Other KLX 650R No-start

i know guys that thought they could rob stuff off the klx to upgrade the offroading capabilities of the KLR, and almost nothing bolts over that they wanted. Hell, I have no intention of taking my KLR off road unless it runs off the road.
 
It's only been run long enough to verify a couple things then shut down, and I was probably being very generous when I said 3 minutes. And I've already been in contact with Krieger's Cam Chain Tensioners and may order their manual unit if this thing doesn't quiet down. I'll know more later today after I put the radiators and some coolant in. If I shortened the life of my water pump yesterday then :doh:...I'll live and learn and fork out the $$$ for a new pump.

Yep
 
I'm not used to working on vehicles that use a liquid coolant and radiator without having either a gauge or idiot light to alert the operator of a too-hot condition. And this is an A-1 version. So how does one go about determining whether this bike is operating under normal temperature conditions?
When I had it running this past weekend for 2-3 minutes (after I installed the radiators and filled it with water), it puked all of the coolant out the radiator cap. Many times, in my years of automotive experience, this would indicate a head gasket failure, but I am fairly certain that this is not the case here because it appears the previous owner had installed a new one. So in this case I assumed this was due to air pockets since it had recently been all apart by the previous owner.

After letting it cool down and the above-mentioned 15 minutes of kicking it to try and re-start without success, I pulled the carb, and as of right now (and after a thorough and needed carb cleaning) I am awaiting a used eBay air cut-off diaphragm to be delivered so I can reassemble and try it all again. (I wasn't willing to spend $60.00 on a new one);
http://www.ebay.com/itm/302038533313?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT,

I am sure the carb cleaning/rebuild will help things, especially in regard to the running of the engine, but how will I know if the the cooling system is doing it's job if I don't have a gauge? And how should I proceed from here?
This cooling system is a bit of uncharted territory for me.
 
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SRAD97750

Moderator
Staff member
The radiator cap does one and only one thing. Maintains system pressure up to a certain rated psi, at which point it is designed to open and allow excess fluid to escape. This is merely a safety device for the system. It's normal for it to open and release fluid if you are in the slow stuff, clutching alot, and it FEELS hot.

When a cap goes bad, it typically opens too soon. I recommend replacing it if she pukes again after the carb cleaning. -BIG DAN:thumb:
As the pressure increases, a liquid is able to maintain a higher and higher temperature before changing state to a gas. This is why you want the system to pressurize to 14-18 psi. Effectively raises the boiling point of the water in your coolant.
The reason for the extended stove-top cooking times at higher elevation is due to the decrease in atmospheric pressure. The water is boiling at a lower temperature.
 
well you said it passed your pressure test, so i am guessing like you, that the head gasket is ok. My Klr will boil fast if the fan isnt working. Just tossing that out there. My KLR has a temp gauge on it, and with a cap that holds 17 lbs. If you have a partsman at napa etc you can buy caps for cars that go right on, with a variety of pressures for way less than the K shop wants.
 
I'm not used to working on vehicles that use a liquid coolant and radiator without having either a gauge or idiot light to alert the operator of a too-hot condition. And this is an A-1 version. So how does one go about determining whether this bike is operating under normal temperature conditions?
When I had it running this past weekend for 2-3 minutes (after I installed the radiators and filled it with water), it puked all of the coolant out the radiator cap. Many times, in my years of automotive experience, this would indicate a head gasket failure, but I am fairly certain that this is not the case here because it appears the previous owner had installed a new one. So in this case I assumed this was due to air pockets since it had recently been all apart by the previous owner.

After letting it cool down and the above-mentioned 15 minutes of kicking it to try and re-start without success, I pulled the carb, and as of right now (and after a thorough and needed carb cleaning) I am awaiting a used eBay air cut-off diaphragm to be delivered so I can reassemble and try it all again. (I wasn't willing to spend $60.00 on a new one);
http://www.ebay.com/itm/302038533313?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT,

I am sure the carb cleaning/rebuild will help things, especially in regard to the running of the engine, but how will I know if the the cooling system is doing it's job if I don't have a gauge? And how should I proceed from here?
This cooling system is a bit of uncharted territory for me.

I go by what Big DAN said for one, if the cap blows you may be getting hot, also if you notice a loss of power or if she's feeling a little sluggish it's time to check if it's overheating also, sometime you'll hear the engine pinging when it's getting close to overheating.
 
My bad; I neglected to mention that the radiator cap was off when it puked the coolant. I tried to put it back on in a semi-frenzy in order to keep it from spilling onto my garage floor, which it promptly did.
I'm still searching for an over-flow tank.
Since this thing doesn't use a t-stat or a fan its a bit puzzling to me...
 
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The prior owner however sent me home with the right side radiator that uses a fan, and a fan. He said he wanted to incorporate it into the bike, even though this version doesn't use one and has no battery. So I have that option available, and I am thinking that I would like to wire it in if possible to the magneto and a switch, but that is secondary at this point I think...
 
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