Oil cooler leak

[BBB]

The coolant level in the reservoir had been going down very slowly for some time now, but I could never see a leak anywhere. Then, right after I fitted the ECU flash, I started the bike up and saw a steady stream of coolant coming from the top hose of the oil cooler.

You can see from the pictures that there was a lot of alloy oxidation that had taken place under where the rubber pipes had been. When I took the cooler off the bike and cleaned the pipe up a bit, you can probably see that the pipe is slightly flattened. It looks to me as if the pipe took a stone impact, squashed a bit and the corrosion had eaten a pinhole through. That's where my leak was coming from.

[BBB]

So, I decided that the pipe was beyond rescue. It is very thin walled so hard to alloy weld and I don't feel comfortable using something like JB Weld.

A new oil cooler, sourced from a UK supplier is £576 !! It was cheaper to buy from Partzilla in the US , ship and pay import tax ($350, plus £60 import duty). But that's still a lot of cash.

 

[BBB]

Fitting:

- remove right body panel, open coolant cap

- drain coolant using lowest bolt on water pump

- drain engine oil

- remove exhaust

- 36mm socket to remove centre bolt of oil cooler

The new part comes with all seals and O rings. The manual covers the procedure well.

The new part is covered in ACF-50 and I'll be washing that area with particular loving care. I'm sure it's a UK roads issue, but it might be worth pulling the hoses on your back a tiny bit and checking for corrosion or spraying a protection fluid there.

 

[roadrash83]

 @BBB  Holly crap $743.34, you guys really get screwed on the other side of the pond. I would hate to own a BMW or Hardly Abelson in the UK!!

[Pinoy_rider]

After installing the oil cooler, you can spray some degreaser also to clean the engine.👍🏼😀😇✌🏼🇵🇭 It looks nice when its clean.✌🏼

[dazzler24]

12 hours ago, BBB said:

A new oil cooler, sourced from a UK supplier is £576 !!

Ouch!!  That's around AU$1,130!! 

Think I'll have to wrap mine in cotton wool!!

[nigel5]

I have heard that there was a problem with earlier oil coolers getting corrosion on the pipe that was too thin and a thicker pipe is now fitted?

[captainscarlet]

14 hours ago, BBB said:

Holy corrosion Batman!  That is one manky looking underside, apart from the spangly new oil cooler.  Consequence of year-round UK riding I guess.

CS

[BBB]

41 minutes ago, captainscarlet said:

Holy corrosion Batman!  That is one manky looking underside, apart from the spangly new oil cooler.  Consequence of year-round UK riding I guess.

Yep. 5 year old bike that lived outside for the first few years of it's life, year-round riding and poor access for cleaning, with the exhaust headers in the way. And, until now I wasn't that bothered by how dirty the dark recesses were. I'll be looking around a bit more closely now, but can't imagine that I'm suddenly going to transform into a cleaning obsessive.

[BBB]

37 minutes ago, nigel5 said:

I have heard that there was a problem with earlier oil coolers getting corrosion on the pipe that was too thin and a thicker pipe is now fitted?

I hope that's true. I didn't notice much of a difference between old and new, but it's hard to tell, considering the state of my old one!

[norcal616]

If mine gets replaced in the future I'm sending the cooler out to be "Alodine" treated just like all the other aluminum thermocoolers my work makes... 

[BBB]

3 hours ago, norcal616 said:

If mine gets replaced in the future I'm sending the cooler out to be "Alodine" treated just like all the other aluminum thermocoolers my work makes... 

That looks like a good approach @norcal616. Anything to make the surface less vulnerable.

You can see all the little internal fins in the cooler in the second photo down of the new part. I’m guessing that’s your core business (did you see what I did there, core..... ) Ah, well, it amused me. 

[steve]

Mine has packed up too. Started early March, stopped at a biker cafe after a ride and smelt something odd and what looked like steam. Checked and couldn't see anything so just thought it might have been someone walking behind me vaping. Went for a walk and on my return I saw coolant dripping. Rode home keeping an eye on the coolant temp, was fine. Detoured to the dealer who said, book it in! They couldn't find anything wrong.

Two weeks ago was out and noticed a puddle when I stopped, moved the bike forward, nothing - started the engine and the drip started. Like before I carried on home, this time the temp shot up after 20 minutes. Stopped and saw coolant pouring out, was recovered home.

Like yours, the same pipe was leaking on mine, however the bottom of the cooler is pitted and was leaking from several places. I have tried the JB Weld route, but it didn't help, fixed the pipe but not the casing.
No parts available in Europe, Partzilla not shipping internationally at the moment. Have an order with a Dutch supplier who said they'd ship Thursday, now they advise not before the 10th August!

[BBB]

Well  the only good news @steve is that it’s fairly easy to fit. You do have to remove the headers though, so make sure you’ve used lots of penetrating oil on the header nuts until the part arrives.

[steve]

Thanks for the heads up @BBB regarding the headers, I'll get some oil and start apply it. Pretty certain mine will be stubborn.
I don't have proper facilities and a 36 mm socket to be able to do the job myself. There used to be workshop facilities for hire in London but it closed down, I used it to change the engine in my Thundercat a good few years ago. You've got me thinking I should contact a local mobile mechanic rather than try and get it to the dealer - nice one thanks 👍

I've sent a msg to a German supplier, who has one for sale, asking if they have it in stock. If so that'd take 4 or 5 days.
What gets me is the disparity in the price in £, $ and €. About £520 with a 10% 'goodwill' discount from Yamaha UK, over £600 from Fowlers but 425€ from NL and DE 😟