Biker
Member
As above. Can I still ride the bike (weekend normal road use) while I await a new coolant bottle?
Cheers
Adil
Cheers
Adil
Biker
Member
P
Piccie
Piccie
DukeMaster
New Member
No, you will lose coolant and your engine will overheat. Get the replacement and then drive it.
Biker
Member
Doesn't the overflow pipe just remain open anyway hanging under the bike? Thats why wonderingThanks
DukeMaster
New Member
No, thats the expansion tank. It has to maintain a certain pressure when hot.
DukeMaster
New Member
Are you sure that hose is disconnected and open on the other side. If thats the case then you can drive it.
green_bread
Member
DukeMaster is wrong. That is the overflow tube for the overflow reservoir. It is an open line and you can keep riding the bike with no worries. The only thing that will happen if your bike overheats would be the coolant would blow all over you, rather than out under the bike. My bike has the same broken piece and is fine
Biker
Member
philipviana
Member
Nice timing. This is the exact same problem that happened to me when I did some routine cleaning two weeks ago. I followed the line down to the bottom of the fairing/oilpan and noticed the hose just dangles with no tank or reservoir. See this thread:
http://www.rc390-forum.com/forum/track-days-racing/1686-overflow-catch-bottle.html
It's comforting knowing I am not alone in having this break... Seems like the plastic is brittle and cheap on that compensating tank.
I'd like to still find a way to reconnect the hose so the overflow drips to the oil pan and not all over my gas tank. I feel like superglue won't due the job. Has anyone here figured out a good way to jerry-rig the hose back on to the compensating tank?
http://www.rc390-forum.com/forum/track-days-racing/1686-overflow-catch-bottle.html
It's comforting knowing I am not alone in having this break... Seems like the plastic is brittle and cheap on that compensating tank.
I'd like to still find a way to reconnect the hose so the overflow drips to the oil pan and not all over my gas tank. I feel like superglue won't due the job. Has anyone here figured out a good way to jerry-rig the hose back on to the compensating tank?
Unless your radiator cap is feeding pressure back into the coolant reservoir when hot, it should be inconsequential that your overflow hose is disconnected from the tank. if the radiator pressure exceeds the 1.4 bar capacity of the OEM radiator cap, then steam/air/hot coolant will escape from the cap and flow into the reservoir. Overflow in such circumstances is not uncommon: ie "puking". In this case, it would spew onto the interior of your right side fairing, rather than going into the bellypan where the hose would direct it. But if you have not had overflow problems previously, that suggests your OEM radiator cap is up to the task. I don't think a broken nipple necessarily means grounding your bike. Most 390' s do not have coolant overflow. But if it does occur, it would just be messier than usual, with coolant spewing onto the interior of your fairing. I think you can ride the bike - but just be attentive in monitoring the coolant overflow possibility. Replace the tank and hose as soon as possible.
Biker
Member
If you open the cap you will see that the plastic pipe actually extends well into the reservoir. Am planning to epoxy a metal pipe (such as a brake line) into the stump and finish it off with a flaring tool. A new expansion bottle is as likely to snap. My bike is barely 1000 km old and literally the pipe snapped as I was gently moving the rubber hose to look at the electrics.
philipviana
Member
Exactly. Why pay for a new plastic tank if its just going to snap again? Please share a photo if your fix works.
I just drill and tap the reservoir and install a 90 degree plastic fitting. So it doesn't get hit by the battery door... Cheap and easy fix! Lots of customers break theirs and don't even know it until I notice it. There's no pressure on it just atmospheric and coolant thru it if it gets that high and pukes out.
green_bread
Member
Man.. that is brilliant. Why didnt I think of that?!?!?! And yeah, more times than not, its the damn battery cover removal that causes it to break. I know thats what happened to mine.... *cough*DCMoney*cough*.
Biker
Member
Like this solution!
TomHertz
New Member
Hey Chad... I like this fix and I have a stupid noob question - here in oz I'm having trouble locating a plastic fitting locally. I don't think there is but would there be any issues replacing it with a brass one (they are plentiful in every size)? And did you take the tank off to do this fix or is it possible while it's still on the bike? I'd do it carefully obviously, but when I was looking at it I was concerned about the odd plastic shaving getting in there.
I replaced mine with a stainless steel nipple sized for the existing drain tube that had a #10-32 thread on one side and an O-ring seal. I bought it on line for the McMaster Carr web site. The through hole in the plastic tank, where the original nipple broke off, is almost the same diameter as the required tap drill size for the #10-32. So instead of drilling I just tapped the hole and screwed in the nipple. There is plenty of wall thickness in the tank to fully engage the threads. Because the tank is a soft blow molded plastic I placed a small dab of 5 minute epoxy on the threads and just snugged the nipple down about an eighth of a turn after the O-ring made contact with the tank wall. The whole job could be done with out removing the tank from the frame.
Fasteddy
Member
Do you have a part number from McMaster? can't find any 10-32 fittings....
the McMaster Carr number is 4406T14. The part that comes does not look exactly like the image in the drawing. The threads are much shorter and the barbed end longer. If your nipple on the overflow tank did not break off cleanly, with a relatively flat face, you might have to flatten it out.
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