totalshell Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 (edited) just opened up my new 03 beta as it was knocking with the intention of cleaning up the piston / head as reccomended else where on the site to find NO water in the radiator or engine.. i've literally had this 2 weeks from a respected dealer, I suspect that the radiator is crushed ( is it suppossed to have a crushed core and appear bent on the offside?) looking at the frame closely it looks like it has fallen very heavily on the frame and that has been bent back, what do you think or am I PARANOID! Edited March 30, 2006 by totalshell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 also, anybody noticed that their radiator at the top is slightly off to the right when looking at it fom the front and has been dinked against the frame. Mine has at some point and is very close now, looks like yours has aswell totalshell, (little dink on the rim at the top rhs). Is this normal, I can't really see why mine is off centre other than if something is bent or it's supposed to be like that. sorry to borrow your thread! *I just thought it followed the trend a little. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neonsurge Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 Are you sure that the radiator is the cause of the coolant leak? Might be worth checking in case it's actually a split hose or something and save yourself a lot of chasing around trying to fix a non-problem. I had a big crash on my enduro bike a few years ago and almost tore the left side radiator off. However, there was no coolant leak and I managed to bash it back into place using a log and rock (I was in the middle of nowhere at the time) and it stayed like that (working perfectly) for several weeks before I scraped together the cash to replace it. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted March 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 (edited) radiator seems water tight despite odd shaped core, ive had the head off the bike (that rear head bolt is a real a~~e to get at) much as i expected the head and piston top were heavily carboned up, now all cleaned up and reassembled, hopefully that was the source of the koncking going to use 98 octane fuel from now on with Ipone (70 ml per 5 litres) dont know where the coolant went engine and rad were bone dry i've checked all the hoses etc and will use rad weld when i fill her up in the morning checked thermostat was working by standing in boiling water ( the thermostat not me) and putting a circuit tester on it though you can actually hear the switch 'click' after about 45 seconds in the boiling water pS Lampkins quoting '' 90 quid '' for a new radiator Edited March 31, 2006 by totalshell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybaines Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 Like R2W said though I would take it back too your dealer where you bought it see what they have too say on the matter. Did it have any coolant in it when you purchased it 2 weeks ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted March 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 yes coolant in only on sat am when i checked before leaving home and i topped it up with about 100 ml max did trial sat lunch time, bike ran for 2 hours then started 'knocking' so i stopped.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybaines Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 just seems very odd too just vanish! have you checked the g/box oil? was the rad clogged up at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonty Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 Even though the thermostat's working have you checked if the fan is actually cutting in? If not the engine will boil up and cause the knocking you describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted April 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2006 (edited) THANKS FOR THE LINK FERRET FLASHER IRONICALY I CONTRIBUTED TO THIS MYSELF WITH A SOLUTION INVOLVING ARALDITE AS A SEALER FAN WAS DEFINATELY WORKING AS I HAD IT WIRED ON PERMANENTLY, AND CHECKED IT DURING THE TRIAL BLUE ANTIFREEZE WAS IN BIKE (CHANNELS IN HEAD POWDER COATED BLUE) AND WHEN I TOPPED IT UP I PUT IN A 50.50 MIX TOOK OFF THE WATER PUMP AS AN EASY WAY TO DRAIN RAD AT ITS LOWEST POINT SO WHEN I DID NOT GET ANY COOLANT AT ALL IWAS SURPRISED! DID NOT PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO INSIDE OF PUMP BUT I'LL WHIP IT OFF BEFORE I REFILL DRAINED GEARBOX OIL NO WATER CONTAMINATION BUT IT WAS QUITE DARK FOR NEW OIL WITH HEAD OFF BORE WAS FANTASTIC ABSOLUTELY NO DAMAGE HEAD AND PISTON SURFACE WERE QUITE HEAVILY CARBONED ALTHOUGH THIS WAS SOFT AND CAME OFF VERY EASILY NO PLAY APPARANT ON FLY WHEEL OR ON PISTON HEAD (THOUGH NOT SURE I 'D FEEL MUCH UNLESS THE BEARINGS HAD BADLY GONE WEST WHERE HAS ALL MY COOLANT GONE HAD READ BETA SSDT TIPS AND AS THE TRIAL INVOVED WET MOORLAND HAD TAPED UP THE SIDES AND BOTTOM EDGE OF THE FRONT MUD GUARD I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN I CHECKED THERE WAS NO THING AT ALL IN THE RAD GUARD OR RAD ITSELF WELL EFFECTIVE Edited April 1, 2006 by totalshell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted April 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 problem part solved thanks to FERRET FLASHER! took water pump off to check for corrosion.. inside quite badly corroded and hole right through on very underside of pump about 2mm diameter taken small screwdriver to all corroded areas to remove loose and to get back to a decent surface and have applied first of a couple of coats of hammerite before applying the asprin of the automotive world 'Araldite..' obviosly this is only a medium term solution if i replace the side cover what will i find underneath and is it fairly easy to replace.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted April 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 (edited) happy to add a couple of photos showing the inside of the water pump.. and the repair after the first coat of hammerite i intend putting a couple of coats on like this over the damaged areas then an overall coat to protect the un damaged areas with pump cover off Edited April 2, 2006 by totalshell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted April 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2006 excellent chemistry lesson ( and i have the very great pleasure to be married to a chemist, although she would be the last person i'd ask about chemistry!) with the water pump been so easy to get off i'll be doing it once a month or so when i've completed the repiar. although i had a leak it was certainly not as bad as all the other examples i've seen and i've been 'lucky' so like you whip the flywheel cover off to let condensation out BETA owners would be well advised to do the same with the water pump to keep the water in! thanks for everyones support and advice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenevd Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Hi totalshell, I want to do the same on my bike, but I would like to confirm exactly which Hammerite product you used? From their website, I could guess it might be any (except the garage door stuff)... http://www.hammerite.com/products/index.html ? excellent chemistry lesson ( and i have the very great pleasure to be married to a chemist, although she would be the last person i'd ask about chemistry!) with the water pump been so easy to get off i'll be doing it once a month or so when i've completed the repiar. although i had a leak it was certainly not as bad as all the other examples i've seen and i've been 'lucky' so like you whip the flywheel cover off to let condensation out BETA owners would be well advised to do the same with the water pump to keep the water in! thanks for everyones support and advice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 7 years on and the beta is still in the garage. not used often though as p65/twinshock trials are more my current skill level. i just used a can of smooth hammerite paint that i had lying around the garage. the repair has held good ever since. i note though that a significant number of post from that topic have been deleted / are no longer visible. there was at least one which contained significant detail on magnisium and another on how water movement rather than corrosion was the root cause of the damage best wishes with your repairs.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenevd Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Good to hear it's holding up! I found some more useful info at http://www.trials.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4635 The internet is full of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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