Triumphrat

FifeTiger · 11-06-2009, 04:53 AM

Had the bike serviced about two weeks ago, mechanic said he had 'topped up' the coolant.

True to form it was at the max mark when cold so I told him it'll just spit out over the next few days.

Bike's been runnnig fine until yesterday when I noticed it was getting pretty warm on the commute, ambient air temp would have been about 8C. Fan clicked off pretty quickly though.

On way home, temp guage was over half way before the bike had started to idle properly and nudging into the red until I got out on the open road and managed to keep it down about half way.

Got home and squeezed the coolant hoses - seem to be empty !!! But there's coolant in the bottle ??

Bubble do you think ? And how did it get in there ?

What's the fix ? Drain and refill ? And just how do you avoid the bubble ???

winger · 11-06-2009, 05:03 AM

You asking how long is a piece of string,how it got there and more important what the mechanic did,he's never going to tell you.

Do a search on here,there is a step by step how to change the fluid,follow it as per the instructions,and most important of all when re-filling do it slowly to avoid an airlock.

FifeTiger · 11-06-2009, 05:38 AM

Ah ! At least you've confirmed it is a piece of string, now it's just a question of how long is it !! :-)

Will see if I can find the radiator cap in the dark tonight, and if there's plenty of capacity in there for more fluid. Don't have any facilities for working on the bike at the moment so it's booked in tomorrow for a look over.

At least if I can say there's air in it we can start with a bleed and refill, then see if the thermostats working an/or there's coolant spraying out anywhere.

Tiger-G · 11-06-2009, 06:11 AM

On tour in Europe this year, through some very hot countries, I boiled some of the water in my radiator. The bike would heat up when working hard, cool down on the easy bits. I filled the expansion tank to no avail.

Took the rad cap off and filled the the system, so I thought, but the same happened again. Next time I tried to fill the system I ran the engine for a second to confirm the water pump was working, which it was, then filled the system again, this time making sure there were no airlocks.

Bike worked a treat after that

So the moral of the story - even when you think you've checked the system, it could still have an airlock.

p.s. - just check the oil and water aren't mixing by checking for sludge on the dipstick.

FifeTiger · 11-06-2009, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graeme

p.s. - just check the oil and water aren't mixing by checking for sludge on the dipstick.

That's the nightmare scenario isn't it ? I'll be checking that soon as I get home.

Finding the radiator cap is my next task. Is that in the Haynes manual ? :-0

ChazzyB · 11-06-2009, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FifeTiger

Finding the radiator cap is my next task. Is that in the Haynes manual ? :-0

No, it's on the thermostat housing.

Which is under the tank

winger · 11-06-2009, 10:52 AM

There you go.

http://www.triumphrat.net/tiger-work...fuel-tank.html

Tiger-G · 11-06-2009, 10:52 AM

No need to take the tank off though.

Just unloosen the two bolts that hold it on, lift it up and put a cable tie through the lug on the front left side and tie it to your handlebars. You'll have just enough room to be able to get the cap off.

Good luck old chap and keep us posted

FifeTiger · 11-06-2009, 10:59 AM

I think I'll be getting a mate to help out. One who charges around £35 an hour plus VAT !!

Thanks for the tips, I'll pass them on in the hope it'll cut our 'friendship' down to a minimum, and get it done right.

iansoady · 11-06-2009, 01:01 PM

Could be the elbow on the overflow tank has broken. Could also (but unlikely) be the old coolant hoses swapped over problem, depending on how old it is. AFAIK that only affected spoked-wheel models.