Oil rad position race

There seems to be more and more members appearing that are racing the ZXR400 so i've created a special section just for you to show off results, discuss meets etc etc.

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Alaska
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 5:14 pm
My Bike: Zxr400L L3

Oil rad position race

Post by Alaska »

Hi chaps
Do you think there would be a problem positioning the oil rad, behind the front faring?
Would it pass inspection?
Would it creat an air bubble?
Thanks for advice chaps
Ewetea
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 148
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 12:04 pm
My Bike: ZXR400L5
Location: Newport Shropshire

Re: Oil rad position race

Post by Ewetea »

That's an interesting proposal. There is a precedent - oil cooled Suzuki's have high level oil coolers. It would mean that longer pipes would be required. If the cooler is positioned with the inlet and outlet on top, then it can be filled with oil before the connections are made, with the pipes also having oil poured down them prior to connection. Removing the spark plugs and churning the engine over would ensure that there was no air in the system. As long as the cooler is properly secured it should be OK, although it would be worth consulting race officials for their comments before the work is done. Note that Suzuki oil coolers sit on rubber mountings. But why do you want to move a heavy lump higher on the bike? Won't it affect handling? (I am assuming that you are intending to put the cooler where the headlights would normally be)
Alaska
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 5:14 pm
My Bike: Zxr400L L3

Re: Oil rad position race

Post by Alaska »

Hi, thanks for reply
Would prefer to retain oil cooler, and I intend to move the radiator lower for the ram air box. So to move out of the way and give clearance around the engine, fairing. Good point about the weight, I was told the factory zxr400 race bike positioned the cooler here, have no evidence just hear say.
Do you think moving the radiator lower would creat a problem with water level within the engine?
Many thanks
Ewetea
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 148
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 12:04 pm
My Bike: ZXR400L5
Location: Newport Shropshire

Re: Oil rad position race

Post by Ewetea »

Right - I have thought that it was brutal to hack lumps out of the top of the rad when it would be better to lower it a couple of inches. However - the radiator currently is a very snug fit inside the fairing, hence the tapering of the sides. So to lower it you will either have to cut some slots in the side of the fairing (and glass them over) or try and spread the side fairings where they join at the bottom. Another possibility is to use an H1 radiator, which is 44cms wide x 20cms deep, but that has its own problems. The rad is held in place by brackets on either side with rubber mountings, and a separate filler cap is required as there are only pipe connections on the radiator. Plus - it may be tricky sourcing a decent rad as they will be thirty years old. There is a company in the far east that manufactures new ones (because they are flat; the later ones are curved and are a problem to manufacture) but you'd need to be certain that could be used before committing to the expense. As long as the filler cap is above (or level with) the highest point in the water system (the water ports in the cylinder head) there will be no problem. You will have an overflow bottle for the coolant, so if any trapped air is expelled from the system, liquid from the bottle will be drawn into the engine when the bike cools. As with any modification like this, you will have to give a lot of thought to it and be ingenious with the solutions. For instance - a neck for the radiator cap could be welded to an H1 rad to solve that problem, BUT, alloy welding would be required and care would have to be taken that the heat generated did not loosen the matrix, which I assume is soldered in place. When radiators are cut to fit the ram air intake, the ends of the water tubes are sealed with araldyte (I believe), so why not use the same method for a filler cap (welding is superior, but you need to find a local welder and make him aware of the potential problem), Also, brackets could be pop riveted to the top and bottom plates of the radiator to suspend it similar to the L1 rad, thus reducing the width of the H1 rad to 40cms wide and eliminating the need for the side supports, but still make sure that the rad is rubber mounted. It's a good idea, but will require some determination to see it through!
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