Loud thanks to this forum for water leak info.

[Garydi]

Hi all, 2005 ST1300 with water leak. Am an avid reader but rarely do I post. A loud thanks from a silent reader regarding the water leakage issue. I was a little panicked when I saw the coolant leaking from my ST this year. I've occasionally smelled it in the last five years of ownership b ut never saw it until this year. After reading all the water leak posts, I have determined that all the leaks are from the "square" hole and nowhere else. Whew! I'll get my tiny endoscope and begin some tightening where possible on the hoses above the ledge. Thanks again.

 

[AV8R]

What’s this “square hole” you speak of?

Picture?

my 05 is dripping a little bit after a ride

 

[BIKER62]

Hi everyone.
I had a coolant leak on Mi ST1300A two years back.After checking and changing the fluid I have notice a crack on the return hose to the deposit and Ihave changed it,also changed the thermostat,to be safe.After triyng and checking everything,did a 50 miles test.The results,perfect. Two days later did a 4 days run and 1700miles later,everything work out perfectly.Neddless to say to check all te hoses to see any changes in diameter due to heat expansion overtime ,etc.
Hope that will help anyone on the forum.

 

[BakerBoy]

What’s this “square hole” you speak of?

Picture?

my 05 is dripping a little bit after a ride

Square hole is where the blue coolant is oozing from in the center of this picture (right side of bike, forward on engine):


That square hole is simply the end of a drain channel that drains any liquids that collect on top of the engine block (from under the throttle bodies).

There's also a small round hole drilled into the block about an inch above and slightly to the left of the square hole--that round hole is marked with a red arrow in the picture below and is where any coolant or oil drains that has come through the waterpump seal. On 2008 and later years, that round hole is replaced with a metal nipple and a small tube that takes away any waterpump seal ooze. Those two holes so close together often leads to misdiagnosis of a failing water pump seal (usually the ST1300 drips coolant from loose connections above the engine block).

 

[CYYJ]

Here's a picture that illustrates the square hole and the round hole on the right hand side of the engine.

Square Hole
As BakerBoy stated in his post above, the square hole is a drain for any liquids that might accumulated on the top outside of the engine, up between the 'V' of the cylinders. Today, I took the Tupperware off my motorcycle and thoroughly washed the engine... after starting the moto, I was horrified to see pure, clean water coming out of the square hole - you can see the rivulet of water in the photo below.

After reading the above discussion, now I know that it was nothing to worry about - the water I saw draining out of the square hole came from the garden hose I used to wash down the engine, and it was draining out the square hole from the 'V' up between the cylinders, exactly like Honda intended it to do.

Round Hole (Round 'Pipe with small hose' from 2008 onwards)
Again, as BakerBoy explained, the round hole is where coolant or oil that leaks through the waterpump seals will escape from. The engine pictured is a 2012 ST 1300, hence it has a little metal elbow stuck in the hole, with a drain hose attached. The drain hose exits at the very front of the engine, at the bottom of the motorcycle.



If you want to know how the water manages to get from the V between the cylinders down to this square hole, have a look at the picture in post #5 of this discussion: Coolant Leaking Again.

Michael

 

[Gus1300]

I couldn't find Honda Type II. Does anyone know if Prestone 50/50 Prediluted (Formulated for Honda/Nissan/Hyundai/Kia/Subaru) is compatible with our engines? (2004 specifically)

I only bought a 1/2 gal, may need more but wanted to check before getting another gal or so. I don't see any mention of added (or non-added) silicates or other particulates.

Thanks!

 

[AV8R]

Wow ive been schooled. Thanks for the infos

 

[ReSTored]

All Honda dealers would have Type 2 coolant. You can purchase an equivalent if you prefer and save a few bucks.

I couldn't find Honda Type II. Does anyone know if Prestone 50/50 Prediluted (Formulated for Honda/Nissan/Hyundai/Kia/Subaru) is compatible with our engines? (2004 specifically)

I only bought a 1/2 gal, may need more but wanted to check before getting another gal or so. I don't see any mention of added (or non-added) silicates or other particulates.

Thanks!