ST1100 - She's Giving Up Smoking Like A Cigar But Now She's Hot!

Uncle Phil said:
This is my first time using Evans and the key is that when I changed the thermostat, it worked as 'normal' originally and for about 750 miles after the 'fix'.
I've got three other running ST1100s so I am comparing the 'performance' to 450,000+ miles among them all.
Since I have plenty of 'spares', I'm thinking the temp sensor and the gauge first.
It may have something to do with the Evans stuff, but then why did it work fine for a while, go south, change the thermostat and then it worked again for a while?
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I've run Evans for years in all my bikes and cars. There's something else going on here.
 
Hey UP, one more question to see if your symptom is similar to mine, or something different.

Mine goes up to vertical fairly quickly, but then returns back to the "usual" location eventually as well, it never stays at vertical while riding.

So, I could be riding for 1/2 hour in the usual location, then it might jump vertical for 5 minutes, and go back to the usual location again.

Does that sound like yours, or does yours go to 1/2 way and stay there?
 
UP

Are the fans kicking in at all? If they are acting as normal (activating when stopped for extended time) and not kicking in when moving, I would say it is your gauge / circuit.
My 2c
 
It is acting a lot like a problem I had with a water pump on a truck I had. The impeller had come loose and would occasionally slip and the temperature would stay high and then I would fool around with things and it would begin acting normal but it was just because the impeller would hookup for a bit and later would start slipping again and I would start over trying to figure out what was happening. It also could be a bad connection on the sensor or a bad sensor or gauge perhaps.
 
Maybe a 2nd thermostat gone bad? If you don't have another Honda unit, there is an auto one that's cheaper. Be sure it's got the little ~ 1/8" dia hole. Shouldn't be too bad to change it. You were just in there. :biggrin:
 
I have an ST1100 with just under 20,000 miles that had sat for years before I got it. A short time after I put it into service it started running too warm. Several cooling system flushes cured the problem. I don't know that this is your bike's issue but it couldn't hurt. I also used one of the motor/radiator flushing products that you add to the system then did several flushes with water followed by a few more with distilled water then put fresh coolant in.
 
Although mine is the ST1300 with a Bar type Temp gauge, it also sits on 3 bars (equal to 1/2 way across the gauge of 6 bars) and remains there regardless of riding conditions.
Difficult to compare the two models so I'm limited in offering any advice, the only difference I've noticed with Evans coolant is it takes about a minute longer to warm up from a cold start.

Are you able to remove the Rad Cap with the engine running and see if the coolant is flowing back into the Rad where the return pipe feeds back into the Rad just below the Rad Cap filler neck?
That's if the two models have the same Rad return system...
I would do this check from cold start right through to the fan activating on & off a few times.

EDIT: Just noticed you mention your Overflow bottle is between the Low & High lines ~ might be an idea to keep it topped up to the High line...?
 
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dwalby said:
Hey UP, one more question to see if your symptom is similar to mine, or something different.
Mine goes up to vertical fairly quickly, but then returns back to the "usual" location eventually as well, it never stays at vertical while riding.
So, I could be riding for 1/2 hour in the usual location, then it might jump vertical for 5 minutes, and go back to the usual location again.
Does that sound like yours, or does yours go to 1/2 way and stay there?
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Mine goes 1/2 way and stays there - which is my concern something is not working correctly.
 
Uncle Phil said:
Mine goes 1/2 way and stays there - which is my concern something is not working correctly.
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Did you put in a Honda OEM thermostat? If so you might want to try a Stant thermostat - I believe it is the same as an 06 Honda Civic. I know you tried another thermostat that worked for a while but the more I think about it, it seems like that is the problem to me. Honda has had thermostat problems in the past.
 
bdalameda said:
Did you put in a Honda OEM thermostat? If so you might want to try a Stant thermostat - I believe it is the same as an 06 Honda Civic. I know you tried another thermostat that worked for a while but the more I think about it, it seems like that is the problem to me. Honda has had thermostat problems in the past.
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It was brand new HONDA OEM thermostat.
If it is the problem, it only worked for about 750 miles.
 
I think the Stant part number is 13868 for the T-stat if you want to try a cheap part swap to rule out the Honda T-stat being bad.

Or you could swap one over from one of your other STs.
 
Uncle Phil said:
Not trying to be smart, but the basis (car or motorcycle or both)?
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It's been some years back but there were a rash of ST1300 thermostat problems and also on some cars. Definitely a manufacturing defect with the Honda OEM units. That was quite a while ago though but who knows how long some OEM parts sit on shelves.
 
Uncle Phil said:
That's one thing I do not do - tear up a 'running' one to test/fix a non-running one. :biggrin:
I am leaning toward a thermostat problem but still considering the sensor and gauge idea.
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yeah, for a cheap part like a Stant T-stat its not worth the trouble of trying to use a part from another bike to troubleshoot, they're $10 or less. Might make sense for a more expensive part, or one that's no longer available, but not a T-stat. (however, I see the Honda OEM stat is $46 from Partzilla, or $35 from parts-direct, yikes!!)

Since they're in the same area, the T-stat swap is the easiest and most likely suspect, and if that doesn't change anything try the sensor next, I think you said you have a spare one of those??? If not, I have an extra one.
 
Something to consider UP. Our 1100's are old. You never know how long a part has been sitting on a distributor's or dealer's shelf, but conceivably since 1990. The condition of new metal parts is obvious at pretty much a glance, parts using seals....maybe not so much. Learned that the hard way when we were refurbishing and riding GL1000's.
 
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