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Radiator flush out

26K views 386 replies 16 participants last post by  crimsonwing 
#1 ·
hey all, im in the middle of doing the poorboy conversion ans when i took the radiator off all the coolant started coming out, then after a couple of minuess some brown goop started coming out too. the same stuff that i saw on the cap when i took it off. My brother said it might be oil getting in from the headgasket. I do have very leaky valve covers and i always see it dripping down to the direction, but my brother is afraid that the valve cover leak is just a bigger problem coming from the head gasket, but maybe the coolant just hasnt been changed in a while,any thoughts? also what product is safe to use for a flush out? ans what type of coolant? i bought prestone 50/50 for"all makes and models" with corrosion inhibitors or something like that, is that ok?
 
#3 ·
Preston 50/50 is a good choice regardless what others may say. No need to go the Honda route.

The brown goop... Did it look like chocolate milk? Did you take any pictures? If it does then there is a very good chance you need a head gasket.

Tim
 
#5 ·
yes, my brother is a mechanic and said i had the chocolate milk syndrome. this is not good, i want to make sure this is the case, i can upload some pics. if it is the case, how expensive is head repair? is it even worth it? how do i do a leak test?
 
#6 ·
Yes... it is worth it. The engine can stay in and it is not to bad as far as I have heard... I have not done it before myself.


One things that I can say, and every one here will too...


USE HONDA head gaskets. Many say in pairs... doing the right and left at the same time as you have 3/4 of it apart. Could be a matter of time before the other one goes. I don't know your local pricing on the head gaskets. No need to do the leak test if you have the chocolate milk in my opinion. It is leaking.


Honda head Gaskets seem to be the only ones that hold up. You will not be wanting to do this twice.


Tim
 
#7 ·
I think coolant labeled Approved for HONDA is fine. On their cars its something about no silicates iirc, and with our coolant sensor #3 (1500) being subject to some odd failure... how different was the technology used in the Wing back then??
Prestone may be 8$ and honda car dealer $10

Head gaskets on a Wing, spend the extra few hours and dollars to do both sides- there may have been a heat issue from clogged radiator
so flush it out with hose to see how bad it looks and test flow, might need cleaning by professional shop.
Thats really important if your mechanic suspects HEAT was the failure, was it decades old fluid, water pump leaking? run low on coolant from water pump weep hole?
A professional flush to remove that eco-system you found in rad...I had to come back-edit- and input more info on this-
I have a feeling the above ^ is right action for you- ask your bro.


You want it to run perfect and carefree right?
If it were my bike- one side head gasket failed (so far) means new timing belts (belt failure is an engine killing event), anything in that region of tensioners or roller bearings gets replaced.
New spark plugs because head gasket leak. New valve cover gaskets and whatever v/c bolt seals

Heads get shaved flat with valves resurfaced by machine shop- your brother can help with t-belt and likely knows a shop to drop the heads off for service.
You end up with a like-new or better motor!

Then never worry on long trip or lonely roads, as said above, do it right once,
also known as: If you didnt have time to do it right once...when and where will you find time to do it twice...probably by the side of the road!

Imagine furiously posting on here via smart-phone, looking for diagnosis assistance and parts!
Thats when gwrra membership is a good thing~ A Winger will come help right away!
 
#9 ·
thanks for all your replies everyone!! and thanks for your extra detailed response aloha tom, i will definitely ask my bro about all this, although it will be at least a few months before I do all of this, as i am almost done with the poorboy conversion(and i just changed the timing belts too!) and have been bikeless for almost a month now and i just wanna ride!
 
#12 ·
The weep hole on my bike had been plugged with grease by a PO so it did not weep.

If the head gaskets fail it is my opinion the water pump should be changed or rebuilt also.
 
#13 ·
a weep hole intentionally plugged by PO would make me suspect the wp went a long time ago~

Back in the days of working on cars.. overheat-blown head gasket = radiator flush, new head gaskets and machine surface the heads and valves- new seals as needed for them etc
 
#14 ·
i hope thats not the case, where is the weephole at? when i took the radiator off, there was a metal fan looking thing in the hole where the bottom connects, is that it? also how pricy is replacing water pump? what kind of labor is it too?
 
