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I saw a post about adding the factory oil cooler used on the bigger Fh721 engine to the Fr691v that I have on my 54" Raptor SD. Wish I could remember who posted that as I owe them a big thanks! Here are some pictures and a few things I did differently on my install.

The Kawasaki parts needed;
39067-7008 Cooler - About $72
59071-0742 Joint - About $11
92055-7006 O-Ring - About $10





This takes a 49065-0724 Oil filter. Crosses to Wix 51360, Wix 51394, Wix 51395. These are the same just different lengths.

These are terribly small filters so I wanted to install my much larger Wix filter. Wix 51516XP about $8 at Rock Auto.
Comparing the two filters;






As the original poster noted the larger oil filter just slightly drags on the Oil Cooler casting. Here is the very tiny mod I did to the Al. base to provide clearance.





Used my Dremel tool with a cut off wheel to lightly grind the surface. It did not take much.

You do need to modify the engine so the cooler fits. To help with access the RH fender bolts were removed and then the fender swiveled a bit so I could get in there. I used a large EZ-Out to remove the short threaded nipple in the block. It's not in there very tight. There is a Al. tab under the oil filter that gets in the way of the cooler mounting flat. Again it was a pretty minor mod to cut this off with a body saw.





After removal. Be sure and put paper towels in the oil filter base and oil filler tube when cutting. Don't want any metal to get into the engine! I had a pretty good pile to clean up before I took the picture.





Next mount the cooler using the longer hollow bolt. I used PTFE pipe paste on the threads. A bit of oil on the O-ring too! Rotate the cooler slightly so that it does not interfere with the oil filler tube. There is plenty of room.





This is the much larger WIX 51516XP filter installed.





The larger filter does stick out more and just touches the plastic fender. Don't think it will hinder removal of the oil filter but the fender is just 4 bolts so I may just loosen that to change the oil and filter. I could not believe how much room I had to clean and put rags under the filter with the fender pulled back. I have ALWAYS hated how that horizontal filter just makes a huge mess every time it's changed!





Suppose to add about a pint of oil capacity. The original post claimed a 40F drop in oil temperature but I have not measured mine and will just assume it helped in some way. These engines full full blast 100% of the time which is much more severe service than just about anything else I own.
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So when the engine vibrations rub a hole in the filter and trashes your engine........ Hope your yard is perfectly flat.

Must admit, cool mod you did. Thing is you want your oil good and hot. Gets rid of moisture for one. Day temps 95+, night around 65F. Condensation in the oil sump.

Regardless of what anyone else thinks.....awesome and excellent modification and very well detailed and presented.

Hopefully it all works out great for you.

Where did you purchase the kit from?.....or did you just purchase each individual part separately?

If separately, then where did you purchase the parts from?

Thanks for posting and sharing.

Mr. Mower said:

Regardless of what anyone else thinks.....awesome and excellent modification and very well detailed and presented.

Hopefully it all works out great for you.

Where did you purchase the kit from?.....or did you just purchase each individual part separately?

Also where did you purchase the kit or the parts from?

Thanks for posting and sharing.

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I respect your opinion sir. You can add all sorts of goodies to your mowers.

My experience was once on a CJ-7 Jeep. I installed this ultra cool 800hp rated oil cooler and a dual 2 quart Chevy oil filter relocation kit. Fancy hoses and all. Long story short, one hose AT the block came off on the highway. Trashed slash locked up my brand new stroker engine. Since then I use OEM filters only. No issues since.

Why not get the next smaller filter so it will not touch?

I was wondering if any real cooling was gained from all this.

I had thought about something similar before. But instead of that setup, using a sandwich plate with the same 3/4-16 thread and adding a small external cooler somewhere. My yard isn’t too big, but when I was cutting a couple properties, the thought had crossed my mind.

Then you got to think about the millions of other mowers out there running fine without additional oil cooling.

