Overheated!!!

[Doc_Busa]

I rode the turbo to the shop to get the swing arms switched. It was bumper to bumper for miles. I have no idea WHEN it happened, but I looked down and the temp guage about 1/2 way into the red and the warning light on. So sad! I pulled over for a few minutes and turned the fan on manually. I fired it back up and it was slow turning the starter (things were tight). I rode in the birm to get some speed and it cooled down instantly.

A) What the heck is wrong?

B) What is the likelyhood of damage?

THIS STINKS!!!

Of course the shop will be looking into it too...

Bummin' in Vegas...

 

[cache]

check your coolant mixture. make sure your fan came on automaticly when it got warm.

main case and point: too rich of a mixture (too much coolant not enough water) will cause the sensors to read inaccurately, and also will not transfer heat as well as a good mixture.
I have been in stop, 5mph, stop, 5mph, etc in 100+ for 25mins at a time on mine. When I got my busa from the dealer, I drained everything but the overflow tank, then topped off with water. About 30% coolant to 70% water mix. Not a problem yet.

Good luck.

 

[Doc_Busa]

Thanks Cache, but I am running engine ice as coolant, may have saved the motor (I hope). I have no idea why it heated up like that. The bike has a bypass to turn the fan on manually, but I ASS-UMED that it would still kick on with the thermostat. In fact, I am 95% sure I have heard/saw it kick on.

Hopefully the shop will find a cheap fix.

 

[MET]

You have a manual switch, it may not be wired to come on with out the manual? Let the bike run until 1/2 way above hot and see if the fan comes on. You should have no problem with engine problems, it does not sound like it cooked out coolant. If it got that hot the coolant would be pumping out?

 

[Doc_Busa]

You have a manual switch, it may not be wired to come on with out the manual?  Let the bike run until 1/2 way above hot and see if the fan comes on.  You should have no problem with engine problems, it does not sound like it cooked out coolant.  If it got that hot the coolant would be pumping out?

That's what I thought too. The coolant IS Engine Ice, so that may have saved it too. No coolant boiled over.

 

[MET]

Glad it did not boil over.

When i first bought my bike a year ago (when it was stock) it boiled over in the parking lot from running because the fan did not come on. it was fine after.

 

[ks-waterbug]

Doc, I remember reading somewhere in here about adding a second fan to the Busa. Not sure if this is plausable or not, but it sure couldn't hurt. Price of one extra fan less than $100 added security of over cooling priceless! Just my two.........

 

[Doc_Busa]

Thanks Waterbug, but I don't think that is necessary. I have a Muzzy fan on my regular Busa and it never overheated until I changed to coolant to Evans. What I think happened there was that the radiator was not filled (still had some air in it). Not sure if that is the problem or not....

 

[Doc_Busa]

EVERYONE: The guy who built the bike theorized that when the bike was dyno'ed and mapped, it was done with the full exhaust. One possible problem could be that when the previous owner installed the dump pipe, it leaned out the low-end mixture, thus causing it to run hotter at the low end and also responcible for the popping and cracking immediately off throttle.

Any thoughts?

 

[mikeyusf]

ughhh not good. I heard to always flush the bike when the coolant tank gets that discolored goo in the bottom of the resevoir. Also, is it possible to make the fan kick on sooner? Is that muzzy fan easy to install?

Mike

 

[busahigg]

Not just running my mouth, but I heard from a buddy that the Muzzy fans are trash.......he said he had two and couldn't depend on em for jack. He put the stock back in.

 

[MET]

EVERYONE:  The guy who built the bike theorized that when the bike was dyno'ed and mapped, it was done with the full exhaust.  One possible problem could be that when the previous owner installed the dump pipe, it leaned out the low-end mixture, thus causing it to run hotter at the low end and also responcible for the popping and cracking immediately off throttle.

Any thoughts?

Doc if that is the case, but the pipes back on that you were thinking of doing anyway.

 

[MET]

Not just running my mouth, but I heard from a buddy that the Muzzy fans are trash.......he said he had two and couldn't depend on em for jack.  He put the stock back in.

Mine always worked, but they are not great. I had problems with them bending until i made a new mount.

 

[Doc_Busa]

Not just running my mouth, but I heard from a buddy that the Muzzy fans are trash.......he said he had two and couldn't depend on em for jack.  He put the stock back in.

Mine always worked, but they are not great.  I had problems with them bending until i made a new mount.

I had no problems with mine and this is the first time I have ever heard of issues with them. The only thing to be cautious about is the gasket that comes with them, you have to trim it carefully so it does not hang up on anything.

 

[MET]

Not just running my mouth, but I heard from a buddy that the Muzzy fans are trash.......he said he had two and couldn't depend on em for jack.  He put the stock back in.

Mine always worked, but they are not great.  I had problems with them bending until i made a new mount.

I had no problems with mine and this is the first time I have ever heard of issues with them.  The only thing to be cautious about is the gasket that comes with them, you have to trim it carefully so it does not hang up on anything.

Yep

 

[Frank Adams]

(slip in here)

It's more then likely the coolant system had air in it. Either way there are a few things you can do to help over come any future heating issues.

1) Make sure the shout around the fan is as close to the radiator as possible. When the fan is on, you definetly want the air traveling through the radiator.

2) Take your thermostat out and remove it's center portion. This will help eliminate any hot steamy air pocket issues.

3) Take a sheet of aluminum and make a divider between the turbo & radiator(see pic below). There is A LOT of heat that comes off the turbo. When you are stopped or rolling along at slow speeds, this heat rises right into the radiator thus boiling whatever type of coolant you have.

*Note) If the level of your over flow tank raises any after the bike is warmed up at any time, you probably have a blown head gasket.

Frank

Psychobike Links Do Not Work

 

[MET]

Good info. Thanks Frank.

 

[Doc_Busa]

2) Take your thermostat out and remove it's center portion. This will help eliminate any hot steamy air pocket issues.


*Note) If the level of your over flow tank raises any after the bike is warmed up at any time, you probably have a blown head gasket.

Interesting info Frank, I do have a couple of questions.

On number 2, do you reinstall the modified thermostat? Also, where is it located and how hard is it to remove/install?

On your final note, I disagree with that. Obviously as the engine heats the fluid will expand and the over flow tank will rise... Did you really mean if it rises at all?

Thanks for the good info.!

Doc

 

[Frank Adams]

2) Take your thermostat out and remove it's center portion. This will help eliminate any hot steamy air pocket issues.


*Note) If the level of your over flow tank raises any after the bike is warmed up at any time, you probably have a blown head gasket.

Interesting info Frank, I do have a couple of questions.

On number 2, do you reinstall the modified thermostat?  Also, where is it located and how hard is it to remove/install?

On your final note, I disagree with that.  Obviously as the engine heats the fluid will expand and the over flow tank will rise...    Did you really mean if it rises at all?

Thanks for the good info.!

Doc

Yes Doc put the stock modified thermostat back in. It is located on the back of the head, below the throttle bodies. Personally, I think it easy to remove. Btw, there is no gasket to worry about either.

If your overflow tank should rise over 1 inch, you have some sort of issue. There should not be any heat related hot air in the system. If it's producing air, it has to be boiling the coolant. I run Evans coolant NGP+ mainly because it has a real high boiling point.

 

[Doc_Busa]

Thanks Frank, I am running Evans as well. So, I just pull out the thermostat and drill out the center section? Sounds like a good plan.

Thanks again for the info.