Sorry to offend anyone, but with Black Dog MIA, someone has to stir the pot. The LMC oil cooler, IMO, is fugly and they couldn’t pay me to put it on my bike.
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It would be interesting if someone who has one installed installed a oil temp unit.I am not convinced that the LMC Oil Cooler will be more effective.
There is a good reason that OEMs and aftermarket radiator specialists like Febur and Setrab build thin-wall water and oil radiators with copious even thinner fins, whether in steel or aluminium - to do exactly that, radiate heat very efficiently. The sheer size of the LMC Oil Cooler might well compensate for the thicker billet's decreased heat transfer capability to some extent, but I doubt that LMC can offer calculations or trial results to substantiate that *. Aesthetics clearly drove size and shape, and CNC attributes would have dictated the machined assembly's channel number, layout, and dimensions. The latter is pretty significant given that both the oil inlet and outlet are at the bottom of the unit. If the combined channel cross-section exceeds that of the OEMs (entirely likely - 'to be safe'), the oil will not displace (push out) all air in the unit without a high-point plug to bleed it out.
There is also a good reason that BMW added an unsightly oil cooler - missing on the Concept. The 1802cc Boxer obviously needs it, and any 'upgrade' better be super-efficient if it replaces the OEM's.
Each to their own, but I would fit a better-looking cover rather than a potentially improvised oil cooler. Or move the stock oil cooler higher up the front of the frame, where it could look OK, without cover, in gloss black and where it would be less of a Stone Catcher as well. However, that would require bronze/chrome/black tubing rather than hoses.
I will be adding a Trailtech 732-FNA1 Oil Cooler Fan on the back of mine to improve matters on slower rides. I do that to all my large V-twins and connect it to unswitched power to keep on running after the ignition is switched off.
* - Automotive homologation is a big thing in Germany. LMC should be able to provide a German StVZO and/or ECE Approval Certificate upon request.
I like your thought on heat dissipation and radiating heat to cool the oil,as a oil cooler should do.I am not convinced that the LMC Oil Cooler will be more effective.
There is a good reason that OEMs and aftermarket radiator specialists like Febur and Setrab build thin-wall water and oil radiators with copious even thinner fins, whether in steel or aluminium - to do exactly that, radiate heat very efficiently. The sheer size of the LMC Oil Cooler might well compensate for the thicker billet's decreased heat transfer capability to some extent, but I doubt that LMC can offer calculations or trial results to substantiate that *. Aesthetics clearly drove size and shape, and CNC attributes would have dictated the machined assembly's channel number, layout, and dimensions. The latter is pretty significant given that both the oil inlet and outlet are at the bottom of the unit. If the combined channel cross-section exceeds that of the OEMs (entirely likely - 'to be safe'), the oil will not displace (push out) all air in the unit without a high-point plug to bleed it out.
There is also a good reason that BMW added an unsightly oil cooler - missing on the Concept. The 1802cc Boxer obviously needs it, and any 'upgrade' better be super-efficient if it replaces the OEM's.
Each to their own, but I would fit a better-looking cover rather than a potentially improvised oil cooler. Or move the stock oil cooler higher up the front of the frame, where it could look OK, without cover, in gloss black and where it would be less of a Stone Catcher as well. However, that would require bronze/chrome/black tubing rather than hoses.
I will be adding a Trailtech 732-FNA1 Oil Cooler Fan on the back of mine to improve matters on slower rides. I do that to all my large V-twins and connect it to unswitched power to keep on running after the ignition is switched off.
* - Automotive homologation is a big thing in Germany. LMC should be able to provide a German StVZO and/or ECE (2002/24/EC for class L - motorcycles and light 3- and 4-wheeled vehicles) Approval Certificate upon request.
The last thing I want on my bike is a oil temperature gauge here in Arizona.I'm NUTZ enough,LOL!It would be interesting if someone who has one installed installed a oil temp unit.
I have developed a pretty good dialog (using the Mate translation app) with Hans. I’ll broach the subject with him sometime down the road.
If folks are wanting to cool down their R18 temps.I am not convinced that the LMC Oil Cooler will be more effective.
