Nice set up. Yeah I've had hoses just like this before.Get some large plastic wire loom to use over the hose. A lot better than the early covering they used from the factory back then and what Polaris uses now.Don't forget the temp sensor on the radiator. You should be able to get one cheap at any auto store (175 degree),plus you can still over ride it with a toggle if you wish.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm thinking about taking a 1" piece of PVC about 4" long and splitting it long ways, then laying it on each side of the hose where it goes by the motor mount. Then wrapping it with some 3M rubber tape from work. If for some reason I can't get it in there, I'll use the loom.

I pulled the fan switch out yesterday and tested it using two different candy thermometers and it read continuity with one thermometer reading 190* and the other reading 180*. So, I believe I'm okay there. I'm going to install a small led (unless I can find a toggle switch that I like that has an independent LED on it) that will come on every time the fan is running along with a toggle switch.

While I got it apart, the 3 headlight mod will be installed as well.

 

Okay, it looks like I still need some help with this bike. I got the radiator line fixed, added some more coolant to it (and purged it), fired the bike off and everything seems to be running nice and cool with no loss of coolant.

Soooooooo..............I took it to the hunting property last weekend and it ran great most of the day. The water temp got up to 195 and the fan kicks on like it should. After a few minutes, it cooled back down and the fan shuts off. So, I'm pretty sure the cooling system is working as it should.

Now for the problem.....It started sputtering as I putted around. When I gave it more throttle, it sounded funny, almost like it had a fuel mixing problem. Just for precautions, I added about 3 ounces of oil to the fuel tank just to make sure that I wasn't having a oil pump issue. I finished out the day, but never ran it hard.

Today, I installed a new spark plug, pulled the bolt out of the muffler and gassed it off with not much of anything coming out. I ran it without the air filter and it made no difference, so I think that's okay. I did pull the carb out, took the bowl off of it, tighten up the clean out bolt (a little loose) on the bottom of the carb. Checked the rubber boots on both sides of the carb and they seem to be okay.

The bike cranks easy, idles good, and seems to have plenty of power. I did video (see below) the bike running so you can listen to it sputter. Don't forget, I did unplug the black wire on the limiter so the reverse override doesn't have to pushed in when backing up. I taped up the loose end for precaution so it wouldn't ground out.

I'm at a loss as the bike ran great before the head gasket blew and it ran great (even though I babied it) for most of the day.

Any help will be appreciated.

 

Couple things I noticed was that it seemed it a little noisy on the exhaust ,clean out plug out? or just an exhaust leak and either clutch or lower bearing noise? By the way I'm half deaf so take my hearing ability with a grain of salt!! Did seem like when coming right down to an idle to bog down a little and looking back through your posts can't find a mention on a carb rebuild? If you haven't I'd at least replace the carb kit and check that the brass float arm and pin aren't worn out and wobbly and float arm is level with the carb body. This is one thing that can cause it to dump fuel into the engine and make it run crappy. Plus does it still have the rubber carb dampener mounted under the carb on the transmission to keep the carb from vibrating and dumping fuel? Very last thing I'd do if all the above is ok is to check/replace the crank seal behind the drive clutch. This is another area that could cause problems if it starts sucking air.Putting around can also foul plugs,plus the extra oil is good for break in purposes,but may cause sputtering riding at low speeds all though I know you added oil after it started doing this. Several things to check out,plus others with better hearing may be able to give you some pointers.

 

When it sounded like it was dying, that was my fault as I had the gas turned off and it started to run out of fuel before I realized it. The video doesn't do it justice as it really runs good except go when I throttle it up.

You mentioned a rubber bumper under carb. I don't recall ever seeing one and when I pulled the carb off, I noticed the bottom side of the drain bolt had a lot of wear on it so this needs to be addressed.

I did not rebuild the carb, but I did pull the bowl off and the throttle cable off. Everything looks very clean with no signs of wear. I did not remove the needle as the linkage pin looks like its been pinned so it won't back out and I didn't want to take the chance and breaking it.

I'm thinking from what I've read, when the seal behind the clutch goes out, the bike will come hard to crank. This bike cranks very easily.

I pulled the bolt out of the exhaust pipe, but nothing came out except got blue smoke.

What's the tell tell signs of a bad CDI box? I'm thinking it maybe electrical.

 

Item #9 is the carb dampener. If missing it can cause excessive vibration on the carb and wear on the needle and seat along with the float arm and pin.Your problem could be because of this? Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse
Plus here's a couple videos on carb cleaning on your type carb.

 

make sure the outlet on the muffler isn't plugged with mud. I've seen this lots in mud country.