Yowzaaa! New old bike, new old problems ;) Coolant leak...

Joined
Mar 13, 2012
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soCal
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'97 ST1100
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687
Wooowa.

Would say they are fixable though, if no cracks :)
Just a little tlc :)

Hehe.

/K
this is one of those cases where the experience of this forum is very valuable. People have tried to reuse those elbows and they cracked upon re-installation, or shortly thereafter. Don't reuse them, buy new ones!!

edit: they only cost a few bucks each, there's no reason not to replace them.
 
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OP
OP
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Jun 4, 2017
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Sweden
this is one of those cases where the experience of this forum is very valuable. People have tried to reuse those elbows and they cracked upon re-installation, or shortly thereafter. Don't reuse them, buy new ones!!

edit: they only cost a few bucks each, there's no reason not to replace them.
Totally agree.
I am in awe.

Knowledge is king :)
 
OP
OP
Joined
Jun 4, 2017
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Sweden
BTW, Honda OEM parts prices are reasonable compared to just about any other Japanese brand.
Here in Sweden, well I am not too sure about that.
It is a very small market for Honda. high taxes and Vat.
But is is not like this will ruin me. :)
It was a small order.

And when you run a trucking company, lemme tella ya. You develop very thick skin with the years.
This little order compared to getting a truck fixed, well, let´s say that they differ a whole lot :)

Thanks for your input.
I am very grateful, and would hate if I sound like a douche in any way.

Cheers!

/Klas
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
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Auckland, New Zealand
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2005 ST1300
STOC #
8901
Our local Honda importer likes to add in a fat margin for the privilege of not holding any stock, and indent ordering (with your deposit) from Japan in 3-4 weeks. While I'd like to support local businesses, this sucks. I now get all my parts from Partzilla, and even with freight from the US they come in about 2/3 of my local prices, and usually inside of 10 days.
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
5,046
Location
soCal
Bike
'97 ST1100
STOC #
687
Our local Honda importer likes to add in a fat margin for the privilege of not holding any stock, and indent ordering (with your deposit) from Japan in 3-4 weeks. While I'd like to support local businesses, this sucks. I now get all my parts from Partzilla, and even with freight from the US they come in about 2/3 of my local prices, and usually inside of 10 days.
what a scam, that's terrible. I can accept some price gouging, but 3-4 weeks delivery time, what kind of a business runs like that?? And its not really the local supplier, I'm guessing its the national importer that's screwing things up. The US parts places like Partzilla don't have all the parts in house, they usually order them from the Honda warehouse somewhere in the US, and it takes 2-3 days.
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
1,201
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Bike
2005 ST1300
STOC #
8901
what a scam, that's terrible. I can accept some price gouging, but 3-4 weeks delivery time, what kind of a business runs like that?? And its not really the local supplier, I'm guessing its the national importer that's screwing things up. The US parts places like Partzilla don't have all the parts in house, they usually order them from the Honda warehouse somewhere in the US, and it takes 2-3 days.
Yes, the fault definitely lies with Blue Wing Honda, our national importer. My local dealer is staffed with helpful folk, but they don't set the OEM parts prices.

I got really cheesed off when I badly wanted some fork bushings for my ST11, and even though the same part fits lots and lots of different models with 41mm forks, the importer did not carry any stock. I would be prepared to pay a little more for next day turnaround, but the 3-4 weeks ex Japan is hopeless.
 
OP
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Joined
Jun 4, 2017
Messages
14
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Sweden
Yes, the fault definitely lies with Blue Wing Honda, our national importer. My local dealer is staffed with helpful folk, but they don't set the OEM parts prices.

I got really cheesed off when I badly wanted some fork bushings for my ST11, and even though the same part fits lots and lots of different models with 41mm forks, the importer did not carry any stock. I would be prepared to pay a little more for next day turnaround, but the 3-4 weeks ex Japan is hopeless.

Although the aparts I ordered were not in stock here in Sweden.
It only took 4 days for delivery.
Sadly I won´t get the parts til next week.
It is Midsummers eve here this Friday.
Which is a big thing holiday for us all in this little country.
It used to mean raping, pillaging and the ordinary burning of churches.
Nowadays we seem to just get really, and I mean REALLY drunk.
For me personally, I have choosen the sober part of life.
And will celebrate almost 4 years sober, yey for me :)
No more fist fights for this guy.
Peace and love really seems more like the way to go :)
Geeez, the Hippies sure was right.

