Spring is on it's way.

The weather is getting warmer, so I have some questions that I haven't found a definitive answer to.
As I start prepping my bike for the coming riding season I want to do some preventative maintenance, I am starting with the cooling system. Has anyone used or had any luck with autopart store hoses to replace the factory moulded hoses? The metal coolant tubes/pipes use o-rings I assume, can I use hardware or autopart a store o-rings to replace them? What is a good way to flush the engine and radiator, run fresh water through them? What is the recomended coolant? Anything else I should be concerned with?
Sorry for all these questions but I am learning the ways of the VF ATM. Thank you to anyone for reading and/or responding.

 

Have you removed the connector from your stator wires?

 

No I have not. When I purchased the bike earlier this year I took it for a test ride, checked it out as far as I know (new to v4). Loaded it up and brought it home. Have checked out why the fan constantly run with the key in the on position (switch it shorted across the two terminals). I have also pulled the fairing and gauges and cleaned up the dash and replaced bulbs. The temp gauge did not work but I have the needle swinging but have not checked to see if the sending unit is bad or if a ground is the culprit. I have checked and indeed the left fork seal is leaking some, found a small leak from both cam covers. Learned some about the suspension of this thing. Curious to know when I replace the fork seals is there anything I could/should do to the TRAC portion of the forks. I know there is a leak at the pet cock but it is intermittent. There are some other points but I am choosing a spot and "diving in". The bike rode pretty good, ran very well. Has minimum engine noises but it also has the Vance and Hines exhaust and it kinda loud I guess. It also has a Corbin seat that I can not find anywhere, it is styled like a solo seat and needs recovered but I like it. Anyways that is where I am at with this thing. Oh and it's a 85 vf500f.

 

Advance Auto sells flush kits that screw on to the end of your garden hose, should be in the same section as the hose clamps. Just don't run cold water though a hot engine. Just use regular Prestone or Peak 50/50. takes about 2 & 3/4 quarts. They sell O-Rings too. should be metric. you can get them to cut hose for you, just use these on the tight bends (they sell these too)
they keep it from kinking. I used one on my fuel line because I made it a bit longer for easier tank removal.
I know this is probably obvious, but change the oil with some good Mobil 4T synthetic and a fresh filter as-well. you never know how long it's been if you just got it.

Good luck!

EDIT: They sell rebuild kits for the petcock too. very common issue. You can just open the damn thing up and make a new gasket for it if you have the patience (that's what makes it leak).
Use black silicone/rtv on the valve covers if your gaskets are leaking, or get new ones off of ebay. Super easy replacement.

 

Thank you very much. That is what I was wondering. I got to looking up the connector for the alternator and my field is electric motors so I will work up something to allow a good connection that also will handle the current. Something that works well in automotive plugs is to use a dielectric grease. It helps to keep the connection dry and helps with corrosion. Many manufactures use it during the manufacturing process and depending it also can help with bulbs for blinkers and brake lights. Once again thank you both for the help/info.

 

Hey man, best of luck with your VF, I have a VF500F and I bought a used set of hoses from a junked 2014 CBR500R off ebay and they worked great and I had some hose left over. The hoses coming off the thermo were a little big though but a little bit of hose from the old one cut as a washer/adapter around the necks works just fine. I'm getting ready to fit a radiator from that same CBR with minor modifications.

 

Fork seals, petcock kits and valve cover gaskets are pretty easy to find still. Just search ebay and google the stuff. The petcock is the same as on the VF1000 I think and there are really cheap fork seals everywhere. I used a radiator hose in-line temperature sensor adapter for a different fan switch and it works great. It's a KOSO brand, you'll need either a 14mm or an 18mm depending on what hose you want to tap. I use regular old "green" coolant in mine and my original radiator and hoses still look new. I changed the original hoses but they still look new...

http://www.amazon.com/Koso-America-Temperature-Sensor-Adapters/dp/B002LGUKQU

 

http://vfrworld.com/forums/showthread.php/48159-Vf500-parts

I just happened to talk about my little ceptor parts yesterday....

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331330872371?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Here's where you can get a lifetime supply of carb bowl gaskets, just use a little dab of rtv in the corners to hold it while you place them... I made the mistake of finding originals for like $10 bucks a piece once...damn it!! Also, when it comes time to clean carbs, you'll usually have problems with the pilot jets, you can get 4 packs for 20 bucks, they're very common and readily available...I use #40's and they work great. It's better and so much easier than trying to clean out the super tiny hole in the old ones
http://www.ebay.com/itm/141500460272?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

you'll want to get some valve cover bolt seals too if you're changing the valve cover gasket, these leak fairly quickly.

 

Congrats, great bike you have there! I've never had the good fortune to have one out on the road, although I am familiar with taking them apart.

Those coolant pipes do use a common size o-ring. Be careful prying the metal tubes out, they're pretty easy to dent or bend. I generally use Zerex G06 auto coolant, but any name-brand coolant designed for Japanese engines should work. I haven't had many problems with the stock hoses despite their age; I'd only replace something that was obviously leaking. There's a site somewhere that detailed all the hoses - they're for the larger VF1100 bikes IIRC. I think it's over at v4hondabbs.com. I'll post it if I find it.

I bought a variety pack of metric o-rings from Harbor Freight that included the correct size for the V4 coolant manifolds. The V65 and V45 use 16x2mm? I think the VF500 uses the same size. I installed them with a bit of NAPA silglide as a lube.

I'd avoid using dielectric grease on the R/R <-> stator connector unless you can keep it off the contact surfaces. High heat tends to degrade that grease.

After you've finished up with the three yellow wire stator connector, I'd recommend checking the terminals on the starter relay plug & main fuse. They tend to deform when the connector gets dirty & builds up resistance. The main fuse isn't mounted on the fuse block, it's inside the starter relay case. It's a stamped metal part, commonly upgraded with a weatherproof ATO housing & 30 amp fuse. Also clean out the kill switch housing and ignition switch if you're seeing any flaky electrical behavior. All power goes through those switches when the bike is running.

 

Thank you guys for all of the advice. I can see more than one way to replace hoses and I know there is more than one way to do the job. My only reasoning was because of several autopart stores close by. I know if you visit a motorcycle shop they will tell you " you have to use blah blah blah". So apparently they are like they always are. I can't say anything about the carb jets. This bike has a old Vance and Hines exhaust without that collection box underneath. The bike cranks easy and warms up like most I have been around. When I get my cooling done next will be electrical as a couple of wires are broken going to the led blinkers that were on this bike.

 

On the sensors in the cooling system I do wonder if anyone ever tried civic fan switch or the temp gauge sending unit? I have searched and somewhere I found where someone I guess has, of course knowing the temperature it works at is just as important as thread size but it could be a way to keep as much Honda parts on the bike as possible.

 

My trade is in industrial electromechanical, I could possibly even rewind a stator if I end-up having trouble with mine. Looking at them in pictures I can tell they are three phase and if it were used as part of a motor it would be a 6pole which would have a base speed of 1200 at 60 hz. Sorry I go off on tangents but as long as I could get good data from the old windings I really think I could make a change to the windings to at the very least let it run cooler. If I ever get a chance to gut a voltage regulator I will see if I can beef up one of those as long as it is a cheap mod (I work with an electrical engineer to help me on that one).

 

Once again guys thank you for your time. I have been on other forums for other rides and some people are horrible but so far all in all this seems like a pretty good bunch of people.