There is a good reason that OEMs and aftermarket radiator specialists like Febur and Setrab build thin-wall water and oil radiators with copious even thinner fins, whether in steel or aluminium - to maximize surface area and to radiate heat very efficiently. The sheer size of the LMC Oil Cooler might well compensate for the thicker billet's decreased heat transfer capability to some extent, but I doubt that LMC can offer calculations or trial results to substantiate that *. Aesthetics clearly drove size and shape, and CNC attributes would have dictated the machined assembly's channel number, layout, and dimensions. The latter is pretty significant given that both the oil inlet and outlet are at the bottom of the unit. If the combined channel cross-section exceeds that of the OEMs (entirely likely - 'to be safe'), the oil will not displace (push out) all air in the unit without a high-point plug to bleed it out.
There is also a good reason that BMW added an unsightly oil cooler - missing on the Concept. The 1802cc Boxer obviously needs it, and any 'upgrade' better be super-efficient if it replaces the OEM's.
Each to their own, but I would fit a better-looking cover rather than a potentially improvised oil cooler. Or move the stock oil cooler higher up the front of the frame, where it could look OK, without cover, in gloss black and where it would be less of a Stone Catcher as well. However, that would require bronze/chrome/black tubing rather than hoses.
I will be adding a Trailtech 732-FNA1 Oil Cooler Fan on the back of mine to improve matters on slower rides. I do that to all my large V-twins and connect it to unswitched power to keep on running after the ignition is switched off.
* - Automotive homologation is a big thing in Germany. LMC should be able to provide a German StVZO and/or ECE (2002/24/EC for class L - motorcycles and light 3- and 4-wheeled vehicles) Approval Certificate upon request.
I hope it was not ThunderMax (-: I recently purchased theirs for my new Electra Glide - still waiting to receive it. It comes with a shroud but mounts behind the oil cooler. Lesson-learnt perhaps?I like your thought on heat dissipation and radiating heat to cool the oil,as a oil cooler should do.
I would like to share what happened to me with a 2006 ElectraGlide I owned.I can't remember the name of the company.I won't even try to remember.I did get a refund and agreed not to announce that their oil cooler fan for my application did not do what they claimed.The fan actually blocked the air flow.The bike was tuned and it ran so freakin hot it pinged like hell.I will say that their fan was on the front of the cooler and just plain blocked the cooler and lower part of the engine.After I took the fan off the bike I never had heat or ping issues and I live in Arizona.
I hope they redesigned or did something to improve the fan.As I remember they were good folks but the fan was not.
Agreed. It needs to be an Early Adopter with an oil temperature unit to record 'before' and 'after' readings. It would be challenging to admit that one had bought a $1500 lemon though, especially if you like its look. So, let's not hold our breaths. I own a couple of those T-shirts and steadfastly attempt not to award myself any more of them. Although I clearly slipped-and-tripped when I ordered the Fools' Edition (-:It would be interesting if someone who has one installed installed a oil temp unit.
I have developed a pretty good dialog (using the Mate translation app) with Hans. I’ll broach the subject with him sometime down the road.
Unlike the Harleys that have a splash system to the upper end(which has been used for years by HD).The BMW actually carries oil pressure.I think like 50 pounds.My Indian carries 60 pounds pressure to the heads.Which means the BMW & Indian are air and oil cooled.The HD is air cooled.I hope it was not ThunderMax (-: I recently purchased theirs for my new Electra Glide - still waiting to receive it. It comes with a shroud but mounts behind the oil cooler. Lesson-learnt perhaps?
The TrailTech is a universal fit. It uses a super-reliable Spal fan and mounts behind the oil cooler as well, but without a shroud. It comes with a thermostat that inserts into the fins with a heat-transfer compound. The adjustable controller displays the oil cooler temperature. I have been using two since 2014 already without a hiccup and have added more afterwards. I also use dipstick thermometers on my Victories and estimate that an oil cooler fan cuts the oil temperature by around 12-15°C (22-27°F). Probably more in traffic and slow rides when it runs continuously.