New owner-thermostat needs replacing

[Phred119]

I just bought an '03 st1300 on 12/26/11. On the ride home after buying it (about 300 miles in 40 degree weather), the temp gauge pretty much stayed at two bars, dropping to one bar at times. Gas mileage was in the 30-35 range for most of the trip (all interstate). After reading many posts here, I think my thermostat is stuck open.

So, what do I need to know/buy before tackling this job? Where is the best place to get the parts? Keep in mind, I've only owned the bike for 3 days now, I've never pulled any of the plastic off, so go easy on me.

 

[Mellow]

Well, sure sounds like it.

1 - The tupperware all needs to come off, well a lot of it anyway, the Tuperware Worksheet is a nice thing to have to keep all the bolts/push pins organized and here's a nice step-by-step to remove the tupperware.

2 - Prestone 50/50 silicate free antifreeze will work, that's what I used and you can get it from walmart.

3 - You'll want to clean the radiator inlet to make sure no paint will come off and enter the system and you'll also want to clean out the overflow bottle as well to ensure nothing gets back into the system. Flushing it with distilled water may help but I didn't do that with mine, some do, some don't.

4 - While you're in that area you want to tighten all the hose clamps you can get to. Some replace these with breeze clamps. I didn't but they are nice clamps.

5 - You can get an aftermarket t-stat and o-ring at motorcyclegear or order a new one from ronayers, item 3 and 25.

Here's a little write up I did on the t-stat failures using info from the members on the site.
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?51122-ST1300-Thermostat-Failures

 

[st1300r]

That about sums it up perfectly :bow1:

...hoping to increase odds on tpms lol

 

[v8-7]

Jiggle - pin up...

I think the aftermarket warms up slower.

If I have to change mine again, I'll use the Honda part. Only a few bucks more .

 

[Fortunet 1]

Joe..... You should just have a side burtton that copys your response to thermostat sticking thread starts. Great collection of threads !

Mine did the same dang thing.... The dealer replaced it under warranty and I flushed the radiator out back while they were doing other chores.

Just drop the bike off at Larrys place...I think hes done rebuilding EVERYTHING POSSIBLE on his ST. lol

 

[Mellow]

Joe..... You should just have a side burtton that copys your response to thermostat sticking thread starts. Great collection of threads !

LOL... I'll probably add to the Known Issue thread on t-stat failures. But, typing it all again keeps me sharp.. LOL

 

[SupraSabre]

On my last radiator removal, I used a ball type Siphon & hose and removed 90% of the coolant out of the radiator before removing that lower right hose, with hardly any coolant spilling out! You get smarter the more times you do something….I think I have removed my radiator now about 5 times! :

 

[Phred119]

OK, the breeze clamps, where do I find those, how many do I need, and what size(s)? I tried searching on Ron Ayers, but the search feature there is useless. I just want to make sure I have everything I need BEFORE I start taking stuff apart.

 

[Silver Bullet]

++ on looks like Joe has covered all the bases , Now you get to do the job ! EEK !

MIKE

 

[stman1300]

I have a issue with my 04 i think it's the thermostat stuck but maybe like halfway. It shows the 3 bars and never overheats but my fans are running all the time and when i shut it off they will run till it cools off. The temp i rode in yesterday was 75 and i can tell there is a little more heat on my ankles than the norm. Anyone seen this issue and i check the coolent level and looks normal.
Thanks

 

[Mellow]

I have a issue with my 04 i think it's the thermostat stuck but maybe like halfway. It shows the 3 bars and never overheats but my fans are running all the time and when i shut it off they will run till it cools off. The temp i rode in yesterday was 75 and i can tell there is a little more heat on my ankles than the norm. Anyone seen this issue and i check the coolent level and looks normal.
Thanks

When you turn the ignition key off, the fans should stop... you may have a different issue.. A stuck t-stat will usually not cause the fans to run more as they have historically stuck open so the engine will run cooler, not hotter. You may have a sensor that is going but I'm pretty sure even with a bad sensor the fans should turn off when the ign is off.

 

[st1300r]

The fans normally go off with the key off. That sounds like an electrical issue.
The t-stat typically fails open which would cause something lower than the normal three bars while riding in cooler weather.

If you mean fans run with the kill switch turning the bike off and key ON.
That's not an issue. BTW fans are a pretty hi load. Key on bike off fans running won't take long to drain the battery.

When you checked coolant level was that the overflow bottle or the radiator cap? iirc it's possible to have a crack in the overflow hose so you could push fluid into the overflow bottle or the ground when the bike warms up then suck air back into the radiator when the bike cools down.



Check here LINK for a nice wiring schematic.