Wilsons Sandbox

Posted: **Mon Aug 26, 2002 9:38 am**

Just out of curiosity, has any one ever had to replace a water pump of impeller? Do they ever go bad? Will cooling performance improve if you replace either of these ever now and then (like 5 years) Tom B

Posted: **Mon Aug 26, 2002 11:28 am**

Tom, Just got finished rebuilding/reassembling the entire motor. The pump shaft is part of the counterbalancer system, and unless it goes bad, the pump will always turn. The impeller (directly under the pump cover) is a cast aluminum dealy that doesn't look like there's all that much to go bad. There is a seal on the inside (oil seal) the case, a mechanical seal (spring loaded with ceramic inserts) on the back of the impeller and an o-ring. That's about it other than the nut on the outside (not the driver). The only thing that would cause it to go bad that I can see is something getting stuck on the impeller. Now, not that thats all that can go wrong with the system. I replaced the thermostat. When I first pulled it out, there was stuff all over the springs and stuck in the openings. Turned out to be extra/overspray from the powdercoating that all motors are covered with. I'm going to blow out the radiator tonight to see what's in there. Other than the hoses, the coolant levels, outside temperature and how hard you ride it, that's all there is! Good luck in what ever your problem/concern might be. millerized

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Tom Baumen" wrote: > Just out of curiosity, has any one ever had to replace a water pump of impeller? Do they > ever go bad? Will cooling performance improve if you replace either of these ever now and > then (like 5 years) > Tom B

Posted: **Tue Aug 27, 2002 6:26 am**

FOrget what I said. I was all ready until I started adding antifreeze. It started coming out the hole in the bottom. $h!t, now what? Drain Plug. I forgot to put in the F#%$(InG Drain Plug. OK, rummage through the box of bolts, install the plug. Fill it up again, ..Drip...drip...drip. This time out of the weep hole. Spin the motor a few turns, still the drip (and coolant was still leaking also). Drain coolant, shoo away cats, pull off the cover, pull off the impeller (now coated with MS. Moly for better friction fightin') The o-ring was crushed sideways. No problem. Have new o-ring, but can't find aluminum spacer. Look for it, couldn't even find it on the shaft. Until I looked really closely, it was crushed on the shaft. There's the problem. Overtorqued the Little .8mm aluminum spacer/washer and crushed it beyond repair, doesn't exert pressure on o-ring, which won't let ceramic seals seal. Jezuz, all this for a $0.15 aluminum washer. I'll do some calling, and some running. To bad I can't do it on 2 wheels. millerized That - -- In DSN_klr650@y..., "millerized_2000" wrote:

> Tom, > Just got finished rebuilding/reassembling the entire motor. The

pump

> shaft is part of the counterbalancer system, and unless it goes

bad,

> the pump will always turn. The impeller (directly under the pump > cover) is a cast aluminum dealy that doesn't look like there's all > that much to go bad. There is a seal on the inside (oil seal) the > case, a mechanical seal (spring loaded with ceramic inserts) on the > back of the impeller and an o-ring. That's about it other than the > nut on the outside (not the driver). The only thing that would

cause

> it to go bad that I can see is something getting stuck on the > impeller. Now, not that thats all that can go wrong with the > system. I replaced the thermostat. When I first pulled it out, > there was stuff all over the springs and stuck in the openings. > Turned out to be extra/overspray from the powdercoating that all > motors are covered with. I'm going to blow out the radiator

tonight

> to see what's in there. Other than the hoses, the coolant levels, > outside temperature and how hard you ride it, that's all there is! > Good luck in what ever your problem/concern might be. > millerized > > > > > --- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Tom Baumen" wrote: > > Just out of curiosity, has any one ever had to replace a water

pump

> of impeller? Do they > > ever go bad? Will cooling performance improve if you replace > either of these ever now and > > then (like 5 years) > > Tom B

Posted: **Tue Aug 27, 2002 7:26 am**

Tom Baumen wrote:

> Just out of curiosity, has any one ever had to replace a water pump of impeller? Do they > ever go bad? Will cooling performance improve if you replace either of these ever now and > then (like 5 years)

I vaguely recall somebody had a cracked impeller, some time ago. Maybe the retaining nut was overtightened at some stage. I suppose it may be possible to substitute an impeller from some other (larger) Kawasaki so that you push the coolant through faster, although it may not give as much benefit as you want. Mister_T Melbourne Australia

Posted: **Thu Jul 21, 2005 2:36 am**

***Message: 21 Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 19:28:43 -0700 From: Jeff Jones Subject: Water pump question Howdy listers, My 2001 KLR has started to drip coolant from right under the water pump. There's a small hole there that my 49 year old eyes can't tell if it's factory or not. My neighbor the mechanic said most motor water pumps have a weep hole for when the pump is shot so the coolant that seeps where its not supposed to go has an exit. Is that the case with the KLR? If it is, I need a new water pump. What's a water pump cost? Thanks in advance, Jeff Jones *** *** Jeff, most likely not the pump itself, but rather a ceramic 'seal' behind the impeller that is causing the drip (it's called the 'mechanical seal'). This is a $30-$35 part, but will almost surely have to be dealer installed since it's a pretty brittle piece. It only took a small piece of contamination in the cooling system to put a 'score' on the ceramic and cause a leak on my brother's bike about a month ago. There's also an oil seal behind the mechanical seal (where the impeller's drive shaft goes through the main case) that might need changing too. A savvy mechanic can replace it without having to split the main cases. Arrowhead has the parts ( http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr_engine.html ) but so might a larger dealer. Best of luck ! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Posted: **Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:41 am**

