why is my gl1000 overheating

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GypsyBFC

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bullhead city arizona
i just bought a 78 gl1000. i put a new water pump,and thermostat in. the fan works, and the radiator and hoses are in excellent condition! it constantly runs hot, and if there are any decent hills in my travels BOOM it boils over. im completely stumped on what to do next. the head cover says 1100 on it. i doubt someone put an 1100 head on it. im assuming they just used the chrome plate off of a diff motor. if you have any ideas please share, for i am at my wits end! thanks,
Gypsy
 
lol i have 50/50 in it. and no i don't use tap or hose water in my rads. way to many minerals in the water down here. im just stumped. all the cooling system components are either new or in good condition, but yet it overheats or runs uber hot...
 
Gypsy there isn't much to the cooling system. There are a few things to check. Look for air bubbles in the overflaow tank, check the exhaust for moisture, Check engine compression, check plugs for water fouling, Remove thermostat and plug off. Those are just some things that come to mind which could indicate head gasket problems. Good luck
 
don't forget to leave cap off til all air bubbles have gone then replace cap engine running while cap is off. almost forgot to do it when i changed fluids on my 75. ran the blue stuff ( something ice from local honda dealer) and i runs cool even in texas heat.
 
first off ..take the thermostat out before the head gaskit blows ....then ride it ,,,if it still getting hot it eliminates the thermo ...with the water contantly moving is a whole bunch easier to figure out whats up ....

me personaly i dont use the thermostrat at all ..the pumps are weak to non existant fow rate to begin with ...the system are thirty yrs old ...the gas today is crappy and contributes to hotter running ...oldwings have dam near non existant parts support ...i would never have my oldwing at the mercy of a cheap thermostat blocking flow rate ....i have never had a head gaskit go out or overheating constantly ..... :mrgreen:
 
Agreed. If running without the thermostat bothers you at least switch to a summer restrictor plate. That at least you'll know is open. And while you are there check to see if the bypass is plugged. But as stated above. These water pumps are not pushing a lot of coolant.
 
slabghost":3pu4vchr said:
These water pumps are not pushing a lot of coolant.

I'm gonna have to disagree with that statement. I had my top hose off and ran the engine and that pump really put out! Aluminum engines heat and cool pretty quick and a properly working coolant system should be trouble free. Key here is properly working coolant system. Any one component not working correctly, from a bad thermostat, wrong coolant, too much water (yeah...too much water will cause a boil over real easy), fan coming on late, dirty radiator, clogged bypass or dirty cross over tubes will cause overheating.

Of course, a bad head gasket will also cause overheating, but lets not go there yet!

Joe has run without thermostats for some time with no reported problems. I personally always use a thermostat and have also had no reported problems.( :smilie_happy: )


You have'nt played with your timing recently have you?

Oh...a simple thing to check...is your expansion tank hose connected in the bottom of the tank? They often come off at the fitting in the tank allowing air into the radiator as the engine cools.
 
thanks for all the tips. the only thing i haven't tried but am going to next, is the coolant. im currently running it without a thermostat, thinking that would solve it temporarily but to no avail. i have timed it a couple of times, and have a dyna electronic ignition on the way to solve that problem. i have 2 weeks to figure this out, i have a trip to Phoenix that i need this bike for!
 
mcgovern61":2v5wcbim said:
slabghost":2v5wcbim said:
These water pumps are not pushing a lot of coolant.

I'm gonna have to disagree with that statement. I had my top hose off and ran the engine and that pump really put out! Aluminum engines heat and cool pretty quick and a properly working coolant system should be trouble free. Key here is properly working coolant system. Any one component not working correctly, from a bad thermostat, wrong coolant, too much water (yeah...too much water will cause a boil over real easy), fan coming on late, dirty radiator, clogged bypass or dirty cross over tubes will cause overheating.

Of course, a bad head gasket will also cause overheating, but lets not go there yet!

Joe has run without thermostats for some time with no reported problems. I personally always use a thermostat and have also had no reported problems.( :smilie_happy: )


You have'nt played with your timing recently have you?

