Picked up an oil cooler

[Manfred]

I bought an oil cooler described as "a frame mounted external oil cooler and filter from a 1981 BMW R100 motorcycle in good used condition. Mounts to the stock filter location, has lines that run up to a spin-on filter and oil cooler at the front of the frame." Picture below.

Anybody seen one with an external filter? I suppose I still need the internal, stock oil filter for pressure control, etc.

Comments from the accumulated wisdom?

 

[airhead78]

This looks like an aftermarket set up that was marketed in the '90s by south suburban machinery, I think. Did not get great reviews from the gurus on the therory it is not stock, etc, (but see $2000 oring problem), although I am not aware of reported problems. Try a search, do not know about if standard oil filter is needed, but it would seem incongruous. The goal of this set up was to eliminate the PITA stock oil filter and associated headaches, so I would speculate the answer is no, if you have all parts. Hope you get a better answer.

Eduardo

 

[20774]

Snowbum mentions the Suburan remote oil filter system (if this is what that is) briefly on his website, only to say that the ABC Airmail (by Oak) covered it quite well in the November 1997 issue. I don't have one.

The general point to the discussions that I've read is that this type of thing is trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist and also adds another failure point in the critical oil system of the bike. Oak got pretty direct/brutal in his response on the Airhead airlist a number of years back. He said that if you need help in getting the one cover bolt off, ask for some guidance. If not that, then he suggest getting a bike that you could "handle" rather than risk ruining the engine. $3 for a back issue of Airmail was a lot cheaper than a new engine.

I can see where it might be "advantageous" to have on an RT/RS bike with limited access; at least the unit would be mostly hidden. But on a naked bike...hideous. Still, for me, I wouldn't take the chance with a potential failure for another add-on.

 

[NEALART]

Here is the Suburban Machinery website:

http://www.suburban-machinery.com

Maybe somebody there can answer your question.

 

[Manfred]

Here is the Suburban Machinery website:

http://www.suburban-machinery.com

Maybe somebody there can answer your question.

Thanks!

 

[Manfred]

Here's what the nice people at Suburban told me:

"Terry, my husband and our designer, said that he does not know whose oil cooler you have. He made a "Spin-on" Oil Filter kit and stopped those almost 10 years ago. Now, we only make footpeg relocation kits, extended shift levers, and handlebar riser kits for BMW's and our stainless steel replacement handlebars for several other makes of bikes."

 

[Manfred]

I removed the mounting bracket and extra line for the external filter. What's left looks like a regulation cooler. The lines are the right length. It will be w/o a thermostat, which I don't see an issue in south Texas. My previous bike - Yamaha XS850 came from the factory with an oil cooler and no thermostat.

Later this month I will take the time to remove some plastic and mount this puppy.

 

[The_Veg]

I removed the mounting bracket and extra line for the external filter. What's left looks like a regulation cooler. The lines are the right length. It will be w/o a thermostat, which I don't see an issue in south Texas.

You'll be fine without the thermostat, and it's MUCH easier to do oil/filter changes without it.

 

[Manfred]

Thanks for the note, Veg.

BTW - I love your tag line!