odd thing

[6m459]

My old blue '84 has historically had a quirk where the coolant would gradually and mysteriously disappear over time. Also, a green snot like substance would accumulate in the air box.

 

Wisdom here and elsewhere had it that perhaps a head gasket was blown. The bike always ran like a champ so I eventually discounted (ie didn't want to believe ) this theory. I decided since the bike ran so well I'd just put up with topping up the coolant from time to time.

 

My alternate, and preferred theory was that it was a leak in the engine's crankcase breather system that was diverting foamed coolant into the airbox via the vaccum line. Either way. I decided to just put up with it since the bike ran well otherwise.

 

Early this year I began to have rough / uncertain idle and hard starting problems. Otherwise the bike still ran well.

 

I applied SEAFOAM since it had finally become easily available locally. (It was on sale even!) I ran the recommened 1 oz / gal concentration in several tank fulls of gas. The improvement was quick and dramatic. The idle smoothed out and became nice and regular, starts got easier and MAN I had all kinds of power on the highway. I got to love on ramps all over again! That SEAFOAM stuff is good juju to be sure!

 

What I don't really understand is that after the S/F treatments, my coolant stopped disappearing and now the level remains constant for weeks and months at a time. To be fair, I havent logged as many miiles as usual this summer as it has been SO rainy but still, I think its fair to say that the coolant consumption has dropped to nil.

 

I haven't checked the airbox / snot situatioin yet but I expect to find no more snot accumulation in there when I do. Lazy, er happier riding it than dismantling it sorry.

 

I am happy that this problem has gone away but I am puzzled about the connection between S/F in the gas and any improvement in my coolant consumption / snot in airbox problems. Can any one here offer any theories as to how the two are related?

 

Thanks,

 

Brian H.

Uxbridge Ont.

[hipshot]

your '84 ad a BAD head cold, and the seafoam healed it up.

:rasberry:

just jt:thumbsup2:

[justfun1]

I had the same coolant issue with my '86. Here is a link to the notes from my issue. Changing the gaskets did solve my problem.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22134

 

Good luck!!

 

Mike