Author Topic: air pocket in cooling system. (Read 10287 times) Tweet

confused-busa · « **on:** June 21, 2012, 07:49:37 PM »

Radiator was leaking on bike so replaced it, Now temp runs up to red and fan does not come on. I suspecting its a air pocket that needs to come out. Any tips on getting air out of cooling system would be appreciated. It looks to me that the rad cap is the highest point of the system so I dont see why its giving me a hard time.

Sport · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2012, 09:48:41 PM »

I just replaced the rad on my daughter's SV650 but the procedure is similar for all rads. With the cap off I filled the motor thru the left side hose and filled it until the coolant filled up the hose. Then I connected the hose to the rad and started it up, filling the rad thru the filler neck and let it run until I saw the coolant in the rad dip down (when the thermostat opened) and then topped the rad up to the lower edge of the cap filler neck and installed the cap. Never had an air bubble doing it that way. Good luck!

confused-busa · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2012, 09:15:48 AM »

Thanks, I tried the right hose with the thought of it being the upper hose it would be easier to flow downhill.. but still a air pocket. Im gonna try the left hose and see what happens . I have a vacufill tool that works great but just being to lazy to take off upper fairing and ram air tube.

knecum · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2012, 09:29:30 PM »

jump the fan switch connector on the left side of rad to see if turns the fan on if it does replace the switch... rock the bike back and fourth on the kickstand to get the air out, squeeze the hoses.. repeat a few times and that should do.. maybe run it up to temp cool it down and top it off.. fill resv overflow only to the cold level line when dead cold..

confused-busa · « **Reply #4 on:** June 24, 2012, 07:10:57 AM »

Quote from: knecum on June 23, 2012, 09:29:30 PM

jump the fan switch connector on the left side of rad to see if turns the fan on if it does replace the switch... rock the bike back and fourth on the kickstand to get the air out, squeeze the hoses.. repeat a few times and that should do.. maybe run it up to temp cool it down and top it off.. fill resv overflow only to the cold level line when dead cold..

I have tried all that you said. Im thinking the t-stat is stuck closed now. Everything was fine with no issues. I added a second rad fan over winter and after multiple rides it ended up rubbing a pinhole in rad. Bike never overheated. Change the rad now it wont stop overheating. I either got a bad rad or stat is stuck. I really hope the rad is good so I dont have to wrap it around some1's head.

knecum · « **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2012, 10:08:06 AM »

Ok well did the fan come on when jumped? Then.pull the stat out and just install the oring or a new stat. If it all started after you installed a different rad. I would change the stat and Install New cap also.

confused-busa · « **Reply #6 on:** June 25, 2012, 07:32:23 AM »

Yes the fan worked when jumped. The switch is good tho. Put it in hot water and the switch closes and when it cools off it opens. Just wont close when in rad, that why I was thinking air pocket

BATTMAN · « **Reply #7 on:** June 25, 2012, 07:44:31 AM »

tilt the bike to the left side with the cap off

knecum · « **Reply #8 on:** June 25, 2012, 07:55:45 AM »

Quote from: confused-busa on June 25, 2012, 07:32:23 AM

Yes the fan worked when jumped. The switch is good tho. Put it in hot water and the switch closes and when it cools off it opens. Just wont close when in rad, that why I was thinking air pocket

Are you sure its circulating? I had one where the water pump shaft was broke.. try a known good rad again

confused-busa · « **Reply #9 on:** June 26, 2012, 05:23:54 PM »

im assuming its circulating since there was no issues besides a small leak due to pinhole in rad. Im gonna tig the hole in original rad and put back on, thinking i got sold a plugged up radiator.

TT · « **Reply #10 on:** June 29, 2012, 08:10:56 PM »

i dont get how u guy,s and other guy,s get air pockets in ur cooling systems, ive read so many post about this, i drain and change my cooling system every year, i must have done it 15 or more time,s since i owned the bike and never had any air pocket problems.

knecum · « **Reply #11 on:** June 29, 2012, 09:18:29 PM »

Quote from: TT on June 29, 2012, 08:10:56 PM

i dont get how u guy,s and other guy,s get air pockets in ur cooling systems, ive read so many post about this, i drain and change my cooling system every year, i must have done it 15 or more time,s since i owned the bike and never had any air pocket problems.

. I don't have problems. You shouldn't have an air pocket that can't come out. Your having another problem you guys.

Jonny Hotnuts · « **Reply #12 on:** June 30, 2012, 01:01:26 AM »

Ok, heres what I think is happening.....

The thermostat sits with its 'pill' in the head. The pill is has wax that melts when gets hot and opens the thermostat. What happens is if there is an air bubble behind the stat, there is no water touching the pill, the stat wont open and no water circulates no matter how hot the motor gets. The stat has a small hole with a moving plug (Suzuki calls it a 'jiggle valve') this need to be mounted in the upward position. IMO the reason this air bubble issues happens to some and not others is because the jiggle valve is not mounted at 12:00 OR has gotten enough scale that is not moving/allowing air to 'pass forward'.

I have actually seen an engine idling (using an electric wp) getting hot. With the engine running the small tube off the head was raised and had a few ounces of water poured down it. With a tiny amount of water in the head raised the water level enough to trigger the stat and water started flowing through the motor, once the stat opened it pushed any bubbles out. This was a stupid experiment but I seen it with my own eyes!

Remove the stat and cut off the jiggle valve, make sure the hole is at 12:00 and this will cure the problem.

Or remove the stat all together if its a race only bike. (*I always pull my stat).

Good luck

~JH

confused-busa · « **Reply #13 on:** July 01, 2012, 08:44:41 AM »

Jiggle valve is removed and holed drilled out to just touch gasket. I used my vacufill tool and made sure there is no air pockets. Bike idle for 15 min before temp started to go up and no fan. Checked temp diff between both sides of rad. Fill cap side was 210dg and fan sesnor side was 73dg, pretty much telling me rad is plugged and stopping flow or water pump not working, but no issues b4 besides small slow leak in rad so I ordered a brand new rad(ouch).

Rossco · « **Reply #14 on:** July 03, 2012, 12:29:00 AM »

Did you remove the water pump at any stage?
Worth a check to see if it and its drive are seated properly. And shaft not broken.

confused-busa · « **Reply #15 on:** July 03, 2012, 07:27:16 AM »

I never touched the water pump, so it should be fine as it was b4. Suzuki should have my rad this week, there was no overheating issues b4 so unless water pump decided to stop working during a rad swap I should be back on the road.

mysticblu999 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 04, 2012, 10:46:19 PM »

Hope you get it taken care of man!

confused-busa · « **Reply #17 on:** July 05, 2012, 05:51:39 PM »

Thanks bro. New rad came in tuesday, put it on and all is well. No overheating and cooling fan comes on like it should.

BATTMAN · « **Reply #18 on:** July 08, 2012, 11:57:02 AM »

have you ever tried pressure testing the system

confused-busa · « **Reply #19 on:** July 08, 2012, 03:59:59 PM »

yes. put the new rad on and not a single problem problem at all. the used rad i bought was no good.

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Author Topic: air pocket in cooling system. (Read 10287 times) Tweet