Help/advice please...

[toymachine]

I'm in the process of taking off (sorry, i'm not sure of the proper name) the 'frame' at the front of the bike to which the headlight and instruments etc are mounted.

Now the thing is, the oil cooler is also mounted here... but i don't want to just disconnect the hoses to it for fear of oil pissing everywhere. Perhaps the obvious answer here is then to drain the oil from the engine... but this engine is going to be sitting a while... is it safe to do this? Will this remove the oil in the pipes/cooler as well?

Any help in getting this thing off appreciated

[TLDV8]

Now the thing is, the oil cooler is also mounted here... but i don't want to just disconnect the hoses to it for fear of oil pissing everywhere. Perhaps the obvious answer here is then to drain the oil from the engine... but this engine is going to be sitting a while... is it safe to do this? Will this remove the oil in the pipes/cooler as well?

Any help in getting this thing off appreciated

It would depend on where the oil cooler hoses are connected on the engine.
If they are down low on the main oil gallery inline with the filter and oil pump,draining the engine oil would still leave the oil in the gallery and cooler(The pump gears stopping most backflow,unlike some old Brit bikes)
You would have to break the fitting for the cooler itself in that case (The crush washers would then need replacing)

Do you have to remove the cooler or is it a case of the hoses being the problem for removing the fairing/headlight bracket.

[toymachine]

The hoses i suppose.

I'm trying to remove that frame as a whole, and apart from the electrics those hoses to the engine are the only things stopping me.

[TLDV8]

If the cooler can be unbolted form the bracket i would go that way so it stays attached to the engine (oil tight).

If a hose is routed through the frame in a way that makes it impossible to remove then you could break the hose but oil is go to start !@#$ing out of both the cooler and oil gallery (for sure) until you have got the hose free of the bracket and refitted it.It shouldn't be a lot of oil,but a small amount goes a long way..Work quickly and it should be minimal with a few rags.You can use plastic bags if two people break the connection.

[toymachine]

I had hoped to take the cooler off completely, but i just removed it from the bracket for the moment. Cheers.

The brackets in a bit of a state... I wonder if it'd be expensive to get one made up?