poida Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 would this be the thermostat or something else ? for years when i would start up my 06 xx from cold , the temp would go up to around 95c (203f) then drop to just under 80c (176f) then climb back up to mid 80's and sit in the range around 84-87 c (183f to 188f). the last few days, from cold it runs up to 104c (219f), fan kicks in around 98c-100c (208f-212f) then the temp slowly drops down to around 94c (201f) and then sit around 92c to 97c (197f-206f) When i turn the bike off for 5 minutes or so the temp gauge goes from high 90's c (194f) to when i turn the key on it reads low 80;s.once started the temp then quickly climbs back up again. I changed the coolant about 6 months ago,i only use the honda 50/50 mix, after flushing with distilled water. i gave it another flush today but it made no difference to its running. i put a heat reading gun on the back of the engine where the temp sender is and they read pretty close to each other.the thermostat housing either side of the temp gauge were reading about 10c (50f) lower . it's winter here at the moment so not riding in high temperatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul99xx Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 I've got an 06 in oz that's been running hot too for a while, my turned out to be blocked radiator fins, built up over years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poida Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 (edited) i had a look at the radiator fins the other day and they didnt look to bad.i used compressed air from the back and blew and bugs out. using the heat gun on the radiator it doesnt seem to be getting much over 90c was your 06 behaving in a similar manner? Edited July 22 by poida Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Not saying this is it but if the radiator cap isn't holding proper pressure, it could be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul99xx Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Mines probably not as eratic. Just running hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 14 hours ago, poida said: for years when i would start up my 06 xx from cold , the temp would go up to around 95c (203f) then drop to just under 80c (176f) then climb back up to mid 80's and sit in the range around 84-87 c (183f to 188f) The temp shouldn't go that far above thermostat temp before it opens. A few degrees is fairly normal, but that's too much. My best guess is that the thermostat has had an issue for a long time and it's getting worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXitanium Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Faulty thermostat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poida Posted July 23 Author Share Posted July 23 cheers,I will order a new thermostat and radiator cap and see how it goes. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomek Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 (edited) Could be thermostat acting up. Are thermostat and housing clean? No crap there? How about water pump? Nothing blocks the flow there? Other than that you are dealing with 18 years radiator. Cooling system on XX was barely adequate even when those bikes were brand. It might be time for new radiator. Edited July 25 by tomek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Dismount the radiator and have a local shop pressure test it and inspect for leaks. At this stage, I’d suspect a bad thermostat. My XX had a constant boil over issue I thought was from the system not cooling effectively. Once I flushed the system and put in a new thermostat, it went back to behaving as normal…even though it ran on the hot side when “normal” (something that kept throwing me off). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 1 hour ago, Zero Knievel said: Dismount the radiator and have a local shop pressure test it and inspect for leaks. Yes, this is the first thing everyone should always do when they encounter a radiator that's not leaking. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomek Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 (edited) And, btw. For the price of having read tested by professional shop you could Buy necessary tools you could do it on your own without removing rad. Or Just buy eBay Chinesum rad. Edited July 25 by tomek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poida Posted July 25 Author Share Posted July 25 i replaced the water pump about 18 months ago when it started to drip from the hole at the bottom . it looks like the small hose that is mounted at the back of the thermostat housing and goes to the cold start wax unit has wept slightly as there was some dried coolant there. that hose is attached with a spring clip so no adjustment for tightening. i might be way off but im thinking thermostat playing up and restricting flow ,so the engine heats up to 104c before thermo opening creating more pressure at the back of the engine thus making the small hose leak slightly. or it could be a blockage in the radiator although the fins all look good and it drained down quick when i gave the system a flush. i ran the bike yesterday with the radiator cap off to see if the coolant flowed when the the thermostat opened at 104c and it did. ordered the thermostat from japan so will hopefully get it late next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 (edited) 3 hours ago, superhawk996 said: Yes, this is the first thing everyone should always do when they encounter a radiator that's not leaking. If you're going to tear it down, do it once...especially considering the AGE of the bike and IF it has ever been tested previously. Edited July 25 by Zero Knievel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 1 hour ago, Zero Knievel said: If you're going to tear it down, do it once...especially considering the AGE of the bike and IF it has ever been tested previously. It's pressure tested every time he starts the bike. