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coolant leak

1K views 11 replies 3 participants last post by  ship 
#1 ·
My bike is a 2005 C model with 44,000 miles, when I got to work this morning I could smell anti-freeze off the hot motor, this is my 4th leak. The original started leaking a one of the tubes, I replaced the original with a factory replacement and in 6 months it stared leaking at one of the tubes, so had the original repaired instead of another new one and now it is leaking again, so now I plan to have the factory replacement repaired, hat could cause so many leaks ? 99% of my riding is highway.

Thanks, Ship
 
#4 ·
What tube???

Are you over-tightening a hose clamp and crushing the tube???
Ok I am most likely not calling parts of the radiator by the correct name. When I had the radiator repaired they told me it was leaking at the top of one of the tubes in the radiator, they bent it over soldered it and all was good for the past 6 months. The front of the radiator on the right side has anti-freeze running down from the top you can see it on the fins, what can cause me to have so many leaks ?

Thanks, Ship
 
#5 ·
Ok I am most likely not calling parts of the radiator by the correct name. When I had the radiator repaired they told me it was leaking at the top of one of the tubes in the radiator, they bent it over soldered it and all was good for the past 6 months. The front of the radiator on the right side has anti-freeze running down from the top you can see it on the fins, what can cause me to have so many leaks ?

Thanks, Ship
if you can remove the radiator and can get to the area and wire brush it really good then you could use JB weld on the leak, I did that on mine 9 years ago and it hasent leaked since.

Doug
 
#6 ·
Fenderless, a radiator cover and a crash bar.

I think most of the road gravel would be lower--but who knows.
A piece of gravel will punch a hole in a cooling fin.

You may have sharp edges from the radiator cover
or pressure from the cover or crash bar causing problems.

Look for pressure points.
No one else has the failure rate that you do..
It has to be your setup..
 
#7 ·
Fenderless, a radiator cover and a crash bar.

I think most of the road gravel would be lower--but who knows.
A piece of gravel will punch a hole in a cooling fin.

You may have sharp edges from the radiator cover
or pressure from the cover or crash bar causing problems.

Look for pressure points.
No one else has the failure rate that you do..
It has to be your setup..
When it happen the second time I thought the same no fender and a chrome after market radiator I must be getting damage from things, but the radiator man said no way it could be the cause, that the leak was internal, I put the original plastic grill back on after the 2nd leak. Well I will get a repair done, only $20.00 and be looking for anything that be the cause when I put it back, I am getting pretty good at changing them out, Lol.

Thanks, Ship
 
#10 ·
Very few if any issues that I am aware of.

Fan and bracket bolts line up ok???
Yes everything lines up just fine, I have removed the radiator 5 times now and never have felt like anything was binding, but will certainly check my self when putting it back. Do you think putting rubber at the fan mounts might help to isolate any vibration being transmitted to the radiator ? I appreciate you following my thread and trying to help resolve my problem, my bike might look a little abused because I have cutoff a lot of extra parts,LOL but I love it that way and take very good care of it, I did just buy an e-bay rear fender from a Big Dog Mastiff.

Thanks Ship
 
#11 ·
#12 ·
Have you got the rubber radiator mounting bushings at the top of the radiator?? #12
Do you have the collars in the bushing to keep you from crushing the rubber bushing??? #2

The fan motor metal mounting bracket is about half the thickness of the metal brackets on the radiator.
I doubt that would be the problem.

http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Honda/Motorcycle/2005/VTX1300C+A/RADIATOR/parts.html
Yes I do, rubber mounts and bushings, I had a chrome after market radiator shroud but went back to the black plastic one after the last leak. I agree that a person can mess things up with mods but other than the crash bar everything is stock in that area.

Ship
 
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