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, gw42@c... wrote:

> Jeff, most likely not the pump itself, but rather a ceramic 'seal'

behind the impeller that is causing the drip (it's called the 'mechanical seal'). This is a $30-$35 part, but will almost surely have to be dealer installed since it's a pretty brittle piece. It only took a small piece of contamination in the cooling system to put a 'score' on the ceramic and cause a leak on my brother's bike about a month ago. There's also an oil seal behind the mechanical seal (where the impeller's drive shaft goes through the main case) that might need changing too. A savvy mechanic can replace it without having to split the main cases. Arrowhead has the parts ( http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr_engine.html ) but so might a larger dealer.

> Best of luck !

If you're reasonably handy with tools and careful, you can do this yourself. When I bought my first KLR it was weeping. I bought the mechanical and oil seals and replaced them without a problem. I've also helped replace one in the parking lot of a motel in Mexico by flashlight. If I recall, getting the old one out without wrecking something is the hard part. __Arden

Posted: **Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:54 am**

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Arden Kysely" wrote: Snip here>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > If you're reasonably handy with tools and careful, you can do this > yourself. When I bought my first KLR it was weeping. I bought the > mechanical and oil seals and replaced them without a problem. I've > also helped replace one in the parking lot of a motel in Mexico by > flashlight. If I recall, getting the old one out without wrecking > something is the hard part. > > __Arden There's a pretty good write up on how-to on the marknet site, written by the (in)famous(!) Mark Bakarich. Allow a couple of hours and some change if it's your first time, and you're replacing all the seals. All the best, Mike

Posted: **Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:50 pm**

I've had weeping seals and and broken impellar shaft out of two kr's and a extra motor... FWIW I've had a weeping seal for over a year now and only have lost a 1/4 inch of coolant in the resevoir tank. Probably silicates in the coolant in my case. --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Arden Kysely" wrote:

> --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, gw42@c... wrote: > > Jeff, most likely not the pump itself, but rather a

ceramic 'seal'

> behind the impeller that is causing the drip (it's called > the 'mechanical seal'). This is a $30-$35 part, but will almost > surely have to be dealer installed since it's a pretty brittle > piece. It only took a small piece of contamination in the cooling > system to put a 'score' on the ceramic and cause a leak on my > brother's bike about a month ago. There's also an oil seal behind > the mechanical seal (where the impeller's drive shaft goes through > the main case) that might need changing too. A savvy mechanic can > replace it without having to split the main cases. Arrowhead has

the

> parts ( http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr_engine.html ) but so > might a larger dealer. > > Best of luck ! > > If you're reasonably handy with tools and careful, you can do this > yourself. When I bought my first KLR it was weeping. I bought the > mechanical and oil seals and replaced them without a problem. I've > also helped replace one in the parking lot of a motel in Mexico by > flashlight. If I recall, getting the old one out without wrecking > something is the hard part. > > __Arden

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:29 am**

Ok, I've replaced the seals twice myself. I've had a two stealerships replace the seals. And it still leaks oil out the weep-hole. WTF. I'm about ready to give up on the ol' KLR. So if its not the seals then what else could be the problem? I've inspected the engine cover for cracks and gouges. I've inspected the impeller drive shaft for spurs. Its not bent. It has a little play in and out but not side-to- side. I'm at my wits end. What else could be the problem?

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:32 am**

This happened to my bike when the PO had it. I was on a Cooper Canyon trip with a Pancho Villa group and we changed the seal at the motel the first night out. It had recently been changed by a dealer. The next day it leaked again and he was out of seals so his bike went into the sag wagon and he had a windshield in front of him the rest of the way. When he got home he took it to a different dealer and their mechanic flushed the whole coolant system, getting out the manufacturing crud that kept fouling the seal. I've got 33k miles on it now and no problems. The spare seal he bought is still in my mini- storage box where the charcoal canister used to ride. So my advice is flush the sucker. My first KLR also wept. I changed the seal and that was that. __Arden

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "pzzldpnthr" wrote: > > Ok, I've replaced the seals twice myself. I've had a two stealerships > replace the seals. And it still leaks oil out the weep-hole. WTF. > I'm about ready to give up on the ol' KLR. So if its not the seals > then what else could be the problem? I've inspected the engine cover > for cracks and gouges. I've inspected the impeller drive shaft for > spurs. Its not bent. It has a little play in and out but not side- to- > side. I'm at my wits end. What else could be the problem? >

Wilsons Sandbox

nklr idle mixture circuits

water pump

water pump

water pump

water pump

water pump

water pump

water pump

water pump

water pump

water pump