Servicing my ST1100 for the first time tomorrow, quick query and any advice?

Animal Mother

Animal Mother

Joined
Sep 25, 2009
Messages
43
Location
North Wales, UK
Bike
ST1100Y
Ok, so I've got all filters, 10w-50 fully synthetic, brake/clutch stuff, picking up some 80w-90 gear oil tomorrow.

1. Oil and filter change
2. Coolant change - See Q below.
3. Drive oil change
4. Brake/clutch bleeding
5. Carb balance (if the kit arrives in time)

Q. Can I use the pink coolant that I use in my Audi?
This one http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_219480_langId_-1_categoryId_229902

Any more hints, tips or pointers to make my life easier?
 
Animal Mother said:
Ok, so I've got all filters, 10w-50 fully synthetic, brake/clutch stuff, picking up some 80w-90 gear oil tomorrow.

1. Oil and filter change
2. Coolant change - See Q below.
3. Drive oil change
4. Brake/clutch bleeding
5. Carb balance (if the kit arrives in time)

Q. Can I use the pink coolant that I use in my Audi?
This one http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_219480_langId_-1_categoryId_229902

Any more hints, tips or pointers to make my life easier?
Click to expand...

1. Brake bleeding. Be sure to consult the manual for the brake bleeding sequence. If your model has the linked brake system, the sequence is important.

I bleed my brakes the old fashioned way. My wife operates the clutch & brake levers and I handle the bleed valves.

2. Coolant. You need to really be careful with the type of coolant you use or you could wind up with water pump problems. Stick with what it says in the owners manual. I use the much cheaper Honda coolant you can buy by the gallon at any Honda auto dealership (as opposed to the small quantity, pricey stuff you get at the Honda motorcycle dealerships):

1 gallon - Honda Genuine HB, Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant, Type 2 Advanced protection 50/50 Pre-Diluted.


Here's what the owners manual says about the coolant. This was copy & pasted from an online copy of the manual at the Pan-European site:

http://www.pan-europe.utvinternet.ie/owners_manual.htm
Coolant Recommendation

The owner must properly maintain the coolant to prevent freezing, overheating, and corrosion. Use only high quality ethylene glycol antifreeze containing corrosion protection inhibitors specifically recommended for use in aluminum engines. (SEE ANTIFREEZE CONTAINER LABEL).
CAUTION:
Use only low-mineral drinking water or distilled water as a part of the antifreeze solution. Water that is high in mineral content or salt may be harmful to the aluminum engine.
The factory provides a 50/50 solution of antifreeze and water in this motorcycle. This coolant solution is recommended for most operating temperatures and provides good corrosion protection. A higher concentration of antifreeze decreases cooling system performance and is recommended only when additional protection against freezing is needed. A concentration of less than 40/60 (40% antifreeze) will not provide proper corrosion protection. During freezing temperatures, check the cooling system frequently and add higher concentrations of antifreeze (up to a maximum of 60% antifreeze) if required.
 
Animal Mother said:
5. Carb balance (if the kit arrives in time)
Click to expand...

As to Carb balance, a lot of us use the SK Synchrometer rather than mecury sticks. It does an adequate job (probably not quite as accurate as the manometer but plenty good enough ) and is very quick. Plus there's no potential mecury disposal to worry about:

Here's a source:

http://www.webercarbsdirect.com/STE_SK_p/sk.htm

and here's a link that discusses it:

http://www.stocrallies.com/st-riders/index.php?topic=992.0


The ST-List site has an incredible archive of maintenance & repair articles for the ST1100. Anytime you have something you need to do, check it out:

http://www.stocrallies.com/st-riders/index.php?board=3.0
 
This is from my notes-hope they make sense.

COOLANT CHANGE
Remove what you need to get at drain plug and the hose near the drain plug on the radiator.
1. Drain from plug.
2. Flush with distilled. Repeat until reasonably clean (rest of process gives it one more flush)
3. Remove hose from radiator by removing clamp entirely, spray a little WD-40 into seal-tube interface and working it– coolant will be coming out as you do.
4. Use a socket with fabric around it and rubber glove around that – stick in bottom radiator hole to seal it.
5. Flush rad with distilled – it will fill rad then come out cylinder side
6. Stop and blow out using garden hose with rubber glove for seal in the rad fill tube
7. repeat 5 & 6 until water seems clean
8. pull out rad “plug” – water will come out
9. Use vacuum pump to start siphon on overflow tank
10. Fill with water and repeat vacuum-siphon until clean

As for the oil change, you will have to remove the bottom fairing from the bike. You remove all of the screws, and then there are two clips that are sortof on the inside part behind the front wheel. I can never seem to remove them without causing a little bit of damage to the clips, but I find diagonal cutters or side cutters work the best. When putting the bottom fairing back on the bike, install those two clips first as it makes it much easier to get the bottom faring back into position. Also, make sure you have a spare oil drain plug washer-I find that mine are always crushed and have to be to be replaced.I would recommend having a torque wrench handy. filter to 88 in-lbs (7.33 ft-lbs), drain bolt to 28 ft-lbs-1999 st1100

As for the coolant type, I agree that you should only you use Honda-I think it is worth the piece of mind.
Good luck!
 
