How essential is my oil cooler?

The oil cooler and pipework to it on my K4 looks particularly scabby no amount of cleaning will bring it back to a standard i'd be happy with.

I was wondering how necessary the cooler is and what would be the consequences of taking it off.

Not only will it get rid of the crusty old cooler but i think it will tidy up the front of the bike a bit.

A little increase in the oil temp i dont mind but i dont want to be running so hot i cook my oil.


Any body done it?

[Sid Squid]

Not seen it done on an SV, but I've knowledge of removing the oil cooler on a couple of other bikes.

Of course the curvy had no cooler, and essentially the same motor - I've seen nothing to suggest that the FI motor runs significantly hotter - so there's a certain amount to suggest that no ill effects would occur.

Not desirable all the same, but if you go that way let us know how it pans out.

not me, my curvy has none,

curvy had a few less HP so ran cooler when pushed hard, not by much I bet. That is one ugly M.F. cooler I agree even without the crust.

My audi has a water-to-oil oil cooler (oil heater?) hidden nicely away, the filter screws into it. Covered with sludge, filter spills a 1/4 litre everytime.

I had the same problem with mine, rusty and worn. I removed the front grill, rubbed it down, gave the grills a brush with a soft paint brush to take out any debris, rubbed down the side posts and masked off everthing else. Got a small tin of black enamel spray paint and gave the rad and front grill a coat of spay paint, taking care not to put to much on the grills (just a light spray). Hey presto, like new again. You can also go for the more trendy and expensive oil cooler chromed or satin rad grills.
P.s. while I had the spray in my hands, I had to give the side stand a rub down and spray.. looks good

It is an essential part otherwise suzuki wouldnt have added it to the bike. It does assist the bike in running cooler.

Give it a good clean up, get as much rust off as you can and get some heat resistant paint. Failing that they come up on ebay often for next to nothing.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by SV650Racer

It is an essential part otherwise suzuki wouldnt have added it to the bike. It does assist the bike in running cooler.

But then, as Sid says the SV's never had a problem with running hot, even in hard tune (other than problems with overbores), even in hotter climes.

I always suspected they added it to convince people that the new engine was far more powerful- after all, if it wasn't, they wouldn't add a cooler

mine actually runs 5-6oc cooler now its been bored .

Mine is scabby too. The hose is the scattiest part and most resistant to cleaning. I remember seeing a development kit of stainless braided coolant/oil hoses kit on an SV1000. Anyone know if anyone has made one for the SV650?

[northwind]

Originally Posted by SV650Racer

mine actually runs 5-6oc cooler now its been bored .

Yup, it's distorting bores that I'm talking about, not higher core temps. Not common that either, and of course it's not going to be helped by an oil cooler I can't think of any time i've heard of that happening when the bike in question wasn't doing serious fast miles- long races, endurance events etc.

But why would Suzuki spend money adding a part that isn't needed? Crazy japs!