leaking anti-freeze

N

nychris

Registered
I started my 2002 Busa up for the first time this year and let it idle for about 10 minutes when green anti-freeze started pouring out of the bottom of the bike. I took the plastic off to see whats up and this is what happens. The anti-freeze is just below the Low line on the radiator when the bike is cold. I let it idle for about 6-7 minutes before it slowly started rising up to the top and pouring out of the overflow tube. I'm not very mechanically inclined so I asked a friend and they told me that the thermostat is probably bad. Your thoughts? If its the thermostat, is it difficult to replace?

Thanks for the help!
 
Where do you recommend I start? Should I just bring it to someone or start replacing the easy stuff myself and see if that fixes it?
 
well you really dont know too much about it then yes iw ould reccomend taking it to someone who kows what to look for and how to make the repairs running a bike hot enough to boil over can cause serious engine damage Head gaskets etc.
 
that is the cheapest part i would start with. i had to change my water pump out when it pissed out the bottom and figured that the thermo was about $15 i swapped that out as well. all is good now. try bleeding out your anti freeze and put some fresh stuff in again and give her a good burp swaying side to side to get the bubbles out.
 
I googled and found someone else with the same problem. They wrote this....

<div class="iF-Passage"><div class="QUOTEHEAD">Quote:[/Quote]<div class="QUOTE clearfix"><span class="quoteBegin"> </span>
I suspect the coolant overheated because air is in the system. Has the cooling system been serviced by any means?

My second though is the thermostat or water pump are defective and preventing coolant from circulating.

The cooling system components will need to be tested to find the defective component. Testing includes electrical components in the system.

Get a copy of the service manual and follow testing procedures. Repair or replace components accordingly.[/quote]
 
Schism @ Apr. 23 2008 said:
that is the cheapest part i would start with. i had to change my water pump out when it pissed out the bottom and figured that the thermo was about $15 i swapped that out as well. all is good now. try bleeding out your anti freeze and put some fresh stuff in again and give her a good burp swaying side to side to get the bubbles out.
Click to expand...
I suppose I can buy a thermostat in any Suzuki shop. Is it easy to replace?

How did this happen over the 5 months I didn't start it up? The bike was fine the last time I rode in December.
 
Can anyone point me to directions or documentation on replacing the thermostat? I'm not even sure where it is on the bike, haha. I figured I'd try that and also replacing the anti-freeze and rocking the bike back and forth (mentioned above) to get the air out.
 
NYCHRIS,
here is the part # on one of my favorite sites and it's only $19.50 i would definately bleed your cooling system and try it again once you have replaced the thermo which is very easy to replace. behind the gas tank and there are only 2 screws, i believe. like the others said, you probably have air in the system. look below @ #12 that is the part you need to order. when you bleed your system do a search on this site for a play by play how to instruction. good luck! nick
beerchug.gif
http://www.bikebandit.com/houseof....58
 
Schism @ Apr. 24 2008 said:
NYCHRIS,
here is the part # on one of my favorite sites and it's only $19.50  i would definately bleed your cooling system and try it again once you have replaced the thermo which is very easy to replace.  behind the gas tank and there are only 2 screws, i believe.  like the others said, you probably have air in the system.  look below @ #12 that is the part you need to order.  when you bleed your system do a search on this site for a play by play how to instruction.  good luck! nick  
beerchug.gif
http://www.bikebandit.com/houseof....58
Click to expand...
sorry i didn't paste directly to it.
go to cooling system, radiator-hose and scroll dwn to #12 thermostat
 
Schism, thanks for the info bro! I just ordered the part now.

Is taking the gas tank off tough? I'm starting to think I'd be better off have a motorcycle technician take a look at this in case its not the thermostat. I'd hate to play around and have engine damage. I already ordered the part so hopefully its just the thermo.
 
you don't have to take the tank off just remove the 2 bolts toward the front and raise it. you can get in there no problem. if you have the money to hire a tech. than go for it, but i'm a cheap bastid and i like knowing about my bike. hope it works out for ya in the long run. good luck!
thumb_up.gif
 
Sounds easy enough
smile.gif


One concern I have is whether or not I am doing damage running the engine for a few minutes until it starts pouring out of the radiator overflow? If I keep the radiator filled with anti-freeze, should I be okay? The only way to know if its still broken is to run the engine and see if it starts spilling over. If I'm not doing damage, then I'll give this thermo replacement a shot myself.
 
yes, you could risk damage if there isn't any anti-freeze in the cooling system. this scenario happened to me and i swapped out my water pump and thermo. you have to drain the system entirely, refill radiator, and run it for about 3 min w/ rad. cap off. once she starts to boil, as you sit on the bike, slowly rock the bike left to right to release any air bubbles that are in the system. mind you that you had already put the new thermo in after you drained the old fluid. shut her down and wait for the bike to cool, top off the rad. w/ fluid and place the cap back on. run her again and see if she pisses out the bottom while your rad cap is on. if she pisses ,than it is another problem. you'll be fine w/ this test as long as your there to watch the fluid in your system because if it drains dry you can be in a world of hurt. all in all, i think you have air trapped in your system. i personally like engine ice fluid for quicker cool down ,but any rad fluid should do 50/50 mix. pm me q's if you have any.
nick
 
Last night I replaced the thermostat and now all is well! Schism, thanks a lot for your help! Its much appreciated!
 
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