Cooling system

[andymon]

Whilst you lot have been watching Emmerdale & Corry. I have had the unenviable job of unblocking the fins on my radiator.
Having earlier solved an electrical problem I felt invincible and for some reason, I shall never know why, decided to attack a problem I have had since I got this bike 10 months ago.
The bike has always run hot and a handy permanent earth was provided by the previous owner so the fan could be connected to this as required and cool the bike down.
As you can see from my avatar the cooling system may have been a problem in the past!!
I am assuming the V has been filled, god knows with what, to prevent a leak in the cooling system, via the pipe which joins the two cylinders.
Having found the radiator fins 50% blocked, I decided to remove the debris, a painstakingly, monotonous, finger aching job if ever there was. A job I might is still continuing on the bench 4 hours later!
What is more, there is no thermostat fitted in the cooling system, as the housing was empty.
I am hoping that just cleaning the fins will solve the problem, I also hope for 6 numbers every Saturday night,
My question or dilemma is this, should I scrape all the gunk out from between the cylinders and if it is damaged try to repair this link for the cooling system and more importantly how easy is this to replace? Can it be done with the engine in situ?
Or should I just put everything back together and buy two tickets for Saturday nights draw?
If anyone knows what this link is called, it would be appreciated? On my spare engine it looks like it is joined together with a metal ring? Any advice on repairing/replacing would be appreciated. I cannot find a picture or description of this in any service manual, maybe it's because I am a pathetic man who has not really looked properly ;D
When you have all stopped laughing a post would be appreciated. lol

[andymon]

I have just seen Cherrymetals post a bit lower down. All my questions answered along with Roger posting the manual with the name of the potentially offenders name, 'coolant joint collar'. I think I will de gunk and have a go at these offending O rings. I will keep you posted as to progress.
Thanks again people, I knew there was a reason for joining this forum!!

[rj2para (Bisto)]

great news mate I was just about to point you there.

ATB

Roger

[McF]

Feb 18, 2009 22:05:33 GMT 1 andymon said:

I am hoping that just cleaning the fins will solve the problem, I also hope for 6 numbers every Saturday night,
lol

I frequently hope that Mylene Klass will return my calls, but she doesn't!

Did anyone hear about the students who observed one of their housemates religiously scan his lottery ticket after coming back from the pub? He always bought a random number card.
They watched the lottery, wrote down the numbers, then went and bought a card with those number on and switched for his own, which he kept on the mantlepiece. They kept straight faces (as best they could with their own beer on board). No-one actually told him it was a wind up until Monday, by which time he'd spent the whole university's student loan on stuff and did not have the means to pay for!

[McF]

Anyway, I would clean out all of the cr@p between the cooling fins. It will help enormously.
If you have access to a power washer, carefully blast it all from the rear of the radiator and push the cr@p back out the way it came in. I used a 25thou feeler gauge to straighten and clear the worst gaps. Be careful because the cooling strips are very delicate, almost like paper.
A new thermostat in place will help. I'm pretty sure I found a car one in eg Halfords that was the same size/temp opening. Might be best to go down and talk to them, but of course, you can't take the old one!
I'm not really home much until end of Mar otherwise I'd dig mine out of the parts box (assuming it's there) and see what I could find out.

You may regret it, but Iwould try and clear off all the mastic etc between the cylinders. At the end of the day, if you have a leak you should know about it and try to effect a more elegant solution.
Expoy Metal "putty" is pretty good, but may not like the negative pressure if it's sat on a crankcase pressure (but then the mastic is doing OK anyway)

[andymon]

Just to update on current situation. The painstaking unblocking of the fins was worth it, free flowing air is tickling my fins. New thermostat fitted and sealed with instant gasket (could not find a gasket or 'o' ring to fit).
Mastic removed from between cylinders and new 'o' rings fitted, really easy job, half hour tops. No leaks and all seems fine. Still cannot get fan to kick in, must be problem with wiring and will revisit at later date!!!
Bike does not overheat anymore and my trips up and down the A55 to St Helens (work) are a little cooler ;D
Sorry for not getting back sooner but my new job has taken up a lot of my time

[Jaz66]

Hi andy

Glad to hear things are lloking up re rad and fan, just wondered if i had already pointed you towards this
Factfile: fans and rads

Gives a few ideas of how and what to check IF fan is playing up..

Might be of some service if you have not already seen it,
and if you have now others will know it is there....

Good luck fixing the fault. Sure with some advice from the more techie, the problem will be overcome....

jaz

[McF]

Bravo Andymon - well done

Here's hoping it all works well, no leaks etc

Keep an eye on your fan and the wiring, but at this time of year, it will be difficult to get the engine hot enough to activate the fan.

A simple test is to remove the cable from the fan switch (on left side of the radiator, low down) and make it straight to earth. The switch is thermostatic, as it gets hotter, it becomes less resistant, eventually "closing the switch" and allows current to flow to earth. If you make an earth straight from the wire you are emulating the switch being hot and earthing - the fan should then kick straight in.

In your first post you said a permanent earth had been rigged up. When this is used, I presume the fan works?

[andymon]

The fan does work if it is earthed out, it does not work when it is overheating. I have checked the factfile and found it extremeny useful. I will try relocating the earth to the terminal block behind the rad, as the existing one does not look healthy. Might run an earth right back to the battery. If all else fails I may even place a switch on the bars to operate the fan manually!! Main thing is the bike has never let me down, always fixing something, but thats the way I like it, yes I have convinced myself of that. lol