mcferreira100 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Right hand side of the bike behind engine is full of coolant over exhaust, frame and swingarm after every ride. Today it was so much it formed small puddle under the bike while parked. Removed sidecover and notice coolant reservoir level very high..just under filler cap. So it seems it must be coming out through the cap. Question is why is it so high when after the restoration I made sure level was between high and low marks? So now do I just drain some coolant or is there something else going on. Temp gauge maintains just under halfway mark while riding in our hot temperatures. Is the reservoir cap maybe not sealing properly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Sounds like a head gasket Mc, I know you fitted a new one when you rebuilt it, didn't you? You can test your cap in some warm water to see what temp it opens at, start with cool water and add hot till it opens have a temp gauge in the water and work out at what temp it opens at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator drewpy Posted January 22, 2015 Moderator Share Posted January 22, 2015 do they have thermostats, I know the UK bikes do and they can seize closed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Thought they did Drewpy, might well be wrong, has been known to happen !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcferreira100 Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Can it be head has not been retorqued since engine overhaul? (done bout 1400km) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YPVS TONE Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 The early UK spec 4L1/4L0 LC's Didn't have thermostats fitted as standard, it was only on the later YPVS models that they fitted them. As you have suggested I would try retorqueing the head when the engine is cold up to spec and in order of the numbers on the cylinder head. What torque did you do the head bolts upto ? The manual I have says 24Nm or 17 ft-lb. The level in the reservoir will go up as the engine heats up as the coolant in the rad expands and is forced out of the rad cap and into the reservoir and should be drawn back into the rad as the engine cools down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcferreira100 Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 I didn't do the engine YPVS..but will re-torque the head and see how it goes. Makes sense coolant being forced out of reservoir as engine heats up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YPVS TONE Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Normally the coolant will be between the FULL and LOW marks on the reservoir tank when the engine is cold and go up to the Full mark when the engine is up to temperature and then drop back down to in between the marks as the engine cools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcferreira100 Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Yea..now its not going back down. Gonna re-torque the head..then have a look at the radiator cap as well as check level in radiator. I`m told a car`s cap also works if I have to replace it..don`t need to pay a ridiculous price from Yamaha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YPVS TONE Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Have a look at the rad cap. It should have a spring loaded flap/valve in the middle of the rubber seal that allows the coolant to be drawn back in to the rad from the reservoir tank when the engine cools down as shown here : http://s215.photobucket.com/user/cooper_man2/media/1063_PARTS_LEFT/1063-131.jpg.html You should be able to carefully lift it up a small amount with your finger and it should spring back down. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcferreira100 Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 That spring on the rad cap worked ok. Rad needed some water needless to say. But bad news..had a mechanic friend over and he suggested run the bike with rad cap off..we saw bubbles in the water. He reckons head must come off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 That's a pisser Mc, she looked sweet to. Oh well at least the nut's & bolts won't be seized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcferreira100 Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Will go visit engine guy tomorrow..think the bike should just go to him to see what's going on and he can tune it properly for me as well. Good thing I haven't painted tank etc. yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcferreira100 Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 Ok engine guy too busy so will have to do this myself. I have the new gasket and have been advised to use gasket maker around the cylinder/piston area. Open to any advice here and will post pics once head is off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 What's a "gasket maker" Mc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevtheRev Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Nice clean LC , I wish mine looked like that . Shouldn't there be an overflow tube on the expansion bottle ? Some of the newer type layered metal head gaskets seem to be almost impossible to seal properly . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Cynic Posted February 15, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 15, 2015 Only get genuine headgaskets. Anything else will leak. No gunk or funky tubes of gloop. Do it the way yam says and it will be fine. Handfull of bolts and some pipes. Simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabiostar Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 mark the head mating surface with engineers blue or a felt tip pen and rub it on a piece of glass to check the heads not warped. no point putting it together if the heads warped and it only takes a few mins 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcferreira100 Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 Head was skimmed but will check it. No overflow anything on the reservoir. It was suggested I get a copper gasket made up and overtorque the head using new bolts..but I don`t like this idea..I always try stick to manual as Cynic says..would prefer not to use sealants etc..but why did she leak with a skimmed head and new gasket?..and this guy only uses genuine Yamaha parts. Ok head off today..here`s how things look. New gasket from Yamaha You guys see anything out of the ordinary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Just saying here Mc, but should that black paint ? on the head go all the way to the inside edge? cos it has me thinking that if you try to torque that down then your trying to set it on to paint ! Or is that the residue from the original gasket perhaps? Or God forbid someone sealed it with a liquid seal when they rebuilt it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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