Air cooled V-Rod ?

[Dave63]

As long as their air-cooled bikes can pass EPA standards, they'll be making them.

[Badassbrutus]

Cardboard under ur scoot see the drip and follow from there.Pressuerize the coolant system and do a leak down test,Also can be done on compression to see if your losing pressuer due to head gaskets or cracked heads.Im not saying this is the case but some simple test will steer you in the right direction.

Id start with the coolant leakdown at the rad.

[rjrivero]

Originally Posted by Nathang

I'm thinking I might have an air cooled V-Rod soon, if I don't figure out where I'm loosing coolant fluid.

( I'll bet a lot more V-Rod people looked quicker to see what kind of hooey would be here about an air cooled V-Rod than would in response to a request for maintenance advice.. )

I am a pretty experienced car wrench, as much as any guy who can't afford to take old cars to a shop, and have long ago wrenched on my Harleys.

BUT.. I'm kind of having a mental block about looking for leaking hoses and clamps on a motorcycle.

I also find that there is a tear in an oil vent hose between the rear cylinder and the intake.

So my LowRider has a lot more miles on it than the V-Rod, and has needed no maintenance at all, the V-Rod needs both coolant and oil hose maintenance or replacement. Swell.

So do any V-Rod owners have any info on the probability of a leak at the T intersection between the riser from the pump to the heads?



.

That is a common place to have leaks. Check the heat shrink clamp on the top of the hose from the water pump. It shouldn't be TOO hard to find, since the coolant dries into a white flakey powder when it dries.

[Nathang]

From the posts on the 1130cc forum, the oil vent hose is made of cheese

and the standard advice was buy more than one they don't last..

..so of course the dealer is gonna have to order it.

I figured, screw that, I'll order one, it's only $9.75 except shipping is over $12.

I think some pookie and shrink tubing or a re-invent with common

auto parts is in order.

Changed my plugs, another reminder of my appalling lack of torque wrenches,

86 in/lbs, thank heaven I have a digital spring scale and a ruler, and a little math,

8.6 lbs on a 10" lever should do it.

[msn1977]

I have an 08 no leaks yet.