Coolant change question

[jd01]

This may have been covered before and may be a stupid question, but I couldn't find any thread on it. I'm fixing to change the coolant in my 01' Nad (dealer supposedly did it last time) and was wondering from those that have done this. If you have your gas tank removed in order to get to the rad cap for adding coolant, how do you start the engine without the gas tank in order to bleed the air out and top it off? Am I missing something here, or is everyone else not bleeding the system running the engine. If I put the tank back on before bleeding, then bleed, seems it would be hard to top off with rad cap now under tank again. Don't beat me up too much on this! Thanks!

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by jd01

This may have been covered before and may be a stupid question, but I couldn't find any thread on it. I'm fixing to change the coolant in my 01' Nad (dealer supposedly did it last time) and was wondering from those that have done this. If you have your gas tank removed in order to get to the rad cap for adding coolant, how do you start the engine without the gas tank in order to bleed the air out and top it off? Am I missing something here, or is everyone else not bleeding the system running the engine. If I put the tank back on before bleeding, then bleed, seems it would be hard to top off with rad cap now under tank again. Don't beat me up too much on this! Thanks!

The service bible says to bleed the air out of the radiator by filling it at the cap, then rock the bike from side to side. That's how I did mine.

[zoom45]

+1. I didn't fully remove my tank just took the bolts out and moved it enough to get to everything.

[Cajunrider]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

The service bible says to bleed the air out of the radiator by filling it at the cap, then rock the bike from side to side. That's how I did mine.

Same as CJ. Filled the radiator to the neck and rocked the bike from side to side until air bubbles quit coming to the surface. Then tapped on both radiator hoses a few times. Put the cap and fuel tank back on and filled the overflow tank to mid way between high and low and that how it remained. Checked several times after rides and cool down and the level is in the same place.
Don't forget to check for loose hose clamps when the tank is off. I found 1 loose clamp that had a slight leak from the beginning as evidenced from old coolant residue build up.

[macmac]

So far as I know search is fubarred, and we don't blast away at folks here very often, certainly not for a question, and there is no stupid questings, just stupid answers, (usually mine )

All I see forgotten from the above and I may have missed it the lower pump rear bolt is the drain for the engine, and the rad has it's own drain.

I yank the tank for service, and can't recall exactly how the 1500 tanks come off anymore, but it is similar to the 1600, just with a few different details.

The seats is one difference.

on edit: You would want to clean that bolt up well and add some blue ATV sealer to the threads, when it is time to put it back in.

The rad has pipe thread so needs nothing.

[johnb]

When I did miIe, I just loosened the bolts for the tank and was able to lift it up enough to access the cooling system cap and fill it up. On the 1600 the book has you drain the system from both the radiator and the lower rear bolt on the pump. When you refill, it has you bleed the air by loosening the upper rear bolt on the pump with the engine running until you get just coolant running out. I'm no mechanic, but it seemed to work fine for me.

[Cajunrider]

Just a tip before you remove the radiator drain plug. Pick up a new gasket at the dealer in advance because if they are like my dealer, they won't have it in stock. No kidding! My gasket was shredded and I had to make my own gasket from a large faucet washer I picked up at Lowes. It would have taken my dealer 3 days to get a friggin $1 gasket in and I would have had to pay the shipping charge on it also. I wasn't very happy with that but the faucet washer is actually of better quality than the stock gasket. You just have to drill out the center hole the same as the O.D. of the plug.

[jd01]

Thanks for all the replies guys. After what I had read about coolant changing, I was under the impression that you had to run the engine to bleed it. Guess I'll just try the rocking back and forth method. Also, thanks for the tip about the rad plug gasket. My dealer didn't have one in stock either, so I got a package of the faucet washers from Lowes.

[schoeney]

If you remove the tank make sure you get the "pressurized" fuel line reconnected the same way it was in the beginning. Squeeze the sides to remove and to reinstall.

When I put mine back on I forgot the line was not supposed to go all the way back up (you will understand when you remove it...just make a mental note of it) so when I reinstalled it it did not "seat" correctly.

To get the air out I did the side to side thing several times as well. I also let it sit for awhile after I topped it off. It drained down and I topped it again.

[Jared]

Removing the tank is an easy 10 min job and will make doing the whole job much easier.

[psychocycle]

Originally Posted by Utah Motorcyclist

Removing the tank is an easy 10 min job and will make doing the whole job much easier.

Looking at your bike, the tank removal was one of the easier items removed. ;) Are all the tins in for painting yet? Looking forward to seeing the new paint scheme.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by psychocycle

Looking at your bike, the tank removal was one of the easier items removed. ;) Are all the tins in for painting yet? Looking forward to seeing the new paint scheme.

Yep. I'll be spraying over the next two days. :)