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 3 hours ago, poida said: it looks like the small hose that is mounted at the back of the thermostat housing and goes to the cold start wax unit has wept slightly as there was some dried coolant there. that hose is attached with a spring clip so no adjustment for tightening. i might be way off but im thinking thermostat playing up and restricting flow ,so the engine heats up to 104c before thermo opening creating more pressure at the back of the engine thus making the small hose leak slightly. The thermostat open/closed will make almost no difference for the hose. What typically happens (not Blackbird specific) is coolant slowly makes its way between the hose and fitting leading to buildup and possibly rust/corrosion which slowly makes the leak worse. I've also had a few spring clamps that seemed to loose their tension. I would clean the nipple and hose and install a good clamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon haney Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 2 hours ago, Zero Knievel said: If you're going to tear it down, do it once...especially considering the AGE of the bike and IF it has ever been tested previously. He didn't say it was losing coolant, so no need to pressure test. Yes, Mike, it's really that simple. I thought Carlos' crackhead post rating was a little harsh, at first, but I'm starting to see his point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted July 27 Share Posted July 27 It's unfortunate that Mike's brain is what it is. I shouldn't give him shit when he posts retarded stuff, but it sometimes feels like it's the only way to possibly get the message through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted July 27 Share Posted July 27 (edited) On 7/25/2024 at 3:42 PM, jon haney said: He didn't say it was losing coolant, so no need to pressure test. Yes, Mike, it's really that simple. I thought Carlos' crackhead post rating was a little harsh, at first, but I'm starting to see his point. Maybe you all don’t have a convenient shop in your area, but for $20 it’s cheap peace of mind for a radiator that old to be inspected for damage and pressure tested. Local lawn mower repair shop did this for me. It would suck balls to get it all back together then have it spring a leak from a defect you didn’t catch when you had it apart for service. It’s not my bike…no skin off my nose if you don’t do it. Just a suggestion to check the whole system while you have it apart. Replacing the thermostat was a significant tear down. It’s like going through the work to fix a head gasket but never check the parts you’re taking off to get to it. Edited July 27 by Zero Knievel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted July 27 Share Posted July 27 4 hours ago, Zero Knievel said: Maybe you all don’t have a convenient shop in your area, but for $20 it’s cheap peace of mind for a radiator that old to be inspected for damage and pressure tested. Local lawn mower repair shop did this for me. It would suck balls to get it all back together then have it spring a leak from a defect you didn’t catch when you had it apart for service. It’s not my bike…no skin off my nose if you don’t do it. Just a suggestion to check the whole system while you have it apart. Replacing the thermostat was a significant tear down. It’s like going through the work to fix a head gasket but never check the parts you’re taking off to get to it. The radiator doesn't need to be touched to do the thermostat, they're on opposite sides of the engine. Not removing the radiator for testing is more like doing a head gasket job and not checking the crank bearing clearances. If one actually wanted to be extra thorough, pressure testing the system would make much more sense than just testing the radiator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poida Posted August 6 Author Share Posted August 6 On 7/23/2024 at 10:47 AM, superhawk996 said: The temp shouldn't go that far above thermostat temp before it opens. A few degrees is fairly normal, but that's too much. My best guess is that the thermostat has had an issue for a long time and it's getting worse. nailed it.replaced the thermostat today and it is now running much cooler and cools down quicker after taking off from traffic lights. tested the old one in a pot of water on the stove and at full boil it only opened a few mm ( or poofteenth of an inch). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 Success! Some thermostat failures are sudden, those are more obvious. The slow death cases can mess with your head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 Congrats, now on to checking the radiator clearances and pressure testing the crank bearings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted August 7 Share Posted August 7 9 hours ago, SwampNut said: Congrats, now on to checking the radiator clearances and pressure testing the crank bearings. I've searched all I can and can't find specs for either, he's fucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.