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Coolant Leak

M

Maddog

Joined Oct 2009
15 Posts | 0+
Adelaide South Australia
G'day everyone. This is my first post. I am an Aussie.
I have just bought a second hand 05 FS650E. Great bike.

So I'd like to start with a problem I have noticed after my first ride and other than this the bike seems to be in pretty good nick for 13000 kms.

I have this coolant leak just above the oil filter chamber. (see attached pic)
Weather it's leaking from this area or just pooling there I'm not sure.
It doesn't look to be running or dripping into this area so could it be coming from between the cases?
It's not a lot of coolant but enough to annoy me.

Any help in diagnosing my problem would be greatly appreciated
 

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  • Husaberg Coolant Leak.jpg
    Husaberg Coolant Leak.jpg
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It could be coming from the case split where the cylinder is located or coming from the head gasket area and running down there and pooling there. Try a dusting of talcum powder on the barrel section of the case and it should show you where it's coming from.
 
Thanks for the feedback fellaz.
Great idea to use the powder Dale.
I covered the area with powder and went for a 15 minute ride.
I didn't expect it to be leaking there either but...

HusaCoolantLeak.jpg


I can actually see air bubbles popping out of there.
Any ideas why coolant would be seeping from that split there?
I'm concerned.
 
Yes, that is concerning. You might try retorqing the case halves, but I think that's wishfull thinking. Looks like the case halves and liner seals may have to be replaced. Again, pretty uncommon.
Not that I am a proponant of it, but you might try some radiator sealer in it as a last ditch effort. It would be much cheaper than the other alternatives.
 
Failing the sealant and retorqing the halves.
Are you suggesting new cases or just the liner?
 
he's suggesting neither. just a disassemble and reassemble with new rtv and new cylinder o- rings.
 
exact same spot where mine was leaking after a rebuild, basically its the spot where the water jacket is thinest.

two solutions;

split the engine and renew the rtv sealant, making sure there is enough at that spot ( thats where i went wrong) or stick some rad weld in the radiator.

i went the rad weld route and so far its holding up nicely.

Dale's just pointed out that you dont have rad weld in the states. Just user whatever radiator sealant you have, the type you tip in the rad to seal small leaks. Silver something?
 
Thanks cypher for that info and diagram.
I'm actually down under so I'll see what's available here.
My only fear with using something like that is it blocking something that shouldn't be blocked.
I'm glad you've had success using it because the alternative is a hell of a lot more work!
Is Radweld a granule? Do you think the granules are a better solution than the liquid sealants?
 
never really have used any of it before.

when i was looking there were several types, some where tablets that you crushed up and the granuals were really fine then some were liquid, but these just seemed to be the tablets already crushed up and in suspension in some form of fluid.

anyway i tried one of the tablets and it didnt seem to work so the next week i chucked in one of the fluid sealants and it sealed it up fine.

if it hadnt of worked id of pulled the engine again and re done the sealant. luckily it did work.
 
I have fixed similar leaks by roughing up the area drilling a heap of 1mm deep 2mm diam holes to key into and, thouroghly degreasing with a water based degreaser then adding a hefty ammount of epoxy with a milled fibre filler, (kevlar or carbon fibre average length 15 microns).

not done it on a berg though

if it were my bike I'd just split the cases and check everything else out. should cost only a headgasket and some rtv to fix the leak. the expensive bit would be finding other stuff that needs freshening up.
 
bushmechanic said:
I have fixed similar leaks by roughing up the area drilling a heap of 1mm deep 2mm diam holes to key into and, thouroghly degreasing with a water based degreaser then adding a hefty ammount of epoxy with a milled fibre filler, (kevlar or carbon fibre average length 15 microns).

not done it on a berg though

if it were my bike I'd just split the cases and check everything else out. should cost only a headgasket and some rtv to fix the leak. the expensive bit would be finding other stuff that needs freshening up.
Click to expand...

but the leak on the berg is simply down to not enough sealant on the joint, well it was on mine, your solution would seem to be if there were actual holes in the metal.

am i right? and alot more work than is probably needed in this case. plus you've probably just given him a heart attack.
 
I think some people have heart attacks contemplating splitting the engine

if I was one of those Id try the radiator sealant first and then try to fix it from the outside

its not hard, clean up the metal and then tip bog on it. cost would be about $5.00
 
Thanks for all the feedback everyone.
My only fear at splitting the cases is the fact that when I do that it won't just be to fix an annoying leak. It will include a full rebuild because this girls done 13000kms.
I'm going to run some of this through her first:
CarGoSealUp.jpg

Seal-Up is a unique combination of modified sodium silicate (liquid glass) and copper.
Seal-Up cures by exposure to the atmosphere and turns into a solid ceramic substance enriched with copper.
What do you guys think?
Also, when refilling the cooling system after a bleed and flush do you use the bleeder screw on top of the head to get the air out of the system?
 
looks good, might need to apply it twice. if it does anything bad to the water pump its easily fixed.

I don't think it will, just that some guys worry about that.

the bleed on the head needs to be bled when you fill the system and then again after a short run.
 
Yeah I don't know what it's going to do internally to the WP but like you say, that's an easy fix and worth the sacrifice.
I don't think it will harm it either because this stuff only goes off when exposed to the outside world. Internally it should be inert but obviously still does contain particles.
We'll see hey?
I'm really pleased my water pump is good because I've seen so many weep hole threads here.

Other than fact that I need to drain the coolant, flush, and then fill the system with distilled water, not coolant, to run this stuff,
it says on the bottle to top up a filled radiator and only add it when all fins are covered.

Now surely this isn't possible with the Hussy because 250ml wont fit once the rad' is all topped up will it?
So I'm going to add it to the distilled water that I'm going to run in it for the fix, and fill it with that.
Then this stuff needs to run around for 20 - 30mins inside a warm engine.
If I bleed the system during this process I'm sure this stuff with want to solidify at the bleed bolt.

So...I'm gonna fill the system and run it for 30 mins without opening the bleeder.
Do you think this will be OK?
Also, any idea how much these babies hold in the cooling system?
I think I read 550ml?
I know I'll find out when I drain it but...
 
Hey Maddog,

from my experience, I think the complete system holds just over a litre of coolant, maybe 1.5 from empty. I remember this because I always wind up with half a bottle left over from mixing it up with a full one having gone in. Good idea I think with mixing the stuff in before you add it to the bike. Just wouldn't leave it sit too long before firing her up. Crack the bleeder or you'll wind up with an air lock in the head, and again after each refill like Bushie says. I've previously used ground black pepper to do the same job with much success in my old F100 which rusted through the timing chain cover (behind the waterpump) and allowed water to enter the sump.

Good luck anyway & keep us posted. :wink:

Wal
 
Wow, black pepper, who would've thought.

So from what I understand this bleeder screw on the 'bergs is unlike the one on my car that I use to bleed the cooling system when the engine is running and warm, so the thermostat is open.
So you bleed the 'bergs when they're cold and with the bike not running?
When refilling the system do you have the bleeder open, or open it after it's full?
Then after a short ride let the bike cool and bleed out the air again?

Sorry for all the questions but you guys are a wealth of information, this is my first 'berg, and I like to do my own wrenching.
 

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