(bleeding coolant) in process now, help puhlease!

[flux]

Grr....

Okay, so I finally got my tank rigged up next to the bike, access to the radiator, etc.

Please tell me where I've gone wrong!  All this from the bike being cold:

1. I pulled the hose that goes into the water pump and drained the existing coolant.  Let it drain, replaced hose.

2. I took the expansion tank off the bike, washed it out, replaced it, yes the 2 hoses are in their proper places.  

3. removed radiator cap and bleed screw.  At this point, there is no coolant anywhere in the bike other than what little you can't get out.  

THIS IS WHERE I START GETTING CONFUSED

4. filled radiator through the radiator cap.  I never did get to the point where you could see coolant through the cap but felt like I got a good amount in there (maybe 1.7 liters).  

5. I started the bike, and coolant straight away starting SHOOTING out of the bleed screw.  

6. Quickly shut the bike down.

7. Added coolant to the expansion tank to the min line.

8. restarted bike, after a few seconds coolant shot out of the bleed screw hole, then it became only a trickle, then it shot again, repeat.  

9. shut bike down.  

AGGRAVATED now.  I've never worked on a bike that's this much of a pain in the ass.  Luckily its been a really reliable bike but this coolant thing is getting old real fast.

At no point did I see coolant flow past the rad cap hole.  I as too busy avoiding coolant shooting out the bleed screw.

THANKYOU! for any and all help.  I am struggling....

[KuzzinKenny]

Hey Flux !! i`ve not done my Tigger yet so i`m no expert, ok !! is the bike on the centre stand ( if its on the side stand the air will go to the wrong side of the radiator, the highest point ) i don`t know where the bleed screw is but any system i`ve done i did it like this !! with rad cap off and drain plug refitted, fill system till the fluid is up to the mouth of the radiator, fit cap, fill expantion tank to MIN and start the bike, the fluid will only circulate to the radiator once the thermostat is hot and opens so the fluid can go to the expantion tank !!

hope this makes sence !!

KK

[TigerTrax]

I would close the radiator cap and bleed valve then fill the expansion tank.

I think that once you get the bike up to operating temp and let it start coolant flowing your air will exit at the expansion tank and excess coolant will get sucked in the system.

When I changed my coolant I too filled it to the minimum level... I believe there was enough air in the system that it not only sucked out all the coolant but some of the air in the expansion tank..... creating the same problem.  So I filled it up the second time and it only burped a little... I think it will stop or I'll add more coolant. ( PS-- I was ready to pull the tank again but someone said.... try filling the expansion tank first.

My buddy who also has a Girly says that when filling in new coolant at the cap you must pour it super slow.... that means  " Oh crud.... will I die before this is done-slow?"

I agree the Boyz at Triumph are Hell Bent to make things difficult and aggravating.... kind of like an Italian bike !

[Stretch]

What's happening is the cold (closed) thermostat is damming up the water flow coming from the pump (just like it's supposed to).  The resulting pump pressure on the engine side of the thermostat is making coolant skeet out of the bleed screw hole (which is also on the engine side of the thermostat).  You're not seeing any water flowing through the radiator cap hole because the coolant is still cold and thermostat is closed.

Run the bike with the cap off and the bleed screw in finger-tight.  When the coolant warms up enough for the thermostat to open, you'll know it by seeing coolant flowing through the thermostat housing, from the engine forward toward the radiator.  At this point, you can remove the bleed screw, as the open thermostat is not 'damming up' the hot coolant coming from the water pump.

Keep idling the engine while you slowly add coolant into the radiator cap opening until it threatens to overflow.  At this point, cap it and add a tiny stream of coolant through the bleed screw hole, until the level is at the top of the bleed screw hole.  The objective of this evolution is to remove every last bubble of air from the cooling system before you seal it up.  When you can't add a drop to the bleed screw hole, install the bleed screw and make sure the radiator cap is tight.  

Make sure the overflow reservoir has some coolant in it, or else the cooling system will suck air into the system as the engine cools back down.

I hesitate to advise at what level to add coolant to the overflow at this point, since the added coolant itself is cold, while the engine is hot.  But keep it above the Minimum mark.  Once the engine is cold, you'll be able to top it up to the Minimum mark, and it shouldn't rise above the Maximum mark when hot.  If it's above Minimum when cold, you can always siphon some out.

