Oil cooling is the use of engine oil as a coolant, typically to remove surplus heat from an internal combustion engine. The hot engine transfers heat to the oil which then usually passes through a heat-exchanger, typically a type of radiator known as an oil cooler. The cooled oil flows back into the hot object to cool it continuously.
Uses
Oil cooling is commonly used to cool high-performance motorcycle engines that are not liquid-cooled. Typically, the cylinder barrel remains air-cooled in the traditional motorcycle fashion, but the cylinder head benefits from additional cooling. As there is already an oil circulation system available for lubrication, this oil is also piped to the cylinder head and used as a liquid coolant. Compared to an oil system used solely for lubrication, oil cooling requires additional oil capacity, a greater flow rate through the oil pump, and an oil cooler (or a larger cooler than normal).
If air-cooling proves sufficient for much of the running time (such as for an aero-engine in flight, or a motorcycle in motion), then oil cooling is an ideal way to cope with those times when extra cooling is needed (such as an aero-engine taxying before take-off, or a motorcycle in a city traffic jam). But if the engine is a racing engine that is always producing huge amounts of heat, water or liquid cooling may be preferable.
Advantage
Oil has a higher boiling point than water, so it can be used to cool items at a temperature of 100 °C or higher. However, pressurised water-cooling may also exceed 100 °C.
Oil is an electrical insulator, thus it can be used inside of or in direct contact with electrical components.
Oil is already present as a lubricant, so no extra coolant tanks, pumps nor radiators are required (although all of these items may need to be larger than otherwise).
Cooling water can be corrosive to the engine and must contain a rust-inhibitor, whereas oil naturally helps to prevent corrosion.
Thus, if through a gasket failure, coolant oil should enter, say, the combustion chamber or the sump, this would be a mere inconvenience; but if coolant water should similarly leak, substantial engine damage might occur.
