Well, I rode to work yesterday at 33° degrees F. Parked it and when I came back out there was a small...maybe ¼-½ ounce of the green stuff on the ground.
Traced it back and it seems like the front cylinder head gasket has a small leak in it. When it warms up it seems fine and I stopped a few times and checked and didn't notice any leak.
So...I know this is going to require a teardown and gasket replace. But in the mean time, is there any I'll effect or trying some stop leak?
I am guessing the temperature extremes may have caused the head to swell and shrink rapidly which may have led to the leak. I checked it again this morning (didn't ride) after being parked all night and there was no antifreeze leaking.
So I guess my main questions would be:
1. Can I try some stop leak and not cause damage?
2. When I go to tear it down, what all should I replace?
That stinks man, sorry I can't offer any help here. The shop said there was no prestone in my bike too, I wonder if I have a similar issue. Time will tell, I'll watch this thread for updates.
I personally don't like the idea of putting stop leak in my engine. I'd rather just fix the problem. I'd take a good look at your radiator before you do any engine tear down. My radiator cracked at the upper mount and what leaked out was blowing on my engine. It also looked like an engine leak. I was able to remove the radiator and tig the crack and have been good since. Others have had the radiators form cracks in the lower mounts as well. Worth taking a look before you go to far. Good luck.
Make SURE to check all hose clamps. Coolant has a bad habit of running down here and there only to collect and drip somewhere where the leak is not, thus leading you down the garden path.
Thanks for responses people. I will check again no doubt, but I am 98% sure it was coming from the head gasket. I couldn't get it to leak yesterday during my trip home. Heck, I even let it idle in the yard for 15-20 minutes. Fan came on several times so I know it was hot enough to circulate. But no leaking.
Maybe my bike is special and has a leak repair gremlin.
If there is a leak, the coolant will go out the leak instead of into tank when engine is hot and draw air in instead of drawing coolant back from the tank as engine cools. When that happens, tank level no longer indicates if the system is full, or not.
I took some pics of it. I also posted this on Facebook in a Vulcan owners group. After looking at the picture it seems like it may be coming from higher up somewhere.
You might only need to re-torque the cylinder head bolts. I would try that first before having to go through the hassle of replacing the cylinder head gasket.
Well, removed the tank. Definitely coming from up top somewhere but I could not find the source of origin. The only thing in the vicinity was a hose. Tightened the clamp some...but it felt pretty dog on tight already. I'll just keep an eye on it and if it happens again I will try to find it...again.
Well, I rode to work yesterday at 33° degrees F. Parked it and when I came back out there was a small...maybe ¼-½ ounce of the green stuff on the ground.....
What bike is this? The 1500's (and I assume same is true with 1600's) are notorious for the small diameter rubber hoses in-between the cylinders leaking coolant at the pipe/hose connection. Tough to get to, witout removing a bunch of stuff but with the right access angle and a long screwdriver you may be able to tighten the hose clamps up which will stop the leaks. In my case, I was loosing coolant without any indication where it was going. I used a borescope to locate the crusty patch where the coolant had been leaking from the hose, running down between the cylinders and evaporating from the heat.
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