Coolant escape

[julianop]

A week or two a go I started seeing about a tablespoon or two of coolant escape when I turned off the engine. After doing a coolant exchange yesterday my first couple of little trips and my 360 mile trip down to IL (coming into town at 6 AM at around 60F) resulted in no drips. Today, however, after running out to lunch in hot weather (mid 80's) I see about 1/4 cup on the ground after a five mile ride. What's more, I see signs of a couple of coolant splashes on the vents in the right side lower fairing.

Is there any particular "favorite" place I should look?

This is going to be expensive, isn't it?

[Mettler1]

   Could be a bad radiator cap or a hose leaking. Take off the plastic  and start her up. Then start looking.  There is also a manifold behind the exhaust headers and below the carbs that have "O" rings that sometimes leak.  Hope it's one of the first two.

   Take a look at the resevore tank also.

[julianop]

Thanks for the ideas.

I just replaced the reservoir tank yesterday. I'd cracked the original running over a lump of concrete a while back, and epoxied it up successfully.

I was hoping that I'd simply put too much spare in the overflow tank until I saw the splashes on the fairing.

I'm actually quite adept at pulling plastic now; I've replaced some, repaired some.... in fact I owe the team some photos of my recent upper fairing repair job.

Well, I hope it's not too serious: while I don't mind pulling plastic I really don't relish pulling that mess of intestines off the front of the engine. Yup, I hope it's one of the first two.

[Toxz Qwaste]

This was happening to me after I did a water pump. It turned out to be a not-so-tight hose clamp somewhere close to the header on the left side. Fluid was weeping out, running down the side panel onto the belly pan. Replaced the clamp with a new one. Problem gone.

[julianop]

Well, I've been thinking of it as if the coolant only escapes when I turn the engine off, which of course wouldn't be true. I reckon if I do what you say it'll be pretty obvious - at least while there's still some coolant in there.

I'll pull plastic as soon as I get home from work and run it up. This would actually be a good time to think about putting in a fan override switch too, wouldn't it?

[julianop]

So good news and bad news: I found the location of the leak. The hose clamp at the top of the radiator right behind the right side of the top fairing is loose. I must have jogged it first when I did the repair to the front tab, which started the trickle flow, and then yesterday when I had all the fairings off to do rewiring and oil and coolant changes I must have knocked the hose loose.
At least all I have to do is tear the fairings off again, re-tighten or replace the hose clamp, and refill lost coolant. It's irritating, but it could have been worse.
It is disturbing to me that the hose is right up against the inside face of the top fairing. Anybody else have that problem, or is it just the fit of my particular bike? I think I'll have to put something in between the fairing and the hose to prevent abrasion.

Lesson to self: while I have the fairings off, check the hoses! Had I noticed it yesterday it would have taken me a mere 30 seconds to tighten it up.

[Mettler1]

   I don't have a problem with my hoses touching the faring. The ones I have are adapted NAPA hoses and they fit ok if installed properly. Could it be a hose not quite suited for where it's at. Next time I replace my hoses I'll get the right ones from Murphs'. They are a better fit.

             http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=1_107

[MAN OF BLUES]

So good news and bad news: I found the location of the leak. The hose clamp at the top of the radiator right behind the right side of the top fairing is loose. I must have jogged it first when I did the repair to the front tab, which started the trickle flow, and then yesterday when I had all the fairings off to do rewiring and oil and coolant changes I must have knocked the hose loose.
At least all I have to do is tear the fairings off again, re-tighten or replace the hose clamp, and refill lost coolant. It's irritating, but it could have been worse.
It is disturbing to me that the hose is right up against the inside face of the top fairing. Anybody else have that problem, or is it just the fit of my particular bike? I think I'll have to put something in between the fairing and the hose to prevent abrasion.
Lesson to self: while I have the fairings off, check the hoses! Had I noticed it yesterday it would have taken me a mere 30 seconds to tighten it up.

I didn't have a hose /clamp issue up there, but I did have an issue with the upper edge of the mid fairing at that same point, which actually sawed thru the metal tube of the filler neck... which I luckily found after the first couple drips when on a 1000 mile trip.
Seems that I was hastey in reassembling that fairing when I had it off, and I didn't get the forward most tab inserted into the slot on the top fairing. The mid fairing was skewed inwards and in contact with the filler neck....check closely up there, it may have happened to yours... The cure in route was to cut off about an inch of the end of that hose, shove it in over the sawcut section, and add a clamp. and re-attach the hose, had everything to fix it, and it was lucky I cought it when I did. When I reassembled the fairings afterwards, I made sure the tab was inserted into the slot, never had an issue afterwards...

[B.D.F.]

You know the first think I pictured when I read the title of this thread was a line of coolant containers sneaking down the aisle of something like an AutoZone, peeping around the corners to make sure it was safe to move, and then breaking the glass on the door and scurrying off into the darkness. A classic coolant escape.

Then I read the line ' "favorite" place to look' and couldn't stop laughing- normally, coolant on the lamb can be found hanging around and trying to mix in with streams, rivers and ponds.... Then I got a picture of the coolant recaptured and wearing ankle chains through the handles and it got even funnier....

"You run one time, you got yourself a set of chains. You run twice, you got yourself two sets. You ain't gonna need no third set 'cause you're gonna get your mind right. And I mean RIGHT"

  two times!

Brian

Is there any particular "favorite" place I should look?

This is going to be expensive, isn't it?

[julianop]

Ha! I guess I blame my English education for my somewhat abstract way of putting things; why use a simple word when a more colorful one will do!

Well anyway, I managed to access the offending hose clamp last night simply by removing the lower right fairing mount bolt right by the hose. I rotated the clamp to make the screw head accessible from the 10 o'clock direction and graunched it up (English term) with a nut driver. Fixed. I'll replace the hose later; it's a 2006, so I don't think I should have to replace the entire set, but I'll do a full hose inspection the next time I pull the tupperware off which, knowing my fortune, won't be too far down the road.

[SteveJ.]

it's a 2006, so I don't think I should have to replace the entire set

I would reconsider this thought, at least if you want a bike you can count on. Yeah, it's a bit more work to do them all, but you can do them in your own space this winter and be done. Picture yourself on the side of the rode on I-94 on your way to Rockford with a blown $3 hose. It's all kinds of ugly, expensive, inconvenient, and probably dangerous.

Really, do it right and do them all. They are getting due. FWIW, I do all of mine every five years.

Also, maybe a thermostat, and for sure a radiator cap. The gasket on the cap will swell  causing a higher pressure in your system. Think blown O-rings, hoses, and radiators, oh my.

[julianop]

I would reconsider this though, at least if you want a bike you can count on.

And I do, I cannot stand unreliability or unpleasant surprises.

Picture yourself on the side of the rode on I-94 on your way to Rockford with a blown $3 hose. It's all kinds of ugly, expensive, inconvenient, and probably dangerous.

   OK Steve, you've convinced me.  That journey is a commute to work for me, always involving night driving, and often in cold weather, it's not a joyride.

Yeah, it's a bit more work to do them all, but you can do them in your own space this winter and be done.

Then that's what I'll do.

Also, maybe a thermostat, and for sure a radiator cap. The gasket on the cap will swell  causing a higher pressure in your system. Think blown O-rings, hoses, and radiators, oh my.

Ah, I didn't know that about rad cap gaskets.

Murphs'  (isn't the apostrophe in the wrong place there? that's how it is on their site) has a set for $60, which I've been told is a better fit than the Kawasaki set (although the brand is shown as Kawasaki on the webpage). Is that the best solution?

A question on coolant temperature: my gauge only ever gets above 1/4 travel when I'm sitting idling at traffic lights. Is that normal, or should it be closer to half way up? Half way is also when the fan comes on periodically, incidentally.

[Mettler1]

  You question the apostrophe !!!?? Are trying to start an apostrophe thread?  Thou shalt not question the apostrophe!   

[SteveJ.]

Yup, get the kit from Murphs'

The rad cap is available after market, the list is around here somewhere.

Coolant Temp. I went to a 195* thermostat, I like the way it keeps the engine a bit warmer. It also reduces the range of the temp swings. A stat from an 83 Accord works here. It really helps hold the temp up in cooler weather, better for the engine.

I have also had to install a new fan sw, I went with the NAPA part. It kicks in and turns off at about a 5-10* lower temperature. This setup has been working for about 60k miles, at least.

Have fun.