EOT meter for OEM oil cooler

[dsinned_imp]

Just took delivery of my new 2014. Kudos to HONDA for designing a truly great motorcycle. It's almost flawless! Does many things really well.

Just ordered my first mod. A Trail Tech temperature meter for the OEM oil cooler. Only $43. Easy to install and mounts to handlebars. Accuracy is supposedly +/- 1 degree F, based on a thermocouple inserted between fins in the cooler. Unfortunately, LCD has no back lighting, but quite visible in the daytime.

http://www.trailtech.net/722-ef6

Next project (experimental) is to install a "pusher" type fan made by SPAL, a company in Italy. Just ordered this from Amazon as well as a temperature sensor with integrated SPST switch to control the fan On/Off operation automatically. The fan blade size is 130mm - a bit oversize - with 240 CFM rating (at zero static pressure). It draws ~4.5A from a 12V battery.

Since its a front mounted fan, I selected one with a finger guard. Front wheel still can turn from lock to lock unobstructed.

I did a very similar mod to my 2015 Triumph Bonneville, except there was room to mount a "puller" fan behind the oil cooler on that bike. Before the fan, measurements of EOT (while riding) were alarmingly high even when OAT was only in the 70s. With the fan running, I realized a significant drop in peak EOT.

I don't think the CB1100 will work out quite as well because of the disadvantage of a pusher fan, but the same basic principles apply, the parts are not expensive, so I'm going to give it a try.

Stay tuned . . .

[treytexag_imp]

Very cool little project, really interested in what you find out . . .

I'm in Houston, OAT pretty warm most of the time. The heat coming up from the engine seems really hot at times, really hot. I know it's an oil cooled engine, not water cooled, but it is warm indeed.

So really curious if you'll get reasonable temperature drops from the pusher fan. I'm staying tuned . . .

Just took delivery of my new 2014. Kudos to HONDA for designing a truly great motorcycle. It's almost flawless! Does many things really well.

Just ordered my first mod. A Trail Tech temperature meter for the OEM oil cooler. Only $43. Easy to install and mounts to handlebars. Accuracy is supposedly +/- 1 degree F, based on a thermocouple inserted between fins in the cooler. Unfortunately, LCD has no back lighting, but quite visible in the daytime.

http://www.trailtech.net/722-ef6

Next project (experimental) is to install a "pusher" type fan made by SPAL, a company in Italy. Just ordered this from Amazon as well as a temperature sensor with integrated SPST switch to control the fan On/Off operation automatically. The fan blade size is 130mm - a bit oversize - with 240 CFM rating (at zero static pressure). It draws ~4.5A from a 12V battery.

Since its a front mounted fan, I selected one with a finger guard. Front wheel still can turn from lock to lock unobstructed.

I did a very similar mod to my 2015 Triumph Bonneville, except there was room to mount a "puller" fan behind the oil cooler on that bike. Before the fan, measurements of EOT (while riding) were alarmingly high even when OAT was only in the 70s. With the fan running, I realized a significant drop in peak EOT.

I don't think the CB1100 will work out quite as well because of the disadvantage of a pusher fan, but the same basic principles apply, the parts are not expensive, so I'm going to give it a try.

Stay tuned . . .

[dsinned_imp]

1st Progress report . . .

Today, I did a feasibility test of mounting a "pusher" type fan in front of the oil cooler. I received the Spal 5.2" fan I intend to use for this mod and it fits quite well with no interference or wiring problems whatsoever. I did a quick mounting of the fan and powered it up to test the concept with my bike stationary in my garage.

With the fan flush mounted to the front of the cooler, offset to the left hand side, there is a good amount of air flowing directly to the rear of the cooler. I choose this mounting location because the fan has three asymmetrical mounting bosses and in this position they optimally align with convenient places to tie wrap the fan to the cooler.

There is even more air flow to the top of the engine, because this fan is a bit oversize and overlaps the top of the cooler by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. It's flush with the bottom. This puts some air onto the oil return line as well.

I also tested to see if any air flows around the engine and back to where the rider's legs would be. There was very little, an insignificant amount really, so this does not seem to be an issue.