It should be jam-up at this point, but the possibility always exists that a bubble or two remains in the system after a coolant change.  Keep an eye on the coolant level in the expansion tank, since an air bubble being worked out of the engine will result in more coolant being drawn back into the engine, and a lower level in the expansion tank.


--------------------

In order to run the bike with the tank off, build some Fuel Extension Hoses, like these...  http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/topic,6321


.

[flux]

Sweet, I knew you guys would help me out within mere minutes!  

THANKS!

Okay, it makes a lot more sense now.  

But I noticed that I musta busted the top plastic elbow on the expansion tank (grrr....) so I am off to Home Depot to get the 7/8 brass one (even though I know its not a perfect fit I'm hoping it works good enough... screw these plastic pieces of crud) and then back home to try it again.  

THANKS AGAIN!  Will let you know how I get along.   8)

[Stretch]

No sweat, bro.

7/8"?  Kinda big, aint it?  3/8 perhaps?

Say, you may want to read my post just one more time, as I edited it to add a few points while you were away.

just sayin...

[flux]

Yup, I realized once I got to HD it was a 3/8.   :oops:   Thanks.

Okay, I just went down and did exactly what you said to do... that coolant gets very hot to work with!  

Good thing is... I THINK I GOT IT.  I hope this worked, and if I never see, smell, or feel coolant again I will be totally ok with that.   :lol:

I'll update after tomorrow's ride... now then... time to reassemble... grrr....  

THANKS AGAIN EVERYBODY.

[Stretch]

Good luck!

[flux]

Feels good to have it back together... I'm pretty confident about it now.  

This site is great, y'all were a big help.

I had searched and read almost every coolant thread on the site but somehow I was still messing it up.  I really need to get a dang workshop manual.  

Because of everyone here I've managed to really get into some work I wouldn't have otherwise, I have to admit.

Cheers!   8)

[TigerTrax]

Flux...

Over the years I have always printed out the 'How To' pages  from
these types of forums. My Triumph manual is packed with the stuff.
It may not all be 100% correct... but while you are into it you can decipher what's working and what is not... and continue to make progress.

When I sold my Steamer I put my manual up for sale... it was packed with the 'How To's'....  the guy who bought it was amazed at the info packed into it.

You should be able to find a $20 manual on e-bay. I bought one 18 months ago... right after I bought the $100 Triumph manual.... I use the cheap one all the time... it is soft cover .... so it's easy to use while you are working; It is actually better than the OEM ... several pages show more information.

If you want to maintain your sanity.... get a manual and learn to do much of your own work. The dealers will lighten your wallet simply by saying ...
it's a Triumph.

[flux]

TT, good info there, I've actually done the same things and have a makeshift manual going, now I've added the coolant bit to it.

This seems to have done the trick, but it was a little chilly so hard to tell.  Coolant is staying close to the Min mark (a little above) and not a drop found on the bike when I got back home for lunch.

Thanks again.

[flux]

Geez, I got back from a ride yesterday and a few hours later had a pool of coolant on the ground.     I don't think I tightened the hose clamp on the bottom of the radiator hose by the water pump enough.  I retightened and no leakage this morning.  I just hope that didn't allow air back into the system (but I bet it did).   :roll:

[flux]

Just an update... all seems to be well with my bike and it's cooling system.  That was a royal pain in the ass and I hope to never have to deal with it again.  

You can also see my makeshift workbench/fuel tank holder.  This was the only angle I could make this work.  Next time I will take the time to rig up longer lines and a wiring harness to make life a little less cluttered.  

Just take a look at all this kitty litter I used.  I had tons of spillage from coolant shooting out the bleed hole and the cap.  I finally put the cap on when I saw coolant flow past, with the bleed screw in just barely, and when coolant started out the hole, I quickly tightened it down.  Before, I couldn't thread the screw because HOT coolant was coming out of it.  Anyway, this trick seems to have worked.

I'm surprised Jen's cats didn't start crapping on the floor with all this litter!






Ever wonder what coolant and oil together look like?  The artsy side of me comes out...

[WVdyhrd]

I may have missed this somewhere. But I need to top of my coolant, and not sure what mixture to use. Have the workshop manual, and it refers u to the owners manual which I don't have.

[KuzzinKenny]

I may have missed this somewhere. But I need to top of my coolant, and not sure what mixture to use. Have the workshop manual, and it refers u to the owners manual which I don't have.

Hey WVdyhrd !! from memory ( not always a good thing ) its 50% - 50% !!

and remember not to fill to the MAX, half way between MIN and MAX is where Tiggers like it  :)

KK