Coolant level

[Dave]

Post by Joep reminded me of this one.
Check coolant level often,
Having a temp guage is not enough because when the coolant drops below the temp sender you will be reading air temp which will be 10 - 20C lower to start with and by the time the engine blows won't be much above outside air temp if all the coolant is gone.
You can set up a little science class for the kids or grandkids by suspending a themometer over a boiling pot and compare readings between water and air temps and also with an empty pot on the same stove setting.
This also means that if warm-up is taking longer, check coolant. Temp guage don't seem to be working correctly, check coolant. Temp appears to drop, pannick, and stop and check coolant.

 

[dan filipi]

Good points Dave.

Also just because the reservoir has coolant doesn't mean there's coolant in the radiator.

Coolant flows back and forth between the radiator and the reservoir as a closed system and depends on a leak free cooling system to operate correctly, this includes the recovery hose and tube within the recovery tank. If the hose or tube have even just a small crack, coolant might not get drawn back into the radiator. Cycling over time like this can result in a very low radiator and overheating.

These bikes are old. All the rubber is constantly deteriorating so it becomes necessary to check into problems alittle deeper than you would normally on a newer bike or car sometimes.

 

[mcgovern61]

I agree and would like to add that when I swapped engines recently, I pulled the resevoir to clean it out and there was a tiny bit of oil in it (about 3 oz). Could have been a leaking seal, head problem or whatever, but the oil mixed with the coolant making a goo that clogged up the hose! Resevoir never needed coolant? I did not know that the hose was clogged! Luckily, the engine did not overheat and I did not have any coolant leaks. But it could easily have been a disaster!