Oh...a simple thing to check...is your expansion tank hose connected in the bottom of the tank? They often come off at the fitting in the tank allowing air into the radiator as the engine cools.
I'm not saying the pumps don't work or perform their function. They just don't push the flow of the auto or truck counterparts.
 
im thinking now as toy says fill with cap off run it and watch for circulate ...its either blown head gaskit pushing more pressure than the pump can overcome and it will probably air bubble out the radiator....or a cracked head we had that once here boy that was a mess to figure out ....or just plane bad pump or water pump drive could be broke ....i wouldnt waste any money on coolant it aint that
 
slabghost":29t4t6cg said:
mcgovern61":29t4t6cg said:
slabghost":29t4t6cg said:
These water pumps are not pushing a lot of coolant.

I'm gonna have to disagree with that statement. I had my top hose off and ran the engine and that pump really put out! Aluminum engines heat and cool pretty quick and a properly working coolant system should be trouble free. Key here is properly working coolant system. Any one component not working correctly, from a bad thermostat, wrong coolant, too much water (yeah...too much water will cause a boil over real easy), fan coming on late, dirty radiator, clogged bypass or dirty cross over tubes will cause overheating.

Of course, a bad head gasket will also cause overheating, but lets not go there yet!

Joe has run without thermostats for some time with no reported problems. I personally always use a thermostat and have also had no reported problems.( :smilie_happy: )


You have'nt played with your timing recently have you?

Oh...a simple thing to check...is your expansion tank hose connected in the bottom of the tank? They often come off at the fitting in the tank allowing air into the radiator as the engine cools.
I'm not saying the pumps don't work or perform their function. They just don't push the flow of the auto or truck counterparts.

I dont buy it either.These pump impelers are every bit as big as any auto pump for engines and cooling systems twice the size.

As for the T=stat,Its there for a purpose,like every other part of the cooling system.Removing it for diagnostic purposes makes cents,but its not a fix.
If everything was working correctly there would be no need to remove it or add Watter Wetter,Purple Ice,40 below...or any other off the wall act of desperation.

With that said,I have been rethinking the use of a thermostat not for a cooling advantage,my 1100 runs very cool,but rather the thought of having it fail on a trip knowing how hard it is to remove it on the side of the road.But then again,I believe I used a FAILSAFE stat.
 
This may be a stupid question and I am certain you have already done so but while heating up the engine did you place your hand on the face of the rad to identify warm hot and cold spots?
If the bike is new how do you know the PO did not ues stop leak or something that plugged some of the vanes. The clean water makes me wonder.

:smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: BTW not the fan side of the rad :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:
 
there are no obvious signs of a blown head gasket or cracked head, as far as water pumps go, i just put a brand spanking new one in a week ago. but tomorrow i will def check for flow just in case!
 
GypsyBFC":2tz4igtt said:
there are no obvious signs of a blown head gasket or cracked head, as far as water pumps go, i just put a brand spanking new one in a week ago. but tomorrow i will def check for flow just in case!


Waiting with baited breath!!
 

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im thinking the water pump drive might be broke did you phisicly ceck to see if water turned with motor...if the flow test fails and its not circulating ...check the water drive ...behind the pump for turning with motor ....
 
after a couple of days of messing around with it, we have come to the conclusion it is something internal. we tested and or changed every component of the cooling system! here is the head scratcher, there are no obvious signs of a blown or bad head gasket, or cracked head! the timing isn't perfect and it might be running a little lean, would this make my bike overheat this radically?!
 
GypsyBFC":j4n1uenc said:
after a couple of days of messing around with it, we have come to the conclusion it is something internal. we tested and or changed every component of the cooling system! here is the head scratcher, there are no obvious signs of a blown or bad head gasket, or cracked head! the timing isn't perfect and it might be running a little lean, would this make my bike overheat this radically?!
It would be very useful for diagnostic reasons to post exactly what you done so far and the results. Otherwise, we are just shooting into the wind.

BTW, did you check to see if the expansion tank tube is actually connected inside the tank?

Water boiling out with no thermostat in is not good and could be pointing to a cracked head.

Timing can cause the engine to run warm, but should not cause boiling. Does the fan come on? Is the fan spinning the right way? (air should be being pulled into the radiator and exhausting towards the engine). We had a member that had his fan switch replaced and the wires were reversed.

Dumb question, can you see the water pump impeller turning? If it is an aftermarket pump, are the vanes of the pump turing in the right direction to push water? (Not all aftermarket pumps come with the correct impeller. A reversed impeller will cavitate and not push the water correctly.)
 
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