Oil temp?

Rather interested in this oil temperature gauge

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110261673454

Only, as you can see, it only reads up to 140 degrees C, and my
impression is that engine oil gets much hotter than that. So I
contacted the seller asking if what he was displaying was actually a
coolant gauge, because oil etc etc.

Reply:

"Hi,

thanks for your interest. Please read the discription. The gauge is
filled with special oil, which is colorless (transparent).

These RR oiltemp gauges are very good quality and last long. You have
two years guarantee"

Well, yeah, but am I right in thinking that the damn thing ill still
be permanently redlining once the engine's at working temperature, and
is therefore useless?

 

It shouldn't - if you've constantly got oil at or above 140C in the
/sump/ of an air/oilcooled engine, you have a problem. Most mineral
oils are supposed to degrade heavily above 120C and you don't want to
see how well they lubricate at 140C for any length of time.

I've had similar gauges on airhead BMWs and the temperatures usually
staid where they are supposed to be, around 100C even though they do
get hotter in town.

 

Heh.

BMW - staid. Apposite.

 

Here's what seems to be a genuine example.
URL:http://merlinmotorsport.co.uk/produ...id=1290?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Shopping

 

I had one of those on the Zephyr

The little dipstick doesn't actually sit in the oil, so it's more of a
crankcase tempersture gauge than an oil gauge.

It's expensive too, they're cheaper from sites such as www.louis.de

Or at least they were

--
Dan L

Too much time to think, too little to do.


http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/

2002 Triumph Sprint RS 955i (It's big, and it's black)
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr (Gone, but not forgotten)

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6/7/8)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11

 

I once abused the **** out of my MK2 Golf to see what the oil temp would get
to (with it having a built in oil temp display). Even trying *very* hard,
constant accelleration flat out then onto the brakes full on, rinse and
repeat for a while, it never went over 120 or so. I'd be very surprised if
bike oil goes a lot higher.

 

1970 Land Rover towing 2 ton across Wiltshire with a boiling radiator
only made 110 deg

 

Just verifying what has already been stated, I have one of those on my
Freewind[1]:
<http://www.getgeared.co.uk/acatalog/moto-detail_Motorcycle_Oil_Temperature_Gauge.html>

and it tends to show around 80-90 degrees, occasionally going a bit over 100
now that it's summer (in Crete that is). Comments from other Freewind users
imply that if it goes over 120, one might have issues.


Geo

[1] GetGeared seems to be a lightweight British site version of Louis.de,
where I actually buy my stuff from.

 

Unless you are using fully synthetic oil, temperatures should lie below
120 C otherwise the oil is cooked and any steel bearings will also run a
risk of damage if you run them above 120 C for any period of time.

The best point to look at is measuring oil temperature into the bearings
rather than what is sloshing about in the sump and hopefully losing heat
to the surroundings.

Unless you are running around in a desert, oil temperature should not be
an issue in the UK as bikes are designed to run in hotter countries than
ours. Your money would be better spent on making sure any water cooling
system is up to scratch and the underside of the engine is clean and no
"accessories" are hindering airflow over the engine.

Steve

 

What water-cooling system?

<checks sig>

Oh yes, there is one there.

 

One of the reasons why I actually bought it was to get a better idea of when
the bike has reached a decent operational temperature. Combined with the
fact that it lets me know when the (air cooled) bike runs hotter, I think
it's definitely worth the 25 quid.

Geo

 

My turbo Rangie, off roading managed an indicated 130° in the middle of
summer for a couple of minutes. Never seen more than 120° in anything else.