oil temp???

[Gripp]

This has probebly been posted before (sorry) Whats the normal temp of your engine oil? And would a 140F to 300F guage work OK.

[The CyberPoet]

Normal temp varies by RPM, degree of ignition advance, fuel additives & fuel composition, average speed, gear and ambient temp/humidity. Normally a 300 degree gauge is not sufficient for traffic jams and the like, and I'd say shoot for at least 350, preferably 400. Whatever gauge you do get, you need to make sure the gauge is designed for open-cockpit/all-weather use.

BTW - I sell a 400 degree solution with gauge & sender. See http://www.katriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17251 or visit my website.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[CaptainAmerica]

Oil Temp question for CP

While we are talking oil temp, I have a question for the all knowing CP. Assuming that you have an oil temp gauge, what is the critical point where the engine must be shut down to cool? Or will this ever happen with a properly tuned engine?

[md86]

I BELIEVE I read 450f is the point at which most bike oils start getting close to vaporization ...

[The CyberPoet]

Re: Oil Temp question for CP

Assuming that you have an oil temp gauge, what is the critical point where the engine must be shut down to cool? Or will this ever happen with a properly tuned engine?

It must be shut down before you reach the flash temp of the oil in the main oil sump and/or cooling subsystems, otherwise you are asking for a world of trouble. And that varies with the brand & formulation, usually from a low of about 360 (F) for the cheapest car oils to a high of about 480 (F) or so for Mobil 1 motorcycle blends, with most motorcycle-specific oils falling somewhere between 410 and 440 degrees F. If your main oil sump has hit 400 degrees for any significant amount of time (say over 90 seconds), either shut down or find a way to move forward at a reasonable clip, and by all means, change the oil at first possible availability.

If you have the availability of moving forward at any speed above about 18 mph, even if it means detouring from your intended path, that's the best way to cool your engine on the Katana's. As long as you are moving at a reasonable speed, you are shedding heat. The ideal point is somewhere around 35 - 45 mph in 6th to cool the engine, because it maximizes the air flow while minimizing additional heat generation. The only time overheating becomes a serious threat is when the bike isn't moving, isn't drafting in air, and is generating heat by running -- like when you're stuck in a traffic jam on some interstate.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[CaptainAmerica]

Cool. 8) Answered my question. Now for another one. In the absence of an oil temp gauge, what are the signs of an overheating engine on the Kat. I am just asking because I do not want to wait until it is too late to cool the engine. For right now I just kill the engine if I am sitting more than about 1 min. However, being the type of person who feels like he has to understand everything, I would like to know some overheating warning signs.

[The CyberPoet]

In the absence of an oil temp gauge, what are the signs of an overheating engine on the Kat.

Tricky to tell from the outside. By the time you find real symptoms, you've already gone well into over-heat range.
Bad running, stumbling, grinding noises, smoke would all be on the list.

It won't blow steam (no water) and it won't normally warp the heads (no steam), so the engine will keep at it as long as it can without really giving you much of any indication -- until it simply can't keep at it any more.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet