coolant leak

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Mysteryrider

Mysteryrider

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ok had such great replies to my timing belt cover issues thought I'd throw this one out here... I have a coolant leak somewhere. I can smell coolant after a ride and it is slowly dropping in level now the problem .... I can't find any signs of a leak anywhere I have replaced the o rings and gasket on the left crossover tube and that was the original visible leak I found but the very small leak is alluding me any suggestions of where it could leak that would not leave any visible evidence or at least any that can be seen on a lift and a good work light?
 
probably the over flow tank and tube set up ...only occaeionly when it opens ... hose leaking on one end or the other ...while back someone had small slit in tank that leaked only at a certain level in tank
 
ok went and looked at the two items suggested and it looks like there is a very tiny amount coming from the weep hole under the water pump housing.... regretfully me thinks that's a pricey fix or is that guess wrong :beg: :beg: :beg:
 
Sadly, that guess is probably correct. A new water pump and front cover gasket set can be had on Ebay for about $160. If your bike has the original pump in it, it's time. You can remove the water pump cover (2 bolts, where the lower hose attaches) - after draining the coolant - and see if the pump impeller has any side-to-side movement. Even the slightest movement is not good. The original pump has a plastic bakelite impeller, and a replacement will have a metal one.

Wish I had better news, but a wet weep hole, it's rarely good.
 
well went out to the bike and did some looking .. it looks like I have to pull radiator and then the rest is just pulling the covers clean up replace the pump and gaskets and put it all back together .. while it might be a pain it doesn't look to skill level challenging
 
next .... I pulled the cover and there is no movement side to side and I mean none at all and it turns maybe a 1/16 of an inch in rotation ... it also has metal blades not the original plastic ones so hmmmm at least that's a 130 dollar pump bullet dodged so gotta wonder if it is worth pulling it all apart for the very minor sign of seepage from the weep hole I will try to get a pic posted in a few minutes
 
the picture shows better detail than I can see without using the camera
 

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That looks pretty clean to me! Next time you ride, check it right away, and see if any coolant has come out. If there's no play in the pump (rotational play is normal), and the seepage is very slight (damp, not dripping), you should be OK for a while.

Probably the most difficult part of a water pump job on these is getting everything clean! With the engine in the frame, it's kinda tough to get all the gasket removed from the case. Patience is your friend!
 
You can take a stroll thru My Gallery and get a general idea of what's involved with changing a water pump....including making sure the o-rings for the pump are correct.
Even tho your pump may not have any play in it, the seals can leak themselves simply from being old, or not having the proper coolant. The front seal of the pump is a spring-loaded ceramic style seal. If it was run for long with straight water, or had some kind of contaminant in it, it can damage the face of the ceramic, and seep/leak out the weep hole.
The pump itself may be fine, but perhaps the o-ring may be shrunken up and leaking. In any case, a coolant leak there will only get worse.
 
I took mine for a short ride today and smelled coolant also. Upon inspection, there was two drops on top of right case, one drop on top of carb hat, wet trail on top of filter air box, checking back to highest point leads to area between top of radiator to recovery tank. Always trace it high as you can. If the pump feels good and a small leak like you say and it is ONLY coolant, it's probably the mechanical seal in the front of the pump. It is possible it might stop leaking but I wouldn't count on it.
 
OK, next I would suggest checking the radiator cap. Most are originals on these bikes, and are in pretty bad shape. And as Joe suggested, check the tube in the recovery bottle, as well as the hose between it and the radiator. Lastly, shine a light into the radiator fins and look for wetness. Oh, check the oil level and make sure it's not rising. You don't want to run it with coolant in the oil.

If all else fails, run the bike through a couple of fan cycles while it's over dry ground. If you can smell it, you should be able to see it. You also don't want any white, sweet-smelling exhaust smoke.
 
Even if you can't see it you are smelling it... so after running as above.. use your sense of smell to locate approximate area.. then look for discoloration, corrosion, peeling finish... use a real bright light also.. if possible in the evening in the shade to keep Sun's interference to a minimum
 

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