Thermostat change. petcock leak. overheating

[jkyle187]

Ok I have read just about all the post on the overheating dilemma. From adding a manual switch to no thermostat.
Here is what i did.
I did notice the temp would almost reach the red line before the fan kicked on. I went and bought the Yamaha coolant @ $7 a quart x 4. Flushed the system as manual directs. The system got just above the black dot (middle) the the fan kicked on.
After I ran it and let it sit ove night, the next moring there was a puddle of coolant under bike. The petcock was leaking. After lookin thru the forums, I found that the o-ring was the issue. Not wanting to purchase a whole petcock setup , the forum said to purchace the same o-ring that the tubing goes into the thermostat housing.
I bought an after market thermostat @160 degrees $45. After changing the thermostat, I ran it. The next morning...more leaks. So i just bought all new o-rings, thermostat housing o-ring and gasket. I also bought the front hoses too.
Now I have run it all day. The temp gauge hits the middle mark and the fan comes on. My overheating issue seems to be fix and no more leaks. I will post more later in the week.

97 VMax with 27000 mile on it.

 

[naughtyG]

The problem with a lower temp thermostat is that your fan will be on when it needn't be.

I had one on my '86, and found that the fan would be running all day on long highway runs when the airflow was well enough to keep things cool. Installed a switch to turn it off, and my fuel consumption went from 95 to 105 miles to a tank..

I think it's best to stay with OEM thermostat, and have a bypass switch so you can manually switch the fan on when you feel it needs to be. Glad you sorted out your overheating issue though!

 

[jkyle187]

Ok after running bike for 2 days, I am happy to say the bike is running great! (and that is in Atlanta stop and go traffic). The fan kicks on just above the middle dot and turns off just below the middle dot. So the temp is doing IMO perfect! I am getting 118 mile per tank and that is with hammering it down alot. I really hope this helps other VMaxies. I am proud to say the forum is the BOMB!. Thank all of you for taking the time to place you advise on this forum.
Tony

 

[ahmedoabbas]

Even if what im about to write is stupid but its an idea;

what about fitting in a bigger radiator or a bigger fan, both if possible??

can the radiator or the fan perhaps be found on bigger models like any 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 liter engines models, or the 2nd generation vmax??

 

[naughtyG]

Even if what im about to write is stupid but its an idea;

what about fitting in a bigger radiator or a bigger fan, both if possible??

can the radiator or the fan perhaps be found on bigger models like any 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 liter engines models, or the 2nd generation vmax??

There just isn't any room, although of course with the right fab skills anything can be made to fit. But the OEM rad and cooling system does a fine job - it just needs kicking in a little earlier.

 

[dannymax]

I don't really rely totally on the gauge to determine if a bike is overheating....you really need a laser thremometer or some other way to get an accurate measurement....the gauges fluctuate considerably from one to another.