Rocket 3 Roadster Possibly Overheating?

[atomsplitter]

Everyone here is a God send. I’ve learned more about my bike these past few days then I ever had in 9 years since I’ve been riding her. If you’re ever in NYC and feel like salsa dancing, I run a salsa class and dance party, message me and you’ll be my guests lol

Just a few more questions and I’m set:

1) The coolant that’s in the expansion tank now. Does it have to be emptied when it was just filled by dealer. If Yes, why? IMHO, no. The coolant in the expansion tank is a volume needed to quench hot coolant from the engine to limit evaporation of the water. Water is only 50% of what's in your system and that is what does all the cooling. It's also acts as a reserve for the evaporation that occurs, which is why you monitor that tank level to ensure the cooling system is running full.

2) With bleed screw partial open, and Rad Cap off, I pour the coolant in the radiator and NOT the expansion tank, correct? Correct Because where the Rad Cap is, is the highest point in the coolant system, and as I’m pouring coolant, air will seep out of the bleed bolt, and fill the expansion tank. No, coolant is added separately to the expansion tank. You can't force coolant down the small hose between the radiator and expansion tank, physics doesn't permit it. What can force coolant down that small hose is the pressure in the sealed radiator as system pressure builds due to thermal expansion. That's why when you run the bike you monitor the expansion tank level for rise, because the coolant expands an incompressible fluid, which builds pressure, that lifts the rad cap pressure valve forcing fluid down that hose to the expansion tank. When the engine cools down the coolant contracts and a vacuum in the radiator opens a check valve in the "pressure cap" drawing fluid back from the expansion tank into the radiator.

3) I stop pouring in coolant when radiator is filled, and then afterwards I fill the expansion tank? YES I guess I’ll visually see the radiator filled when it’s at the brim I’m guessing. To the top of the filler neck. There will be a gap between the pressure cap (radiator cap) neck seal seat and the hose outlet. That gap is OK because the rad cap is closed on a liquid solid radiator. If you get it wrong and over fill, no worries, you just have to clean up the mess you made when installing the rad cap.

And to clarify, I’m getting a new Rad Cap, and proper triumph coolant. A new rad cap is warranted if the old one is leaking (which you said it was). Radiator caps are not simply a cap they are a pressure valve that allow flow in two directions based on pressure. A bad cap that does not seal allows water to boil out of the system and air in reducing cooling capacity as it does so. The heat exchanger which is your radiator moves engine heat to the atmosphere like your air conditioner moves heat from your house to the atmosphere. I can give you the formula to calculate the exchange rate but that won't help you get your bike running right. Suffice to say that the cooling system is required to be sealed tight as a drum to work right. A new cap will ensure it's sealed and will lift to vent coolant at the correct pressure.

 

[buddazero]

Ok I think I’m all set. And no please don’t give me the formula it will only confuse me , but I appreciate your knowledge on the matter and your extreme patience with me. And again I thank everyone here answering me and my questions.

I’m going to get a proper torque wrench, rad cap, coolant.

The expansion tank is just a reserve, I thought that was where the coolant lives but it’s not it’s in the radiator; that makes so much sense (again broadcast engineer not mechanical).

And the pressure cap makes sense, the AC analogy worked well haha! The fact that coolant is seeping through the Cap tells me that there’s a leak, so it’s definitely not as tight as a drum.

I’ll contact a local dealer to see if they have the cap in stock. If not I’ll just order it online and wait for it.

 

[atomsplitter]

No problem, I have a head full of engineering stuff that needs to be vented on occasion. If your dealer can't get you a cap in a timely manner you can also go aftermarket at your local auto store. The caps that will work are:

• Stant 10230 — 16 psi standard radiator cap, widely used in motorcycles and cars. Reliable fit for Rocket III.
• MotoRad T-16 — 16 psi cap, direct aftermarket equivalent. Known for affordability and availability.
• Gates 31330 — Heavy-duty 16 psi cap, often used as a substitute for Triumph OEM.
• ACDelco RC27

 

[buddazero]

No problem, I have a head full of engineering stuff that needs to be vented on occasion. If your dealer can't get you a cap in a timely manner you can also go aftermarket at your local auto store. The caps that will work are:

