EOT meter for OEM oil cooler

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Late this afternoon, the local weather was a bit breezy but otherwise a nice day for a ride (only my 3rd on this new bike). I removed the fan so I could collect some EOC (engine oil cooler) temperature data with my handlebar mounted Trail Tech temp meter. OAT was ~75F during the ride.

I let the engine warm up for about 10 to 15 minutes before the ride. The temp slowly increased to about 160F during that time, then went for a slow paced ride on my neighborhood streets. Surprisingly, the initial reading dropped a few degrees. I think this is b/c the engine dissipates more heat into the cooler ambient air as I was riding along, as opposed to sitting still in my garage where after several minutes of warm up time, it creates a higher local ambient with absolutely no air movement. Eventually, the EOC temp started rising again after a few minutes of riding, while approaching 200F.

At this point I decided to ride up a long windy road that tops out at about 2000 feet above sea level. My average speed was only about 20 mph and due to the steepness of the grade, I stayed mostly in 2nd gear.

The meter temp began slow rising again, until it peaked at 225F at the top of the hill; maybe 5 miles from the starting point. Now, I have a baseline for further testing with the fan using the same road, speed and elevation change over the same distance. With fan running, a peak EOC temp significantly less than 225F is the objective.

If I use the Trail Tech to control the fan, with a programmable set point of 150 to 200F, I now know the meter and companion temp sensor has sufficient range to do the job. However, I have to do additional baseline tests before deciding on an appropriate set point.

Of course, with the fan mounted but not running, the EOC will be less efficient. So, I expect to see an equalization temp probably somewhere North of 200F. (I will arbitrarily use ~45 mph to determine this point.)

After the equalization point is determined, I will have sufficient data to program the set point of the Trail Tech to accomplish two objectives: 1) minimize the duty cycle on the fan, and 2) minimize extra loading on the battery.

As an alternative to using the TT to control the On/Off set point of the fan, I might use a different external EOC sensor with two set points; one with a high turn On temp of 160F, as well as an lower turn Off temp of 145F. This sensor has an integrated thermostatically controlled SPST switch. It has the advantage of keeping the fan running longer after engine shutdown to reduce the overall duration of heat soak.

A simpler approach would be to just hook up a simple, handlebar mounted, On/Off switch (which I already have available) to control the fan manually, using the TT only as nothing more than an EOC temp monitor.

Stay tuned . . .