oil capacity and oil coolers

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 7:25 am

Got a stupid question about oil coolers and oil capacity. If you put a larger oil cooler on a 900F, which has a 3.7 quart oil capacity with the stock cooler, how do you figure out how much oil to put in the crankcase if the oil cooler drains from the bottom? Wouldn't you need more than 3.7 quarts with the bigger cooler since once the big cooler fills up with the engine running there would be not enough oil left in the crankcase? What is the oil capacity of a 900F oil cooler vs. a 1100F oil cooler? What is the oil capacity of a CB1100F? Will a 1100F cooler fit on a 900F?

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 2:40 pm

So it would seem the reasonable answer MIGHT be to put 3.7 in the crankcase, level the bike on center stand if available, check the dipstick, if full done deal, if not full get out your baby bottle add oil as needed and log results. My feeling is that it's a mute point.

Second option check the 1100 manual.

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 4:52 pm

What I am worried about is if the oil cooler is a larger capacity than stock, when the engine starts running and the oil cooler fills up, is there going to be a shortage of oil in the crankcase for the oil pump? I would think if you install a larger oil cooler your crankcase capacity would also go up from say 3.7 quarts to 4.2 quarts or there about. Also does anybody know if a 1100F oil cooler is a direct bolt onto a 900F?

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 5:03 pm

The oil capacity of the 1100F is the same as the 900F (3.7 US quarts after draining) and the 1100 oil cooler is a direct bolt-on for the 900.

Hawk Joined: Sep 29, 2011 Posts: 369 Location: London - ON

No it is not. I put an1100 cooler on my 900 two winters ago, and requires some modification

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 7:15 pm

The 1100R cooler is even bigger.

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:01 pm

Flip them over and fill the cooler up full.....
Then dump them out into a graduated bucket.....
Record the difference and add accordingly....

Jebby

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:30 pm

If you follow the oil checking procedure in the manual, the oil filter should remain about as filled as it gets when you check it.

For function, I still prefer extra large oil coolers with the in and out on top, rather than on bottom.

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:34 pm

You are overthinking this ... the difference will not impact the oil level enough for it to be an issue. Put the normal 900 oil level in, run the motor, check the oil level and add extra as or if required.

Regards,

Max

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:35 pm

So Jebby, are you saying that if you run a larger oil cooler you need to run more oil in crankcase?

I have the same concerns as Revs. I'm going to run an Earl's 13 row cooler, it's 1" taller than stock. So I was also wondering if it requires me to run more oil.

Thanks,

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:37 pm

Hondamax wrote:

You are overthinking this ... the difference will not impact the oil level enough for it to be an issue. Put the normal 900 oil level in, run the motor, check the oil level and add extra as or if required.

Regards,

Max

Not necessarily....thisis true if the lines go in from the top.....if they come out the bottom then the oil lever while running is a consideration....

Jebby

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:46 pm

It depends if you can get all the air out of it while it runs, so it doesn't all drain back out when you shut off the motor, or even idle. If the inlet and outlet were on top, it wouldn't drain back out.

This is an educated guess based on some data I posted some time ago. I think you need to be close to half motor speed for the amount of oil from the cooler side of the oil pump to be enough to overcome the amount that will just run out of the cooler immediately. With the in and out of the cooler on bottom, then the cooler will start to fill up somewhere around 1/3 to 1/2 full motor speed. This is just a guess based on some tests I did with my Earl's cooler and water from a hose flowing through an aperture into and out of the cooler with the in and out on bottom.

If it gets clear full, with no air bubble left on top, and there are no air leaks in either side of the circuit, it should stay full interminably until it's disassembled and drained, of course. Then the size of the cooler won't matter. But it's also harder to get a larger cooler clear full unless you're racing all the time and running at peak RPM a lot.

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:05 pm

Lakota wrote:

No it is not. I put an1100 cooler on my 900 two winters ago, and requires some modification

What was the modification that was required? I think the only difference is in the height so the 1100 uses shorter hoses.

CB1100F Joined: May 13, 2005 Posts: 3217 Location: NE OHIO

The bottom bracket needs to be lowered, the top 2 are in the right place . I changed and used 11F hoses because they are slightly shorter , but somebody reported to have used 900 hoses without a problem .

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 4:16 am

Number 1 the book is WRONG. The engine takes 4 qts even. It was written for 750 with no cooler.

Center stand or held level. Run the engine then check the oil. The cooler or the head holds oil and quite a bit. It will be way up on the round part of the stick when it is cold.

Bottom line is just bit of angle of the bike changes the oil level changes quite bit. Chase the spot on the stick to where it is in the engine. It is right at the bottom of the crankshaft part of the case,ie crank is not in the oil but is right there.

I said this before. If you install a larger cooler, say 4 qts,you think any will be in the motor? It runs running,not sitting,so check the oil level as soon as possible after shutting it off.