greg_carroll
New Member
A few times, on warm days and slow traffic, my max heats way up to about the 1-2 o'clock position just barely out of the red zone pretty much like this poster:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=4511&highlight=water+pump
Needless to say that gets your attention. Normally, when I ride my temperature gauge is around the 4-5 o'clock position. As the gauge doesn't have any numbers, I never really thought much of it. After reading the posts around here, it sounds like most run pretty steady at a 3 o'clock position. So now, I'm pretty sure that I'm normally running too cold. I don't think that I've ever run at that 3 o'clock position. Either too cold or too hot.
Based on the advice around here, I started down the path of the fan switch/thermostat. I bought a switch and was headed to NAPA for the thermostat, when I had another almost over-heating episode. I noticed that the fan was running. So the switch is working, but I noticed that the temperature wasn't coming down quickly, if at all. (I had been in heavy traffic, the air temp was in the mid 80's... warm, but not hot)
Last night, I tore most of the cooling system apart. Everything looks good. The drain valve was in the right position. I verified that the thermostat is opening/closing properly (I almost had spaghetti with thermostat for dinner). What I can see looking in the radiator looks perfect and shiny; no scale build up, etc.
Any ideas?
It acts like there isn't water flowing which gives a "false" cool reading with the warm water never getting up to the sender and then suddenly getting a shot of hot water. Normally, I'd conclude that it was air-locked but I've been checking the fluid level at the cap and it has been fine. I don't really see anywhere in the system that could trap air. The cap is the high point in the system, also the (stock) thermostat has a nice little burp/bypass hole in it which would allow air to pass through it even when closed.
The last thing that I need to look at is the water pump. It's gear driven, so I have a hard time believing that it isn't turning but I'm out of ideas. One question about the water pump: Can you remove just the water cover and leave everything else, or do I need to drain the oil?
Any other ideas are greatly appreciated.
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=4511&highlight=water+pump
Needless to say that gets your attention. Normally, when I ride my temperature gauge is around the 4-5 o'clock position. As the gauge doesn't have any numbers, I never really thought much of it. After reading the posts around here, it sounds like most run pretty steady at a 3 o'clock position. So now, I'm pretty sure that I'm normally running too cold. I don't think that I've ever run at that 3 o'clock position. Either too cold or too hot.
Based on the advice around here, I started down the path of the fan switch/thermostat. I bought a switch and was headed to NAPA for the thermostat, when I had another almost over-heating episode. I noticed that the fan was running. So the switch is working, but I noticed that the temperature wasn't coming down quickly, if at all. (I had been in heavy traffic, the air temp was in the mid 80's... warm, but not hot)
Last night, I tore most of the cooling system apart. Everything looks good. The drain valve was in the right position. I verified that the thermostat is opening/closing properly (I almost had spaghetti with thermostat for dinner). What I can see looking in the radiator looks perfect and shiny; no scale build up, etc.
Any ideas?
It acts like there isn't water flowing which gives a "false" cool reading with the warm water never getting up to the sender and then suddenly getting a shot of hot water. Normally, I'd conclude that it was air-locked but I've been checking the fluid level at the cap and it has been fine. I don't really see anywhere in the system that could trap air. The cap is the high point in the system, also the (stock) thermostat has a nice little burp/bypass hole in it which would allow air to pass through it even when closed.
The last thing that I need to look at is the water pump. It's gear driven, so I have a hard time believing that it isn't turning but I'm out of ideas. One question about the water pump: Can you remove just the water cover and leave everything else, or do I need to drain the oil?
Any other ideas are greatly appreciated.