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Cooling system pressure test

6K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  Aloha Tom 
#1 ·
What is the reasonable expectation for "How long a system holds pressure"?
I'm pressure testing my cooling system to see if I can find a very tiny leek. I rented a pressure tester from Advance Auto. I'm going to test it in the morning when everything is cool so I don't need to worry about natural pressure loss if I start with a warm / hot system. Would it be reasonable to think that If I pump it to 15# that it will stay there for a couple of hours? :?
 
#2 ·
It should stay at set pressure all day, just like its in use on a ride.

Do you have a full res bottle and radiator was low, with mystery coolant smell, leak from bottom front of bike?

Thats the transfer hose from rad to res bottle, the section of it that has the grommet built on- to seal into top of res bottle
It develops a slit-opening where some hot coolant gets pushed out...never to be recovered.
About 8 dollars from honda gets a new hose.
Make sure you burp the system per your repair book.
 
#4 ·
It should stay at set pressure all day, just like its in use on a ride.

Do you have a full res bottle and radiator was low, with mystery coolant smell, leak from bottom front of bike?

Thats the transfer hose from rad to res bottle, the section of it that has the grommet built on- to seal into top of res bottle
It develops a slit-opening where some hot coolant gets pushed out...never to be recovered.
About 8 dollars from honda gets a new hose.
Make sure you burp the system per your repair book.


That is exactly the problem. BUT, I replaced the transfer hose & the 90 deg plastic elbow into the res tank last fall.
 
#7 ·
With 16 hose connections on the wing coolant system it really could be a lot of places. I found 4 of the clamps to be very loose.


Yes, That is a scary thought. I plan on replacing ALL the hoses this next off season.
This morning, I filled the radiator & pumped 20# of pressure into it. An hour later, It was at 19.5#. I had removed both fans so I could see inside to check for leaks. I didn't see a drop anywhere. I used a lot of brake clean & an air nozzle to clean off the coolant that was standing on the engine block to get rid of the antifreeze smell. I checked the reservoir return hose to make sure it was seated into the grommet. Hopefully, it will start pulling coolant back into the radiator as it cools.
 
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#8 ·
do NOT over-pressurize the cooling system
15 is all you need and it should hold close to that for a few hours or more
If leak present its a clear drop in pressure

that grommet is built on to its hose, make sure the grommet is seated correctly into the res bottle-
it has a slit in the middle so half goes on each side of the opening - like a firewall grommet on a car is made.

Mine had a small split in the hose above the grommet- on the underside of a curve= where some strain would have been on it these many years

Even new parts can fail, or not be installed right~ I have experienced both!
 
#10 ·
do NOT over-pressurize the cooling system
15 is all you need and it should hold close to that for a few hours or more
If leak present its a clear drop in pressure -------

I was just following the direction in my Honda Service Manual. It said 20#
 
#11 ·
What service manual do you have? Mine says the following:

RADIATOR LEAKAGE TEST
Pressurize the radiator, engine and hoses, and check for leaks.

CAUTION
Excessive pressure can damage the radiator.
Do not exceed 105 kPa (I.05 kg{cm 1 , 15 psi).

Repair or replace components if the system will
not hold the specified pressure for at least six seconds.
 
#14 ·
What service manual do you have? Mine says the following:

RADIATOR LEAKAGE TEST
Pressurize the radiator, engine and hoses, and check for leaks.

CAUTION
Excessive pressure can damage the radiator.
Do not exceed 105 kPa (I.05 kg{cm 1 , 15 psi).

Repair or replace components if the system will
not hold the specified pressure for at least six seconds.

This is what mine says.
 

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#15 ·
Well apparently somewhere along the line Honda has changed their mind about how much pressure you can apply to the radiator. Yours reads much the same except for the pressure. :?
 
#16 ·
be safe and stay at the radiator caps pressure limit 15psi. Blowing out a radiator seam while testing = would delay finding the original problem

Im surprised by the 6 seconds!! that would be a hose leak, head gasket etc
2 hours as done by the OP = feels right
 
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