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03-12-2018, 10:34 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Starke Florida
Posts: 856
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Radiator boiled over
Bike week, going down Main Street, Daytona, much standing in traffic, smoke coming from bottom, fluid leaking out overflow hose! Pulled over, let bike cool down maybe 15 minutes, checked the fuse, bike running fine but I don’t hear the fan come on. Topped off coolant level, it didn’t take much, and rode the 85 miles home, no problem. Plan now is to test fan to see if it’s ok, and drain radiator and refill with Engine Ice. Any other suggestions,
advice appreciated!
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"Ride it like you stole it"! 2008 1600 Nomad 56K miles "BlueBelle" 2004 1500 Nomad 102 K miles "Black Beauty" ABATE Black Creek Chapter Amvet Rider Post 86 http://www.facebook.com/AmvetPost86 Weston A. Price Foundation member. Vegetarian...... An old Indian word meaning "Bad Hunter" Legalize Freedom! Question Authority! "Im in love with the waitress, and I dont even know her name" "Boys" Gone Wild" ! Mainstreet Station 2012 Daytona Bikeweek Login or Register to Remove Ads
Last edited by roadhawg; 03-12-2018 at 08:40 PM.
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03-12-2018, 11:18 AM | #2 |
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Location: Newburgh IN
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Engine Ice coolant is great.
It's probably the fan, when was the last time the coolant was changed? If you want to flush the system use a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and distilled water. From Gadget's page: Go to your local grocery store and buy "White Distilled Vinegar" and mix that 50/50 with some distilled water. Fill the system with the 50/50 mix, run the bike until warm, let cool, drain and then run clear water through to wash out the vinegar. It's the same idea as cleaning your coffee maker. The vinegar is acidic enough to remove any scale or impurities, but not so harsh that it will harm your delicate seals and gaskets.
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Last edited by recumbentbob; 03-12-2018 at 11:22 AM.
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03-12-2018, 11:51 AM | #3 |
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Location: Newburgh IN
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One other thing to check is the radiator cap. My 07 nomad overheated and boiled over and it was the radiator cap; it was weak and not keeping the system pressurized.
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03-12-2018, 02:22 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Dickson, Tennessee
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Probably either a loose electrical connection or a blown fuse for the fan.
After you've fixed the problem, take the garden hose with spray nozzle and spray it through the backside of the radiator (toward the front wheel). You'll likely be amazed at the amount of dirt, grit and dead bugs that were blocking the radiator. air passages and reducing the air flow. Don't spray from the front or you'll drive the crud deeper into the radiator fins. I do this to all my cars, trucks and bikes and have never had an overheating problem. |
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03-12-2018, 08:36 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Starke Florida
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Update
Drained radiator, put engine ice in, checked fan with jumper wire, fan ok, when i idle bike fan wont come on. Had some fluid come out of cap, so i am thinking my cap is bad . and most likely the switch?
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"Ride it like you stole it"! 2008 1600 Nomad 56K miles "BlueBelle" 2004 1500 Nomad 102 K miles "Black Beauty" ABATE Black Creek Chapter Amvet Rider Post 86 http://www.facebook.com/AmvetPost86 Weston A. Price Foundation member. Vegetarian...... An old Indian word meaning "Bad Hunter" Legalize Freedom! Question Authority! "Im in love with the waitress, and I dont even know her name" "Boys" Gone Wild" ! Mainstreet Station 2012 Daytona Bikeweek Login or Register to Remove Ads |
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03-12-2018, 09:00 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Psychiatric Ward FL
Posts: 3,429
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I put a toggle switch in my Nomad that would kick the fan on
if I was in bad traffic on a hot south FL day.
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03-12-2018, 09:17 PM | #7 |
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Hey great idea MT ! A toggle switch, yes, you dont need the fan on open road, only in stop and go traffic.
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"Ride it like you stole it"! 2008 1600 Nomad 56K miles "BlueBelle" 2004 1500 Nomad 102 K miles "Black Beauty" ABATE Black Creek Chapter Amvet Rider Post 86 http://www.facebook.com/AmvetPost86 Weston A. Price Foundation member. Vegetarian...... An old Indian word meaning "Bad Hunter" Legalize Freedom! Question Authority! "Im in love with the waitress, and I dont even know her name" "Boys" Gone Wild" ! Mainstreet Station 2012 Daytona Bikeweek |
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03-12-2018, 11:29 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: Jul 2016
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MAS has a great idea....As I run a complete seperate system that shadows the origional cooling system.
