If hot liquid is flowing through the cooler item, then wouldn't the cooler item become the same temperature as the liquid flowing through it especially when the cooler item is mounted next to a heat source?

 

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I've been using Jims thermostatically controlled oil cooler for years and never a problem. Not sure about the Oil Bud but I like the cooler mounted in the breeze (left frame rail) My tank temperature stays right around 165-170 except for super hot days and I do know when I was involved with running modifieds in the dirt series we always tried to maintain 175* oil, better for both performance and longevity.

 

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking here, but I'll try. Yes. Oil coolers get hot when hot oil passes through them. That's part of how it works. For starters, we can't really "cool" anything. "Cool" or "cold" does not exist. Only heat exists. When we say we cool something, what we're really doing is moving heat out of it to someplace else.

So in an oil cooler, the hot oil enters the cooler. Heat transfers from the oil to the heat exchange medium, and from there to atmosphere (atmosphere not meaning the air exclusively). If it's a convective type cooler, the heat transfers into the tubes, out to the fins, and then to the air flowing across the fins. If it's a radiant cooler, the heat transfers into the body of the radiant cooler and then radiates out in all directions, just as light radiates, and is absorbed into objects in its path. Radiant rays even reflect just as light rays reflect. This is why if you placed 2 identical items in direct sunlight, one of them black and the other white, the black one will become much hotter. The black item will absorb a lot more of the radiant heat than the white object will, simply because the white object will reflect a lot of the radiant rays, just like it would reflect light rays.

As far as being next to a heat source goes, it can have little to almost no effect, or it could have a great effect. You'd have to give me specifics for me to even try to answer. If we're still talking about the Oil Bud and the heat source is the bottom of the engine, I'll just have to give my best guess as I've never researched it or tested one.

On the convective end, it shouldn't amount to a hill of beans. When the bike is rolling, all of the heat pulled out by convection is going straight out the back and there's a layer of incoming cool air moving in between the heat exchanger and the bottom of the engine.

On the radiant end, it gets a little trickier. The proximity of the hot engine will technically lessen the amount of radiant heat given up by the top of the Oil Bud. How much, I have no idea without all kinds of brain-breaking calculations that I'm not about to do. It won't effect the radiant heat coming out of the bottom of the Oil Bud and it definitely isn't going to put heat into the oil. That's the best I can do there.


I hope it makes sense after all of this typing.

 

But you forgot one significant thing: The spring-loaded bypass valve. Yes, the positive displacement pump will pretty much pump a certain amount of oil per revolution, but when resistance gets too high, some of the oil will be diverted from the pressure circuit.

Whether pressure drop is an actual concern with the Oil Bud cooler, I don't know. Never looked at one.

 

I didn't forget about anything. This is a complete non-factor. For starters, the only way an oil cooler is going to cause an increase in oil pressure at the cam plate is if the cooler becomes clogged; and if that happens, you've got way bigger worries on your hands than the check valve.

Beyond that, exactly what do you think happens when the spring pressure is exceeded? Oil certainly doesn't get "shut off" from anywhere. Excess oil is simply diverted. There is still full flow, throughout the engine, at the dedicated spring pressure. These pumps make a good deal more pressure than the dedicated spring pressure. The excess is simply diverted. By design.

 

I've learned more about the Oil system in my engine from this thread than most of the stuff I've learned in a long time. Thanks!!

 

You're welcome. I try to be of help where I can. Lord knows I've gotten plenty of information/help in other areas from various forums over the years.

 

I have one on my Fatboy Lo and know that it does it's job. 104* in Denver stop and go on the interstate and was able to drop the temperature 35* from no cooler to the Oil Bud. Engine's a 124" and was pushing 260 on the digital dipstick gauge. Double checked it with an infrared gun and was within a couple deg. With the cooler on it was showing 230 to 235. I like that it resides under the bike, it has a thermostat, it's bullet proof, and comes with braided oil lines from the the cooler to the filter housing. Runnin through the mud it does get caked but so has any other oil cooler I've used and this one is a hell of a lot easier to clean for sure. It's worth the money to me and is a quality piece. I was on my way to Sturgis and stopped in Helena, Mt where he's out of and he installed it. Good musician to. My Denver comparisons were a year apart but the climate was a match and I'm happy with its performance.

 

thank you snowyone! I been hearing a lot of back and forth and to hear that you are having luck with it helps. if I decide to keep my bike I will be getting one.