oil cooler or no oil cooler

There seems to be more and more members appearing that are racing the ZXR400 so i've created a special section just for you to show off results, discuss meets etc etc.

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cargo
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 3342
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:33 am
My Bike: tomos moped
Location: Carrickfergus Northern Ireland

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by cargo »

Your not giving too much away there are you Roger ????? :smt002

Keep em wondering :pmsl
Geffro
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 11:46 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 L1 trackbike
Location: Fort William/Inverness

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by Geffro »

rmkd177 wrote:
zimm wrote:
neatest job is a ZX4 sump :smt002
Is that a really good idea? :smt017 or a really bad idea? :smt018
please elaborate before I make a big mistake! Lol
Lachie Innes #99
stuzx4r
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2009 2:48 pm
My Bike: zxr400sp race bike
Location: runcorn, cheshire

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by stuzx4r »

while fitting the zx4 sump ( you have to fit the zx4 oil pick up at the same time) does get rid of the oil cooler, it leaves you with a flat sump, and this can lead to an increased chance of oil starvation if you keep the bike cranked over for to long. to be fair it does allow you to use an exhaust that sits slightley higher, but in less your building a taylor made system your just going to b left with a gap!

lets face it kawasaki have a big R&D department, so if they think its neccesary to add an oil cooler they must have had a good reason!

i run a honda cooler on my race bike, its slightly smaller than the standard kwak job, so it fits in even with the rad dropped for the ram air scoop.

good luck chaps.
zimm
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 2320
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:32 am
My Bike: ZXR400-M4, ZX4, ZX6R.
Location: Herefordshire

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by zimm »

makes sense does that, they are shallower.. how real the problem is can only be assesed by those who've done it i guess.. i've only run zx4 motors (or zxr motors with zx4 sumps) on the road where it hasnt been a problem, but racing exposes things to different forces .....
Fatspanner #44
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:44 pm
My Bike: Triumph Daytona 675
Location: Longforgan

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by Fatspanner #44 »

owen wrote:Hi guys, hope you all had a good xmas! One question on the oil cooler: Do i just block off the two holes for the oil cooler or do i need to make a link pipe to allow oil to flow?

I bought Lee Campbells ZXR for next season by the way. getting it freshened up for this season :smt001

cheers
Owen
Hi Owen. You need to link the 2 holes. Vics dad has a pretty cool plate which he made up to do the job. Always run with the cooler myself, however I don't think it makes much odds either way other than saving a little weight.
owen
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:20 pm
My Bike: zxr400L

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by owen »

Thanks Colin. I thought there might be more to it than just blocking them off but the engine's away getting built so i couldn't check. I'll hopefully be able to get something machined up at work :excited

I noticed last year that you were running with it fitted... struggling to decide but think i'm just going to take it off.

Have you decided to do the 400's again thes year?

cheers
Owen
Robbie
Posts: 194
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:20 pm
My Bike: zxr400
Location: Perth
Contact:

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by Robbie »

Hey Owen who is doing your engine?Take it you sold the rvf?
owen
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:20 pm
My Bike: zxr400L

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by owen »

Hi Robbie,
the zxr engine is at YPE. Still got the honda, keeping that as a spare bike in case of disaster. hopefully, it can stay in my living room as something nice to look at!! You taken your oil cooler off yet??
cheers
cargo
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 3342
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:33 am
My Bike: tomos moped
Location: Carrickfergus Northern Ireland

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by cargo »

If you look at page 6-5 in the manual you'll see an oil flow chart..........................item 25 in the drawing is a by-pass hole.......................

I'm absolutely certain that this bypass hole bypasses the oil cooler.................therefore even after blocking the inlet to the cooler oil will still successfully circulate.

It is still my considered opinion that by blocking off the oil cooler inlet and outlet holes no problems will arise with oil pressure or circulation.
Fatspanner #44
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:44 pm
My Bike: Triumph Daytona 675
Location: Longforgan

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by Fatspanner #44 »

owen wrote:Thanks Colin. I thought there might be more to it than just blocking them off but the engine's away getting built so i couldn't check. I'll hopefully be able to get something machined up at work :excited

I noticed last year that you were running with it fitted... struggling to decide but think i'm just going to take it off.

Have you decided to do the 400's again thes year?

cheers
Owen
Hi Owen.

Yes, I run with it, but I don't think it makes much difference either way. I will be doing the 400's again as I have been given a bike to race. Only problem is that it is an H model so I am not sure how it will be handling wise. I have just finished rebuilding the engine so hopefully power wise it will be good. Will find out at East Fortune test day I suppose confuddled

Ps. Did you let YPE know that you need the engine for the 2010 season biggrin
owen
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:20 pm
My Bike: zxr400L

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by owen »

I'm sure it'll be fast enough. who's to say it wont handle better than an L! Mine will be done, dont worry.. with much power too i hope.
cargo wrote:If you look at page 6-5 in the manual you'll see an oil flow chart..........................item 25 in the drawing is a by-pass hole.......................

I'm absolutely certain that this bypass hole bypasses the oil cooler.................therefore even after blocking the inlet to the cooler oil will still successfully circulate.

It is still my considered opinion that by blocking off the oil cooler inlet and outlet holes no problems will arise with oil pressure or circulation.
Going back to the oil cooler, it seems you'd have to link the two pipes. If the bypass was able to pass oil as freely and easily as the oil cooler, then does it not mean that at best only half your oil would actually go through the cooler when fitted?? I would guess the bypass must offer some restriction to force the oil to go through the cooler, so i would want to rely entirely on the bypass even though the engine would be lubricated to a degree. Or maybe i'm talking rubbish :smt017

cheers
Owen
owen
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:20 pm
My Bike: zxr400L

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by owen »

sorry............. would NOT want to rely...............
fletch_407
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:31 pm
My Bike: gsxr 600 k9

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by fletch_407 »

the blanking plates that people are using how thick alluminum are they made from?
cheers
cargo
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 3342
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:33 am
My Bike: tomos moped
Location: Carrickfergus Northern Ireland

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by cargo »

fletch_407 wrote:the blanking plates that people are using how thick alluminum are they made from?
cheers

Good question.................too thin a plate will distort when it's tightened down.........................I've use 10mm thick plate (might even be 12mm I'll check) which was orginally intended for making rearsets.

What I've made is not specially pretty but functional..................I also cut out my own gaskets.
Jusr fitted some to an engine yesterday :smt003
fletch_407
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:31 pm
My Bike: gsxr 600 k9

Re: oil cooler or no oil cooler

Post by fletch_407 »

how thick was the gasket paper aswell then? did you use any gasket sealet aswell?
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