External oil coolers are commonly used on stand on loaders and small skid steers.
Doubt that they will do much for mowers
Very few of us mow when it is 90+ in the shade and oil should be running between 80 & 100 C

It’s already hitting 100 here where I’m at and I don’t have the luxury of mowing before sunrise, or after sunset when it’s still 90+. A cooler may be overkill, probably is, but I’ve also wasted money on far less important things lol.

Jcook78 said:

I had thought about something similar before. But instead of that setup, using a sandwich plate with the same 3/4-16 thread and adding a small external cooler somewhere. My yard isn’t too big, but when I was cutting a couple properties, the thought had crossed my mind.

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Mr Cook, my engine is an FR651V, do you know if the same items will work on it? r

RayMcD said:

Mr Cook, my engine is an FR651V, do you know if the same items will work on it? r

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The thread size for the filter on the FR651V is the same 3/4-16 size, so it should work the same. Depending on where the sandwich plate aligns when it’s tight on the block, the location of the fittings going to the cooler could come into play. Most of the 1/2” npt fittings are fairly short, and some -6 3/8” push-lock hose is about $3/ft. I’ve had good luck with the push-lock hoses, but have built countless braided line hoses.

edit. This one is quite a bit cheaper at $41.

I have thought about adding an oil cooler. For me, I can’t see much of a benefit. A little longer filter can add oil capacity and help a little. Keep your engine clean. Use a leaf blower and thoroughly blow your machine and engine off after each use. In this heat wave, it’s best to take frequent breaks and use a heavier weight oil.

I’ve thought about a larger capacity filter too. I always let the engine idle a while in the shade or make a couple slow idle laps around the yard to help cool the engine and oil off before shutting it down.

Jcook78 said:

I’ve thought about a larger capacity filter too. I always let the engine idle a while in the shade or make a couple slow idle laps around the yard to help cool the engine and oil off before shutting it down.

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That is the wrong thing to do. An air cooled engine is cooled by air flowing across the engine. The more air flow, the better the cooling. Run at wide open until shutdown or parking. If you want to sit in the shade for a bit, shut it down.

I give it a minute or so to allow the temperature to stabilize a bit, letting some of the heat disperse across the engine. I’ve never been a fan of working something hard and just shutting it down immediately, mainly from my days of working on diesels with turbos that like to cook the oil in the turbo bearings.

Jcook78 said:

I give it a minute or so to allow the temperature to stabilize a bit, letting some of the heat disperse across the engine. I’ve never been a fan of working something hard and just shutting it down immediately, mainly from my days of working on diesels with turbos that like to cook the oil in the turbo bearings.

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Most diesels are water cooled. There is a difference.

MParr said:

Most diesels are water cooled. There is a difference.

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And it takes time for the water passing through the oil cooler to lower the oil temps as well as for the egt’s to drop. Carry on as you wish. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Why not trim the fender? It would also make it easier to take the filter off. And don’t say it….oooo, dirt might get thru there or mud…..Phtttttttttttttt……I like it….

Yes a better cooler would be the more standard separate small radiator setup. I did not see a lot of room and decided the plate style would be an improvement over nothing at all. Has anyone measured oil temperature? These do run hot but they are designed that way.

Plastic fender is not going to rub a hole in a steel oil filter??
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slomo said:

So when the engine vibrations rub a hole in the filter and trashes your engine........ Hope your yard is perfectly flat.

Must admit, cool mod you did. Thing is you want your oil good and hot. Gets rid of moisture for one. Day temps 95+, night around 65F. Condensation in the oil sump.

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LMFAO! Trim the fender. It’s 1/4 of a 3” radius and soft crappy plastic.

This adapter is solid and heavy! It will definitely draw heat out of the oil……putting it on right now….and yes, I’m trimming my fender. It will make changing the filter easier.

take a look at some of the sandwich oil filter adapters or VW TYpe 4 Oil Filter Relocation adapter. They can be added instead of a filter and then lines routed thru a cooler and filter. The advantage of a larger filter is less restriction because there is more surface area.

