Coolant leak after hose replacement 0n '98

[billy1ear]

Like the title says I replaced the coolant hoses on my 98 vmax as they appeared to be original and were pretty sketchy.
Bought some made in China silicone hoses as they were much cheaper than oem.
Seemed to go well but I saw a drip at the large hose at the bottom of the radiator where it goes into something that looks like a thermostat housing on a car. At first I though it was the oring had failed on the pipe that goes into the engine block so I replaced that along with the oring for the drain petcock twisty thing. That fixed nothing.
Upon closer inspection it looked as if it might be weeping from the hose so I tightened it, no joy. Took it off twice and was unable to stop it.
Took the lower hose off again and put rtv on in as a last resort.
Rode it for about 30 min after the rtv thing and it was dry, hurray!
Looked at it before I went to bed last night and there was a puddle.
When it was hot it was dry but at room temp it leaked.
Am now thinking that the housing (plastic?) that looks similar to a car thermostat housing has a oring under it that is old like the hoses and when I pried off the old hose it broke the seal . I have old eyes and cant make out the exact place where the leak is from as it is awkward and small

Can anyone tell me if I might be on the right track?

Thanks in advance

 

[Bill Seward]

Every time I ride my '85 to Thunder, about 250 miles, I get a little puddle of coolant under the thermostat area, just like you describe. Just the first day. It happens overnight. I never use enough coolant to add any, and honestly, don't change it very often. Usage is minimal, and it only leaks a tiny bit after a long ride.

I stopped worrying about it.

 

[billy1ear]

Thanks for the reply.
My puddle was about 1/8 to 1/4 of a cup.
Did not check the overflow tank as the puddle was in the same place where the leak I spotted was pooling earlier. Will check overflow when I get home to see if it is full and may have caused the puddle.

 

[Bill Seward]

I never lost that much... Coolant spreads out real thin, it may not be that much of a leak.

 

[billy1ear]

I put a drip pan under it yesterday morning and this morning it had about 1/2 cup in the pan, plus whatever it lost before I stuck a catch pan under it. So it needs to be fixed.
Looked at parts schematic and saw that that it is a thermostat housing and it has an oring and a seal on it.
Has anyone ever seen the thermostat housing leak at the mating surfaces? Or had trouble with getting the hose to seal (because housing is plastic?)?
I ask because I cannot tell where the drip is coming from. The hose or the thermostat housing seal.

Thanks again.

 

[[email protected]]

I'd pull the housing cover and check for any signs of warping. Replace if warped.

I would consider buying the thermostat seal

SKU: 11H-12412-01-00​

SEAL, THERMOSTAT

And the O-ring for the cover.

SKU: 93210-45511-00​

O-RING

Both parts are less than $5 combined.
The housing is around $15 if needed.

After installing the new parts make sure the snout on the housing and the inside of the hose is dry and reassemble.

 

[billy1ear]

Thanks Mike,
Was putting a parts list together before I came back here.
Am going to replace the housing and seals. Saw where people found a non $62 thermostat for a •2001 Toyota Camry 2.2 L 2164 CC L4 5SFE DOHC will work in place of the oem thermostat so will replace that.
Now I just have to try and figure out how to remove the t-stat housing without removing the right side exhaust. Already had the radiator off 3 times so I have a handle on that.

Thanks again...

guess I will buy an oem lower radiator hose as well.

 

[sdt354]

Like the title says I replaced the coolant hoses on my 98 vmax as they appeared to be original and were pretty sketchy.
Bought some made in China silicone hoses as they were much cheaper than oem.
Seemed to go well but I saw a drip at the large hose at the bottom of the radiator where it goes into something that looks like a thermostat housing on a car. At first I though it was the oring had failed on the pipe that goes into the engine block so I replaced that along with the oring for the drain petcock twisty thing. That fixed nothing.
Upon closer inspection it looked as if it might be weeping from the hose so I tightened it, no joy. Took it off twice and was unable to stop it.
Took the lower hose off again and put rtv on in as a last resort.
Rode it for about 30 min after the rtv thing and it was dry, hurray!
Looked at it before I went to bed last night and there was a puddle.
When it was hot it was dry but at room temp it leaked.
Am now thinking that the housing (plastic?) that looks similar to a car thermostat housing has a oring under it that is old like the hoses and when I pried off the old hose it broke the seal . I have old eyes and cant make out the exact place where the leak is from as it is awkward and small

Can anyone tell me if I might be on the right track?

Thanks in advance

I switched to Silicone hoses and had some problems sealing them to. I ended up using a little sealer and double clamped some of them. Over tightening is to be avoided because the radiator connection will start to crush. Cleaning the surfaces well is a help. I can't live with leaks on my bike.

 

[billy1ear]

The last 2 replies pointed at the 2 issues that I was having trouble figuring out which one applied to my scooter. Guess I will try the new stock hose I bought 1st (if I can get the rtv silicone off).
and if that doesn't stop the drip I will move on to the thermostat housing.
Will post back with results.
Wish I could see well enough to tell if the drip was the hose connection or the housing seal.

Thanks much for the tips

 

[billy1ear]

Also has anyone been able to replace the thermostat housing without removing the exhaust? Don't really want to go down that road .
If I can use an ball head allen socket I might be able pull it off

 

[Bill Seward]

Someone told me a few years ago at Thunder, that someone makes, or made a metal housing top to replace the plastic one. I never got one, but if you investigate and find this part, please put the source up for the group. I'd probably buy one. I've got a new thermostat in a boz for 20 years, I'd put it in, but only if I could get the better cover.

 

[sdt354]

The last 2 replies pointed at the 2 issues that I was having trouble figuring out which one applied to my scooter. Guess I will try the new stock hose I bought 1st (if I can get the rtv silicone off).
and if that doesn't stop the drip I will move on to the thermostat housing.
Will post back with results.
Wish I could see well enough to tell if the drip was the hose connection or the housing seal.

Thanks much for the tips

I think wide T bolt clamps will solve your drip. They're for sale on E-bay. All stainless clamps are available.