Wilsons Sandbox

> Guess that's it for now. I'm planning on a ride to Sturgis tomorrow to > get airhead parts for a couple of bikes. That should give me another > good 90 mile test of the system. It's supposed to be 63 degrees > tomorrow. I'm looking forward to some cooler weather later in the week > or this weekend so I can get a few numbers when riding in the 20s. > > Best, > > Jeff Saline

> > > Listers, > > To give you an idea of what I've ended up with on my 2nd radiator project > I just posted 6 pictures in the group photo section. I put them in an > album called "2nd Radiator". It's on the first page of the photo > section. > > Let me state up front I don't think everyone "needs" this mod. I don't > think your bike will die a horrible death if you don't do this to your > bike. But I do think it will help lower coolant temperature in warmer > weather when riding slowly. It is not something that can be done by just > anyone. I had to use metal working, welding, electrical, mechanical and > general shop skills to make this happen. There was lots of looking and > head scratching and test fitting to see how I could best make this > project work. It was very time consuming. I don't know that I'd do this > again, even with the experience and in most cases, bracket templates, I > now have. > > I'd also like to thank Bill Watson for sharing his knowledge, ideas and > data with me to make this work the first time. He's been instrumental in > successful coolant system work on my KLR650. It all started with the 195 > degree stat in the winter of 2005... right after he designed version 1 > of the Thermo-Bob. > > I've been talking about adding a second radiator to my KLR for about 20 > months. Last month it finally got high enough on my priority list to > happen. I've spent quite a bit of time in the shop since I started the > project on 11 Feb. I was also sick for a bit and didn't work on it most > weekends. This afternoon I finished it and took it out for 40 smiles. > > The short version is it works well and the needle moves between about 185 > to 200 on the calibrated gauge face. Temp today was just below 60 > degrees. It didn't seem to matter if I was going 35 mph or 60 mph. And > sitting at a couple of stop lights the needle just sat near 200 degrees. > > When I got home from the second ride I used the infrared temp sensor on > the outside front of both radiators to see if I could get some readings. > The gauge was reading 200 degrees when I shut the bike off after idling > it for about 45 seconds. Please note these readings are not accurate > like those Bill Watson collects. He has some really sweat data > collection systems and knows how to use them. Here are my readings in > degrees Fahrenheit: > > Left Right > 151 151 Top > 146 172 Middle > 126 183 Bottom > > The coolant flows exiting the stat and entering the right radiator > bottom. Then flows up and out the top of the right radiator. It's then > over to the left radiator top and flows down and exits the left radiator > at the bottom and moves to the coolant pump. > > Looks to me like having two radiators is going to get rid of lots of > heat. > > I'm using the left radiator temperature sensor to control both fans. I > figure if I use the right sensor it'll be coming on a lot as it'll be > getting coolant right out of the engine onto the sensor. I've wired the > fans so both come on at the same time. I checked the draw on each fan > and the stock KLR650 fan grabbed 5.0+ amps in a surge and immediately > stabilizes at 2.45 amps. The KLR250 fan surges at 2.9 amps and then > immediately stabilizes at 1.29 amps. I pulled the relay out of the > rubber holder and it's rated at 22 amps. So I'm thinking I shouldn't > have any electrical gremlins waiting to fool around. > > I'm trying Toyota Redline Coolant. This is the first time I've used it > and also the first time I've ever paid $22 for a gallon of coolant. > Ouch! I'm using it 50/50 right now. I mixed 1,400 ccs for the system > and put 400 more in the coolant bottle. The coolant bottle takes 200 ccs > to the low mark and another 200 to get it to the full mark. When I was > filling the system I had both caps off and poured into the left (stock) > radiator. When I could see it at the bottom of the filler neck in the > right radiator I installed the cap and then continued to fill the left > radiator. After a 4 mile test run I returned to the shop and let it cool > for about 15 minutes. Then I added about 30 ccs more to get the 1,400cc > total. I'll check the level again tomorrow before I start the engine. > I'm thinking it's gonna take quite a bit of heat to get coolant all the > way to the coolant bottle in it's new location above the left footpeg. > > This project required a lot of relocation of electrical components. As > you can see from the one picture of some of the brackets, I did a bit of > fabrication. I also had to make brackets for the coolant bottle and new > solenoid and starter relay location and cover. I made the flasher unit > bracket three times before I found a location that would really work. I > bought two stock KLR650 CDI brackets and one stock KLR650 coolant bottle > bracket so I'd have some pieces to cut up and still have originals on > hand if I wanted them. > > As you can see in picture 43 the CDI is directly above the header pipe > and below the right radiator. I think it'll get plenty of cooling there > but want to try to monitor it for a bit until I'm comfortable that it > won't get too hot. After the ride I was able to put my fingers on it and > it was about the same temp as the brackets in that area. > > I used a stock KLR250 right radiator and fan. Hoses were cut from the > stock KLR650 radiator inlet hose. That's the one from the stat to the > left radiator upper connection. The coolant bottle is a stock KLR250 > bottle. > > Guess that's it for now. I'm planning on a ride to Sturgis tomorrow to > get airhead parts for a couple of bikes. That should give me another > good 90 mile test of the system. It's supposed to be 63 degrees > tomorrow. I'm looking forward to some cooler weather later in the week > or this weekend so I can get a few numbers when riding in the 20s. > > Best, > > Jeff Saline > ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal > Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org > The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota > 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT

> > Scott, > > I really like your out-of-the-box thinking, but....Oh HELL NO! > If this idea gets legs then all we'd hear about for months is the > necessary IMS 7-gallon mist tank, the upgraded (relay-wired and > independently fused) mist pump, the pump electrical > lockout-bypass-cutoff mod, and the best lighweight -backup- mist > pump (internal? external?). Then we'd get into variable aperture > mist nozzles for high and low altitudes and their optimum placement > and orientation. About this time someone would spend all day > making a video on how to change the mister pump trail-side and offer > their opinion on the merits of various anti-freeze concentrations > for the mist tank. A list argument would erupt concerning the best > way to integrate the OEM thermostat to toggle the mister on and off > vs. calibrating a separate manual or automatic mister control. > > Must we really brace ourselves for this? > > Steve > A13

> That's pretty neat Jeff! > > I wonder though that with so much extra cooling area if the second > fan > is even necessary. I'm thinking that with just the single stock fan > > and the second radiator, that there should be sufficient cooling for > > even a nice July trail riding session in DeathValley? > > Doug

> Jeff (and anyone else), > > Sounds like you put some thought and skills into this project. I'd > like > to ask a question, but first, a disclaimer:

> I am wondering if the cooling capacity of water may be of more > effect > here than additional air cooling capacity. In other words, what if > you > could design a mister for the existing radiator? It is my > understanding > that some high-performance vehicles put such measures into place. > I'm > wondering if it might be somewhat less of a task to implement > something > like that. > > Thanks for any insight (and thanks for sharing the experience). > Have a > good one. > > Kind Regards, > > Scott

> Looks like you did a nice job. Was the one picture, with the > cardboard > box in the background that said "unit is top heavy and may tip", > some > kind of visual Freudian slip? > > Alan Henderson A13 Iowa

> > Listers, > > To give you an idea of what I've ended up with on my 2nd radiator

> I just posted 6 pictures in the group photo section. I put them in an > album called "2nd Radiator". It's on the first page of the photo > section. > >Wowser. WOwser. WOWSer. WOWSER.