oh crap i might have fried my engine:(

ok so hear is the deal.I picked up a 99 vfr for $1000, yes 1k. Bike has only 4,000 miles and paint looks like it came off the show room. I had to replaces the 2 side fairings and right Radiator. Anyway i been riding it for the last couple days, and it runs amazing. Today i decided to go for a ride with my buddy through town, temp outside was probably 95-100, and while at a stop light i noticed the temp gauge got up to 258!!!!!..HOT HOT HOT..i quickly pulled over and let it cool down, went on again and noticed in town driving (15-20 mph) the temp would get redicously hot..230-250!!! i quicly took some back roads, driving over the speed limit to get the temp down as much as possible. Got home realized fan fuse was blown, replaced that and its fine now. The fan kicks in at 215-218 and it cools it down to 200. (thats standing still no riding) anyway my question is did riding it like that caused any engine damage?..The bike now runs great but ive heard of people experiecing troubles 500 or so miles after the initial over heat. I guess only time will tell but if anybody has any input that would be greatly appreciated..Thank-you

 

I think u will be fine...but if somethink dosent work on. Your mine any ones bike fuse box is the 1st thing...to check...and they r spares....

 

If it did not boil over and have coolant leaking every where you are probably ok.

There is a difference between hot and overheating. I grew up in the desert I know.
On cars there is a lead plug in the cylinder head that can melt and let water start leaking.
The lead plug has a date stamped in it.

On a motorcycle the coolant bottle lid would blow off. Steam would be coming out and it would be empty.

 

no worries you should be fine. Would double check the thermostat as they dont like maxed out usage, but if you didnt pop fluids you should be OK.

 

When my engine overheated under similar circumstances the consequences were immediate! And ugly. If nothing happened to your bike right away, you are probably A-OK. After all, it is a Honda!

Word of advice for the future, though - when things aren't working right, pull over and shut the engine off. Do not pass Go. Don't ride it home. Get a trailer. Or, in a pinch, my insurance company (USAA) has towing service.

EDIT: betarace, your avatar is making me sweat. It's summer and all, but I am perspiring a bit more than ordinary . . .

 

Thanks-guys..No deff no steam, or leaks anywhere..Guess i got lucky this time, but thanks for the helpful info,il be able to sleep better now

 

thanks; i deff hope nothing like this happens but if it does, il deff keep that in mind.

 

Not true on either account. Sorry.

The plugs you're referring to are freeze plugs. Water expands when it freezes. The purpose of those plugs is to pop out to save the block from cracking under the pressure of the freezing coolant. They will not blow out no matter how hot the motor gets, and they certainly won't melt. The melting point of lead is 635.5°F anyway. If your motor got that hot you're screwed no matter what. Besides, freeze plugs are made of steel.

The coolant bottle lid will NOT blow off. The reservoir is vented to atmosphere. What will happen is the radiator cap will relieve at a certain pressure (usually around 15psi) and the hot water will go to the reservoir. If enough coolant is relieved then the reservoir will overflow and dump coolant to the ground.

Here's a good read on both topics: http://www.familycar.com/Classroom/CoolingSystem.htm#Pressure_cap_and_reserve_tank_

 

I was NOT talking about freeze plugs. Freeze plugs are stamped sheet metal and are more than one inch in diameter. The lead plugs I am talking about are very small . About 3/8 inch diameter. You have to look closer at a cylinder head of a car. It is the way a machinist can tell if the cylinder head has been past the limit.
A motorcycle does not have a pressure cap. the reservoir is where the coolant goes when it overflows. Then when the engine cools the coolant goes back into the system.
It is a recovery system to keep anti freeze off of the roads.

 

I'd also look into why that fuse was blown as part of your work up. Could be a partial short somewhere or something else causing too much current.
Man, a 5g for $1k!!

 

I bet you'll be fine. Two things I would suggest are:

1. Check that coolant level is still correct. You might have vented some off at the high temperature.
2. Change the oil and filter. The higher temperature = less oil film thickness = chance of some wear. If you feel ambitious (or are terrified) cut open the oil filter and look at the pleats to see if there is anything there to worry about.

Good luck,
Bob S.

 

Don,

Motorcycles do, in fact, have radiator caps that relieve pressure. See attached pic from the CBR1000RR service manual.

After a very thorough internet search, I could only find one reference to a lead plug in a cylinder head, and that is on a BMW M3. Find me some legit proof that lead plugs are used on the VF/VFR engine and I will buy you a beer and I'll consider myself schooled.

We should take this offline. It seems to be turning into a pissing contest.

 

No, not an argument. Call it...."clarification".

 

No car engine I know of has a lead plug any where, unless it's behind the steering wheel. My 83 VF has a rad cap.

 

How to replace a car engine freeze plug

 

So what? That's either a brass or steel plug. Not lead! Show me the lead or go sit on the porch with the little dogs..........................................

 

I did not say MOTORCYCLE engines used lead plugs to indicate overheating. Many car engines have those.
The newer engines have sensors that store the data in a computer.

That is what I said in post #9. "CAR engines"