84 GL1200 Aspy RUNNING HOT

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Write2Paul90277

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Hi guys,

My 84 GL1200 Aspencade is running VERY HOT since I replaced the engine. The "new" engine an older, hi-mileage motor but I've transplanted my much younger (23K mile) cylinder heads, carbs, oil pump, water pump, starter, clutch, alternator, etc.

After only a few miles of riding in mild 68 degree beach weather, the gauge is up around 5 bars, sometimes 6 or 7.

Hasn't boiled over yet. Just runs HOT.

Here are the specifics:

-- Engine runs perfectly, no smoke or noises

-- NO leaks (coolant or otherwise)

-- System has been flushed (twice)

-- Fan works perfectly

-- Fresh 50/50 mix of approved coolant and distilled water

-- New thermostat (180 degree -- installed with small hole facing up)

-- New radiator cap (same # as original)

-- The OEM water pump has only 23,000 miles on it, does NOT wiggle on its shaft and does NOT leak out of the telltale "weep" hole.

-- The radiator gets evenly hot all over - no cool spots

The only thing I can think of that MIGHT be a problem is that when topping off the coolant in the radiator (not the overflow tank) while the engine is running, blipping the throttle doesn't seem to make the coolant rise, fall or swirl around as much as I think it should. How can I tell how much rising/falling/swirling is normal?

What gives? What am I forgetting? What evil lurks in the heart of my GoldWing?

Thanks in advance,

Paul Wilcox
Redondo Beach, CA
84 GL1200 Aspencade
 

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This is just a thought...I would get a thermo gun and check the temp. Start the engine let it run a little and check the temp every few minutes, might be a good idea to write this down, point the gun beam on the water thermostat housing and the heads in different places and check the temp. When your temp gets up to around 185 and up on your thermostat housing, pay attention to when the fan kicks on,(at what temp) write that down too. When the fan does start running, make sure you check the temp on the heads again. If the fan fails to turn on before it reaches around 220 -230 , then you could have a problem there in that fan thermo switch. If it does trun on around 195 to 220, then you could have an issue with clogged cores in your radiator, or your tube in your overflow tank could be sucking air.
 
nice bike ...hmmm well 1200 radiators are smaller than 1000 and 1100 are....i wouldnt trust anything on the gauges as right ...you are the bwst gauge you have really ...1200s have lots of dress for this time of year
 
Sounds like you covered the bases, I have seen other fix this same kind of problem and was usually air trapped in the system, or a coolant tank feed hose pinched or collapsing...nothing better then having the laser thermometer to be absolutely certain, just seen a coupon for HF on sale there for 25 bucks.
 
Dan -- Having only recently installed the replacement engine, I've only ridden light stop and go, and some gentle highway use (50mph). I've not been on the freeway. But after having owned a zillion Wings, I can tell you that none of them ran this hot.

Thanks, backyardtrouble for the detailed suggestions with the thermometer gun. I always welcome a chance to use mine! I will measure per your post and report back.

Paul
 
Paul is it actually running hot or is it a temp gauge/sender issue. I would run it up and listen for when the thermo fan cuts in and check the temp reading then, it should be reading around the halfway/ run position on the gauge. This will allow you to figure out if the gauge is reading incorrectly but will not help you figure out if you have an airlock in the system.
 
Hi folks,

Per backyardtrouble's suggestion, I ran the bike and took temperature reading on various points on the engine while it idled in my driveway. (See attached chart)

I also kept track of the bike's temp gauge while I rode at different speeds for 10 - 15 miles (street, highway, freeway).

Conclusion -- although the infrared thermometer didn't reveal the kind high temps that backyardtrouble's post mentioned, it run's just on the edge of the fan coming on (5-6 bars) no matter how I ride.

Granted, I don't have my fairing lower leg shields on at this time, it just feels like the heat is roasting my legs.

And it's only 68 degrees (F) outside!

Can you guys with GL1200 Aspencades tell me how hot your engine gets under various riding and weather conditions? (I'd like to know the number of bars you get on the digital display)

Any/all suggestions are more than welcome.

THANKS

Paul
 

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hmmmmm dosnt sound bad ..but in low temps like that im afraid a lot of heat as in temp would cause a problem ....every year this ha[[ens peoples bikes get hot and blow head gaskets ...its very common ...and to me a problem ..personally i go after problems i dont care how honda see it ... that was long time ago and gas was different and carbs were newer... today gas sure to be lean formula as its lower btu ... and the clogging effect of the gas today doubles lean as carbs are hard to keep clear and the heat begins....
 