Hi.
If you have an ST1100Y then the brakes should be relatively easy. Just follow the manual. The haynes book of lies actually gets this one about right as well (for a change).

Good luck and don't loose your patience. I must admit that I have found this bike to be the easiest to service yet.

All the best and ride safe
 
I don't get so fancy in my coolant flush. Just drain the coolant, blow out, from the radiator fill hole, any remnants, put in distilled water, blow it out again, maybe a third time, then fill with your aluminum-safe coolant.

You don't have to remove the whole lower fairing to change the oil. Just about three screws on the left side. Keep it open with the side stand. You can fit your hand up inside to unscrew the oil filter. Drain the oil You can change the crush washer, but many don't. I hand tighten the new filter. Torque the drain plug to spec.

Bill
 
I may have gone overboard with the coolant flush, but it was my first on the bike and I did not know what the PO had put in before. I kept getting a little coolant colour after flushing with distilled, so I went all in.

I'll have to try out that oil change trick, but I'm concerned about the oil stream getting on the inside of the fairing.
 
The 'oil fill trick' works... I don't think I've ever gotten oil on the fairing... we will *not* mention the pipes! :)

Another hint: Hand tight only on the gear oil nut... it is plastic and the oil ring does the work.
 
Unbelievable!:hat2:

1) 10W50? A little thick eh? 10w30 or 10w40 would be much better unless you have excessive miles on the bike.
2) Also, only fill the oil until it's at the 1/2 way mark in the sight glass. Some folks have discovered that the ST1100 tends to have a strange vibration if the oil level is higher! Mine does it too so if I over fill, I drain some out (Slowly) until it's where I want it!
3) Changing the crush washer is not all that important but if it looks fairly squished, change it! It might drip drip drip...
4) if you have more than 20,000 miles on the bike, you may want to change the fork oil too! It will make a remarkable improvement in how the bike handles!
5) This is a must do! Make sure you have Moly 60 paste and pull the rear wheel! Clean and inspect the rear splines and re-lube with the moly paste!!! USE ONLY MOLY 60 as this will greatly extend the life of the rear splines!!! Hundreds of thousands of miles verse thousands of miles!!! Trust me on this one!! You'll never regret it!
 
Hello ___,

I'll add that a MityVac will make R&R'g the brake and clutch fluid a whole lot easier.

Good luck getting intimately acquainted with your ST1100. :)

Regards, John
 
All, done bar putting my plastics back on (doing that after fitting my heated grips) and fitting my new footpeg rubbers.

Went with Shell fully Synth 10w-40, Shell Advance 80w-90 gear oil, Honda coolant, NGK plugs, Honda air filter, Honda fuel filter.

Balanced the carbs too. They were miles out of sync, should be nice now.

Made a booboo though and removed the part that attaches to the top of the carbs, it took about 2 hours to get back on.:eek::
 
Regarding ST1100 coolant change, the service manual says:

"remove the drain bolts and sealing washers from the left and right cylinders, and drain the coolant from the engine" after draining the radiator

Nobody mentioned this step in this thread. So, all you long time 1100 owners, is this necessary?
I have to do this for my first time pretty soon on this bike.
 
DeanR said:
Regarding ST1100 coolant change, the service manual says:

"remove the drain bolts and sealing washers from the left and right cylinders, and drain the coolant from the engine" after draining the radiator

Nobody mentioned this step in this thread. So, all you long time 1100 owners, is this necessary?
I have to do this for my first time pretty soon on this bike.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure you can get to them without dropping the exhaust. I haven't, and I think most of us don't either. I drain out as much as I can. Perhaps remove the lower radiator hose, then blow out the coolant system by inserting and sealing a hose into the radiator fill tube and blowing. There's a name for this, but I forgot it at the moment. There will only be a little left. To get more out, you could fill it with distilled water, run it, and repeat.

Bill
 
The coolant draining procedure showing the drain bolts and calling for new sealing washers is in chapter 6, Cooling System, in my Honda Service Manual ST1100, ?92.
 
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