Hey guys... So I rode the viffer this weekend and got to my parents house, I got there and decided to leave the bike on since I was just running in for a minute or two. When I was inside I heard the bike shutoff, so I went outside to check it out. Antifreeze had leaked out of it and it was incredibly hot. After reading some posts on here I think it might be a failing thermostat. I rarely hear the fan turn on and it often runs very hot. What do you all think? I also am having battery issues... it will last about a week on a new, fully charged battery. If it is the tstat, is there a viable car tstat that can be used in place of the OEM? I have read that civic and cavalier tstats have been used in newer VFRs... but I haven't seen anything about older ones. Thanks for any advice!
Could be lots of things: a bad thermostat, a faulty radiator cap, a bad water pump, a collapsed hose, etc. You need to do a little trouble-shooting. Do you have the 90-97 service manual? If not you should be able to track the PDF down here. Also, why not just go with the oem thermostat? It's not a big ticket item. Regarding batt issue doesn't sound related but who knows. You check the RR? Is it sending proper voltage to the batt? Could be a bad ground, loose cable, etc. Again, the service manual is the best starting point. After all, it's written by the folks who designed and built your bike. Good luck.
So, we torn everything down to the tstat no problems. We replaced the tstat and the sensors and got it all back together. We ran the fluid down through the radiator and I noticed a leak when we were filled it (byebye Engine Ice...) Anyways, we traced the leak to the tstat unit. The bolts were on there securely, it appeared to be leaking between the bolts along the housing. The tstat was installed properly. Something we noticed when installing the tstat is that there was no new o-ring. I am going to buy one and re-install it this weekend... My friend mentioned using high temperature ATV (I am assuming something like AutoZone.com | Sealant | 3oz.(88.721ml.)tubeblacksiliconeadhesivesealant ) sealant on the tstat housing. Would that be a good idea or no? Any other ideas besides the o-ring? I doubled checked the installation of the tstat about 2-3 times, so I'm pretty sure that I got it in there properly...
It sounds as though you have pinpointed the problem; I would just install the fresh o-ring without the aftermarket sealant and see if it leaks. I believe it comes from the factory without additional sealant on it so if you need to add it to prevent the leak then you know there is something still not quite right. Less than perfect interface between the seating of the components, etc. In all likelihood, though, the fresh o-ring should cure it. Good work and good luck. Let us know how it ends.
