Coolant system help

[Sinaz]

So, my coolant system has probably been the most problematic portion of the oddysey that is 'my bike repair.'

The radiator has been bent back into shape and seems to be doing it's job just fine...

But now I'm having the trouble of the coolant leaking out somewhere near the engine. I can't quite figure out where, and when I look inside the frame to get an idea... I just get lost tracing the jumble of hoses and stuff.

My coolant drains onto the engine and evaporates/burns away (I can smell it and see the vapor at stops... ugh.)

So I need some advice.

How can I trouble shoot this problem?

I have to ride the bike back to a place to work on it... so how safe is it to ride with no coolant in it (I've...uh... come to the conclusion I've already been riding with little to no coolant for a little while here... and haven't noticed any changes in engine operation.)

Sigh... any help would be appreciated.

[cyclox]

if it's dripping onto to top of the engine, could be a hose from the reservoir that's leaking. Is the cap for the reservoir closed?

I'd see if you can get a hold of some distilled water and top off the radiator in the meantime. someplace like rite-aid or von's will have it. don't use tap water, since it will lead to mineral deposits and other bad things.

[curley]

not easy to do - but here we go
a) In the automotive world you can buy a cooling system pressure checker - they're pretty pricey
1) It looks like a radiator cap with a small tire/air pump attached - there's a check valve in the air pump so you don't suck coolant back in the pump. - with a cool engine - you remove the radiator cap and install the pressure checker - you pump up the pump watching a small gauge not to exceed the pressure rating of the cap. with the system holding pressure you inspect for leaks around hoses and the radiator itself.

b) in the bike world - you would have to sacrifice a radiator cap and some how attach a bicycle pump to it so you could artificially pressurize the system.

c) How bad was the radiator bent? - they can get pin hole leaks that only show up under heat and pressure.

- suggest you remove the radiator and take it with the cap to an automotive radiator shop and see if they could pressure test it for you.

- or take the bike to a dealer

[Sinaz]

Originally posted by curley

c) How bad was the radiator bent? - they can get pin hole leaks that only show up under heat and pressure.


The radiator was bent back and pressure tested by a reputable radiator specialist. I think the problem is further back near the throttle body area... where the coolant system has the thermostat and stuff.

[curley]

on my '03 Vstrom almost all the hoses leaked at their connection points after 3000 miles - you may have to buy a small ratchet set ( 1/4" drive) and a 1/4" universal to reach all the clamps - but loose clamps may be your problem - with a cool engine try and tighten the ones you can get to - wash down the engine - test ride it and see if it solves the "smell"- good luck

[Sinaz]

yeah... good call. I'll try that out Curley.

[DOC]

Do not ride your bike with no coolant in it.
DOC

[backlash]

Can you get a new radiator hose at any parts store? Like kragen, autozone etc etc, if it's the same size it'll work right? I need a new hose for my radiator, it's leaking.

[cyclox]

I'd imagine that so long as the hose has the same specs and size that it should work ok.

[Sinaz]

WEll, turns out it did have more coolant in it than I realized... so that night I made sure to top off the radiator (which was like only a quarter of the bottle worth) and filled my resevoir.

I'll be watching the levels making sure the bike is working right.

I think i was just percieving the normal operation of the bike under abnormal maintenance.

[DOC]

There's a small hose attached to the bottom of the water pump. It just hangs down and ends about an inch above the exhaust pipe. I believe it's just a breather and they route it there so any coolant that escapes will be vaporized when it hits the pipe instead of getting on your rear tire. Every once in a while I'll smell the coolant burning off. The first couple of times I smelled it I paniced until I finally figured it out.
DOC