This Spal fan is quite powerful for its size. I tested it on the bench and measured 6050 rpm and a current draw of 4 amps (4.6A with significant back pressure). It's noisy, loud enough to be heard above an idling engine, but not that loud it can be heard riding the bike.

I plan to wire a 12V indicating status light in parallel with the fan to be located somewhere below the ignition switch or vicinity. When this light in ON, the fan is operating, and Off when its not. I also plan to wire a thermostatic switch in series with the fan to provide automatic control. On at 160F, Off at 145F.

Alternatively, I can use my Trail Tech (programmable) temp meter to control the fan. In which case, I will set the meter to toggle the fan On/Off at 150F (lowest setting). This is because both my temperature sensors are externally in surface contact with the cooler. As such, they can only sense a lower than actual oil temperature due to the thermal gradient between the inside and outside the cooler's enclosure.

Next, I need to take some before an after measurements of an approximation of EOT (using the Trail Tech temp meter. I wish there was a better way to take direct readings of EOT, like I believe the ECU has as a signal input, but this would add a level of complexity to this project that exceeds my technical knowledge of the CB1100's internal workings.

On the road testing to follow in the next few weeks . . .

[TCinNC_imp]

1st Progress report . . .

Today, I did a feasibility test of mounting a "pusher" type fan in front of the oil cooler. I received the Spal 5.2" fan I intend to use for this mod and it fits quite well with no interference or wiring problems whatsoever. I did a quick mounting of the fan and powered it up to test the concept with my bike stationary in my garage.

With the fan flush mounted to the front of the cooler, offset to the left hand side, there is a good amount of air flowing directly to the rear of the cooler. I choose this mounting location because the fan has three asymmetrical mounting bosses and in this position they optimally align with convenient places to tie wrap the fan to the cooler.

There is even more air flow to the top of the engine, because this fan is a bit oversize and overlaps the top of the cooler by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. It's flush with the bottom. This puts some air onto the oil return line as well.

I also tested to see if any air flows around the engine and back to where the rider's legs would be. There was very little, an insignificant amount really, so this does not seem to be an issue.

This Spal fan is quite powerful for its size. I tested it on the bench and measured 6050 rpm and a current draw of 4 amps (4.6A with significant back pressure). It's noisy, loud enough to be heard above an idling engine, but not that loud it can be heard riding the bike.

I plan to wire a 12V indicating status light in parallel with the fan to be located somewhere below the ignition switch or vicinity. When this light in ON, the fan is operating, and Off when its not. I also plan to wire a thermostatic switch in series with the fan to provide automatic control. On at 160F, Off at 145F.

Alternatively, I can use my Trail Tech (programmable) temp meter to control the fan. In which case, I will set the meter to toggle the fan On/Off at 150F (lowest setting). This is because both my temperature sensors are externally in surface contact with the cooler. As such, they can only sense a lower than actual oil temperature due to the thermal gradient between the inside and outside the cooler's enclosure.

Next, I need to take some before an after measurements of an approximation of EOT (using the Trail Tech temp meter. I wish there was a better way to take direct readings of EOT, like I believe the ECU has as a signal input, but this would add a level of complexity to this project that exceeds my technical knowledge of the CB1100's internal workings.

On the road testing to follow in the next few weeks . . .

Have you wired the fan into the bike yet, and if so where did you tap into for power?

[dsinned_imp]

For testing purposes, yes, briefly, directly to the bike's 12 volt battery without the engine running. I powered up the fan initially to see how much air flows to the rear of the cooler. I was pleasantly surprised to find sufficient moving air produced by this "pusher" fan. Now, I'm going to take a ride with no fan to measure the temperature at the oil inlet (supply) side of the cooler using my Trail Tech temp meter. This is to have a baseline reading with respect to the peak temperature measured at the "hot side" of the cooler. The Trail Tech meter stores the maximum temperature recorded after surpassing 130F (with self reset), but I will be able to read the temp in real time as well. After I have this data, then I will reinstall the fan, including all associated wiring to have automatic temperature activated control.

