Got a leaker

[mark81]

While rebuilding clutch slave cylinder I noticed shifter seal is leaking and also a coolant leak from what appears to be coming from behind timing cover. I've got the clutch handled and will pick up shifter seal tomorrow. But the coolant leak behind the timing cover?  Any ideas before I tear into it? I'd rather not have it down for too long as it is my only means of transportation at the moment.  As always thanks for your input.

[da prez]

  If it is the lower radiator hose , you may get lucky and be able to tighten it up. It could be a screwdriver or a hex nut.  It is worth a try with a flashlight with a pinpoint lense to locate it.

                           da prez

[mark81]

it's above the hose connection. I can see drips that appear to be from inside timing cover but cant see anything above dripping into it

[mark81]

Yes I know its filthy. It's my daily driver.  This is from the front clutch side. yes I see its wet at the upper hose on the housing. If you look above it there is coolant above dripping on it from timing cover.



this view is from just in front of the shifter looking forward.  you can see it dripping from timimg cover onto crash guard


from what I can see the radiator and top of timing cover is dry.  coolant was flushed 5 months and 8k miles ago.

[Jess from VA]

Still seems likely to be the top hose clamp, with green stuff flowing down over stuff. 

Real common occurrence in cold weather.  Even without tightening, most leaks stop after running hot for awhile.

I am just guessing.

[big poppa pump]

Is there any signs of coolant on the engine block between the carbs?

[mark81]

Not that i can tell right now BPP.  Just got finished with clutch slave and hosed down with brake clean. Gonna get a couple more cans and clean it up better. 20 years of dirt and grime sitting there.

All hose clamps are tight jess. All dry at top of hose

[big poppa pump]

Not that i can tell right now BPP.  Just got finished with clutch slave and hosed down with brake clean. Gonna get a couple more cans and clean it up better. 20 years of dirt and grime sitting there.

All hose clamps are tight jess. All dry at top of hose

Ok. But as Jess pointed out, the only time I've seen coolant flow down the timing belt cover is from the hose on the engine block. Slightly tightening the worm clamp on this hose should resolve your coolant leak issue.

[Skinhead]

  If it is the lower radiator hose , you may get lucky and be able to tighten it up. It could be a screwdriver or a hex nut.  It is worth a try with a flashlight with a pinpoint lense to locate it.

                           da prez

The lower rad hose clamp is most likely the problem.  The prez is right, you might get lucky and be able to get a socket on the hose clamp with a universal.  If not, I would tilt the rad forward or remove it, change the POS skinny hose clamp honda used.  Replace it with a regular full size clamp.  Make sure you position the head of the screw on the clamp so you can reach it without removing anything.

[Chrisj CMA]

Using a flashlight you can see the side of the thermostat housing from the left side if you look up from just in front of the carburetors. The light of the flashlight will show you if that area is wet.  If it's wet, it's most likely the source of the leak.

[Tfrank59]

if you find it's not coming from the thermo housing/hoses, and it's actually from inside the timing cover, what about that one screw (near the middle on the top) that's supposed to have some sealant on it?  could that be a possible coolant leak?

[gordonv]

if you find it's not coming from the thermo housing/hoses, and it's actually from inside the timing cover, what about that one screw (near the middle on the top) that's supposed to have some sealant on it?  could that be a possible coolant leak?

+1 my thought exactly too (if it isn't coming from the hoses of thermo cover). Did you have the cover off?

[mark81]

Thanks for all the input guys.  Probably time to change the intake runner O-rings anyway. big bf suggested it before i try a carb sync which to the best of my knowledge from po has never been done in 20 years .  I'll get it cleaned up better and have a good look at it when i tear it down a bit further. Will check the bolt behind timing cover too. There was a trigger wheel in the box of spare parts that came with the box so i need to tear into that to verify what i have anyway.  With the sun glare and shadows its a bit difficult to see the lower clamp on the upper hose.  Especially since i had it all hosed down with brake clean at the time.  Anybody have a lead on the 123 o-rings? Looked on ebay and amazon and there are so many wrong things to filter through.

[da prez]

 Mark , PM me an address and I will send you a set.
                                     da prez

[Savago]

Mine was leaking from the lower rad hose, on top of the engine. An extremely shaky and blurry video of it:
https://goo.gl/photos/zuLXBQwPAsupPgVu7

Photos when I fixed:
https://goo.gl/photos/QNU3yeGozRgcwRqLA

[Harryc]

Mine was leaking from the lower rad hose, on top of the engine. An extremely shaky and blurry video of it:
https://goo.gl/photos/zuLXBQwPAsupPgVu7

Photos when I fixed:
https://goo.gl/photos/QNU3yeGozRgcwRqLA

Saw that leak too on mine when I did a desmog and carb rebuild. I tightened the clamp and it seemed to stop. If you pull the airbox and pull out or bend down the plastic radiator shield you can also get at that pipe. Might be easier for some.....I'd do it that way vs. moving the radiator out of the way, but that's me. You might be able to sneak a thin ratchet extension in there without doing either if you just want to tighten the clamp.