Although the plan was to drive the bike for all of the holidays.
I have now surrendered to not having parts in time.
And it seems like heavy rain to, nvm.
The old Cadillac comes out instead.

So where were we?
Right, part margins.

Yeah, it is outrageous that the markup sometimes is so way out of proportions it makes dopedeals look like the norm.
And to add on that, dealers who sometimes are a sorry excuse for being in the business.
But that is a whole other story :)

Be well ya´ll.

And a big happy midsummers to ye :)
Wherever you are :)

Yahoo!

10-4

/K
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2008
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352
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IN, Indianapolis
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1996 ST1100
STOC #
8309
Following this thread as this project is on my list for later this year...look forward to hearing if you find anything else in there that you end up tackling once you get into it...
 
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
58
Location
Helsinki, Finland
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ST1100AN
Our local Honda importer likes to add in a fat margin for the privilege of not holding any stock, and indent ordering (with your deposit) from Japan in 3-4 weeks. While I'd like to support local businesses, this sucks. I now get all my parts from Partzilla, and even with freight from the US they come in about 2/3 of my local prices, and usually inside of 10 days.
And I raise my hand, it is the same song and dance in Finland as well. But now the local parts dealer doesn't answer to phone and e-mail because, I guess, they make their money in selling new or used bikes and bikerwear, poor wrench guy with small scale part deals could wait... I contacted German and Polish part shops when I was riding across Europe and I'll order my parts from those dealers.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2013
Messages
115
Location
Dewitt, Michigan
Bike
1997 ST1100
One other step you might consider is a full radiator flush treatment. I did this same excercise this spring on my 97. There was a lot of crud in the overflow tank and it was hard to read the fluid level. Ponder for a moment that crud in the tank. Where did it come from? If that stuff made it to the tank, what's left in the radiator? If your tank was that dirty, the radiator probably is too. I used a Prestone flush treatment, not just a drain, rinse and refill. I left the treatment in a few days per instructions and got a lot of dark colored water out of it. After the treatment, a new overflow tube and rad cap, the gauge swings to just past vertical before the fan kicks in.
 
OP
OP
Joined
Jun 4, 2017
Messages
14
Location
Sweden
Back from vacation and not doin really anything :)

So started fiddling again with the St.
Following a great guide posted in a previous post.

So here is some pics from late last night.

Here we have them slightly refurbished.
IMG_1519.jpg

Here we have both of them, with new gaskets in tiny little Honda bags. Oooh the happiness :)
IMG_1518.jpg

One of the pipe inlets, these 2 small ones are ok. gasket has given in though.
IMG_1514.jpg

Here is a pic from overlooking the top of the engine where the carb installment rests.
IMG_1513.jpg

Will post more pics later on.
But beware, if it is not a beautiful woman I just can´t seem to get the light quite right... ;)

See ya soon, hopefully.

Yowzaaaa!!!!

/Klas
 
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Joined
Mar 13, 2012
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soCal
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'97 ST1100
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687
don't wanna ruin all the joy, but would like to pass on some experience from the group. Other listers have had problems with the coolant elbows cracking when they re-used them. If you're in no hurry and they are readily available in Sweden it might be a good idea to replace them with new ones, they're cheap.
 
OP
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Jun 4, 2017
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Hahahaha.

Yes sir.
Sure was happy there for a sec hahaha.

Will contact dealer tomorrow :)
Too order some new ones. hehe.

How do the old ones crack.
By retightening procedure or something else?
 
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Joined
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British Columbia
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2021 RE Meteor 350
For unknown reasons, Honda made those elbows out of cheaper pot metal and they are probably very weakened after hundreds of heat/cool cycles. Sometimes they will just break when trying to refit the coolant hoses, which can be a bear to get on and other times they have just broken, or split apart after the job was buttoned up and had a few more miles on them.
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2012
Messages
64
Location
NW Mississippi
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2002 ST1100
If coolant is getting into the combustion chambers, it creates clouds of white smoke.
Burning oil makes blue smoke, but usually much less than coolant, and it smells like oil.
If the coolant is getting into the oil instead of being burned in combustion, then you will get foam on the dip stick and around the filler cap.

I used to worry when I driving my first clunker cars, and always imagined a cracked head or leaky gasket.
My Uncle, a journeyman mechanic who taught in the trade schools, told me this.
I have since seen it demonstrated many times.
 
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