Jcook78 said:

I always let the engine idle a while in the shade or make a couple slow idle laps around the yard to help cool the engine and oil off before shutting it down.

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Hope your engine is a full pressure lube and water cooled.

If yours is an oil slinger and air cooled, not recommended to idle this type down. Briggs states run at max revs all the time for max durability and longevity.

Jcook78 said:

I give it a minute or so to allow the temperature to stabilize a bit, letting some of the heat disperse across the engine. I’ve never been a fan of working something hard and just shutting it down immediately, mainly from my days of working on diesels with turbos that like to cook the oil in the turbo bearings.

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Most of these are not Diesels. Most are normal air cooled engines that are made to run at max revs ALL the time. 2 stroke trimmers and chain saws run at full zip from a dead start. Mower engines the same.

Best running mowers I've seen and non oil burners have been the ones that when you start them they are at full revs. No throttle adjustments. Plug runs cleaner and such.

Your logic doesn't fit outdoor power equipment. Now I know gas is 5 bucks a gallon now. Maybe you are idling down to save money LOL? I didn't vote for that "person".

Jcook78 said:

it takes time for the water passing through the oil cooler to lower the oil temps as well as for the egt’s to drop.

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Water extracts heat 7 times faster than air. More time, maybe but not anything to lose sleep over. EGT's?? Really? on normally aspirated mower engines? That is what you are worried about? You must have a Power Stroke Diesel on yours.

clubairth said:

Plastic fender is not going to rub a hole in a steel oil filter??
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Not on my mower it's not. You know how thin these filter cases are. Likely, not really. Possible yes. Worth risking a multi thousand dollar engine no.

Feel better now?

I guess it depend on where you live as I regularly mow in 95-100 degree's all summer long?

I have always thought the cheap plastic oil drain hose was just junk. To my surprise I found out (What took me so long to find this?) that Kawasaki does have a nice 16" rubber hose with a nice brass cap that replaces the useless factory setup on my Raptor SD 54".

Kawasaki 510440902. About $30-$35 and there are many other ones too if you don't want the Kawasaki version.



Just ordered one!
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MParr said:

That is the wrong thing to do. An air cooled engine is cooled by air flowing across the engine. The more air flow, the better the cooling. Run at wide open until shutdown or parking. If you want to sit in the shade for a bit, shut it down.

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It is good practice for all engines should be warmed up & cooled down.

Warm up before asking the engine to do hard work - I usually run at high idle for a few minutes before working an air cooled engine (longer for a liquid cooled) engine. This gets all those separate bits of metal to expand to close to their working limit and brings the oil up to temperature for best circulation.

Cool down. This is not so much cooling, as stabilising/bringing the engine temperature (again all those bits of metal & the oil) down to a lower/non load steady temperature. Again I run the engine at high idle. High idle gives good air & oil flow for a nice consistent all over temperature drop. For a mower, I usually do this, while using compressed air to remove all the chaff from around the mower, paying special attention to transmission/engine cooling fins.

I do this for my 2/ as well.

Except in an emergency NEVER intentionally shut down an engine operating at full rpm.

That is even clearly explained in Kawasaki Owners Manuals.

Skippydiesel said:

It is good practice for all engines should be warmed up & cooled down.

Warm up before asking the engine to do hard work - I usually run at high idle for a few minutes before working an air cooled engine (longer for a liquid cooled) engine. This gets all those separate bits of metal to expand to close to their working limit and brings the oil up to temperature for best circulation.

Cool down. This is not so much cooling, as stabilising/bringing the engine temperature (again all those bits of metal & the oil) down to a lower/non load steady temperature. Again I run the engine at high idle. High idle gives good air & oil flow for a nice consistent all over temperature drop. For a mower, I usually do this, while using compressed air to remove all the chaff from around the mower, paying special attention to transmission/engine cooling fins.

I do this for my 2/ as well.

Except in an emergency NEVER intentionally shut down an engine operating at full rpm.

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Maybe, I should have been more clear. I never shut my engine down at full RPM. I always idle it down before shutting it off.