bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) - SV650.org

11-09-12, 10:14 AM

hi everyone, how's your day?

lately i've been finding puddles of coolant under the bike the next day after a ride. its leaking where the hoses connect to engine block and water pump. hoses themselves look allright, no cracks or anything, and some of the connections have never been touched, at least as far as i know.
last time, although the bike had been sitting for nearly 24 hours, i found the radiator hoses were stiff and undoing the rad cap released some air pressure.
now, i did have the coolant out and the radiator off several weeks ago, when i messed with CCTs, but the problem didn't appear right after that, only after a long ride two weeks ago.

any ideas on what could be causing this?
cooling system not bled properly? blown head gasket? radiator cap? something comes at night and scares the shizzle out of it?...

11-09-12, 11:15 AM

Radiator cap?

12-09-12, 03:40 PM

+1 on radiator cap

andrewsmith · 12-09-12, 03:57 PM

Radiator cap.
Do the jubilees on the hoses also, mine went after 9 years (6months) with me. Its a 10 minute job and costs a quid

12-09-12, 09:34 PM

We need an explanation ladies.

12-09-12, 11:11 PM

They radiator caps self bleed now and if it packs up it pressurizes the system. Because he said the pipes are still hard after 24 hrs assuming this is why people are saying its the cap

12-09-12, 11:13 PM

I don't get how air is sucked into the system (which it must be if there is pressure behind it when the bike is cold).

12-09-12, 11:30 PM

its a release valve doesn't draw it in just doesn't relieve the internal pressure

12-09-12, 11:35 PM

Sorry, I thought he'd released pressure more than once.

13-09-12, 06:39 AM

OK - One possible theory is - When you switch off your engine coolant flow stops, if the engine block is very hot it can boil. That expands and turns to steam and the extra pressure has to go somwhere. That somewhere should be the radiator cap, but if it cant get out there it finds the only other place to bubble out, which is your expansion bottle. As the steam comes up the pipe work to the expansion bottle, it pushes coolant up that pipework raising the coolant level in the bottle. The bottle has an overflow pipe and thats where the incontinence comes from.

11-09-12, 10:14 AM	#1
m`baubz Guest Posts: n/a	bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) hi everyone, how's your day? lately i've been finding puddles of coolant under the bike the next day after a ride. its leaking where the hoses connect to engine block and water pump. hoses themselves look allright, no cracks or anything, and some of the connections have never been touched, at least as far as i know. last time, although the bike had been sitting for nearly 24 hours, i found the radiator hoses were stiff and undoing the rad cap released some air pressure. now, i did have the coolant out and the radiator off several weeks ago, when i messed with CCTs, but the problem didn't appear right after that, only after a long ride two weeks ago. any ideas on what could be causing this? cooling system not bled properly? blown head gasket? radiator cap? something comes at night and scares the shizzle out of it?... Last edited by m`baubz; 11-09-12 at 10:15 AM.

11-09-12, 11:15 AM	#2
Serdna Guest Posts: n/a	Re: bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) Radiator cap?

12-09-12, 03:57 PM	#4
andrewsmith Member Mega Poster Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Just south of salad dodging country Posts: 7,750	Re: bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) Radiator cap. Do the jubilees on the hoses also, mine went after 9 years (6months) with me. Its a 10 minute job and costs a quid __________________ RIP Reeder 20/07/1988 - 21/03/2012. Always missed squire!!! Every year we meet old friends, gain some new ones, lose old ones and you always remember them all. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi

12-09-12, 09:34 PM	#5
monkey Guest Posts: n/a	Re: bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) We need an explanation ladies.

12-09-12, 11:11 PM	#6
Dabteacake Guest Posts: n/a	Re: bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) They radiator caps self bleed now and if it packs up it pressurizes the system. Because he said the pipes are still hard after 24 hrs assuming this is why people are saying its the cap

12-09-12, 03:40 PM	#3
-Ralph- Guest Posts: n/a	+1 on radiator cap

12-09-12, 11:13 PM	#7
monkey Guest Posts: n/a	Re: bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) I don't get how air is sucked into the system (which it must be if there is pressure behind it when the bike is cold).

12-09-12, 11:30 PM	#8
Dabteacake Guest Posts: n/a	Re: bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) its a release valve doesn't draw it in just doesn't relieve the internal pressure

12-09-12, 11:35 PM	#9
monkey Guest Posts: n/a	Re: bike developed coolant-ary incontinence (curvy) Sorry, I thought he'd released pressure more than once.

13-09-12, 06:39 AM	#10
-Ralph- Guest Posts: n/a	OK - One possible theory is - When you switch off your engine coolant flow stops, if the engine block is very hot it can boil. That expands and turns to steam and the extra pressure has to go somwhere. That somewhere should be the radiator cap, but if it cant get out there it finds the only other place to bubble out, which is your expansion bottle. As the steam comes up the pipe work to the expansion bottle, it pushes coolant up that pipework raising the coolant level in the bottle. The bottle has an overflow pipe and thats where the incontinence comes from.

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