Coolant leak & starter clutch...

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srk468

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Well I've had an annoying coolant leak all season, been weeping out of the drain off hole under the spark plug on cylinder #2 (front left while sitting on the bike) so I determined it was coming from the coolant hose where it attaches to the head. Trimmed about an inch off the hose to get to good fresh material and kinda compressed the spring clamp some to give it more tension, got it back together and the damn thing leaked worse, thought it was the water crossover pipe in the head but if that was leaking it would be leaking from the other side... Then my starter clutch started screwing up on me the same day, pulled it apart today and it looks like the clutch is salvageable but the bolts are shot so I got lucky.. Anyone else ever have issues getting that hose to seal up? I cleaned up the outlet from the head cause there was some corrosion on it and just to be safe I smeared a very light skim coat of rtv on the inside of the hose to help it seal up.. if this doesn't stop the leak the next step is to use a worm clamp but there's hardly no room in there for one so I'd have to tighten it with a wrench...

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Yea don't know why you weren't getting my pics earlier... Sean is sending me the parts so hopefully I'll have it back together quick :)

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Those are NOS nozzles (red & blue) stacking-out of the intake manifold's sides?
 
Can you tell for sure if its the hose connection?
Or perhaps the o-rings on the plastic crossover? , although if the crossover was leaking I think you'd have water going into the oil, but that might depend on which o-ring was failing.

To answer you question I've never really heard of anyone having problems getting that hose to seal. The nipples on mine were sorta corroded when I tore the engine apart and it wasn't leaking at all
 
Can you tell for sure if its the hose connection?
Or perhaps the o-rings on the plastic crossover? , although if the crossover was leaking I think you'd have water going into the oil, but that might depend on which o-ring was failing.

To answer you question I've never really heard of anyone having problems getting that hose to seal. The nipples on mine were sorta corroded when I tore the engine apart and it wasn't leaking at all

I thought that too Rusty, even went as far as pulling the crossover pipe out but then it hit me that it could only leak from the opposite side if it was the crossover pipe (mine is leaking from the left front while sitting on the bike) so I put some Vaseline on the o rings and reinstalled it because its physically impossible for it to be the source of the leak, the only coolant connection on that side of the engine is that coolant hose connection. Yes those are fogger nozzles, it really likes the spray but I haven't even used the juice once this year cause I've just been riding it and haven't raced it yet this year.

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How do you pull those crossover tubes out without breaking them? Also does anyone know why they were never made in aluminum?
 
How do you pull those crossover tubes out without breaking them? Also does anyone know why they were never made in aluminum?

I took an old spark plug and broke off the porcelain and used it as a plug for that cylinder, then just pull the retaining pin spring thingy and get on it good and square with some pliers and pull straight out.. Sometimes they are seized and hard to pull out but mine was pretty easy, the only reason I can think of about not being aluminum is maybe it could corrode and make it even more difficult to pull out? Not sure...

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I would say they are like a 'sacrificial' anode, they are easy to get out if they disintegrate, but if they seized & were metal, not-so-easy.

Your low-11-sec. runs, was it in the juice, or all motor?
 
If they disintegrate ..would'nt they do so into the engine? That is the whole reason i would want to go with alum. Would have to disassemble the block to get the pieces out.
 
I would say they are like a 'sacrificial' anode, they are easy to get out if they disintegrate, but if they seized & were metal, not-so-easy.

Your low-11-sec. runs, was it in the juice, or all motor?

No FM I've went 11.21 at 119 and some change on motor but bear in mind I stepped on the scale when I got home with all my gear on and I weighed 293lbs so its a decently fast Vmax.. On spray I've went 10.53 at 132 and some change at the same weight. What I meant on the crossover pipe is that it may be possible if it was aluminum for it to corrode and freeze in place, there's no chance of the plastic corroding... Just a theory but hell they may have done it that way to cut costs too lol

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