[mark81]

thanks Savago, a picture says a thousand words.  

[Savago]

The 'correct' way of having access to that hose would require to remove the gas tank and those panels at the neck (between the frame and the tank), followed next by unplugging the radiator fan wire and next you could get the upper hose free and get at the radiator.

What I did when I installed a water temperature gauge was installing 2 brackets in that hose. Full thread:
http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,90490.0.html

Photos:
https://plus.google.com/+AdenilsonCavalcanti/posts/T9tu9rzGNCw

[falconbrother]

Mine is leaking as well.  Pretty sure it's on that same hose dang-it.  On the interstate it's a real pain to get too.  I really hate to pull that tank off, again..  With all the extra chrome it's a lot of work. 

[Savago]

@falconbrother

Not to mention the radiator pods...

[Whiskey Bravo]

hi everyone,

I have the same problem remove the radiator today tighten down the hose but still leaking… Does anybody know the size of the hose clamp

I'm going to replace the hose clamp with a thicker one that's more sturdy… I just don't want to run back and forth to the auto parts store trying to figure out the size maybe somebody can help me out

Thanks again

Whiskey bravo

[Harryc]

Uh....wrap a string around the pipe and measure it?

[mark81]

I still haven't confirmed my coolant leak yet. I picked up the shifter seal yesterday. Wow no wonder they call them "stealerships" that seal was almost $3 with tax. Waiting on a set of intake O-rings from Da Prez to get here in the next day or 2 (Thank you sir). I'll probably get it back on the lift early next week weather permitting since neither leak is a pressing issue. shifter seal isn't even a drip yet and coolant is just a few drips but reserve is still full 

If it is the hose that is leaking I think I would be inclined to replace it not just tighten the clamp. I've seen many hundreds of times in the automotive field where the hose has micro splits on the inside and coolant will wick out of the ends through the reinforcing.  Rubber is rubber. Would you trust a 20 year old tire with 35psi? Why would you trust a hose with half that psi at 200*F when it is already showing signs of failure?

[Savago]

@mark
Photos of when I replaced the gear shifter o-ring:
https://goo.gl/photos/e2RQb1TfPGUmJgv97

[mark81]

@mark
Photos of when I replaced the gear shifter o-ring:
https://goo.gl/photos/e2RQb1TfPGUmJgv97

[Hook#3287]

If it is the hose that is leaking I think I would be inclined to replace it not just tighten the clamp. I've seen many hundreds of times in the automotive field where the hose has micro splits on the inside and coolant will wick out of the ends through the reinforcing.  Rubber is rubber. Would you trust a 20 year old tire with 35psi? Why would you trust a hose with half that psi at 200*F when it is already showing signs of failure?

My feeling is you answered why in this paragraph "in the automotive field".

Here we're talking OEM Honda Motorcycle quality, which I consider to be some of the best.

There are Gold Wings made in the 70's that still run with the OEM hoses w/o issues.

But, I understand "Piece of Mind" and if that's the driving force you follow, then cool, replace.

It's just, coolant hoses on Valkyries aren't a major replacement item.  Yet.

I would buy some chrome instead

[Tfrank59]

If it is the hose that is leaking I think I would be inclined to replace it not just tighten the clamp. I've seen many hundreds of times in the automotive field where the hose has micro splits on the inside and coolant will wick out of the ends through the reinforcing.  Rubber is rubber. Would you trust a 20 year old tire with 35psi? Why would you trust a hose with half that psi at 200*F when it is already showing signs of failure?

My feeling is you answered why in this paragraph "in the automotive field".

Here we're talking OEM Honda Motorcycle quality, which I consider to be some of the best.

There are Gold Wings made in the 70's that still run with the OEM hoses w/o issues.

But, I understand "Piece of Mind" and if that's the driving force you follow, then cool, replace.

It's just, coolant hoses on Valkyries aren't a major replacement item.  Yet.

I would buy some chrome instead

   I would try to tighten the clamp first myself.  I managed to get in there with a 1/4 drive socket with universal and could tighten the clamp on the thermo housing hose, and that was like two years ago.  True, mine wasn't leaking but unless the thing won't seal once you retighten it, I say worry about other things ahead of replacing hoses.  Just my 1.5 cents.

[Bighead]

Both of my Phat Gurls will pee on the floor a bit when the temps get low enough but when engine warm or temps above 30 zero nadda.
I just keep goin