#19 ·
thanks again for all the replies it means a lot to me guys. i just realized something, ive been riding with this oil leak for over a year now and my bike seems to function just as i first got it. Now i know having oil leak into the cooling system can kill the engine but, do you all think this is the case considering how long ive been riding without fixing the leak? i mean maybe i was damaging it by riding this past year, but what is the likely hood of that? please give me your two cents!
 
#21 ·
ken/jeff I contribute to threads of other gen Wings because the basic info I provide can be helpful. When it comes to exact location of weep hole,
I defer to you guys who know that particular bike.
Better than post that only say--good luck!

gumby- most coolants specify they be changed every 5 years max- on cars, what happens is the additives go bad- changing the PH and turn the mix acidic.
I do not have to be a science major to know aluminum engine parts and acids do not play well together~

crimson: oil loss thats replaced as needed is different than coolant loss without knowing its happening..with resultant and continuous overheat at some point

Oil and coolant are not a good mix. Concern of damage would mostly be from overheat via the coolant loss problem.
Heat can warp the heads or worse.

When a head gasket blows it usually sends one fluid into the other- where the gasket is broken. So you find foamy mix in radiator --
you know thats not green anymore!
Oil will rise in level, and get foamy plus darker color

ALL: that hose on the coolant res bottle- the one that goes into the bottle and has a grommet built into it, that likes to break.
The rad will still push over some coolant at engine shutdown, where it squirts out this small leak in hose!

Problem #2 is it cannot suck the coolant back into the rad when it cools off.
Thats a problem because the res bottle will show at OR ABOVE normal level, BUT if you remove rad cap its 2 inches low in rad,,thats very bad

Honda used the same hose/grommet on most of their water cooled vehicles of the last 30-40 years, no kidding.
It is a problem area worth looking at next time you have covers off to really ck radiator

Note: Broken hose often located due to mystery coolant smell after ride that you cannot find..its hiding at the very top.
Part cost under $10 right from Honda .The kind of thing you should replace as good maintenance practices, like soldering the 3 wires for stator
or greasing the center muffler bearing set--note retorque muffler bearings to 207 foot pounds
 
#28 ·
Look at where the shift lever goes into the trans- there is a rubber seal there - around the shaft that protrudes from transmission
= major known weak point of probably every Wing.
Any spray cleaner or carb cleaner (non-chlorine type)..purple power etc to remove the oil so you can diagnose further

It will coat the bottom of the engine and trans in oil- my bike came with that problem!

84 gurus??? is replacement same as 1500? its not that bad of a job, except digging out the dry bits of rubber -
without damaging the area where the new $2 seal fits
 
#30 ·
The replacement process for the shift shaft seal is the same for the 1200's as the 1500's. They both take the same seal as a matter of fact.

Gaining access is the biggest difference. But once you've gotten to the shift shaft... the seal sometimes will actually be partial pushed out. This'll make it real easy to remove. Otherwise using a very slim straight screwdriver or a metal probe to work to the inside of the seal and pull out. Be careful not to damage the shaft or the outer seal surface on the engine case.

Clean the surface carefully before installing the new seal. A little engine oil on the inside surface of the seal (where it rides on the shift shaft) helps with installation. I use a long 17mm Deep socket to tap it in. Some shift shafts are longer and the socket won't fit. In those cases I use a long drift or flat punch (NOT a center punch) and gently tap the seal in going around the outside of the seal all the way around.

About the 'chocolate' goo in your radiator cap.
If the coolant hasn't been changed in a LOT OF YEARS you might not have a big problem. But if it's only been a couple of years since it's change then there is probably a coolant leak getting into your oil.
I'd recommend flushing out the cooling system with plain water to begin with. Watch what comes out of the drain hole afterwards. If it comes out clean you might be ok. Clean off the radiator cap so it's perfectly clean.

Drain and refill with silica-free coolant. Doesn't matter what brand as long as it's silica-free and mixed 50/50 with distilled water. Do NOT use tap water. Ride the bike for a week or so and recheck the radiator cap for chocolate goo.

The most common problem with coolant getting into the oil is from the head gaskets. I'd recommend doing both sides at the same time.
They aren't that hard and especially if your brother is a tech he could help you.

There's also a lot of 'helpful hints' listed to guide you in the right direction.


I see your from San Diego. I grew up there in the Clairemont/Pacific Beach area.
 
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