coolant blowout

[luvmy40]

well, I was about to just go take the new tstat out and see what happened, but before I did I thought of putting the old one in a pan of boiling water and it opened up and closed when I took it 3 times so I put that back in. I didn't ride it just fired it up and watched the gauge and it came up nice and slowly like it used to. So what could have caused the hose to bust in the first place? While I was watching the temp needle I kept checking to see if the fan had kicked on but it never did. I let it get to about halfway between the halfway mark and the red. Should it have come on by then? At least now it's back to how it was before I blew the hose.

 

The fan won't kick in until the gauge gets almost into the red. On my '83, it is actually into the red before the fan kicks on. I still contend that the reason for the blow out was 37 year old heater hose.

[SpencerPJ]

I kept checking to see if the fan had kicked on but it never did. I let it get to about halfway between the halfway mark and the red. Should it have come on by then? At least now it's back to how it was before I blew the hose.

 

My fan does not kick on until it touchs the red mark. Usually a hot day and sitting at stoplights. After it gets rolling, temp drops, fan goes off.

Edited February 20, 2020 by SpencerPJ

[cowpuc]

All my 83's and my 84 ran about a needles width shy of being in the red zone when up to temp. Fan would come on just as the needle entered the red zone.. IMHO, that was customary and normal for those years.. All good advice concerning fluid flow and all that,, maybe check the blue wire terminal connection at the sending unit for good connection if your getting funky feedback on the needle.. Over a million miles on em and never did have to replace a sending unit but did donate one to a friend as his gave up (first one I ever heard of that went bad).. Fan switch sending unit is hidden behind temp gauge sending unit and has the same type of connection = good idea to clean em both if you decide to clean yours = it's not uncommon (IMHO) for those connectors to cause issue.

[Patch]

The fan won't kick in until the gauge gets almost into the red. On my '83, it is actually into the red before the fan kicks on. I still contend that the reason for the blow out was 37 year old heater hose.

 

 

Not in this case.

 

The fitting was a tel tail and should not be overlooked.

 

I mentioned the use of a flush; this in my opinion is a must do now.

 

The ph of the coolant has been way out for way too long. There has to have been tap water used in high concentrations which, introduced oxygen and other dissolved minerals in to the closed loop system, period!

 

Lets say the fan is not switching to run: this is a simple switch set to run above 215* so if they are known to be reliable then what could cause a working switch to fail its run temp? Corrosion would insulate it, right... Why assume corrosion, because the corroded failed fitting tells us of it presence!

 

A fitting is sacrificial true but it is also a glimpse to the inside conductive surfaces..

 

Hot wire the fan, make sure it runs, easy to do.

Flush the system with your choice of chem.

Fill with a 50/50 mix for aluminum engines.

Add Bars coolant stop leak/lube (is my choice)

Does fan run? If not then switch is at fault.

 

Remember a close coolant system is just that, close off to oxygen with the exception of what is present in the original mix,,, which is compensated by the use of inhibitors!

 

it's just that simple

[Venture Capitalist]

alright, had to go to the bank this morning and she ran nice and cool there and back was probably about 10 miles highest needle ever got was little past halfway. it was a pretty cool border line cold morning which explains that and it didn't shoot straight to hot like before. So looks like she doing ok. And yes patch, the next place I ride will be to Walmart to get coolant. That little trip there was straight water. I'd been draining and refilling so much during this process I didn't want to use coolant until everything was working and no leaks. Oh ya, I just went and fired it up and let it sit there idling till it got almost to the red and the fan did kick on. So looks like everything is cool and as Spencer said, the cause was just a 37 year old hose. Thanks for all your help everyone. I'll rest a lot easier knowing my bike is ok

[Patch]

I was able to undo the back part of the frame and get the tank out of my way but then I was holding the hose clamp together with a pair of needle nose and when I pulled up on the hose a really thin piece of metal came with it and still stuck to the end of the hose. Now there is just a hole in the top of the head with nowhere to clamp the new hose to.

 

Listen I share my experience willing, I attempt to answer the {what the fork & why the fork's} happen. Understanding the problems in detail helps us grow. Rather than being a parts changer and a mag reader I dove further into the physics, experimented, had some wins and plenty off losses; each one cost me something!

Yes the hose was 37 years old as was the nipple, BUT the nipple disintegrated and the corrosion caused it to resist the hose from releasing (that's the what) the (why's) are as I posted!

