radiator vents

Discussion in '5th Generation 1998-2001' started by peterthelate, May 8, 2012.

  1. peterthelate

    peterthelate New Member

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    greetings from san antonio...was wondering if anyone knew of any after market body vent kits for getting more air across the radiators of a 1999 vfr...seems if there were prefab vents available to attach to the fairings behind radiator cut outs one could force more air across the radiators...thank you
     
  2. Apittslife

    Apittslife New Member

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    I personally don't see the need to add more venting for street applications, As the radiators have Cooling fans, & the factory venting was designed for that air volume.
     
  3. michaels214

    michaels214 New Member

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    APittslife, would you say its bad to provide more air flow to cool the radiators? I dont know much about it - but it gets to me when Im cruising for a bit then hit traffic and the temp gets so high. I know the fans kick on at like 219 or something but goddamn thats hot lol. I start feeling sorry for the bike haha
     
  4. Apittslife

    Apittslife New Member

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    Its not a Bad Idea, Just something that I wouldn't worry about doing.
    There are other things that can help, like water-wetter, a lower temp Thermostat, & splicing in a Fan Switch. All of these have been discussed.
    I would start with those three things, before cutting up your body work.
     
  5. peterthelate

    peterthelate New Member

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    greetings...thank you for your reply...have had a history of bike running hot...currently am having a problem with antifreeze not flowing back into the radiators...after a few days of riding, the fans do not come and the temp spikes to 200+ at that point have to refill right radiator and run bike at idle, burp it twice and cap the radiator...at some point after riding, the radiators cool down and the overflow is spilled onto the ground as the reservoir bottle is full and it does not flow back to the radiators and in a few days I have to go through the whole process again...however, the fluids are very clean
     
  6. Pliskin

    Pliskin New Member

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    Peter - sounds like you have some issues. Maybe your t-stat is sticking at times? Not sure when you say "after a few days of riding". So sometimes it works OK and others it doesn't? If you system is filled and burped properly from the get-go, there shouldn't be continuous maintenance that you are experiencing, unless something else is amiss.

    Understand that these bikes run notoriously hot. In stop and go traffic, seeing 220* is not uncommon. The fan is designed to come on at 221*, and will run until the engine temp drops down to 211-212. Engine shutoff occurs at 250*, if I recall. That would be bad if you were that hot.

    If your fan is not coming on, start by checking the fuse. Also make sure the fan is not "stuck" from a piece of debris or dirt - you should be able to move the blades by hand (without the bike running, of course).

    As Pitt mentioned, there are plenty of other options. Check for threads on the VTR Fan Blade install. You could also look into using Engine Ice - some swear by it, some don't.

    Running distilled water with Water Wetter is also an option to keep temperatures down, but not necessarily recommended for areas where the temp gets below 32*. (Engine ice is safe to -20*).
     
  7. peterthelate

    peterthelate New Member

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    as of know the fan comes on at 185 degrees and will run, the problem is when the fluids overspill on to the ground, creates a vapor lock or something and the fan will not function when the radiators are low on fluids and the temp goes up from there and I know it's time to pop the radiator cap and fill the right radiator...with all this happening, the over flow bottle is above full mark, and not draining back into the radiators
     
  8. Apittslife

    Apittslife New Member

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    Peter,

    You have a Cooling problem, the cooling system shouldn't be losing coolant Period!
    You need to have someone check & or replace The thermostat, Radiator cap & check for proper water flow.
     
  9. peterthelate

    peterthelate New Member

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    yes, in the process...have power flushed the radiators and check flow...am in the process of checking out the tubing that flows fron bottle back to radiators for clogs...and have a thermostat on order...so working on it, but can't believe I am the only one that has experienced this...even though, my '99 is the best bike I have ever owned...now running 32k and runs very well...with exception of the overheating thing...any chance it could be the water pump?
     
  10. CandyRedRC46

    CandyRedRC46 Member

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    dont forget to test the radiator cap
     
  11. Apittslife

    Apittslife New Member

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    That is the "check for proper water flow"
    You aren't the only one that has over heating problems, As Pliskin said these bikes are known for running on the hot side, its the Norm, as such they have a short window between normal & overheating.

    These are good bikes, but each brand, model, & generation has their own good & bad points!
    I have a 1st. generation Interceptor, & they are known for having cam problems. I love my bike, & accept that!
     
  12. CRAZY K

    CRAZY K New Member

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    Instal the fan from a VTR 1000, The fan is bigger and will cool the bike down 10 degrees. Also put a radiator fluid known as cool Blue ( I think) well its color is blue and it also helps keep the temp down below 205
     
  13. CandyRedRC46

    CandyRedRC46 Member

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    I didn't have that much luck with the vtr fan as it basically blows heated engine compartment air across the radiator, but a manual fan switch works wonders, for kicking on the fan well before it gets too hot. I usually hit it around 180-190 depending on how hot it is outside. This, engine ice, a good PC Tune, and header wrap is about as good as it gets.
     
  14. Davis5g

    Davis5g New Member

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    Before you get all carried away and start tearing into the bike, put a radiator cap on it. It will fix your problem, sounds like its not holding pressure and allowing the bike to dump out all of its coolant, overflowing the reservoir tank. These caps hold about 1.1 bar of pressure I believe(16psi) you should be able to feel pressure in the rad hoses when the bike is hot.
     
  15. Pliskin

    Pliskin New Member

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    Always start simple is my belief. Doesn't get too much easier than a radiator cap.

    You mentioned your fan comes on at 185? Unless something has been changed, that's not right. Its not necessarily a bad thing to have it come on early, but I'm at a loss as to why it comes on at that temp unless something was changed.
     
  16. Mohawk

    Mohawk New Member

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    Sounds like you have a leak in the system, or as another poster suggests a failed radiator cap. Take both side fairing off & fill the system with coolant, then run the bike stationary, it should get hot to fan temperature in ab out 15minutes depending on your ambient temperature.

    Check all hose joints for leaks, it only needs to be a tiny one. I had one of the bottom of the right rad & the fluid was running down the hose & dripping on the hot header & vaporizing away, such that you could not see or notice it with the fairing on, as there was never a damp patch anywhere !
    Also look in the V on the right side of the engine, there is a drain hole below where the top hose comes out from the thermostat housing check if it has any staining from coolant, the thermostat housing has 5 hose connections & is a prime suspect for a leak.

    If anyone wants some right radiator cooling, then I just fitted one of these Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12BBAP-31 its brilliant, will slide in at the front/top of the rad & gives a 5x5" area of cooling. I just cross-wired it into the same circuit as the existing rad so it comes on at the same time. You could use 2 of these on the left rad to replace the original unit as well ! With air being blown out both sides even static the bike cools much quicker !
     
  17. michaels214

    michaels214 New Member

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    Definitely look in the V....I got a very slow coolant leak somewhere in there. I know you have to take off the throttle bodies to change those hoses coming off the thermostat - problem is I have nowhere to work on the thing, nor do I have the confidence to do it alone lol. The bike is maintaining fine for now though - until I can find someone to help me out.
     
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