• Stant 10230 — 16 psi standard radiator cap, widely used in motorcycles and cars. Reliable fit for Rocket III.
• MotoRad T-16 — 16 psi cap, direct aftermarket equivalent. Known for affordability and availability.
• Gates 31330 — Heavy-duty 16 psi cap, often used as a substitute for Triumph OEM.
• ACDelco RC27

Haha! Appreciate you. Quick question, I remember at one point my dealership years ago told me that they installed a pressure cap that won’t heat up as much, maybe it’s a rubber seal or something I don’t know. But now I’m realizing that they probably got an aftermarket one, most likely from the list that you just provided me.

Is what I’m saying makes sense, will a different pressure cap that’s not OEM not heat up as much, is one better than the other, or am I talking foolishness?

 

[atomsplitter]

Haha! Appreciate you. Quick question, I remember at one point my dealership years ago told me that they installed a pressure cap that won’t heat up as much, maybe it’s a rubber seal or something I don’t know. But now I’m realizing that they probably got an aftermarket one, most likely from the list that you just provided me.

Is what I’m saying makes sense, will a different pressure cap that’s not OEM not heat up as much, is one better than the other, or am I talking foolishness?

That list were are all 16 psi rated caps (1.1 Bar) that should be compatible with the Rocket. The OEM cap is chromed so it looks nice, that list doesn't include aesthetics, they are simply caps that will work on your bike. I would venture you won't pay $32+ for an aftermarket standard radiator cap at any auto store.

 

[buddazero]

That list were are all 16 psi rated caps (1.1 Bar) that should be compatible with the Rocket. The OEM cap is chromed so it looks nice, that list doesn't include aesthetics, they are simply caps that will work on your bike. I would venture you won't pay $32+ for an aftermarket standard radiator cap at any auto store.

Copy brotha, appreciate you! Once I have everything I need I’ll let anyone know how it goes, but I already see this being a no brainer. Thanks for the support!

 

[atomsplitter]

Copy brotha, appreciate you! Once I have everything I need I’ll let anyone know how it goes, but I already see this being a no brainer. Thanks for the support!

Happy to help. We all have to start somewhere. If you run into any problems (other than coolant on your garage floor), like the government, "we're here to help."

 

[R-III-R Turbo]

I hope it's not the same stealership you brought the bike to & messed you around, that you're getting the rad cap from?

A possible alternative if you wanted to give it a go - a shiny KTM one;

Radiator Cap Alternative

Having a need for a radiator cap, I went to our local KTM dealer knowing our radiator is manufactured by KTM. Handed them the stock cap and got this, which fits like a glove: PS: The interesting part is that it opens the door for 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0 bar caps. It fits many KTMs but for...

www.r3owners.net

 

[buddazero]

I hope it's not the same stealership you brought the bike to & messed you around, that you're getting the rad cap from?

Haha no! Although they offered to do the labor for free if I bought it in, after I caught them lying saying that they “burped it” but if they did, they would have saw that the Rad Cap was leaking Saturday.

They never use to be this way, it’s sad.

I told them that I would rather do it myself. Unfortunately they do have the coolant in stock, I may just buy it from them or wait the two weeks to receive it. Rad Cap OEM is not in stock locally, but luckily I have options for Rad Caps thanks to @atomsplitter .

 

[buddazero]

Happy to help. We all have to start somewhere. If you run into any problems (other than coolant on your garage floor), like the government, "we're here to help."

So, I ordered two bottles of coolant, so that by next year I can do the oil and the coolant myself. Bike has fresh oil from the service but this is the last year that I go to the dealer to do it.

Unfortunately, the coolant won't get here until next week, but I heard in some situations that it's perfectly ok to use distilled water and pour it into the radiator, and that will push out air with the bleed bolt screwed off a bit (but not completely off), and because I still have fresh coolant in the radiator/ expansion tank the bike will use that. the distilled water is just filling in the physical space.

Should I just wait for the coolant to be safe? Honestly I'm leaning towards this but I'm genuinely curious because I'm learning.