Uh Oh!.... :'( Coolant doesn't look right.

[MissBex]

Hello once again all,

So since replacing the rad and figuring out the overflowing coolant was due to a non connected hose to the reservoir, bike has been fine.

Today I was going to take her for a ride and thought I nest check the coolant in the rad, make sure it was all ok as hadn't checked it for a while - took the cap off to find the coolant looking milky and a thin yellowy-brown coating around the neck and on the rad cap.



I can only assume this is probably head gasket? Someone did mention it could be something to do with oil cooler o-rings.

I spoke to the Honda garage on the phone and the guy says he wouldn't think it would be head gasket as I'd notice other problems too and could just be oily residue from the new rad mixing with the coolant. He said I should firstly just do a coolant change again and see if it does it again.

I'm worried about running the bike though in case I make it worse.
I did run it just now though to check the oil. Let it sit running for several mins on the abbastand and oil and level seem fine.

https://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/BBBikergirl/001sm_zpsamushn7p.jpg

https://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/BBBikergirl/004sm_zpsnoqpmcmw.jpg

https://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/BBBikergirl/007sm_zpspigst6xt.jpg

Thinking about it.. it's only done this since connecting the hose back up to the reservoir that I found unconnected, which was why coolant was coming out from the bike somewhere.... I wonder if the coolant in the reservoir was just manky maybe? But then again, how would it have got like that in the first place :/
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Direct Access Passed - 30/05/14
00' Honda Hornet 600

[CaNsA]

Looks fine, might be worth draining the coolant from the system and check for any oil... if only to put your mind at rest.

[RhynoCZ]

Was the radiator clean before you fitted it?
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[MissBex]

I flushed it with distilled water before fitting it. It's a Delkevic one.

The coolant I used was the Honda stuff - it's blue. But the stuff it had in it before was green. When I found the unconnected hose to the reservoir, the stuff in the reservoir - that was green - has obviously mixed with the blue and it now looks greener.

Yeah I'm gonna order a bit more coolant as I don't think I have quite enough, and do a complete change and See what it looks like.

That yellowy-brown coating around the cap and rad neck is worrying to me (They are usually silver) and I can see swirls/streaks in the coolant.
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Direct Access Passed - 30/05/14
00' Honda Hornet 600

[CaNsA]

Bex.

It's fine.

It's not broken.

Leave it alone.

[MCN]

Whenever I flush coolant I use a flushing solution to lift any residue. Tap water is fine to flush out.
Fill with flushing solution/Cleaner and top up with tap water. (Bleed air out.)
Run the engine until the thermostat opens (until the fan comes on.
Stick Kettle on.
Check level again.
Best if you can take it for a blast.
Allow the engine to cool a bit as opening the cap will blow steam and water out and can burn your wee handy-pops. Some say, Draining the water out will let cold air into the hot engine which may not be good either.
Fill with clean water run the engine (to open thermostat) and drain.
Repeat this until drained water is clear.
Usually two or three will have it sparkling.
Fill with pre-mix or 50% AF (with 2% inhibitor) and 50% clean water Tap is good.
Bleed.
Run to temp.
Kettle.
Check level.
Monitor for a day or two.
No sign of problems then leave it a week or so and re-check.

As the Honda man suggested, the residue may be a mix of two compounds, factory and after-market. Or some sort of spunk from the Rad. maker's manufacturing or a preservation process.
A burst head gasket 'normally' results in compression gas escape into the coolant which causes 'pressurisation'. That will quickly blow the coolant out the engine.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[MissBex]

It smells bad too, not like the normal sweet antifreeze smell, more like a gone off horrid smell.

I'll order some more antifreeze in and drain it out as I say and then see, but I'm just worried about running it, it doesn't look right at all to me.

When you say 'blow coolant out the engine', would I see something happen?

The bike runs fine as I'm riding - Honda man says should be under a quarter - which it is.

In traffic/idling etc.. it can get quite hot, but never goes into the red and the fan kicks in to bring it down to around 2/3's to 3/4's until I start moving again.
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Direct Access Passed - 30/05/14
00' Honda Hornet 600

[MCN]

[MissBex]

Yeah that was my worry if it's the oil mixing with the coolant.

Oil in it is Motul 10w30 - it's what the Honda garage put in it on the service a few months ago.
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Direct Access Passed - 30/05/14
00' Honda Hornet 600

[Suntan Sid]

If it's the oil cooler seals, eventually your bike will spew out a load of, brownish, "mayonaise" via the coolant overflow.
It's quite an easy job, exhaust off, drain coolant, remove oilcooler, replace O rings then put it back together, should take a couple of hours max and a much better scenario than a leaky head gasket!
Also if it's the oil cooler it's unlikely you'll see anything in the oil, just oil in the water!
I started a thread, a few years ago, when the seals went on my oil cooler, you should find it if you use the search facility.
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[MCN]

[P.]

Stop worrying. It looks perfectly fine.

When something does go wrong with the coolant or oil side of things, you'll see it externally. Not just under the cap

[MissBex]

[MissBex]

[CaNsA]

Yours and everyone else's.

LEAVE IT ALONE.

IT IS FINE.

[P.]

I'll send you a photo of all 3 of my rad caps tomorrow. Daily runners that look 100 times worse that have no issues

[MissBex]

[CaNsA]

I don't know why I fucking bother....

[MissBex]

Sorry CaNsA

I really do appreciate your advice, but saying it's fine, just leave it doesn't put my mind at ease right now when I feel something isn't right with it. You could be right, it might be fine, but I know it didn't look like that before and I know that these kind of symptoms could be early warning signs of something bad, so I want to make extra sure it really is ok rather than just leave it and risk it.

I've ordered some coolant which'll be here during next week (Which I have off work, yay) and I'll do a coolant change just for peice of mind if nothing else. Then see what it does from there.
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Direct Access Passed - 30/05/14
00' Honda Hornet 600

[CaNsA]

its gunk getting released from the coolant system because of the fresh coolant you have put in there.

Paddy, is your coolant as clean as the day you put it in?

[P.]

Most certainly not.

My pipes are likely dirty and the engine isn't as clean as one would expect. I'd not expect my coolant to be perfect.

[Vincent]

Maybe it's some Rad Weld or similar that the PO stuck in the system after he punctured the rad and it's still lurking about?

I'm away for a week later this afternoon but if you want a second opinion, before I go...........?
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[MissBex]

[Vincent]

[Vincent]

Apart from he weird colour Delkevic use to line the inside of the rad, I can't see much wrong in the pics. As above, I'd just keep an eye on the temp and check the oil for water periodically for now.
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Space Is Deep