Running hot

Post your Kettle problems here and cures
teazer
Posts: 1035
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:10 pm
Location: Chicago

Re: Running hot

Post by teazer »

Good news is that you know it is actually overheating and not an electrical issue.

Bad news is that something has to come apart. Do a compression test and leakdown test and try to hear where the leak is but most likely a blown head gasket. And the reason for that is probably a gasket with bore that is too large. But before stripping the head off for a look see, pressure test and listen for leaks.

BTW, from those pictures, it looks like they did a nice job from a cosmetic perspective at least.
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malky
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Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 3:25 pm
Location: swansea south wales

Re: Running hot

Post by malky »

Where has the water come from though - it they are over filed it should come out of the overflow pipe underneath the bike by the main stand not out if the cap
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raysunners
Posts: 273
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:02 pm
Location: liverpool

Re: Running hot

Post by raysunners »

malky wrote:Where has the water come from though - it they are over filed it should come out of the overflow pipe underneath the bike by the main stand not out if the cap
Pipe is not connected, so will come out under tank, not the best idea to throw water all over the coils :(
teazer
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Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:10 pm
Location: Chicago

Re: Running hot

Post by teazer »

Good point about having the overflow pipe fitted.
The water that came out left a lot of staining and that may be because the radiator needs to be flushed. It is worth flushing now, regardless of whether that was the (sole) cause.

Yopu can also pressure test the cooling system. Not sure what your local auto parts stores are like but over here we can usually borrow tools like a radiator cap pressure tester. That will reveal if teh cooling system is leaking and you will probably be able to hear where it's leaking.
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raysunners
Posts: 273
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:02 pm
Location: liverpool

Re: Running hot

Post by raysunners »

bobhenry999 wrote:Guys,

Well the kettle lived up to it`s name today !

Went for a ride and the same symptoms, temperature gauge sits at half way around town, but as soon as I start to cruise at 50-55mph it slowly rises to 3/4 across the gauge.
Today it seemed to be going even higher so I stopped, and there was the archetypal orange/rusty water staining all over the top of the engine (Above the head/barrel joint).

I managed to limp it home and after removing the fuel tank I could see that the aforementioned water staining was all down the filler neck below the rad cap, from where it was blowing onto the engine.

The bike starts and runs fine, and I pulled the spark plugs which were all a nice light tan colour, so I don`t think it`s the head gasket, although I am open to be proved wrong.

I removed the thermostat housing, and the thermostat itself looks a bit manky but seems to be free and moves ok. The water level in the expansion tank, despite the coolant loss from removing the thermostat housing, is about half an inch from the top of the tank. Not sure if this is important but the small two inch hose between the filler neck and the expansion tank is quite soft and is kinked.

I have attached a couple of photos showing the water staining leak.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
If it was mine I would be removing thermostat to check if it opens in boiling water, also would remove Radiator to check its not blocked
teebowbusablaster
Posts: 659
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 6:59 am

Re: Running hot

Post by teebowbusablaster »

This was where my leak was....welded back up by a local specialist aluminium welder !
54730617_1168028400024107_8159561122135932928_n.jpg
teebowbusablaster
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Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 6:59 am

Re: Running hot

Post by teebowbusablaster »

To be fair, it now doesn't use any water, but the needle WAS creeping a needle thickness above dead centre, above 4,000 revs. Oddly, last weekend, when the weather was hot, the temperature went down, and giving chase to a Porsche on the M62 on Saturday, well into 3 figures, the gauge actually went down, so I surmise that the thermostat wasn't opening during the cooler weather we have had, and gentle running it, and a warm day / damned good thrash made the thermostat open fully.
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PaulD738
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Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:57 pm
Location: Warrington Cheshire

Re: Running hot

Post by PaulD738 »

It may well have been overfilled to start with?
My 750J used to loose water from the overfill until it found its own level. Looking at the colour of the water you lost I would say a full system back flush is in order.
They're rubbish them Jap bikes lad they won't last five minutes! you want to get yourself a nice Royal Enfield!
A quote from my old dad 8-)

I started out with nothing and I’ve got most of it left!
bobhenry999
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue May 28, 2019 9:26 pm

Re: Running hot

Post by bobhenry999 »

Guys,

Thanks for taking the time to reply, appreciated.

I have ordered a new thermostat, gasket and radiator cap from the Suzuki vintage parts website which I am hoping to fit this weekend. I will also replace that little 2 inch hose between the filler neck and expansion tank and give the system a flush through. I also need to install the missing overflow pipe to the filler neck, where should that run down to ?

Forgive me on this bit bit I`m a little baffled. The plastic expansion tank is almost 3/4 full, shouldn`t that water drain back into the filler neck now that it is cold, or am I understanding the system incorrectly. Even when I un-kink the little hose nothing drains back. When I refill the system, will any water finds it`s way into the expansion tank, if so, to what level.

Any tips on how to correctly refill the system would be appreciated as well, and if all this doesn`t solve the problem then it`s beyond my skills and will have to go someone to be fixed.

What a bummer !

Bob
bobhenry999
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Joined: Tue May 28, 2019 9:26 pm

Re: Running hot

Post by bobhenry999 »

All,

Well I am starting to get somewhere on the problem.

The reason that the expansion tank wasn`t draining back into the radiator was because the little pipe on the bottom of the filler neck that the expansion tank drains into was blocked, so I have given the radiator to my local specialist to test and replace the pipe and the core if necessary. I guess that although JMC did restore everything on the bike, being sat in the previous owners dining room for the last 2 years caused the cooling system to clog up.

In the meantime I have flushed the system out and replaced the thermostat and radiator cap along with a couple of hoses.

Hopefully I will get the radiator back in a few days, and can pop it all back together and see if that has done the trick.

I`ll keep you all updated.

Bob
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