ST1100 Timing Belt and Coolant Hose Change

kiltman said:

You might have an airlock in the system, you may have to burb it.
i think you can have the the system pressure tested to determine if you have leaks.
just throwing out some random thoughts

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Could do that, but with system being mostly aluminum, heat expansion of a fracture(coolant elbows) will somtimes not leak unless aluminum metal pieces are heated, having expansion.

Brant said:

Could do that, but with system being mostly aluminum, heat expansion of a fracture(coolant elbows) will somtimes not leak unless aluminum metal pieces are heated, having expansion.

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Good point.
when I owned a Suzuki Madura (V4 liquid cooled, shaft drive, ugliest bike around) in the manual it was recommended to change and flush the coolant every two years and also add Barrs Leak. The Barrs leak had a lubricating agent for the water pump supposedly .... And deal with the aluminum components. Weird huh?
Now back to our regularly schedule program.

Have I missed it...? What is the coolant level IN THE RADIATOR?

John OoSTerhuis said:

Have I missed it...? What is the coolant level IN THE RADIATOR?

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I haven't stripped off the tupperware to get at the rad cap and check the level of the radiator. I should get off my butt and the computer and do that. :

Hi ____,

Coolant hoses and timing belt R&R:
http://www.st-riders.net/index.php?topic=3523.0

Two years and 25K to date and you're keeping it for life. I like your attitude.

However, you bought a fully faired motorcycle and should be over "Tupperware Phobia" by now. Even if you don't do some of the required major and semi-major maintenance and servicing for an aging STeed yourself, pulling a few pieces of plastic to do a simple inspection should be second nature and only take a few minutes.

I'd leave the water pump until 180K. Before you have any shop do your timing belt, ask if they have the Honda shop manual. Ask if they'll reduce the bill if you strip the tupperware first.

John
via iPhone 4S

kiltman said:

Good point.
when I owned a Suzuki Madura (V4 liquid cooled, shaft drive, ugliest bike around) in the manual it was recommended to change and flush the coolant every two years and also add Barrs Leak. The Barrs leak had a lubricating agent for the water pump supposedly .... And deal with the aluminum components. Weird huh?
Now back to our regularly schedule program.

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Not wierd......just a recipe for an eventual restricted coolant flow through radiator cores.

From the further info provided by FWTBT (coolant overflowing into the bottle on shut down, my money would now be on the rad cap as well. Your rad must be low too.

PS Re:

Maybe it is overkill but I don’t mind spending the money for peace of mind on long trips.

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For peace of mind I'd also highly recommend you have the entire charging system inspected and cleaned up on your aged 28amp system. And have a quality digital voltmeter that reads in tenths of a volt installed to monitor the system. JMHO

John
via iPhone 4S

John OoSTerhuis said:

PS Re:

For peace of mind I'd also highly recommend you have the entire charging system inspected and cleaned up on your aged 28amp system. And have a quality digital voltmeter that reads in tenths of a volt installed to monitor the system. JMHO

John
via iPhone 4S

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Thanks for the advice.

The charging system on my bike is another issue I have been researching. I have a led light type voltmeter on the bike and I watch it closely. I've also checked the connections that people talk about lots with regards to the system and they are in nice shape. But I do have an oil leak from the real seal of the alternator. I'm going to treat that as a separate project. I also need the headset done, would like to raise the handle bars a little and of course new tires. I have to break this down into a few separate projects to make it more palatable for my wife and my pocket book.

My plans are to stay home this summer and over the course of next year have the entire bike gone over to have it ready for some major miles over the next few years. I traveled through a big chunk of the US over the past 2 summers and thoroughly enjoyed it. I suppose it would be easier to sell the old girl and get a newer one but there is just something about riding that heavy old beast long distances then looking for a place to pitch my tent for the night that tugs at me. :mcrider: My family "accepts" it but doesn't "get" it. I think the only people who "get" it are the ones with a tent and two wheels...but I digress...

I'm going to make a suggestion to you that might be helpful to the pocket book. You seem to be embarking on what amounts to pretty much a total overhaul of the machine. (Might as well do the rear wheel cush rubbers and inserts too.)

One of the members on this board lives in Chilliwack, Norm, and he *may* be interested in doing all this work for you. I can vouch for his expertise and you would get a top notch job done, likely at a better labour rate than any shop will offer. I have no idea if he would want to take on a major overhaul, as he currently does specialty work on the ST ABS modules. Might be worth sending him an enquiry.

FWTBT said:

I haven't stripped off the tupperware to get at the rad cap and check the level of the radiator.

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You wouldn't need to take off tupperware, just kneel down at the RHS of the front wheel and reach up aside the fork tube to grab the radiator cap...
If topping up is required, I'd use a funnel with a piece of tube attached...
Hint for putting the cap back on: remember that you'll have to twist it over two notches to have it fully closed again...

I sent you an e-mail, so you may want to check your junk folder if it doesn't show up.

Thanks for the input everybody. Every time I post a new thread on the forum I come out the other end with a much greater understanding of my bike. I'm well on my way to getting this project completed this winter. The people I have met through the forum and the STOC events has truly added to the joy of owning my ST.

