Googlewhack!). We'll see if they respond.

 

The 900 should be OK. All the original XJs have the same filter arrangment. Even the X models might be the same but the later Diversion/Seca II are most likeley different (might be wrong on that). I have a 900 fitting on my 750D.

The reason there is no mention of Seca is that the Scea/Maxim is a North American thing, rest of world goes by model letter after the XJ750, e.g., R, RJ etc.