Coolant flush and tappets

chownsy · Post by **chownsy** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 12:51 pm

Rightio

My NC24 is nearing its final final final stages of being ready to MOT and then ride :D woo hoo.

ANyway today drained the water off to fill with anti freeze but the water is still coming out slightly dirty (rust coloured)

Would it be advisable to run a rad flush through this or whould i just leave it and run the antifreeze and water to stop the rusting further?

Next question

My engine when it was running sounded a bit tappety, Would it be advisable to adjust these (would have to reuse the same Gasket)

Also what is the best way to adjust these (been a while since i done tappets on a car, let alone a bike)

Many thanks for every one who has helped out so far on everything and my many questions.

Post by **porndoguk** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 1:12 pm

firstly rich are you coming here tomorrow for me to look at these carbs?

and secondly if you do come i got some distilled water you can have for free i make it in my dehumidifier as i got a dampish house so i save the water for bike and car coolant change, therefore it contains no minerals or shit likely to cause limescale and "block up your bikes arteries you can call it cholestrol free coolant"

i tend to stick a garden hose in top of system and just leave it on full for 15-20 mins with bottom hose off the rad or engine off and eventually it will push all the loose shit out.

you can run rad flush it wont hurt.

Post by **porndoguk** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 1:16 pm

id leave tappets for now buddy, as its a job that can go wrong if you dont do it right, its not hard but its fiddle and time consumming, get it moted then mess about with them bits afterwards.

chownsy · Post by **chownsy** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 1:31 pm

rickyb_dj wrote:firstly rich are you coming here tomorrow for me to look at these carbs?

and secondly if you do come i got some distilled water you can have for free i make it in my dehumidifier as i got a dampish house so i save the water for bike and car coolant change, therefore it contains no minerals or shit likely to cause limescale and "block up your bikes arteries you can call it cholestrol free coolant"

i tend to stick a garden hose in top of system and just leave it on full for 15-20 mins with bottom hose off the rad or engine off and eventually it will push all the loose shit out.

you can run rad flush it wont hurt.

Yes im coming up if thats still fine with you.

Ill take some water as i need some for my computers water cooling aswell so save me buying some for that too lol

I think ill run the rad flush as i have some here anyway i was going to run in the last engine before the headgasket went again.

Tappets ill leave alone for now then i think :)

hannakournikova · Post by **hannakournikova** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 1:47 pm

rickyb_dj wrote:i tend to stick a garden hose in top of system and just leave it on full for 15-20 mins

Jesus! minimum water supply is 12 Lpm, 15 mins and that is 180litres to flush a system.. overkill!?

Post by **porndoguk** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:08 pm

hannakournikova wrote:
rickyb_dj wrote:i tend to stick a garden hose in top of system and just leave it on full for 15-20 mins
Jesus! minimum water supply is 12 Lpm, 15 mins and that is 180litres to flush a system.. overkill!?

not if its full of shit, i just leave it running its only water.

im lucky to get 12 litres and hour let alone a min here!

Post by **Neosophist** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:47 pm

The rocker box gaskets are re-useable, there a rubber gasket.

The tappets are locknut, screw adustable so dont' require any expensive shims like on the NC30.

Maybe you should have done this when you had the engine apart.. / out along with all of the other fiddly maintainance.. its a lot easier without all the crap in the way... good valve clearances are the start of a healthy engine, too tight and its bad news.. too loose and you'll be down on power.

If there really rattly it is a common sign of a neglected engine, there a doddle to do on these and should be done at regular intervals if the owner cares about the motor...

Be very careful about what your putting in there... theoretically you shoulndn't have any-crap in there but it has probably been neglected (judging by tappets) so has probably had normal water and car-type anti-freeze in there.

While the system is drained take the cover off the water pump and thoroguly inspect the blades and make sure it spins ok.. do not remove the waterpump itself from the engine, all the oil will come out.

Underneath the waterpump is a small drain hole.. if water is comming out of here or its full of crusty water you have a failing waterpump... classic sign water is getting past the seals.. I had one sieze and snap off.. not fun when the engine is full of broken spindle.

Car type antifreeze and many water system cleaners contain silica (sand) which scrubs the system clean, on a delicate motorcycle engine these can cause problems, especially with the waterpump... silica anti-freeze will actually eat away at the waterpump blades.

Use motorcycle / silica free antifreeze and if your using a cooling system cleaner, i recommend the holts 2 part chemical cleaner from halfords, not the tub of sand type cleaner they sell.. this is a 30 minute boil that will clean the bike up nicely.

Theres two drain screws under the engine by the front down pipes, remove them too to help drain water.

Flush and reverse flush the rad and all pipes with a hosepipe...

chownsy · Post by **chownsy** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 4:07 pm

Neosophist wrote: Maybe you should have done this when you had the engine apart.. / out along with all of the other fiddly maintainance.. its a lot easier without all the crap in the way... good valve clearances are the start of a healthy engine, too tight and its bad news.. too loose and you'll be down on power.

Thats what hind sight is good for, I couldnt start the engine out the bike.

Whats the clearences for tappets then? Also they dont sound really really bad, just i can tell a tappety engine over a modern hydraulic tappet engine.

I will see what my coolant system cleaner consists of (its a 60 minute run i think)

I will go take the cover off the water pump then.

The antifreeze i have is from vauxhall (ill check to see what it contains) failing that ill have to take to the MOT with just water in it and then buy some antifreeze when there.

Post by **Neosophist** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:31 pm

that'll probably contain silica...

i always do them as a matter of course when the engines out.. only 4 bolts on each rocker and total free access to the engine.

Have a look in the valve clerance guide (its a sticky i belive) i'm sure i've posted in there..

chownsy · Post by **chownsy** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:43 pm

Neosophist wrote:that'll probably contain silica...

i always do them as a matter of course when the engines out.. only 4 bolts on each rocker and total free access to the engine.

Have a look in the valve clerance guide (its a sticky i belive) i'm sure i've posted in there..

roger roger, ill take a look later

ALso here are the fluids i got

Tetrosyl Carlube rapid radiator flush - Contains Sodium metasilicate (so yes silica) - this made me laugh, either 50 mile run or 10 mins idle at op temp (how in hell could one do 50miles in 10 mins so how they work that out is weird)

Antifreeze - VW or Vauxhall - Contains Ethylene-glycol 1 2

Coolant flush and tappets

Coolant flush and tappets

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