2007 Running too hot?

[FJRLoonie]

I think one of hppants "shampoo bottles" with a cork style stopper should work!

 

[dcarver]

PM sent with possible replacement from Naomi...

 

[RossKean]

Maybe - but by the time I get through the tequila in it so I can put it on the bike, I won't be in any shape to do the work!

Not a lot of space in there but a flat bottle like that might fit and will consider if the patches don't work.

 

[RossKean]

Thanks Don

PM back at ya!

 

[RossKean]

On the patching test (described above in post #58), I had limited success. The fiberglass combined with either the RTV silicone or the JB Weld epoxy did not adhere at all well. I was disappointed although not terribly surprised. The cyanoacrylate and fiberglass seems to be more promising. I think I will have a go with that unless someone has a better idea of something to try. Since the CA is so thin, I am a little concerned about leaking THROUGH the patch. It may get a coating of the JB Weld over the top to waterproof it.

 

[BkerChuck]

Funny that you should have that overflow tank crack. Not funny as in Ha Ha, but as in odd. My coworker with an '06 just went through this and noticed the start of a crack on my '07 when he was showing me where his cracked.I changed mine out on Saturday in about 45 minutes. He still has the replacement sitting on his workbench and I'm going over to change his this weekend for him while his wife has him knocking out a pretty extensive honey do list.

Since changing that tank my bike is now running the normal 4 bars on the temp gauge again. I did discover I may not have had the rubber cap/plug seated fully on the tank from the last time I changed coolant. Perhaps this contributed?

Perhaps a lot of us early Gen 2 owners may want to consider having a replacement overflow tank on hand. They might be nearing the end of their life expectancy.

 

[hppants]

Ross: Please re-consider the shampoo bottle filled with your favorite happy juice. Mine's Tequila, and I do highly recommend it, but truthfully, any ole happy juice will suffice. Then grab some lawn chairs and perhaps one or two of your best local riding buddies. Ya'll sit down in the driveway close to the FJR and just casually pass the shampoo bottle around. Nothing too aggressive, or show boating. Just reminisce about the trips you have had in 217,000 kms with that black cherry beauty. Shoot the **** about future and upcoming adventures yet to come.

By the time you get about 1/2 way down the shampoo bottle, things will start to get much better. I mean - there are all kinds of problems in this world. People are fighting, starving, suffering.... it's a mess out there. There's disease, viruses, bacteria - stuff I can't even pronounce, let alone spell. Kids with broken homes, you're church is in desperate need of something (every church is in perpetual and desperate need of something). It's rough, man.

it won't take long for you to realize that it's not that bad in the driveway. You know what the problem is, you have the knowledge and resources to fix it many ways, and you've got your shampoo bottle handy to keep you warm and fuzzy throughout the entire ordeal.

Take it from Anal ******* Pants. It's works, man.

Seriously - I hope one of your temp. fixes works. Have you thought about Plasti-fix? Or Plasti-weld? I've seen some pretty impressive fixes on the tabs for side plastic panels for old UJM motorcycles that were made from unobtainium.

https://www.amazon.com/J-B-Weld-8237-PlasticWeld-Plastic/dp/B003S2E4UE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499346410&sr=8-2&keywords=plastiweld

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=y/jqQ7D/&id=FFB3B906C82AA7F858E93BC96D0473AE1D989240&thid=OIP.y_jqQ7D_miAX4u_yWdV6UAD6D6&q=plastifix&simid=608028518707694119&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0

I'll plan to check back into this thread tomorrow afternoon, after I grab my shampoo bottle....

 

[RossKean]

Since changing that tank my bike is now running the normal 4 bars on the temp gauge again. I did discover I may not have had the rubber cap/plug seated fully on the tank from the last time I changed coolant. Perhaps this contributed?
Perhaps a lot of us early Gen 2 owners may want to consider having a replacement overflow tank on hand. They might be nearing the end of their life expectancy.

Interesting. I have heard about a few others cracking as well. Polyethylene sometimes gets very brittle over time and it seems to have as much to do with the initial polymer quality as it does with environment. Certainly, heat and chemical contact have an effect but I have seen many very old recovery tanks with NO issues at all. Since the item is backordered, I am going to have to make do with a repaired unit for a couple of weeks. The fit of the rubber cap wouldn't do a thing as long as it was still in place - the tank is not pressurized and the cap just serves to hold the hose from the radiator in place and the overflow/vent line (and keep coolant from splashing out).

Ross: Please re-consider the shampoo bottle filled with your favorite happy juice...
Seriously - I hope one of your temp. fixes works. Have you thought about Plasti-fix? Or Plasti-weld? I've seen some pretty impressive fixes on the tabs for side plastic panels for old UJM motorcycles that were made from unobtainium.

I'll plan to check back into this thread tomorrow afternoon, after I grab my shampoo bottle....

I like the way you think, 'Pants (re. Shampoo bottle activities). I think the CA and fiberglass is going to work, at least for now.

I found a patch "kit" for plastic tanks at a local hardware store but they wanted $20 for it (it was just a fiberglass patch, some epoxy some cleaner and sandpaper). The JB Weld plastic repair product you linked specifically states that it does not adhere to polyethylene. I did a search on the Plastifix product as well and it does not work on polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) either (and it was almost $40). It is really difficult to find anything that sticks well to this type of plastic.

Thermal welding with a soldering iron works fairly well with new (not degraded) polyolefins but I am afraid that the remaining structural integrity of this embrittled tank would disappear and the plastic would end out a waxy mess that could crumble readily.

 

[RossKean]

Seal-All and fibreglass cloth. Hope it holds until the new one arrives!

 

[dcarver]

Well?

 

[RossKean]

Patched expansion tank held until the new one came in. Subsequent hole-in-radiator (from a different thread) still OK a week and 3500 miles after having it patched.