Radiator Cap Alternative

[joesoap]

Ive noticed no one has mentioned the thermostat..a very important device to keep motors cool, i always like to fit a cooler opening type.@ Glaviger it might be worth checking yours is not sticking

 

[Old N' Grumpy]

Ive noticed no one has mentioned the thermostat..a very important device to keep motors cool, i always like to fit a cooler opening type.@ Glaviger it might be worth checking yours is not sticking

I thought I would do the same on my vehicles until my mechanic said running a lower thermostat could make the engine run bad. He went on to say the motor was designed to run at that temp and blah, blah, blah so I left it at the temp the manufacturer called for. Just my two cents.

 

[joesoap]

I thought I would do the same on my vehicles until my mechanic said running a lower thermostat could make the engine run bad. He went on to say the motor was designed to run at that temp and blah, blah, blah so I left it at the temp the manufacturer called for. Just my two cents.

Yes i agree with the modern engines running at higher temps due to emissions ect, but we have an issue here where the OP is concerned about losing coolant and extreme head temps that could be caused by his riding habits that's slightly outside normal Rocket3 parameters Ime just throwing another possibility into the hat to try help

 

[Claviger]

Replacing the Tsat, cap, and installing a secondary temp monitor so I can verify what’s going on.

I do have an alternate theory:

Lower radiator hose... originally, they had an external spring to maintain shape. Over time, somewhere along the line, Triumph stopped putting that on. Mine hasn’t got one, and when I look at my lower hose it does, indeed, appear to be slightly flattened. I’m suspicious that it may be completely collapsing at high RPM when the pumps making serious flow demands on a 3/4 ID hose. Luckily I have a brand new OEM part on hand to also swap out, so I’ll switch all three and see what happens. @warp9.9 has pictures posted showing the spring, don’t think I’ve seen many R3s with the spring.

If it turns out to be the lower hose I’ll be a bit annoyed with SAMCO, and will engineer a fix for their hose to prevent the collapse.

For once, and for all, please allow me to dispel three myths:
1: Running without a T-Stat will never, in any case, directly cause your engine to overheat. It will, 100% of the time, be something else in the system.
2: Running a lower T-Stat won’t hurt the motor, and will provide an engine with a greater margin between combustion and detonation provided the radiator has the capacity to expel enough heat to run it at a lower temp. It “may” hurt MPG and emissions.
3: There is no such thing as “too much or too fast flow”. More flow = more cooling, period. All the fud about “moving to quickly through the radiator” is an ancient shade tree mechanic myth.

 

[barbagris]

The heat atidle is because the pump is spinning very slowly so low flow. It’s an inherently crap design carried forward for more than 100 years that finally automakers are starting to get away from.

Sitting still you need the pump to spin fast and help cool the bike since there’s no/little air moving over the radiator and the fans no where near equal to when your at speed.

Then at cruise RPM it’s all working as it should, then at high RPM the terrible impeller design falls short because it’s a stamped metal piece similar to what Chevy put in SBC 350s circa 1955.

OKEY DOKEY. That all makes perfect sense. Ta!. We ride tractors so I suppose it was to be expected.
Part of MY issue may be the Water Wetter which gets more heat into the water faster.

BTW I was warned off using EVANS "non-boilable" coolants.

Any thoughts on de-pressureising the system?. I have none that are coherent - but did see a 0.9bar KTM cap.

 

[barbagris]

don’t think I’ve seen many R3s with the spring. If it turns out to be the lower hose I’ll be a bit annoyed with SAMCO, and will engineer a fix for their hose to prevent the collapse.

Maybe SAMCO have not either. I know I have not. Might be worth forwarding that photo to them - see what they say.
Not having a bit of said pipe to look at handy - could the bend bit be replaced with fixed tubing?

 

[Claviger]

I actually order a 45 bent aluminum pipe tonight, going to modify the lower hose to be impossible to collapse.

I realize, it can’t be my T-stat, the bike behaves fine at cruise RPM and idling for long periods, so that’s that.

I’m confident that my issues were a combination of the original cap and a lower rad hose collapsing. Once the bent Alu pipe gets here I’ll know for sure.

If it’s still not 100%, then I’ll go with adding an electronic water pump. I still find it hard to believe the stock cooling system would be insufficient on my bike when Warp and a handful of others have a tone more power (and heat), without these issues.

 

[Claviger]

Caps working great, everything is normal at normal riding conditions.

87-88c cruising down the freeway in 45f weather, confirms t-stat is working as it should be.

Pretty convinced it’s the lower rad hose collapsing at sustained high RPM.

 

[joesoap]

get a gopro aimed at your hose to cut short a lot of hassle if it stays inflated...i once used a gopro to spot a chain once walking across my rear sprocket under high loads..turned out to be carrier rubbers which felt fine when twisting the wheel

 

[1olbull]

Doesn't look like Tusk makes a 1.1 bar?