at marengo i overheated and the radiator ran dry I am assuming, and now it wont hold pressure. I have tried a new cap, burping the wheeler, you name it. I am starting to think its the filler cap assembly, mabye it melted, or the pressure did something. right before it ran dry we heard a loud POP, at first we thought it was a tire blowing, but we never knew what it was. the water comes out the overflow. anyone have any ideas?

 

It may be the thermostat got screwd up, take it out and fill it with water and ride it around the yard and see if it will hold water.

 

thermostat works because i can see the water coming from the engine.

 

Northark, I have had that happen to me. Could be the thermostat neck letting water into the bottle. I am looking for a way to make the thermostat neck out of metal.

First, the coolant filter near carbs burst on me.
-It costs about $3

Second, something chemically ate my thermostat neck, so the cap leaked into the overflow without building pressure.
-About $90 for the neck thing and cap.

Third, a chunk of crap got stuck under the waterpump seal for a few secinds and made it leak out that little hose under the motor.
-$4 for a new waterpump gasket,
-$more money than bill gates has for the brains to realize I did not have to take it apart.

Anyway, if any glycol from you coolant gets into the combustion chamber or exhaust it would smoke white. Or turn the oil to chocolate milk if it was in the case.

 

Hey now that I really read your post northark, the little plastic neck has a lip that helps the cap seal. Mine was eroded and let the cap leak into the bottle. $90

It was all rough looking, like it has cought fire (on the wetted surface only).

I did something even more stupid, I used radiator flush in the system, and that really messed up that neck.

 

crap, i knew it was it. 72 dollars from allpowersportspro. stupid plastic crap. if i could find a way to hook the thermostat housing up directly to the radiator without causing trouble with blowing hoses i would. before I spend 70+ dollars on a new cap Im gonna try J-B weld becuase im a redneck[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] we will see if it works.

 

North, I wonder if some other type of machine out there has the radiator cap and overflow separate.

If we could get some kind of pressure release valve/check valve to go to the bottle, and some kind of metal cap to fill the rad with, we could easily make the body out of steel and replace that plastic neck thingy.

Or, if we could find a steel radiator that the cap would fit, I could cut the neck off and weld a flange to fit the thermostat housing. Piece of cake! No more melty leaky plastic thingy.

I wonder if 1bearman is listening? Naw, he only does performance products. This is just a crappy piece of plastic.

 

a radiator made out of steel? they have never made one to my knowledge. copper and aluminum are the only types of metal i have heard being used.

 

trx450 has access to a cnc mill, maybe he could make some aluminum ones for us.

I don't have any other ideas at the moment.

 

for now i just plugged the overflow tube, i know it isnt safe. I am going to get a temp guage to keep from overheating.