Radiator bleed procedure

[creed]

Looking for opinions on simplest way to bleed any remaining air from the radiator on a 1600 Nomad, once the tank is back on and the bike is running. I recently did a coolant change and want to be sure all the air was bled out. Service manual says to use the water pump bleeder bolt (upper Left bolt), apparently without the bike running. I have searched the forum and seen posts where others talk about using the bleeder bolt but with the bike running. I don't want to take the tank off again and burp it out the radiator fill opening,which is an easy way on some bikes but not the 1600. Thanks for any help.

[ctrider]

I followed the service manual and it worked fine. Just make sure you have a towel under the bolt to soak up any coolant. The bike was not running.

[creed]

Originally Posted by ctrider

I followed the service manual and it worked fine. Just make sure you have a towel under the bolt to soak up any coolant. The bike was not running.

OK I will try it without the bike running, thanks for your advice. Looking back at the manual, it says to do this step before the cap is put on the radiator, but I assume it will still get any remaining air bled if the radiator is already capped and the tank reinstalled. I'm also assuming it can be done with the bike cold.

[ctrider]

You will loose some coolant when bleeding the air from the bleeder bolt. As the air comes out the coolant level will also drop. I would do it with the cap off and then top it off after you have gotten the air out. Make sure you level the bike and check the reservoir. Ride it and then recheck the reservoir when it's cold.

[cnc]

Hey Creed, thought you were selling your Nomad?
Anyway my two cents worth is it probably will work either way as with the cap on it should be able to draw coolant from the overflow bottle to replace the air or coolant you let out at the bleed screw. It may however bleed faster with the cap off and you can see the level go down and top off before replacing the cap.

[creed]

Thanks Norm. I did have her up for sale but reconsidered --- got some Seller's Remorse, but fortunately before any sale. Also was not much interest during the few weeks I had it listed. So I've reinstalled some more of my accessories. Also took a 4-day tour on my 650 Vstrom and concluded it can't match the Nomad on the interstates for comfort.

[macmac]

You can't bleed the rad and the bleeder you read about is on the 1500's. You already bleed the water pump by the looks of it. make sure the coolant level is good, go ride a while and check the bottle lv again hot. mark that with a marker (dot) check it again cold. Add any of the lv is low.

[creed]

Originally Posted by macmac

You can't bleed the rad and the bleeder you read about is on the 1500's. You already bleed the water pump by the looks of it. make sure the coolant level is good, go ride a while and check the bottle lv again hot. mark that with a marker (dot) check it again cold. Add any of the lv is low.

Thanks Mac. I read the Manual again, and agree with you that on the 1600 the only bleeder is the water pump bleeder bolt.

For those who have followed this thread, what worked for me on bleeding the 1600 on coolant change is: to fill SLOWLY with the bike upright, then bleed any air from the water pump bleeder bolt, with the radiator cap still OFF; tap the hoses a few times, then top off to the neckline and reinstall the cap. This is my understanding of the Service Manual procedure also. (Don't forget to drain and fill to correct level the overflow white plastic tank under the R sidecover --- you can dump the old coolant by pulling the whole bottle away from the fuse panel, those little black rubber tabs pull through the mounting holes, not necessary to disconnect the hose.)

I could not bleed from the water pump bleeder bolt with the bike cold, cap on, from the sidestand--- nothing comes out. I also tried it cap on and with the bike running, but hot coolant sprays out and makes a mess of everything. Air from the open rad cap seems for some reason to be necessary to bleed air out the water pump bleeder bolt. Don't confuse the water pump DRAIN bolt (lower left) with the water pump BLEEDER bolt (upper left), as they look alike and are same size. To access the rad cap, I removed the tank, it seemed the only way to get good access.

I'm putting up these details in hopes it will help someone else in the future with coolant change on their 1600. One more tip, which others have also mentioned before me: If you are planning a coolant change, make sure you order in advance the special rubber gasket for the radiator drain plug, which compresses and should be replaced on each coolant change.

[macmac]

Originally Posted by creed

Thanks Mac. I read the Manual again, and agree with you that on the 1600 the only bleeder is the water pump bleeder bolt.

For those who have followed this thread, what worked for me on bleeding the 1600 on coolant change is: to fill SLOWLY with the bike upright, then bleed any air from the water pump bleeder bolt, with the radiator cap still OFF; tap the hoses a few times, then top off to the neckline and reinstall the cap. This is my understanding of the Service Manual procedure also. (Don't forget to drain and fill to correct level the overflow white plastic tank under the R sidecover --- you can dump the old coolant by pulling the whole bottle away from the fuse panel, those little black rubber tabs pull through the mounting holes, not necessary to disconnect the hose.)

