M900ie Oil Cooler

[pooh]

Hi Folks
Is there an option for replacing my leaking oil cooler other than visiting my local Ducati shop and having my shirt removed from my back?
It is only weeping at present but I suspect it is going to get worse sooner than later.

Ian
:(

[Pedro]

Got the same prob Pooh

Managed to crack mine around the inlet block whilst stripping it off the bike. I got lucky as Rich at Loigi Moto had one going cheap! Rumour has it that 916 ones fit.

I was going to try and source an industrial one with a bigger capacity but haven't got round to it yet. Original equip ones are feckin pricey, about £245!!!!

Ped

[pooh]

Thats what I thought Ped dont fancy spending that much, there must be something cheaper out there that I can make fit.

Ian

[Pedro]

My thoughts too Ian

we got a big book of useful stuff at work that has coolers in, just haven't had time to look!!! You could try searching for industrial oil coolers?

Ped

[eonan]

I can't offer you much other than my empathy pooh. I've had exactly the same problem.

I needed new lines, fittings AND cooler, so packaged them all off to Goodridge [their suggestion...brilliant people by the way :yoparty: ] to see what they could do.

I got the stuff back yesterday [their second attempt], and basically there's just no way they can make it work. All their coolers come with vertical inlets, which means that once you stick on a 90 degree adapter...the feckin frame brace just gets in the way. Hence the reason the stock cooler on my bike has adjacent inlets.

The Goodridge cooler had it worked would have cost me £42. Yesterday I had to resort to ordering a new stock one from Ducati Glasgow...£262 :banghead:

[Rockhopper]

Just wondering why they actually need an oil cooler. The 900 and 750 air cooled motors are not producing huge amounts of power for their capacity are they? Plus there is no bodywork so the engine gets better cooling from the air. I would have though that for normal road use with a high spec fully synth oil you could get away without one.
Wonder if it would be possible to monitor the oil temp and see what it gets up to?

[eonan]

Just wondering why they actually need an oil cooler. The 900 and 750 air cooled motors are not producing huge amounts of power for their capacity are they? Plus there is no bodywork so the engine gets better cooling from the air. I would have though that for normal road use with a high spec fully synth oil you could get away without one.
Wonder if it would be possible to monitor the oil temp and see what it gets up to?

Yeh, interesting point. I'm only replacing the stuff now because summers on its way [touch wood :fou:]...over winter I had the tap turned off! Not sure if it made that much difference though?

[Pedro]

The tap is for the carb heaters, oil still goes through the cooler

[gary tompkins]

Just wondering why they actually need an oil cooler. The 900 and 750 air cooled motors are not producing huge amounts of power for their capacity are they? Plus there is no bodywork so the engine gets better cooling from the air. I would have though that for normal road use with a high spec fully synth oil you could get away without one.
Wonder if it would be possible to monitor the oil temp and see what it gets up to?

I beleive most 2V A/C monsters (especially those fitted with coolers) are over cooled, and the problem gets worse in winter leading to condensation build up. I also don't think the standard rads come with any sort of thermostat control, meaning the oil circulates through the rad full time, again explaining the cold running problems in winter?

I've tried blanking off 50% of my rad (gaffa tape) in Jan/Feb this year, and gained an extra 15 degrees oil temp on even fairly short runs. In the spring/summer the oil temp normally sits between 80-90degrees, but struggles to reach 60 over winter so no wonder that condensation collects in the engine TBH :rolleyes:

If your wondering how I monitor oil temp - I bought a gauge which replaces the filler cap for about £35 from a German guy on Ebay. Seems to work a treat and minimal hassle to fit compared to hard wired (electric) or capilliary type gauge units on a remote bar mount.

Sorry about crap picture - I'll try and get a better close up later today

[eonan]

The tap is for the carb heaters, oil still goes through the cooler

Hmmm...guess it didn't make a difference then :twak:

[crust]

On the early 900s an oil cooler is necessary because the barrels are oil cooled, the back one especially so as its quite shielded.

If you tune them - 944 etc then you need another cooler, typically another 900 item mounted upside down or else the bike overheats.

I'd have thought that by mounting an aftermarket cooler upside down you could get round the exit bend problems.

If your running pod filters I've seen the oil cooler relocated behind the headstock.

:) Crust

[gary tompkins]

On the early 900s an oil cooler is necessary because the barrels are oil cooled, the back one especially so as its quite shielded.

If you tune them - 944 etc then you need another cooler, typically another 900 item mounted upside down or else the bike overheats.

I'd have thought that by mounting an aftermarket cooler upside down you could get round the exit bend problems.

If your running pod filters I've seen the oil cooler relocated behind the headstock.

:) Crust

Good point Simon - I forgot the earlier 900's used the oil cooled barrel layout via external oil feeds. A system that I think got junked on later engines like my own 900ie, or did they keep the oil cooling on the barrels and loose the external feed lines :confused:

If the oil cooled barrel idea was binned on later 900 lumps, maybe this is one reason why these engines run colder, assuming the oil cooler would have less hot oil to shed heat from in the process?

My opinion that later monsters run "over cooled" obviously relates to bog standard engines, and as you say a highly tuned 2V motor would cook in no time unless the oil cooler was up-rated to match. Air flow to the rear pot is never going to be that effective with the L twin layout, and I would imagine this becomes a real issue on tuned A/C Dukes wearing full bodywork.

[Pedro]

Gary
the later motors have internal oil galleries that replaced the external oil lines like cust and mine have.

The IE bikes use a different cooler than the earlier ones - it has fewer rows thus probably not cooling as much

Ped

[gary tompkins]

Cheers Pedro :hail:

Useful to know these things - might even come in handy for the pub quiz at Arrow Mill next weekend? :chuckle:

[Scotty]

umm i spent most of yesterday cleaning all the grit and mud out of my cooler and straightening the fins todays max temp was 77.7
just for comparisom like

[pooh]

Hi Folks
just een having a look at Demon Teeks and theirs are looking like £50 if I can suss out which one to get, have a look at this link
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MCYCLE&pcode=MOCOC172-55
I think that should work if you copy and paste it.

Ian