need oil cooler insrtuctions

[oregonrider89]

I was looking to put an oil cooler on my quad and was looking for some instructions. If anyone has any tips or may have the instructions from their kit please give me a hand. A buddy of mine works at a transmission shop and can get me most of the parts for real cheep. Thanks for any info.

oregonrider89

[lansing400ex]

I put a trans cooler on my 400EX a few months ago and it is working fine. Only have $35.00 invested in the cooler, fittings and 3/8 hose. I also purchased new cam tower cover and right case cover gaskets. I copied the Four Stroke Tech locations for the fittings on the right side of the motor. Pull the cam cover off and you can see where to drill and tap the threads for the fitting that goes in the cover. It dumps the oil in the space at the end of the cam where it is forced under pressure to flow through the cam. You will notice the bearing on the end of the cam is sealed so the oil has to flow into the cam. You will see the original oil galley in the same area. The oil there has to flow up the side of the head to get there and of course picks up alot of heat. I pulled the right case cover off the motor. With the cover off you can look inside and see the oil galleys around the oil filter location. Drill a hole in the top of the cover that lines up with the oil galley near where the clutch cable bracket mounts on the cover. Just drill into the passage so you can pick up oil there. When you tap the pipe fitting threads the tap will go in and bottom out in the galley. Dont force the tap any further. The hole is shallow and the threads wont be the best but the fitting will screw in nice and tight. I put teflon tape on both fittings. Run the fitting so it will pick up oil from the right case cover but not block the oil galley. I hear that Four Stroke Tech has guys block the original oil galley going up the head to the cam with some sort of ball bearing. I did not block mine. Oil is like water and will seek the path of least resistance. When my motor is warmed up I can feel the heat off the trans cooler and after a hard ride it is hot enough to burn my hand on it. I wil try to take pictures of my setup and post them this afternoon.

[oregonrider89]

Thanks for all the info. What cooler did you use? I have a good idea of what my buddy can get but any ideas on styles are good. Could you get all the fittings through the tranny shop? Or where did you go to get them? Thanks agian for the info.

oregonrider89

[lansing400ex]

I bought the cooler and fittings at an auto parts store. I asked for the smallest trans cooler they had. The fittings are 90 degree 3/8 hose ends with standard fine pipe thread on the other end. I used 3/8 rubber hose with hose clamps. Here are the pictures.

[hotrodhonda400]

could you just replace the honda cooler with the larger transmision cooler and not do any drill and tapping the motor?(i don't really want to get into that) .

[lansing400ex]

The reason for this mod is to cool the oil going to the head. You leave the other cooler alone. You end up with two coolers. Replacing the existing cooler may lower overall oil temps in the crankcase but wont help the head. I'll try and post those pictures again. I hate computers!!!

[lansing400ex]

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[lansing400ex]

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[lansing400ex]

Last one. The cooler sits against the frame between the shock towers zip tyed to the frame against rubber hose cut open for insulation at contact points.

[oregonrider89]

Looks good. Thanks for all your help. Have you ever thought of installing a fan behind it to pull air through for when speeds are slow, but rpms are high? holeshots, waiting to drag. . . I don't know if it needed but its easy. I just put a 12v computer fan on my stock cooler, I think the only benifit I'll ever get from it was the instilation, it was fun.

oregonrider89

[lansing400ex]

Those trans coolers disipate heat really well. After riding when I shut the engine down the cooler gets cold to the touch in five or ten minutes. I guess I don't see any need for a fan because the engine is designed to run with no cooler for the head. In other words any cooling of the oil is better than what the engineers had in mind. Good luck with your installation. Being a custom job anyone can be as creative as they want. Such as steel braided hoses with threaded couplings. It all depends on the effort one wants to put forth.

[oregonrider89]

I guess if the cooler gets real hot you couldn't put a fan directly on it, the fan would need to be set off the cooler. Does the stock cooler get real hot? I think I might put a fan on with a toggle switch, so I can only use it when I do alot of hill climbs and am dragracing. On busy weekends you have to wait to drag so it would help them.

oregonrider89

[honda400exrider]

when you say cooler, do u mean stock oil tank?

[danney f]

I just got a use oil pipe and cut the pipe off right before the larger part that the bolts go through, ran a bead of weld around the end(Keeps hose from coming off) and used hose clamps to hold the 3/8 hose on. No drilling/ no taping and no taking the motor apart. I also used a trans cooler that came off a recked car, just flushed it, cleaned it up and painted it. All it cost me is the hose. I'll problly replace the cooler later with a chrome one from B&M but for now it works just fine.