FWTBT said:

I have a 1994 ST1100 with about 81,000 miles. I have put about 25,000 miles on it since I bought it 2 years ago. I love it and am going to keep it until I am too old and decrepit to ride it any longer.

The bike is due for a timing belt change and has a bit of an overheating issue. So I will deal with both at the same time. I will have a shop do the work but I will purchase the parts. In addition to the timing belt I plan on replacing the thermostat, rad cap, all of the hoses and have the system flushed. Maybe it is overkill but I don?t mind spending the money for peace of mind on long trips.

So my questions are:

1. Even though there is nothing wrong with the water pump should I have it changed, do they have a life span?
2. Would I save much on labor cost by replacing everything with the exception of the hoses that involve removing the carbs?
3. How many hours of labor would this involve?

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I have read through all the posts, and my first reaction was you may want to either sell your ST1100 and buy a nice used low mileage ST1300, or find a ST1100 owner with experience working on their bike ( and a garage to work in ) that is willing to guide you through the work that is required to get your bike up to snuff. Any older bike is going to need routine maintenance , and if you aren't able to do most of the work yourself, the labor charge is usually just too costly.

But, on the other hand ..... If you sunk $2K into the bike now for parts & labor ( you may want to check the valve clearance, too ) , it would give you at least another 3 or 4 years of basically reliable riding. So, I feel these are you options.

What you really need to do is find a ( heated ? ) place to work on the bike, and find someone who can give you some guidance & encouragement to get working on the bike so you can do most of this kind of work yourself. A friend of mine ( who was down-sized and suffered a loss of income ) needed to change the spark plugs on his BMW car and was all freaked out about doing the job himself. But after doing it, he said it wasn't as difficult as it seemed (as explained at a website ) and he was proud of himself after completing the task. And he saved a few hundred $$$ . Good luck !!

Just my two-cents ............

FWTBT said:

I don’t mind spending the money for peace of mind on long trips.

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Order the parts; beg, borrow, or rent some garage space; and send me a round trip plane ticket. I'll work for room and board. Alternately, I can ride out if you pay for my gas and a set of tires, and a nice present for my dear, long-suffering wife.

FWTBT said:

I haven't stripped off the tupperware to get at the rad cap and check the level of the radiator. I should get off my butt and the computer and do that. :

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Ahem... still waiting...

[Do you have at least a first name that you'd share with us? I'd feel silly addressing you by an unknown acronym. Did we meet at the Sooke WeSTOC?]

John

John OoSTerhuis said:

Order the parts; beg, borrow, or rent some garage space; and send me a round trip plane ticket. I'll work for room and board. Alternately, I can ride out if you pay for my gas and a set of tires, and a nice present for my dear, long-suffering wife.



Ahem... still waiting...

[Do you have at least a first name that you'd share with us? I'd feel silly addressing you by an unknown acronym. Did we meet at the Sooke WeSTOC?]

John

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Sounds like a great offer but my wife has promptly informed me that if there are any plane tickets purchased in this house it'll be for her getting to Hawaii ! After spending a month going to Texas in 2013 for TexSTOC then a month going to Michigan for YooperSTOC in 2014 it's her turn for some travel. I'd take her but the ST doesn't float. I'm staying close to home this year and going to sink a little money into the bike in preparation for 2016. I'm thinking the southern states, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee etc.

Am little embarrassed to say I still haven't pulled off the plastic...I'm busy ordering parts, working on spread sheets...and it's raining outside......

I'm Doug and I believe we may have met briefly at WeSTOC in Sooke. You were introduced as someone who new a lot about ST1100's. I had to work so didn't hang around much.

Thanks, Doug. Please keep us poSTed on your progress. Good luck!

Regards, John

John OoSTerhuis said:

Thanks, Doug. Please keep us poSTed on your progress. Good luck!

Regards, John

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Has anyone ever taken you up on the travel expenses-to-fix offers John? I had the same offer from you a couple of weeks ago, when I was dealing with my alternator repair. I'm almost out of the woods on that one now, as the swing arm went back in today. Slowly coming together.

Bush said:

Has anyone ever taken you up on the travel expenses-to-fix offers John?

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A couple of times I "all most" had a round-trip plane ticket sent to me, but I have been provided a comfortable bed and excellent rations a number of times at STriders' homes within a day's ride.

Bush said:

Has anyone ever taken you up on the travel expenses-to-fix offers John? I had the same offer from you a couple of weeks ago, when I was dealing with my alternator repair. I'm almost out of the woods on that one now, as the swing arm went back in today. Slowly coming together.

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John: Here is an offer to you : If you would like to meet for coffee in 2016, I am planning an IBA Great Lakes SS3K ride for some time during the summer. It will be a +3,000 mile ride around all five Great Lakes in < 72 hours with a mandatory ( corner ) gas receipt just a few miles from your home at about 10:00 pm- Just across the river in Illinois ( I-80 exit 7 ). That will be on the third day, heading back to Kalamazoo.

I'll pick up your coffee & snack tab and throw in a few $$ for gas, too !! Seriously !!