LAS VEGAS DAVE

Turbocharged
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
709
Location
LAS VEGAS
Ride
V8 CHOPPER, BOSS HOSS, 2015 ROCKET 3 TOURING
We are leaving for Prescott Arizona in the morning on the Triumph. While packing I found some stuff for motorcycle coolant systems that you add once a year and it keeps the corrosion down, lubes the water pump, etc. I thought I would add it as its only about an ounce or two. I tried to get the coolant tank cap off but no luck. It turns a little and then feels like it can't turn any farther. I tried pushing down on the cap and turning it but it didn't seem to push down and it wouldn't come off. I put a rag over it to keep it from getting scratched and tried a channel locks. That did not work and I know when enough is enough, I don't want to break it, Its a 2015 RT3. There is a little tiny bolt head on the side of the cap but I can't believe you would have to remove that to remove the cap. Someone please tell me if there is something I'm obviously doing wrong or do I just got to twist it really hard or what. I probably won't mess with it till we get back from our trip.
 
Unloosen the small retaining screw on the side of the cap and then turn it. I don't believe you have to remove it totally from the cap.
 
I saw that little screw but never had to remove anything like that before so I didn't mess with it. Thanks so much for the quick reply< I really appreciate it. I also saw that I shouldn't take that cap off anyway and instead added the stuff to the reservoir tank. I then started the bike and let it run for ten minutes, Back to packing the bags now. Its always fun anticipating a little road trip.
 
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I maybe wrong but I think the screw has to come out completely to totally free up the cap. on mine, when I tried to unscrew it the thread were buggere a little and it would turn but not back out.I had to us needle nose vise grips so I could pull and turn at the same time till it backed out a little and the threads caught.
 
What I found was that after removing the screw and removing the cap the fluid is right to the top of the cap. Fluid can not be added at the radiator cap. I put the cap back on. I removed the chrome cover and took the cap off the reservoir tank and added the stuff to that and topped off a little more with the stock Triumph coolant to keep the level just below the upper line. Reinstalled the chrome cover and let it run for ten minutes. I am now ready to leave in the morning on our trip. My Boss Hoss is probably saying WTF why are you riding the Triumph. I decided to just rotate between the two every trip, they each have their pluses.
 
Dave to remove fluid from radiator just use a turkey baster and put the fluid in the from the radiator in the overflow tank
 
I only had the radiator cap off for about 20 seconds and the fluid was dribbling out on the floor, however the level did not seem to going down so I figured that as fast as it dribbled onto the floor the overflow tank maybe was keeping it full. I only lost about an ounce on the floor by the time I screwed the cap back on. The overflow tank is above the radiator so it seemed like it was gravity feeding the radiator. I thought the two were only connected if the radiator temp went up high enough to put pressure on the cap allowing it to spit some out of it into the overflow tank. I must not understand how exactly the overflow tank refills the radiator to keep it full to the very top.
 
Yes you have to squeeze off the overflow hose or the tank will drain out.When the bike cools off there is a vaccum that opens the cap internally and let's the fluid from the overflow tank keef the radiator stay full
 
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Fingers, when the cap is off and away from the radiator opening there is no more vacuum so the radiator cap must have to be on the radiator to block the hose. I guess when it gets hot enough to cause a pre set pressure the radiator cap will unblock the hose that leads to the overflow and let hot fluid spit into the overflow tank. As the fluid cools down there is no more pressure to keep overtaking a spring in the cap and it once again blocks the opening,but as it cools further a vacuum is formed which somehow once again opens the cap to where the overflow fluid is sucked or gravity feeds to the radiator. I don't quite understand how the cap works in two directions, one way uses pressure and the other way uses vacuum.
 
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