Coolant leak

[kartattack]

My RSV has a coolant leak, under the left aft cyclinder cover. It is not coming from the cover bolt holes, but what I think is the cylinder drain plug (looks like #1 in the center picture on page 3-35 of the service manual). This 'plug' has no internal or external wrenching feature, but the center is threaded.

 

Can I tighten this plug to try to stop the leak? How do I tighten it? Can I just thread another bolt in there to tighten it? Or will tightening the cylinder covers push it in to hold it? The bottom cylinder cover bolt was loose when I disassembled it.

[Freebird]

I think that they just press in. Others have solved the problem by gluing a dime or something onto the cover just over the plug so that more pressure will be put on it.

[kartattack]

Thanks for the response. I didn't realize the cover was what held them in. I had thought the cover was mostly for decoration. I taped a dime on the cover after reading some other threads and it checked good. Guess I need to order some plugs. The bike (2001) has 55k miles on it, so they are probably due anyway due to age or mileage.

[V7Goose]

Yes, your plugs are due for replacement, more from age than miles.

 

I recently replaced the drain plugs in my 05 with 100,000 miles - one was weeping just a drop or two over several weeks after the night temps began to drop close to freezing, and I saw signs of minor weeping from one of the others after I removed the fins. The old plugs still felt very pliable and showed no signs of age or even compression marks around the outside. so putting a dime over each (thinner than a penny) would have probably taken care of them for another 5 years or so. But replacement is not expensive.

 

Replacing them is simplicity. Just pull them out by screwing an old spark plug into the center. Have your thumb ready to block the hole, then just pop the new plug in. Quite easy to do without even losing a teaspoon of coolant from each jacket.

Goose

[kj5ix]

Goose

Could the leak that I have developed be coming from a freeze plug. There are no signs on the engine, mine are all under the center, and just showed up here in the last week or so when the temps dropped at night to 25 a few nights.

[MikeWa]

Goose

Could the leak that I have developed be coming from a freeze plug. There are no signs on the engine, mine are all under the center, and just showed up here in the last week or so when the temps dropped at night to 25 a few nights.

 

yes

[V7Goose]

Goose

Could the leak that I have developed be coming from a freeze plug. There are no signs on the engine, mine are all under the center, and just showed up here in the last week or so when the temps dropped at night to 25 a few nights.

Any leak form one of the cylinder drain plugs can only be on the lower outside of that particular cylinder. If you have coolant anywhere in the middle of the cylinders I'd say it must be coming from one of the return lines. I seem to recall that there is one that runs vertically up from the center of the case (but I can't really imagine why there would be one there), and a big one that runs along the right side of the frame under the tank. Each of these lines has several small rubber sections clamped onto some metal pieces, and every joint is a candidate for a leak on an older bike in cold weather.

Goose

[kj5ix]

Did you see the photos in my other thread..

 

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55340

[V7Goose]

No, I had not seen those. From you description, I thought you were talking between the cylinders on top of the engine case. Those pictures are underneath the engine, so that could be coming from anywhere. The most likely cause is a leaking cylinder drain plug on the right side. If it is leaking from a plug on the left, the lean of the bike would drip that right on the ground, but a leak on the right side would run all around the engine and drip from whatever it ended up on down there.

 

Oops, correction - I forgot you have a trike - no lean. I looked that the pictures again, seems like that is the left frame rail by the side stand mount - probably a cylinder drain plug on the left side. If you remove the fins, it should be obvious which plugs are leaking. No matter - just replace all four and be done with it.

Goose

[kj5ix]

No, I had not seen those. From you description, I thought you were talking between the cylinders on top of the engine case. Those pictures are underneath the engine, so that could be coming from anywhere. The most likely cause is a leaking cylinder drain plug on the right side. If it is leaking from a plug on the left, the lean of the bike would drip that right on the ground, but a leak on the right side would run all around the engine and drip from whatever it ended up on down there.

 

Oops, correction - I forgot you have a trike - no lean. I looked that the pictures again, seems like that is the left frame rail by the side stand mount - probably a cylinder drain plug on the left side. If you remove the fins, it should be obvious which plugs are leaking. No matter - just replace all four and be done with it.

Goose

 

Yep I think they are the culprit. It got down to 15 last night and today there is a good puddle on the left side cover, and under the Trike,,, Now for the big question?? I couldn't tell from the parts fiche the correct part number. Is this the right number: SKU: 90338-11152-00 Part # 9 of the crankcase If that is them, now all I have to do is find a Steelier that has them in stock. I checked the shipping on a couple of sites, and it is $22.00 May have to take a chance on a local dealer ( closest I know of is 100 miles )

[warriorhoneybee]

checking the air pressure etc,when i noticed a coolant leak. the last couple of times i rode i ran the bike 75-85 than ran it out of numbers. didn't think that would cause the plugs to leak.instead of useing the dime trick i put a hex wrench in the center of the plug and taped it gently. didn't seem to leak on the ride today but will check in the morning to see. probly wasn't a good idea thinking about it now but at the time seemed alright. the temps here also have been cool,warm,cold warm etc, don't know if that factors in or not.

[dacheedah]

does a pressure tester for cars fit the coolent cap, that would tell you quickly where the leak is from

[warriorhoneybee]

well the leaks are from the block plugs at the bottom of the block or near the bottom. i just thought it strange that all four would trickle all together.

[playboy]

does a pressure tester for cars fit the coolent cap, that would tell you quickly where the leak is from

 

 

not sure about the one for cages but the dealer that finally fixed my twinkie leak pressure tested my bike to find it and to confirm it was fixed so there has to be away.

[fredster66]

I think that they just press in. Others have solved the problem by gluing a dime or something onto the cover just over the plug so that more pressure will be put on it.

 

I have a plug leaking on my '05 RSTD. I want to replace all four while I'm in there. I can't find them in the Yamaha Parts Fische. Can anyone point me in the right direction for a part number?

 

Thanks!!

[allwx]

Look at the crankcase segment in the fiche. There are four plugs, one for each cylinder, all identical, cost $4 each from Yamaha Sports Plaza:

 

http://www.yamahasportsplaza.com/pages/OemParts?aribrand=YAM#/Yamaha/ROYAL_STAR_VENTURE_-_XVZ13TFW_-_2007/CRANKCASE/XVZ13TFW_(2007_MOTORCYCLE)/CRANKCASE_(XVZ13TFW_-_2007)

 

part is 90338-11152-00

 

These plugs usually start weeping after a couple of years. I've made it a point to get new ones whenever I change out the coolant. However, I've never seen one do more than weep a few drops at a time, so it is something that can be lived with eternally, if necessary.

[fredster66]

Thanks for saving me a bunch of time!

[venturega]

I have this same leak at the bottom bolt of the fake fins and will try to get a replacement plug tomorrow. How does the old plug come out - just pull it out? Also, will coolant come flowing out while I'm trying to get the new plug in? Any helpful hints?

[M61A1MECH]

Go to this article in the tech section,

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=37353

You can thread an old spark plug into the threaded insert and pull the plugs out, yes coolant will come in rapid fashion when you pull the plugs.

[venturega]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.