I could not bleed from the water pump bleeder bolt with the bike cold, cap on, from the sidestand--- nothing comes out. I also tried it cap on and with the bike running, but hot coolant sprays out and makes a mess of everything. Air from the open rad cap seems for some reason to be necessary to bleed air out the water pump bleeder bolt. Don't confuse the water pump DRAIN bolt (lower left) with the water pump BLEEDER bolt (upper left), as they look alike and are same size. To access the rad cap, I removed the tank, it seemed the only way to get good access.

I'm putting up these details in hopes it will help someone else in the future with coolant change on their 1600. One more tip, which others have also mentioned before me: If you are planning a coolant change, make sure you order in advance the special rubber gasket for the radiator drain plug, which compresses and should be replaced on each coolant change.

Uh yeah the cap was holding a vacuum, no different than placing a sippy straw in a glass of water and then capping the straw with a finger tip to withdraw the straw full of water. There is no need to make a Royal Mess and there is no need to do this hot.

I don't recall any O ring on the rad drain bolt. I think I recall mine being pipe threads. Mine and I am aware of many others that were not even finger tight from the factory. In the case of a pipe thread there is no stop. perhaps someone over tightened the one on your bike and then was forced to replace it with something else. In that case i would far prefer a sold alloy (aluminum flat washer over rubber, because rubber varies so much and you can not see what is good quality from poor. At least i can't.

IE: the rubber top bags chrome rail washer are junk, and don't last but months. On the other hand roofing screw washers that come on roofing screws will last 25 years in weather.

[mick56]

So what's the procedure on the 1500,i just took the rad cap off and ran the engine for 2 minute's,that's what i wold do with a car,is that doing it ok,or do i need to phaff around with bleed screw's all over the place.

[macmac]

You risk cavitation, unless you bleed the air out. I don't know what you did, so it's hard to say what to do. If you changed out all the coolant, with the engine cold, crack the top left water pump bolt and see if all coolant emits with no bubbles. Next do the same with the bleeder at the T stat housing. top off the rez and check it again after a ride of 10 miles or so.

[mick56]

Originally Posted by macmac

You risk cavitation, unless you bleed the air out. I don't know what you did, so it's hard to say what to do. If you changed out all the coolant, with the engine cold, crack the top left water pump bolt and see if all coolant emits with no bubbles. Next do the same with the bleeder at the T stat housing. top off the rez and check it again after a ride of 10 miles or so.

Hey Mac,just the bloke i need ! I drained the rad when i took it off to fit a cover, i put it back on and filled it from the rad cap until the reservoir was at the right level,rode it for a while and noticed it smelled hot,so i undid the rad cap next day,and ran it for 2-3 minute's then slapped the cap back on.I will do the 2 bleed point's that you mentioned tomorrow. While ive got your attention,on the bottom of my carb there is a Y piece with a hose coming from the cooling system attached to one side, but nothing to the other, surely that's not right,i thought it should have 2 hose's both joined to the cooling, so that the water passes and warm's the carb.

[macmac]

I can't really help with the carb hoses routing since I have never worked on a kawi with a carb ever. I know what the carb type is and that's a CV carb, but what hoses go where and how i can't say. Since this part is a Y whats on the other 2 ends of that Y ?

I have heard there is a off white plastic fitting that passes fuel and it can dry up and crack, but I have no idea if that is a Y as well.

On the coolant yeah you rode and did not circulate coolant and did send a mess of air around in the cooling system which comes to the top in the water pump where the impeller tries hard but can't remove the bubble. The other problem is at the top where the bleeder is. There is no need to run the engine for bleeding these.

[mick56]

One part of the Y goes into the bottom of the float bowl,when i disconnected it antifreeze & water came out,,one of them has a hose running from the water system, the other has nothing on it,and might be blank,i will have a look,i would have thought that it should have another hose connected back to the water system creating a loop,the purpose being to pass warm water by the bowl for some damn reason,but what is water doing in the float bowl ! is there a water jacket around, and part of the bowl,there must be otherwise it would have water in with the petrol, i'm buggered if i know. How are you anyway mate,not spending winter in a Tepee i hope !

[macmac]

Unless the plan is to fly that bike at 16,000 ft the carb should not need heat. Looks like the way it's set up sooner or later it gets heat. You don't need flow for that, and it won't get to be full heat for it. So far in life I have needed carb heat 3 times. The first was in an air plane at take off out of Nantucket, and I almost got to go swimming with ice cakes. The next was 2 SU carbs iced up in Maine when I was headed to Sunday River to Ski. Everything was fine til I stopped to get gas, and then had no power with the slider pistons 3/4ers open and iced that way so they couldn't go down.

last was on a 1964 Bob cat skid steer moving snow and it was snowing too, so lots of humid stuff to freeze that Carter updraft carb. I hate that type carb the most. Not much difference between that and a rock.