 

ok trying to send a pichttps://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=118389

 

ok here it ishttps://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=118390

 

alright, had to go to the bank this morning and she ran nice and cool there and back was probably about 10 miles highest needle ever got was little past halfway. it was a pretty cool border line cold morning which explains that and it didn't shoot straight to hot like before. So looks like she doing ok. And yes patch, the next place I ride will be to Walmart to get coolant. That little trip there was straight water. I'd been draining and refilling so much during this process I didn't want to use coolant until everything was working and no leaks.

I hope there is no risk of freezing.

Oh ya, I just went and fired it up and let it sit there idling till it got almost to the red and the fan did kick on. So looks like everything is cool and as Spencer said, the cause was just a 37 year old hose. Thanks for all your help everyone. I'll rest a lot easier knowing my bike is ok

 

Now have you heard of liner pitting? Do you know how to arrest it? Do you understand the risk of it?

Weather you do or not want to, the answers are in my posts.

 

All the best;)

[cowpuc]

alright, had to go to the bank this morning and she ran nice and cool there and back was probably about 10 miles highest needle ever got was little past halfway. it was a pretty cool border line cold morning which explains that and it didn't shoot straight to hot like before. So looks like she doing ok. And yes patch, the next place I ride will be to Walmart to get coolant. That little trip there was straight water. I'd been draining and refilling so much during this process I didn't want to use coolant until everything was working and no leaks. Oh ya, I just went and fired it up and let it sit there idling till it got almost to the red and the fan did kick on. So looks like everything is cool and as Spencer said, the cause was just a 37 year old hose. Thanks for all your help everyone. I'll rest a lot easier knowing my bike is ok

 

OUTSTANDING VENTURE!! GLAD TO READ THIS!! You are more than welcome for any assistance you gleaned here = !

A t couple other issues known to be of importance if you are riding a MK1 Venture just for an FYI:

1. The speedo noise commonly thought of as cable noise usually is associated with dryness in the speedo itself and not the cable.. Most of us long term MK riders have cured the issue by sneaking lube into the speedo (lots of solutions for that found by an easy search of the forums). A note of warning, if not successfully cured the speedo can actually self destruct..

2. Early Stators were not cooled suffeciently and there was an updated oil spray for them.. Another search will reveal this fix.

3. It is customary for the 3 wire stator terminal under the left side cover and attached to the frame to cause charging issues when it builds resistance due to failure. Most far riders of the MK1's seeking to chase their bikes out past 300k just snip out the terminal and hard wire the connection.

4. Already mentioned the plastic water pump impellar.

5. 2nd gear failure is immenint from 83 to early 85 models. Never was a recall but the issue was a soft thrust washer = fixable but not absolutely necessary if you just short shift past 2nd gear when it fails.

6. Clutch system is soft at best.. Member Skydoc sells a good spring upgrade.

7. The early models did not have a brake bleeder up on the neck to bleed air out of the high spot in the linked brake system.. Simply bleed from the proportioning valve = works awesome.

8. OEM Fuse box is a monster.. Most swap in GM fuses and box.

 

There are other little things, fear none though cause there are many actual professional "brothers of the wrench" around here who love to help.. Now get out and chase that front wheel!!

Puc

[Venture Capitalist]

Thanks for all the help people. I put some of that prestone rad flush & clean in her and it said for a deep clean take it out and ride so I didn't have anywhere I had to go so I just got on and rode some of the foothills and highway roads around here and she ran great and cooler that ever. And cowpuc first thing I had to do when I bought it was put a new stater in it. Thankfully I found your video on that when I googled how to change stater. Yes I did notice that connector there look like it had seen better days, probably should go out there and hard wire it. And thanks Patch for explaining about the nipple and the corrosion, that makes perfect sense and makes me feel a lot better about possible other issues that could have caused it. Looks like another "PROBLEM SOLVED" by the men from VentureRider

[Patch]

Most of us know what it means to work with undersized budgets so, we get it.

As with most curves life throws at us, the “what’s” are usually more obvious then the “why’s”

Till nest time then cause this one is in your win column

[Venture Capitalist]

Most of us know what it means to work with undersized budgets so, we get it.

As with most curves life throws at us, the “what’s” are usually more obvious then the “why’s”

Till nest time then cause this one is in your win column

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. In case you run into anyone else that has that problem with the hose. A 1/2 in npt pipe tap fits perfectly

[Gearhead]

Quick question: do the Mk II's (87) also have the plastic water pump impeller from the factory?

 

Congrats Cap on the fix. Quite an adVenture you had!