I know the lowers do direct air to the radiator some, dont just how necessary they really are in cooler climates. If you have a chrome grill in front of the radiator you should remove it and see if that helps, I am guessing 5 bars is equal to center on a regular style guage, thats where my fan kicks in but only in city traffic or clogged up freeways It stay`s there or rises up to 3/4...steady speeds of 30 on up will keep it under the half way mark usually 1/4-1/3 reading.
 
Thanks, Dan,

That's good to know that you have had similar readings.

Maybe once I have the lower fairing leg shields back on, it won't feel so much like a blast furnace.

Anyone with the Aspencade digital dash care to share how many bars are showing on your temp gauge under various riding conditions?

Thanks

Paul
 
Looks like to me you have a cool running motor by your chart. That's why i noted using the thermo gun for insurance. The bars have no effect, it's just a misguided reading your getting from it, or that's what i'm getting from it. But usually those thermo switches don't activate the fan to come on that soon running at 170 degrees, some do not even come on until they do reach 185 or higher. Just because your fan is running does not mean your thermostat has opened and circulating water.

From what i have learned over the years, your water gets to temp, say around 195 to 220, fan kicks on somewhere in between that reading , cools off water down below 195 for fan to kick off, or it should be below that reading or right at it. And yes they are hot on your legs too riding in the summer, no matter what you do.

But your bike is running cool, the fan is turning on at 170, it's 68 degrees outside, that should be pretty comfortable even on your legs.

ok, from this i'm going to say, your fan is coming on too soon, the motor is not really hot enough yet, and your thermostat is not functioning right.

I might be wrong, it's happen once before, but just thinking the process over, your bike is running to cool for the fan to be running.

I found this, You say the bike's temp gauge shows 5 to 6 bars. What does that really mean in Fahrenheit degrees? The IR gun will resolve that question in a hurry. The fan switch IIRC does not turn the fans on until about 195* or more. The 'stat is at 195 IIRC.

mentioned in your first post..
-- New thermostat (180 degree -- installed with small hole facing up)

i found this too, just so you know other people have had similar issues:
So, I ran down to Harbor Freight and picked up a decent IR gun for $35. Idled the old girl in the driveway until the fan kicked in - ~6.5 bars. The reading coming out of the radiator into the water pump ran up to about 202F and dropped to 190'ish after the fan came on. So, I reckon that my 7th bar is not reason for immediate concern. I don't know yet, but would bet it clicks over to the 7th at somewhere between 210 and 220. So, my temp sender reads a bit high - like one bar over the norm as published by Honda (attachment).
 
I did ride an 83 Aspy with the bars a couple years ago for a few hundred miles and was surprised how close the bars get to full bars under normal riding in fairly mild conditions.

I like to know exactly what's going on rather than relying on a digital device so I would put a aftermarket temp gauge on it if even just over a test period of a few rides. This would eliminate much of the guess work as to what would need checking and could save a lot of time and money in the long run.
 
All gauges read differently. I recommend getting an infrared temp gun like Jeff suggested and use it to compare gauge readings to actual temperature. It is a handy diagnosis tool for checking faulty running cylinders by header temperature. They are quite cheap now and give fairly good results, I used to use my thermocouple on my digital multimeter in the radiator fins and that was about 5 degrees c less than the actual coolant temperature.
 
In answer to # of bars....86 Aspy, the bars when ideal riding condition, ie, not hot not cold, mine will run 3 bars, t'stat 200 degree, if I sit in traffic on a hot day can hit 6 bars. Yesterday rode all day (2 up) in 90+ temps, highway type driving, slowing/stopping in small towns the readout was pretty much 4 bars all day, peak was 5 bars, end of day idling in drive. Per manual normal operation is 2 to 8 bars. The other thing I found in manual pertaining to temps, a warning to not run coolant mix above 60% due to degradation of cooling capabilities. I think they saw problems above that point. What mixture are you running?
The lower fairing pieces affect the ram air cooling force slightly. Can't really comment on heat as the engine covers I have make a large impact on that aspect, other than when I didn't have them, there is a ton of heat off the engine when riding in 90+ temps. The covers are designed to scoop air into and away from the engine block; and the air scoop below rad may force more air into rad, these too may effect bars I see.
 
Yes, that's certainly a possibility, mwbill37841. However, in addition to the high gauge reading, the engine just FEELS unacceptably hot on my legs… and I've had a number of GL1200s in the past to compare it to.

To make matters more frustrating, when the heat starts building up, the engine runs rough and the idle speed gets faster (whether the fan is on or not).

Before all this happened, I did a very thorough and (IMHO) accurate carb sync, so the rough running is especially mystifying.

I guess my big lesson here is that if I ever buy another used engine, I will insist on knowing the exact mileage and history of the motor. This one seems pretty old and thrashed, even though the seller said it had only 15K miles. Probably more like 115K!

Thanks,

Paul
 

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