[TCinNC_imp]

For testing purposes, yes, briefly, directly to the bike's 12 volt battery without the engine running. I powered up the fan initially to see how much air flows to the rear of the cooler. I was pleasantly surprised to find sufficient moving air produced by this "pusher" fan. Now, I'm going to take a ride with no fan to measure the temperature at the oil inlet (supply) side of the cooler using my Trail Tech temp meter. This is to have a baseline reading with respect to the peak temperature measured at the "hot side" of the cooler. The Trail Tech meter stores the maximum temperature recorded after surpassing 130F (with self reset), but I will be able to read the temp in real time as well. After I have this data, then I will reinstall the fan, including all associated wiring to have automatic temperature activated control.

Thank you, looking forward to hearing about your results.

[dsinned_imp]

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 . . .

[the Ferret]

Geezalou, certainly you didn't let it sit there and idle for 10-15 minutes, right? This is an air cooled motorcycle, as you well know, and needs air rushing over cylinders to maintain a suitable temp in cylinders and head. 3-5 minutes at idle is sufficient warm up if the ambient air temp is over 50 degrees and only a minute or two more down into the 30s.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

With all respect to DIY projects, what is the purpose of this modification? As The ferret said, this bike needs to be moving to keep cool. The oil cooler is only a part of the cooling system, the bulk of the cooling is done as he said by air flowing over the cylinders.

Also the bike is very well-designed, there's no need to modify or monitor this system. The ferret has a boatload of miles as do a few others here; I don't have so many miles but I frequently redline my bike and all the valves were perfect at the 8K mile check. It's holding up beautifully as I understand is also the case with just about everyone else.

So if you have concerns, put your mind at ease and just ride.

OTOH if it's just a fun project, by all means, enjoy.

[dsinned_imp]

Thanks for your comments.

First, let me just say, I did a similar project already on my 2015 Triumph Bonneville T100. It was the same idea except on that bike, there is sufficient room behind the oil cooler for a fan. Also, on the Bonnie, I was able to gather EOT data directly out of the ECU and it was based on INTERNAL oil temperature readings. I was shocked to find out how extreme the EOT got; very nearly 300F WHILE RIDING THE BIKE! But not riding across the Mojave Desert in the middle of Summer. I had EOT excursions that high from riding during mild Springtime days with OAT only in the mid 70s. Of course, stop and go exacerbates engine temperature on ANY air cooled motorcycle. The Honda CB1100 is no exception.

Long story short, I was able to reduce EOT significantl, especially during adverse riding conditions, with just the addition of a retrofitted EOC fan. In fact, it is exactly the same fan I'm using again on my CB, except it's a pusher not a puller. I am using an Italian made Spal 5.2" fan in both cases. This particular fan is quite powerful for its size and does a good job flowing air thru the oil cooler especially when riding at relatively slower speeds. At higher speeds, obviously a fan is not really needed, and can be turned off, but does not create much of an obstacle to natural air flow.

As you have rightfully pointed out, what is undeniable in the design of ANY air cooled motorcycle engine is the importance of MOVING AIR! However, we cannot control everyday riding situations and sometimes stop and go traffic is unavoidable. This is where a fan provides supplemental cooling benefits to an air cooled engine. Understandably, they are commonly used on dirt bikes oil coolers.

What I was shocked to read on this forum was from a fellow member who claimed the only overheating protection we have on our bikes is a little idiot light that illuminates at 340F! A warning at that point, is too late IMHO! Thus, this is the reason I began this project with an inexpensive temperature monitoring mod, which I have already validated its effectiveness this afternoon.

Unfortunately, there are no OEM "fan kits" for the CB1100. Nor for the Bonneville either. I don't know why as there are appropriate fans available - fairly inexpensive - well up to this task that can be easily mounted either behind or in front of the EOC "as is". Mounting the fan is easy to do merely using tie wraps and a pair of wires to the 12V battery. With the addition of a simple SPST switch to the handlebars, the fan can be operated by the rider as necessary, and certainly of usefulness while stuck in stop and go. All the parts needed for this DIY mod don't even add up to 100 bucks. Managing to keep the oil cool(er) will also pay big dividends with respect to the overall reliability of the bike (e.g. keeping rubber and plastic hoses and oil seals from wearing out and leaking).

The fan mod turned out very successful on my air cooled Triumph, so it might be just as worthwhile to try out again on my Honda. No guarantee, of course, but that is what I am trying to determine and the rationale for this project.