what colour was your coolant last time you changed it?

[markaboot]

mine looked like this! 





had to double check if it was water cooled or not, it looked like oil and smelt a bit like burnt caramel.

[darrsi]

Oh dear, that is oil, that ain't good at all..... 

[markaboot]

thought so, doing a compression test now.


edit: no i'm not because i don't have the right adapter

[His Dudeness]

look grim whatever it is. try taking one of the lower hoses off and run some water through it and see what comes out

[markaboot]

i flushed it all today, fresh water in. will run it a couple of times then flush again and put antifreeze in.


if was oil would i not have mayo in the radiator cap or worse on the oil cap?


i think its probably just really old coolant and well overdue a change.

[unfazed]

Are you sure you didn't open the oil plug instead instead of the coolant bolt
Not necessarily a compression problem, more than likely a water punp issue

[darrsi]

I have a feeling this could be connected to your rattle?


And it wouldn't matter if your coolant was 10 years old, it still wouldn't be that colour or texture!!

[markaboot]

yea me too 

[darrsi]

Some pointers here:   http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185740

[unfazed]

Three posibilities Water pump , head gasket or oil cooler .
Most likely the water pump mechanical seal if  there is no coolant in the oil.

[markaboot]

Three posibilities Water pump , head gasket or oil cooler .
Most likely the water pump mechanical seal if  there is no coolant in the oil.

yea oil looks ok from looking in the cap and window. very slight mayo on the cap thread, that normally i'd put down to condensation, im talking minimal amount, tiny tiny.
but then oil floats on water so any water would be in the bottom.


the coolant deff had an oily smell and feel on my fingers, but i've never seen oil and water mix without turning into mayo.

[unfazed]

Is this the same bike with the rattle when hot? It is certainly pointing to the pump on both posts.
The noise sounds like the impeller knocking off the casing due to a knackered bearing which has damaged the seal.

[darrsi]

Just read that the bearings can go on the impeller part of the pump.
I'd get your ear towards the water pump and get someone to rev the engine a little.

[unfazed]

I do believe thats what I said, water pump problem, if you read both threads
quiet when cold, rattles like mad when warm ?? 
what colour was your coolant last time you changed it?
They are related
and no you cannot get bearings or seals for it, the complete pump needs to be replaced.
Since it does not happen to often it is worth taking a chance on a second hand pump.

[darrsi]

I do believe thats what I said, water pump problem, if you read both threads
quiet when cold, rattles like mad when warm ?? 
what colour was your coolant last time you changed it?
They are related
and no you cannot get bearings or seals for it, the complete pump needs to be replaced.
Since it does not happen to often it is worth taking a chance on a second hand pump.

I know, and i do believe that i remember you posted as i was typing my answer at the same time.
And yes i know that he has the same name, the same bike, and i've been reading and commenting in both threads too, and i never mentioned buying bearings or seals for it, i was trying to pinpoint exactly where the actual fault was for starters!
Have a read and you'll see for yourself! 
Did we get a bit tiddly last night perchance? 

[unfazed]

Darrsi
Time for you to start reading the posts properly.
You must be having one of you DARSSI moments 
Go back an read them again.
 
 

[Gnasher]

mine looked like this! 





had to double check if it was water cooled or not, it looked like oil and smelt a bit like burnt caramel.

I've just seen this post, how long have you owned this bike?
 
Never seen this of on a Fazer before but on other bikes mainly race engines, somehow the coolant could been lost due to a leak or after doing some work i.e. loose pipe etc.  I've also seen it where debris has entered the system after major work or using an old watering can which jams the impeller and buggers the bearing.  The coolant is then lost through evaporation, oil enters via the buggered bearing/impeller shaft the bike is now oil cooled I will work but not for too long!
 
Fully and semi synthetic oil is that good today an engine can run with almost no loss of performance for a limited time with no coolant.  Bit of history here during WW2 most US carrier based aircraft engines where big radials, radials were mainly air cooled and preferred over water cooled engines at the time as they didn't have cooling systems that are venerable do battle damage.  The Pacific war was by definition fought over long range over water the planes had to get back to the carrier or ditch in the sea, risking loosing the pilot.
 
Battle damage often meant damage to engine oil tanks and possible total oil loss so they devolved oil additives (PTFE forerunners) slick 50 and such like, these would enable an engine to run without oil.  Which would keep the plane flying get the all important pilot/s back the the carrier the engine would be shot but they had plenty of them.
 
You need to do a major strip down to see what is going on with this engine or just get hold of a good second hand engine there are plenty out there.

[Dead Eye]

Just to answer the thread question, on both my Fazers the stuff that came out was luminous green and had the consistency of water. The stuff that's gone back in is more of a burnt orange colour - picked it up at Halfrauds

[darrsi]

I just read somewhere else that "Bars Stops Leaks" which is a different brand of RadWeld can make coolant oily over a period of time.

[Dead Eye]

If it could reliable change water into that sort of oil I'd be half tempted to put it in the engine haha

In all seriousness though, that doesn't look as though its been changed / altered, it looks like it literally is and always has been oil :P

[markaboot]

Had the water pump out this morning, looks fine, no play its clean, seals look good. No obvious signs of water and oil mixing, no mayo.

The coolant level has never dropped nor has oil level. Its possible a previous owner used a very light oil as coolant or a dark orange coolant perhaps.

A compression test showed even cylinder pressures.

[darrsi]

If all looks well i'd be inclined to use some RadFlush in the system and give the bike a good run, or leave it in the system for a couple of days then flush out and refill with proper coolant and see if it all seems okay?

[edc]

Mine looked just like that 2 years ago when I first changed the coolant after my first servicing.  I put it down to not being changed EVER in the 10+ years the bikes been around.
Coolant just changed.  This time the waste looked much better - no 'oil' etc.
 
Could be wrong though! 

[darrsi]

Mine looked just like that 2 years ago when I first changed the coolant after my first servicing.  I put it down to not being changed EVER in the 10+ years the bikes been around.
Coolant just changed.  This time the waste looked much better - no 'oil' etc.
 
Could be wrong though! 

I s'pose if a bike gets passed from inexperienced people to more inexperienced people over short periods of ownership then it's maybe possible that the fluids could be overlooked, but i'd have thought a mechanic doing an MOT would pick up on the colour of it in the expansion tank?

[Dead Eye]

I would have just assumed that the mechanics look at the level and figure its fine - you can't see very well the colour or viscosity through the expansion tank