Oil cooler lines...

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Has anybody routed the oil cooler lines differently from stock?
On my '79 i have a 15 row Earls cooler that i am putting stainless lines on. I am a little cramped for space under the tank with Dyna coils and Taylor wires and my frame has a large 2" downtube welded in place. The bike also has 29mm smoothbores that are slightly taller than the stock carbs.
I have seen race bikes with the lines wrapping around the engine on the right side. Is this done for better cooling? Looks? Lack of space?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[alimey4u2]

Steve, I have exactly the same setup other than the 2" downtube.....
I would guess that the reason for re-routing would be similar to yours, which would be lack of space....
As for added cooling, this would be minimal as the hose is rubber which has poor heat transfer. Possibly, by re-routing, you could keep an eye on them for safety when racing ??

I actually made mine myself using the stock oil cooler fittings. A mistake often made is to make to the exact same length. Problem being that the braided hose cannot keep the same tight radii as the stock.....

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Larry, thanks for the tip about the length of the lines. I am SURE i would have made that mistake.
An extra 1 or 2 inches?
Another query has to do with painting the oil cooler itself. The one i am currently using is black and should be freshened up. I also have a new grey cooler that i was hoping to paint.
Will paint have any effect on the cooling abilities? Any thoughts on the type of paint?
Thanks, Steve.

[alimey4u2]

At least 2" Steve. Don't forget to orientate the fittings in the correct position prior to crimping as braided hose doesn't like to twist. The trick with paint, a thin coat will not impair heat transfer too much. Go with an engine paint & you will be fine.... Flat black has the highest radiance for the purist......