Quote:
Originally Posted by glang
sorry beg to differ on cars and bikes being the same. My modern car has a completely pressurised system (unlike my bike) where the rad only has a plug not a pressure cap which is instead located on the remote expansion tank. This tank is, importantly, only half full so as the system heats up the coolant expands to occupy more space in it and consequently increase system pressure. The pressure cap remains closed at all times unless there is overheating and the system pressure rises too much when excess coolant is dumped to atmosphere via a hose......
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+10.
I've had this argument for years.Motorcycle cooling systems are totally different from car fully pressurized systems.
There are lot of diagrams on the Net that should be ignored showing the incorrect idea that coolant flows out and back to the Rad on Motorcycles from the,"Emergency Overflow" bottle.
If the cooling system is nominal the Rad cap will never lift and if it does there's a fault with the machine that needs to be addressed and the bike should not be ridden.
No one should ever use the level in the Overflow bottle as a gauge on how much coolant is actually in the system on a Motorcycle.
I you own a car pop the Bonnet/Hood and look at the system.The,"Expansion" bottle has a,"Do Not Open When Engine running/Hot" warning sign as it's a,"Pressurized" system.
The Bottle is at the same height as the top of the Radiator to aid flow whereas on most motorcycles it's either in line with the Bottom of the Rad or at least well below the Top and open to Atmospheric pressure.
Also on an Car there are two tubes going in and out to the Radiator to the Expansion Bottle,not the single escape tube on a Motorcycle.