GL1100 - fill empty radiator from overflow tank?

[Hawk8]

Ok. By now most of you may have gathered that I can tend to be a 'jump in with my eyes closed' kinda guy. Although I find no greater satisfaction than the feeling of taking my time and doing something right, my schedule has become so complicated that if I am to take my time, the job typically just won't happen...so when it's possible, I will take a shortcut or half-ass a job (typically to my own detriment).
The point?
Not too long ago I drained my coolant, I'll spare the how's and why's...
Looking into the means by which I would refill the coolant I found that basically, the right way is to remove the upper fairing, woo woo woo...
But there is a half-ass shortcut; fill from the overflow tank, one gulp at a time. How could I resist!?
Looking for details on where to find the overflow cap, I found someone else saying he 'learned the hard way' not to try this trick with an empty radiator. Me being me, I decided to do it anyway. I filled the overflow tank, ran the bike 'til the temp gauge hit the half way point, then shut it down and waited. Just as expected, my thirsty girl drank up all that was there. I filled the overflow tank a couple more times (took about a gallon). And never seemed to have a problem.
I was going to leave well enough alone and put this one behind me, but now that I'm preparing to change the timing belts I feel I should check in before I do this again. Did this other guy maybe run his bike to too high a temp? Or have I just not yet seen the consequences of my chronic half-assery?

 

[joedrum]

if time is the deal its much easier to fill at cap ...one time all the way up ...course i use no thermostat and there is nothing that prevents fill up at all ....thats my way ...on the hooch bike i use restrictor plate as coolant flow adjuster to get best radiator time in motor to cool coolant

 

[slabghost]

Too long a process for me. If you continue to use this process ignore the temp gauge. Use your hand to check if motor has warmed. When it's almost hot enough to burn shut it down. If there is an air pocket at the sending unit it will not read or will read wrong. If you have small hands you can reach the radiator cap with the shelter in place.

 

[AApple]

slabghost » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:26 am[/url]":b1wj6qvv]
If you have small hands you can reach the radiator cap with the shelter in place.

:shock: :headscratch: :shock:
Perhaps on a nekkid Wing you could, but not on a dresser, far as I can tell. I have to remove the shelter to even SEE the dang rad cap. Pull the seat, pop the shelter off, and yer there. 5 minutes max. Then you can fill the rad easily, hot or cold.
I certainly wouldn't recommend using the empty rad the fill thru the reservoir method, but that's just me. Water pump running dry is hard on the seals, as well as not being able to have any control of the engine temps that way.....kinda scary, imo. :nea:

btw...unlike Joe(and others), I still run a thermostat, but I did drill several 1/8" holes around the outside edge of it to allow full time coolant flow, so no air pockets for me, either. :yes:

 

[dan filipi]

Risk of pump seal damage is the main reason I wouldn't do it this way.

 

[zman]

agree, gotta take the tank off, the radiator tubing enters at the top of the overflow tank not bottom so gravity wont send fluid into the radiator.

 

[Hawk8]

AApple » 33 minutes ago[/url]":bxsfllfu]

slabghost » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:26 am[/url]":bxsfllfu]
If you have small hands you can reach the radiator cap with the shelter in place.

:shock: :headscratch: :shock:
Perhaps on a nekkid Wing you could, but not on a dresser, far as I can tell. I have to remove the shelter to even SEE the dang rad cap. Pull the seat, pop the shelter off, and yer there. 5 minutes max. Then you can fill the rad easily, hot or cold.
I certainly wouldn't recommend using the empty rad the fill thru the reservoir method, but that's just me. Water pump running dry is hard on the seals, as well as not being able to have any control of the engine temps that way.....kinda scary, imo. :nea:

btw...unlike Joe(and others), I still run a thermostat, but I did drill several 1/8" holes around the outside edge of it to allow full time coolant flow, so no air pockets for me, either. :yes:

Would you post a picture or sketch of your drilled thermostat? I'd kinda like to get on that bandwagon

 

[AApple]

Gots no pikchurs of mine, but this is how I do it. I should have not put as many as I did, but it still works. I think too many prolly causes a little too much turbulance right there, and might create a flow problem, but I have no proof....just a thought I had after I did it. I normally will only put one extra 1/8" hole in them. I do this on ALL of my vehicles when I put a thermostat in them.....done it like this as long as I can remember. :good:

glthermo

• AApple
• Oct 5, 2015

 

[Hawk8]

AApple » Today, 6:23 pm[/url]":3ldltcfe]
Gots no pikchurs of mine, but this is how I do it. I should have not put as many as I did, but it still works. I think too many prolly causes a little too much turbulance right there, and might create a flow problem, but I have no proof....just a thought I had after I did it. I normally will only put one extra 1/8" hole in them. I do this on ALL of my vehicles when I put a thermostat in them.....done it like this as long as I can remember. :good:

Thanks AApple...sure makes plenty of sense to me, seems like a fool proof fail safe. I might try to find my thermostat and replace it while I've already got everything drained and opened to refill, I can't help but wonder if it's already stuck open since I filled from the o-flow tank last time around. I definitely won't be trying to do that again, sounds like the risk:reward ratio there is stacked heavily against the shortcut.

 

[Denver]

Shelter's not that bad at all to remove.

 

[joedrum]

the 1100s have some really dumb flaws in set up ....dont let that bite you ....but there also great bikes ....

 

[Denver]

Joe's right, 1100's were the first attempt at improving the bike, :read: 83 1100's, & 84 1200's, were the best 4 cylinder's to have. :builder:

 

[Hawk8]

Denver » Today, 9:22 am[/url]":2ggm07q6]
Joe's right, 1100's were the first attempt at improving the bike, :read: 83 1100's, & 84 1200's, were the best 4 cylinder's to have. :builder:

I have heard tell-tale stories of guys who've spent the past 20 years keeping up-to-date with the Goldwing models claiming exactly that; that they'd go back to the 11 or 1200 before anything else...I'm still in the honeymoon phase, nothing could convince my there's anything wrong with this baby just yet...

 

[slabghost]

Hawk8 » Tue Oct 06, 2015 12:59 pm[/url]":3b54y9vz]

Denver » Today, 9:22 am[/url]":3b54y9vz]
Joe's right, 1100's were the first attempt at improving the bike, :read: 83 1100's, & 84 1200's, were the best 4 cylinder's to have. :builder:

I have heard tell-tale stories of guys who've spent the past 20 years keeping up-to-date with the Goldwing models claiming exactly that; that they'd go back to the 11 or 1200 before anything else...I'm still in the honeymoon phase, nothing could convince my there's anything wrong with this baby just yet...

No one is trying any such thing. Truth be told each model and year has at least one advantage over the other years. Much of these advantages can be combined into one bike as Joe has. Each of us has our own list of things we want in a bike. Once the bike has those things the bike is fine for us.

 

[joedrum]

gee wizz i was talking about the simple fact the radiator cap hard to get too....my my ..it is what the thread is about sheesh ....i think i said 1100s are great bikes ..im not even backing up to look ....

this post was directed at denver .....the 1100s are great bikes but the radiator cap is a pain ...the 1100 bikes are great bikes ...always fill radiator right for all the reasons others have posted ....i was not slaming 1100s at all ..to be quite honest they are my favorite dresser ...as they can be dressed or made into standard bike or naked even more and completely easy to do that ..... :BigGrin: