Re: Leak from under rad cap
jake, you should have had ted pressure test the system, not just the cap. you may need some welding done around the filler spout or a new/used rad, after all, the bike is 32years old.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stewart
jake, you should have had ted pressure test the system, not just the cap. you may need some welding done around the filler spout or a new/used rad, after all, the bike is 32years old.
Hey Dave! How's it going? Are you gonna be working at Ted's this season? I have not seen you around. If you are working I will bring the bike to you. When are you around?
Re: Leak from under rad cap
jake, i'm down for the count. i have cancer and was close to death within a few days in march. i won't be back this year because of chemo, i need to stay alive, thanks all the same...dave
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stewart
jake, i'm down for the count. i have cancer and was close to death within a few days in march. i won't be back this year because of chemo, i need to stay alive, thanks all the same...dave
Dave, I am sorry to hear that. I wish you all the best.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
I figured I might have put the cap on wrong/not tight enough so I took off the rad cap and inspected it and the rad neck for deformities and couldn't find any. Then I put the cap back on and now, to my surprise, it is leaking from the other side! Whereas before it was leaking from the right (break hand) side, it is now leaking from the left side! As soon as the engine heated-up there was basically a fluid stream dripping down from the rad cap-rad neck lip/junction. What in the world is going on?
Re: Leak from under rad cap
I gave up. Brought the bike to Ted at Rosey Toes. I hope it is fixed soon.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Spoke with Ted today. He said he is "scratching his head" trying to figure it out. He tested the rad and all, he doesn't know what the problem is. Says he will take another crack at it tomorrow morning.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Ted and Kevin took out the thermostat and said the leak was now fixed, I took the bike home. As soon as I hit the 400, bam! coolant all over the place again. Errrr .
I took it back and Ted says it must be the head gaskets so now he is going to replace those. Man I am getting frustrated and wish I could afford a new bike. I don't even understand how it coul be the headgaskets since the leak is from the rad cap.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Re: Leak from under rad cap
So after thinking about this a lot and hearing from Ted, Kevin, Jamie, and, indirectly, Dave (howdee Dave!, heard you were at the shop today) that they are "scratching their heads" and don't know what the problem is "but it must be the head gaskets because we checked everything else" I picked the bike up today because I don't want to pay a lot of cash to start taking the engine apart when we don't know what the problem is, or whether it is even in there. It's going to cost a fair bit to do the head gaskets and, while I don't mind paying that money if it fixes this leak problem, it doesn't seem like we even know that it will.
I really don't know what to do now. Are there any mechanics that are particularly experienced with this kind of thing or with old Goldwings that someone here could suggest? I have been a customer of Ted's for many years and have never gone to anyone else so input is appreciated.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SLaP
I don't think there are any of those symptoms exactly. The ONLY thing is coolant leaking from the radiator cap itself once the engine heats-up.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
So is it leaking from the housing for the radiator cap, between the radiator cap and the housing that it screws into?
Make sure the little hose going between the radiator cap housing (just below the radiator cap) and the overflow tank is not clogged. I see that you replaced it - make sure it isn't kinked or pinched.
Make sure the overflow tank itself has a vent that is not clogged.
Make sure the radiator cap is the correct one for the vehicle. It's hard to get this wrong, but you never know.
Make sure the radiator cap housing is not warped and doesn't have a hairline crack (that opens up under pressure). This would be my prime suspect.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Brian P
So is it leaking from the housing for the radiator cap, between the radiator cap and the housing that it screws into?
Make sure the little hose going between the radiator cap housing (just below the radiator cap) and the overflow tank is not clogged. I see that you replaced it - make sure it isn't kinked or pinched.
Make sure the overflow tank itself has a vent that is not clogged.
Make sure the radiator cap is the correct one for the vehicle. It's hard to get this wrong, but you never know.
Make sure the radiator cap housing is not warped and doesn't have a hairline crack (that opens up under pressure). This would be my prime suspect.
Thanks for the reply. It seems like the leak is just from in between the cap and the housing, that is, the seal between the cap and the housing is allow the fluid through once the engine heats up.
How do I check the overflow tank vent?
It is the correct cap.
How do I check for a hairline crack in the housing?
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Just took the bike for another ride. I pushed it hard. Kept the gears low, rpms high. I took it on the freeway, I took it in stop and go traffic. Rode for about 45 minutes straight. Engine doesn't seem unusually hot. Sounds good, rad fan is working.
So far as I can tell, no leak. Could I be this lucky?
Re: Leak from under rad cap
I would, as Brian said, immediately suspect the neck of the rad where the cap screws directy onto. Check it for any kind of burr or deformity that could cause a gap in the cap's ability to seat properly.
I had an aluminum GSXR rad that had evidence ofminor crash damage. If the rad cap wasn't situated "just so", it would leak. The filler neck was a little oval from being crashed or hit, and would allow coolant to leak past the cap's seal. I quickly figured out how to screw cap on "just so", and never had leaks afterwards.
if the bike isn't overheating, no oil in coolant and no coolant in oil, no clouds of white exhaust, and only coolant loss visibly at the neck, I wouldn't suspect head gaskets at all.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
I just went again for an hour ride and no leak. How could this be?
Re: Leak from under rad cap
new rad cap's seal needed to get wet and swell to make the seal? Was too thin, brittle, and dry when it was first installed? I am reaching here.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Update:
Road the bike again today and it leaked!
Ran the bike at idle with rad cap off. Watched as the following happened: coolant level rose, then went down below where it has been with engine turned off, then it just sat at that level with no movement at all. One or two air bubbles came up within a few seconds of starting the engine but that was it. I kept the bike running for about 5 minutes and the coolant did not move at all.
Does this help?
Then my dad got a can of this stuff from Canadian Tire that is supposed to seal-up radiator and head gasket leaks. It looks like liquid copper/metal and you poor it into the radiator. I took out some coolant to make room for the stuff, put the stuff in, and ran the bike at idle for 15 minutes as per the instructions. Then I went for a ride and no leak. But it also didn't leak for the past few days until today.
I don't have a clue what is going on and am hoping that this additional information is helpful.
Re: Leak from under rad cap
Unless the engine gets up to operating temperature, there won't be much movement in the radiator as the thermostat will be closed, preventing and circulation.
As for the stop-leak stuff, it may or may not help. The principle of the stuff is that it will get forced into whatever slight gap there is when the system is under pressure. If it works for you, great! If not, I'd double check that the lip at the radiator cap is nice and level. Also double check that cap gets pulled down level when you screw it on.