Jump to content

Another Cooling Question


Recommended Posts

  • Member Contributer

So I was reading several different topics on cooling issues.  In one of the topics someone posted that the 8th gen cooling fan is larger than the 6th gen fan.  Does anyone know this to be true?  Then the obvious, will it fit on and help a 6th gen with cooling?  My bike is an 08 6th gen and I'm interested in trying something to help cool it down in L.A. traffic.  I've ordered a new radiator cap to start like someone else suggested and plan on flushing the system this weekend and refreshing it with new fluids.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

It's typical for these bikes to see the temperature rise quickly in stop/start traffic to the point where the thermatic fan will kick in, even if your cooling system is in top shape and even on cold days, stop/start and very slow riding will cause this to happen.

The existing fan on the 6th gen just about covers the maximum surface area of the left radiator anyway, so can't see how trying to fit a larger one would help, even if it did help it would only speed up the temperature drop back to the fan cutoff temperature.

 

An idea might be to try and fit and additional fan to the right radiator, haven't heard if anyone has tried this.  Electrically it would be simple to wire in with a switch you could control when to use it, but fittment of the fan may be an issue.

Another thought could be a simple override switch on the existing fan so that you could manually run the fan continuously in stop/start conditions.

 

And yes from memory of my 6th gens. The cooling fan on the 8gen is larger. However even the 8th gen with its front mounted radiators still has the same temperature rise issues in stop/start traffic as the 6th gens. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Yesterday's temps hit 236f.  At one point starting from a stop, I got some loud piston knocking.  Looks like this weekend, I'm going to precociously change the oil, radiator fluids and change the cap on the radiator.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
17 minutes ago, alwaysaware said:

Yesterday's temps hit 236f.  At one point starting from a stop, I got some loud piston knocking.  Looks like this weekend, I'm going to precociously change the oil, radiator fluids and change the cap on the radiator.  

Maybe you should also have a good look at the state of your thermostat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I had a mazda miata which would overheat on hot days especially in slow driving.  I changed the water pump,  added a bigger radiator,  modified the coolant flow,  added more powerful aftermarket fans.   After every mod the problem got a little better but did not go away.   Then I dropped in an aftermarket alternator and the problem disappeared.  When the stock alternator got hot it cut voltage.  With the voltage reduced the fans did not turn as well which overheated the engine and consequentially heated the alternator even more.   If your VFR is overheating one thing to check is whether you have a voltage drop associated with the heating.  

 

Most auto parts stores will carry a thermostatic relay that has a probe which sticks between radiator fins.  Some of these are cheap,  primitive electro mechanical switches which rely on bimetallic switches and most of them have a dial to set the triggering temperature.   You can wire one of these to any circuit with enough power to run the fans or connect them directly to the battery through a fuse.  If you directly connect to the battery the fans will continue to run after the bike is turned off until the radiator reaches the cutoff temperature.

 

There are a large number of aftermarket radiator fans on the market and many of them flow much more air than stock fans.   They are frequently slimmer as well because they  are pancake fans where the fan blade body is part of the motor rather than having the motor and the blade as two separate components.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.