Solved!: Leaking Radiator On Dirt Bike
White smoke, fizzles or and a whiff of a familiar smell that’s not new on your nose. You’ve probably got a leak in your radiator. Racing or riding with your bike too long will certainly be interrupted by your bike’s engine overheating and more problems. There are a lot of causes for a leak in your radiator but whether it’s small or big, you should stop using your bike and immediately plug the existing hole. Plugging the hole is not as easy as putting a cork in a bottle. You’ll need precise inspection on the radiator and also checking the hoses to find the problem which maybe one of the list below.
Leaking hose
Swollen hose
Leaking coolant from water pump or water pump weep hole
Leaking coolant from radiator over flow
Leaking radiator
Use your bike without giving a remedy on it will result to one or more of these radiator issues and it may crash, trade paint with other bikes etc.
Radiator Hose: Leakage
This is the easiest problem to fix. It is simply changing the damaged hose. Damage on your radiator hose can be acquired when it recently experienced a crash or maybe the hose became brittle or cracked through time and can’t hold the seal any much longer.
Radiator Hose: Clog in the Hose
If you see something unusual on the hose like something is stuck inside and it looks like a snake digesting a big rat, you should immediately shut off the bike to prevent it from spraying boiling coolant on your face. It is maybe a result of a clog in the cooling system usually on the water pump or on the radiator. Flushing it can do the job but it is recommended that changing it is better at this point.
Leaking Coolant from Radiator Overflow
A wrong pressure cap or a faulty radiator is sometimes ruining your poor bike by helping the coolant leak from the radiator overflow. But don’t blame the overheating or a water pump head gasket leak that causes too much chamber pressure. Gasket leak is doing its work by allowing combustion chamber pressure to go through into the cooling circuit and back.
Leaking Coolant from the Radiator
Crashes or roost from the guy that you are chasing is the reasons why your radiators get damaged. The best thing to do once it is damaged is to replace it immediately rather than fixing it. Driving in insanely muddy tracks can clog the radiator that may lead to overheating and possible damage to your engine or radiator.
“Prevention is better than cure”
Here’s some protection you can use to prevent issues that may occur.
• Radiator Louvers – Protection that wraps around the radiator
• Radiator Sleeve – Prevents sand/mud/debris from going near to the radiator
• Radiator Guards – Work in place of the louvers
• Radiator Braces – Guards the radiator from side impacts.
Replacing the radiator when it’s damaged is the best thing to do to avoid incoming issues later. One last thing, when trying to check the radiator, do not immediately open the pressure cap until the bike cools down.