The cooling systems on these bikes, while they work great, is marginal. Engine Ice, water wetter, and others are good, make sure they are compatible with your coolant. I have a temp. gauge in my fairing, I also have a led that lets me know when the fan comes on. The over-ride switch is great when caught in heavy traffic, or when a accident occurrs. These bikes cooling systems are very marginal, so anything that helps with cooling is a +.... Its good to replace your radiator cap every 3 to 4 years, like when you change your coolant. I have a secondary fan system that allows mine to come on alot earlier. I have mine set to come on at about 175 to 185. It really helps.... Coolant change every 3-4 years with cap. Flush cooling system every 3rd cool. chng. Replace hoses every 6 to 7 years....
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--------------------- Don't start no schit, there won't be no schit.... *My Sarcasm is directly proportional to the amount of Stupidity involved* --------------------- VBA#03239 VROC#37400 VRA --------------------- 2014 Vaquero 2001 Nomad FI 2003 Street Glide (sold) 1500 Meanie, fresh rebuild (sold) 90s BUBF Bobber (sold) 2001 UltraCycle FatPounder (Sold) 1975 HD ElectraGlide (Sold) 1982 Kawasaki Z1 Chopper (Sold) Suck It Up & Ride!
Last edited by DragonLady58; 03-12-2018 at 11:34 PM.
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03-13-2018, 08:57 AM | #9 |
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When i drained radiator it looked very clean , no dirty rust, so i just ran clean water thru it then a full bottle of engine ice, it only holds 2.4 quarts, so im running all engine ice, no other coolant, my Clymer manual said not to use anything with silicates in it.
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"Ride it like you stole it"! 2008 1600 Nomad 56K miles "BlueBelle" 2004 1500 Nomad 102 K miles "Black Beauty" ABATE Black Creek Chapter Amvet Rider Post 86 http://www.facebook.com/AmvetPost86 Weston A. Price Foundation member. Vegetarian...... An old Indian word meaning "Bad Hunter" Legalize Freedom! Question Authority! "Im in love with the waitress, and I dont even know her name" "Boys" Gone Wild" ! Mainstreet Station 2012 Daytona Bikeweek |
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03-13-2018, 09:01 AM | #10 |
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All hoses look good
Would like to know more about adding a temperature gauge?
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"Ride it like you stole it"! 2008 1600 Nomad 56K miles "BlueBelle" 2004 1500 Nomad 102 K miles "Black Beauty" ABATE Black Creek Chapter Amvet Rider Post 86 http://www.facebook.com/AmvetPost86 Weston A. Price Foundation member. Vegetarian...... An old Indian word meaning "Bad Hunter" Legalize Freedom! Question Authority! "Im in love with the waitress, and I dont even know her name" "Boys" Gone Wild" ! Mainstreet Station 2012 Daytona Bikeweek |
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03-13-2018, 02:06 PM | #11 |
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Join Date: Jul 2016
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Well, Gadgets site has a nice little write up on how to install a gauge set.
On the temp. gauge, I use a Moroso lower rad. hose block, which has temp. probe hole, mine was rather long, threw it into a lathe, turned the nipple ends back towards the holes. Summit carries one for metric cars that look slighntly better. Anyway, the rest is like a normal gauge hookup. I had to cut about 3" out of the hose, about 4" from the water pump....
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--------------------- Don't start no schit, there won't be no schit.... *My Sarcasm is directly proportional to the amount of Stupidity involved* --------------------- VBA#03239 VROC#37400 VRA --------------------- 2014 Vaquero 2001 Nomad FI 2003 Street Glide (sold) 1500 Meanie, fresh rebuild (sold) 90s BUBF Bobber (sold) 2001 UltraCycle FatPounder (Sold) 1975 HD ElectraGlide (Sold) 1982 Kawasaki Z1 Chopper (Sold) Suck It Up & Ride! |
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03-13-2018, 03:51 PM | #12 |
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+1 on the switch. I was in the mountains of NC when mine started overheating while caught in traffic. I straight wired, installed switch until I got home and repaired. Left the switch installed encase it ever happens again.
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