getting really hot

busa matt

Registered
hey guys. i think i know what i need to do but i would like to know what you all think about this. i got this busa about a month ago. it has a big bore kit, full yosh exhaust ported and polished heads, aftermarket cams, the usual goodies..... it had a blown trans when i got it, i fixed it put it all together and have been riding it since and put about 900 miles on it thus far. from the get go i have been having high temp problems. i thought it was air pockets in the coolant. i followed the factory service manual procedure for filling coolant. it has engine ice, i recently installed a muzzy fan in it. and as long as i am moving it stays below half way up on the guage. as soon as i sit still for any longer than two or three minutes it gets hot. really hot. to the point it starts puking coolant out of the overflow. when i installed the fan i checked the rad and it was full. i start out on the cool line on the overflow so it is not too much in it. i find it hard to believe i could still have air pockets after 900 miles of pretty spirited riding on it but i suppose it could be possible. when i run it with the fairings off i do not see it leaking any drips anywhere. there is not coolant in the oil. what should my next step be? i am thinking i need to do a leak down check. what do you all think? is it possible i still have air pockets?? or is it something more serious?
 
Moin moin,

had some similar issues with Busas here, so my advice is as follows:

1) Try a new radiator cap. It's not that much money and I had many probs solved...
Before you install it, please clean the radiator's surface where the cap's rubber is sitting. If you leave any dirt there, the cap cannot hold the pressure.

2) If the new radiator cap does not solve the prob my next advice is to change the cylinder head gasket. If possible, you can check the carbon dioxide gas fraction in the water. In case you find it there your prob is the gasket, no doubt about it.

Bye
D1
 
You can also install a second fan on a switch. Although, that's treating the sympton rather than the real issue it will help you cool the bike down when sitting in traffic.
 
well today i did the honda accord radiator fan switch. so far so good. sat in traffic for about 20 mins with no problems.
 
ok update: the honda switch made it a little better. but only masked the real problem. following schleife's info i swapped out the rad cap for a higher pressure cap. helped a little but still did it. so i tore out the engine and pulled the head and sure enough blown head gasket. it was blown between the cylinders and also blown at two coolant passages into the cylinders. it was not smoking and ran like "normal". i just put her back in yesterday and put about a hundred miles on her and all is well. cooland level in the overflow moves from cold to hot as it should and can sit still and run without problems. so far so good but now i am looking forward to riding it and not wrenching it.
 
Glad you found the real problem. Now you can ride with a piece of mind that you wont overheat and break down.
 
yeah i am glad too. it is nice to not sweat bullets when i see the traffic backing up. i sat just today for nearly twenty minutes inching along in traffic and i dont think it went past half way on the dial. all better. i love this bike now.
 
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