Coolant Exiting Thru Outlet Tube

Family gone for two whole days, so a massive ride planned. However.....upon
stopping at the gas station for air, I noticed coolant leaking thru the
outlet tube. I also noticed the bike running slightly hot. No coolant
leakage anywhere else. When I got it home, another couple of table spoons on
the floor. The dealer suggested that since I have NOT been allowing fan to
cool the bike when I stop (i just turn the key off) that may be the cause.
The suggestion is to let the bike cool and top it up and see what happens.
any ideas? Well, I am off to my favorite parts store for antifreeze.

As usual, much thanks.
Mike
1996 VFR 750

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Mike,
What the dealer is suggesting makes no sense.
Coolant out of the overflow line is either due to
A - you've overfilled the overflow tank, not leaving
enough room for the expanding coolant to collect in
the tank when the system is at the high end of its
operating range.
(simplest and most likely cause). This in not a
problem, just drain a bit from the overflow tank,
don't add anymore.

B - (as in bad new$) you've blown a seal - and no, I
am not commenting on your personal life - but in this
case it's usually a head gasket that has failed and is
passing combustion gases into the coolant system. Is
the coolant oily or dirty, or does it smell like burnt
hydrocarbons? This is rare on the VFR, but could
happen if the bike's severely overheated, and that
would be from far more serious cooling issues than
simply turning the bike off before the fan has stopped
at the end of a ride.

One other comment,
It's not clear from your post what parts store you're
referring to, but don't use regular automotive
coolant/antifreeze. Even the ones intended for
aluminum engines have silicates added that can cause
m/c water pump seals to fail. Goldwings and STs were
particualy susceptible to this. For that matter, are
you sure its the overflow tube that's the source of
your coolant leak? The seals on my pump went bad, but
it was a gradual failure, seeping some coolant after
rides on hot days. This should be obviously different
than an overflow tank leak because the pump's located
on the opposite side of the bike, but maybe it's
taking an odd path the ground. I did use auto
antifreeze in my bike early on, and thet may have
contributed to my pump failing, but after 100k miles,
it could've just been time for it to go anyway. How
may miles on your machine?

good luck,
Greg



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One thing you need to check is the overflow hose from the rad to the
overflow tank. If it is cracked it will push coolant into the tank (as it
should normally) but will not draw it back into the rad as the bike cools.
It will draw air through the crack. Then what normally happens is that you
top up the rad the next time, and it pushes more into the tank. The tank
eventually fills up completely, and out the overflow it comes.
On my 1000F the fitting on the top of the overflow tank was split, and that
is what it did.

doug

-----Original Message-----
From: vfr-bounces@xxxxxx [mailto:vfr-bounces@xxxxxx] On Behalf Of
mpmartin@xxxxxx
Sent: July 14, 2007 3:00 PM
To: vfr@xxxxxx
Subject: Coolant Exiting Thru Outlet Tube

Family gone for two whole days, so a massive ride planned. However.....upon
stopping at the gas station for air, I noticed coolant leaking thru the
outlet tube. I also noticed the bike running slightly hot. No coolant
leakage anywhere else. When I got it home, another couple of table spoons on
the floor. The dealer suggested that since I have NOT been allowing fan to
cool the bike when I stop (i just turn the key off) that may be the cause.
The suggestion is to let the bike cool and top it up and see what happens.
any ideas? Well, I am off to my favorite parts store for antifreeze.

As usual, much thanks.
Mike
1996 VFR 750

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vfr@xxxxxx
For subscription and delivery options:
https://lists.cs.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/vfr


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<>

Could something as simple as a weak radiator cap be causing the problem? Seems to me that it could.

Vic


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The radiator cap would be the first place I would look. But I know nothing
about tools and wrenching and such.



Denny



From: vfr-bounces@xxxxxx [mailto:vfr-bounces@xxxxxx] On Behalf Of
vic5491@xxxxxx
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 2:52 PM
To: mpmartin@xxxxxx
Cc: vfr@xxxxxx
Subject: Re: Coolant Exiting Thru Outlet Tube



<>



Could something as simple as a weak radiator cap be causing the problem?
Seems to me that it could.



Vic



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