HOtHotHot!!

[barend]

On my way home yesterday I noticed the back of my legs were getting cooked, I attributed it to a suspected leak in the exhaust possibly dumping more hot air into the engine compartment. Rode a little this evening and same thing happened except that all of a sudden it would disappear, and come back, and disappear, and ... you get the picture. The temp gauge did not waiver from well in the green (one width above horizontal), yet it would seem that I am only getting intermittent cooling, yet the cooling reservoir is full.

 

Is it possible to not have coolant flow through the engine, without it showing on the gauge?

Where would I have a blockage for this to happen?

What other cause could there be for this excess heat build up?

[Caveman]

You are most likely feeling the heat blow-off when your rad fan is coming on. It will do this intermittently.

[barend]

>>offensive text removed by poster

Edited June 1, 2009 by barend

[Caveman]

no offense taken. no way of knowing how long you've owned your ride. I know I get the same effect from my ride when the fan cuts on w/ summer riding. Just a suggestion. Hope you fgure it out my friend.

[Condor]

Owning an '83 that only shows a needle width above horizontal in the green is a miracle in itself. I'd suspect the temp being much hotter than indicated and fan kicking in. You might have a faulty temp guage.. Try letting the bike idle on the center stand until the fan kicks in and note the reading. It should kick in just below the red zone.

[flb_78]

No offense, but don't you think I'd know what to expect from my ride?? If it were blow by I would feel this all the time and my temp gauge would be maxing out all the time.

 

Nice response when asking for opinions and/or advise.

[Caveman]

Ya think!

[wes0778]

Nice response when asking for opinions and/or advise.

 

[barend]

OK, OK, I appologize!!! I was a bit of a **** head there. I spend five hours on a boat in the middle of the lake for compulsory race committee duty (sailing) with a guy who b*tched moaned, groaned, cursed, belched and generally complained about the wind direction, the wind speed and the wake of power boaters, none of which he could do anything about. As a result, I was a tad testy myself and took it out on the wrong group.

[Jus Monkeyin Around]

Just my 2 cents worth how hard was the wind blowing when u were riding it could be the wind blown through the bike.

[barend]

temps were upper 70's with wind 5-10 mph, some of it was highway speeds other was secondary roads between trees.

Tried Condors suggestion and let it idle. Fan kicks in close to red (1-2 needle widths) the air from this comes out in front of the lowers (front cylinder area) the heat I am experiencing comes from the rear cylinder area.

Tried to see if it could be exhaust related; did tighten the hex nuts connecting the header pipe (rear) to the connector pipe to the collector a full turn. Can't budge any of the other exhaust clamps and can't see any evidence of a leak there either.

Given the heat I am inclined that this would almost have to be the problem.

[barend]

The shop seems to think it is oil leaking from the head gaskets and hitting the exhaust manifold. The heat then being generated from the oil burning off. They ordered the gaskets and we'll install them, hopefully that will solve that problem.

 

I like smoked ham, just not attached to my body!

[barend]

Well, that should hopefully solve the problem; when the shop replaced my head gaskets they showed me the heat shield (pics in maintenance album), two big gaps where the plastic melted!! If it got that hot it had to be exhaust from somewhere so I finally dropped the pipes. Found the following issues: the bracket holding the collector to the frame had three broken welds and the fourth had a small crack (1/4 inch); the gaskets seem to be in good to reasonably good condition, the "Y" connector had a good 1/2 inch crack at one of the welded on bolts on the right side. I poured water in that thing and it was all but pouring out. Funny thing is I didn't see the crack and neither did the shop or the mufler shop. The metal heat shield would have funnelled that hot air right up and out the side panels under my ham hocks. Just need to re-assemble now!