SuzukiSavage.com - Running Hot

nrausch

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2003 Savage

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Brooklyn, NY
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Running Hot
05/23/13 at 13:30:16

Hello again Gents!

I bought our Savage in the dead of winter for my wife, and we have gotten some really nice rides out of it so far.
Last weekend 'ol Suzy seemed to be running really hot. (The bike, not the wife)

Granted:
- It is now spring and a bit warmer than winter in NY (Still just over 70F)
- We were in slow/ no moving traffic for a good half hour in the middle of the trip
- Maybe she drove the whole trip in 3rd gear? (That is mean of me to assume, she knows what she is doing.)

I swear the clutch cover and generator cover are now a shade of bronze rather than chrome!

Since I wasn't riding it and couldn't hear or feel what was going on with it, I had her park it after the ride and let it cool down. The next day I checked the oil level, tilted the bike and looked in the oil level window with the engine running and I see the oil pumping and sloshing around like a washing machine, so I assume oil is pumping. I went for a short ride and everything sounded and felt fine. But within 10 or 15 minutes the block was HOT! again... granted it is a bit warmer outside, but what would make it get this hot that quick?

The pipe doesn't seem to be any more discolored than the usual blueing it has always had.

Perhaps the discoloration is from a cleaner I used and the heat of the ride baked it off with the chrome, and the heat is normal.

But, is there anything I can check or something that is common?
I don't want to experiment too much and bake the engine.

Sincerely,
Running Hot

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2003 LS650 Savage.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Running Hot Reply #1 - 05/23/13 at 13:39:42 & you checked the oil level, engine off? If you think it got that hot, you may want to change oil. Check the exhaust & make sure its clear & exhaling normally,. Wait till late in the day or get up early. Ride it when its a little cooler out & see if its acting like it did before the weather warmed up.
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nrausch

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2003 Savage

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Re: Running Hot
Reply #2 - 05/23/13 at 15:03:05

Checked the oil with the engine stopped cold and it's good.
Checked the level with the engine stopped hot and it's good.

I'll give it a full change this weekend and see how that flies.

The last change was less than 300 miles ago and less than 3 months.

But I need to change the other bike anyway, so I'll get them both on the same schedule.

Thanks! Stay tuned....

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nrausch

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2003 Savage

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Re: Running Hot
Reply #3 - 05/27/13 at 14:59:59

Happy Memorial Day everybody!

I Changed the oil and filter and the ambient temperature was about 70 degrees C this weekend. The air filter is new as well. The oil was a little dark and there was a tiny bit of foam. Last oil change was 4 months ago and less than 500 miles! (20w50 Mobil 1 vtwin Synth)

The engine still seems to be running really hot. (But well!)

Idle is at 1000 RPM

Laser thermometer shows the lower case at about 275c, the lower fins around 300c, the upper fins around 250, the exhaust pipe near the engine about 290c, after only about 5 - 10 minutes of running idle. (Same before and after the oil change) How do these compare to usual?

Everything sounds good, and honestly it seems to be running better than it ever has since I have owned it!

If it wasn't for the discoloration of the covers, I would not be concerned.
I checked photos of the bike from when I originally had it and the covers have discolored to a gold bronze for sure!

Can I assume that if the oil pump wasn't pumping that the engine would be making some terrible sounds and not run great?

I wish I could blame this on a hole in the radiator!

Any other thoughts?

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apache snow-FSO Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 509 Gender:	Re: Running Hot Reply #4 - 05/27/13 at 15:15:05 Most people on here run 10W40 with the exception of people who are in very hot regions. I believe 10W40 is what the manual specifies.
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Routy

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Re: Running Hot
Reply #5 - 05/27/13 at 15:42:16

There has been many posts of the engine running good, but running hot.
But I don't know that a 1 of them really were. Many just do not know that an air cooled engine that is moving very slow, or standing still, is going to get very hot, but nothing that is not normal, or that will cause any damage.

If it is otherwise running good, w/ normal power, etc etc, you can almost bet it not getting abnormally hot.
The only thing I can think of that would cause overheating, but still run complete normal, would be plugged cooling finns.
If the exhaust was restricted, it would not run good/normal
If the timing was off enuff to overheat, it also would not run good/normal.
If it was short on oil, the engine would get very noisy.
But 10-40 oil will run cooler than 20-50, but probably not enuff difference you would notice it ??

As far as the discoloration, a cleaner has caused it on exhaust pipes many times, maybe see if it will clean off.

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Rich
'07 S40 Blvd stocker, except drilled OEM exhaust and white spacer mod...1/2 (.055)

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Dave

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Posts: 18101
Camp Springs, Kentucky
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Re: Running Hot
Reply #6 - 05/27/13 at 19:02:44

I have been using my new Vapor speedo/tach for a couple of weeks now. My bike runs great and has no issues. I now have a head temperature sender and the head runs between 260 - 270 on the highway. A steady 65mph in 90 degree weather took it just shy of 290.....I have no idea what the case temperature is.

I have my sensor mounted on the left rear cylinder stud.

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Someday I will be old......But not today!

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Digger Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Ya gotta be tough to ride singles! Posts: 1604 Colorado Springs, CO Gender:	Re: Running Hot Reply #7 - 05/27/13 at 19:05:39 nrausch wrote on 05/27/13 at 14:59:59: ...Laser thermometer shows the lower case at about 275c.... n, Where on the case was that reading taken....it equates to about 525 degrees F!
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Charon Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1811 Harvard, NE Gender:	Re: Running Hot Reply #8 - 05/27/13 at 19:19:57 I wondered about those temperatures, too. I think the numbers would be about right in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius.
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Dane Allen Serious Thumper Offline Carpe Diem!! Posts: 1217 Riverside, CA Gender:	Re: Running Hot Reply #9 - 05/28/13 at 12:23:25 Would a lean/rich fuel issue cause something like this or would that mostly heat up the exhaust? I would think you would hear the metal-to-metal if there was too little oil pressure over time. When was the last valve adjustment?
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Running Hot Reply #10 - 05/28/13 at 12:38:13 Id look to a restricted exhaust,
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paulmarshall Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1268 Carterton,New Zealand Gender:	Re: Running Hot Reply #11 - 05/28/13 at 12:42:32 I modded my heat sensor to fit around the spark plug. Before I put oversize piston in my temp was between 203 F- 248F. Running temp was 203 F and sitting at lights 248 F with a ambient temp of 86 F.
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Blinky-FSO

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Re: Running Hot
Reply #12 - 05/28/13 at 12:45:39

nrausch wrote on 05/23/13 at 13:30:16:

I swear the clutch cover and generator cover are now a shade of bronze rather than chrome!

Perhaps the discoloration is from a cleaner I used and the heat of the ride baked it off with the chrome, and the heat is normal.

The covers are polished aluminum with a clear coat, not chrome. What brand or type of cleaner did you use? Try and polish out a section of one cover and see if the discoloration returns. keep us posted.

Good hunting

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Digger

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Re: Running Hot
Reply #13 - 05/28/13 at 19:08:55

nrausch wrote on 05/27/13 at 14:59:59:

....Laser thermometer shows the lower case at about 275c....

Assuming that he meant F vs. C and the measurement was taken at the bottom half of the clutch cover, that's still too hot, IMO.....

I'm presuming that said temperature would be about the temp of the oil.....and I've never seen my case temps go much above 210-220 F.

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Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
I don't own a cage.
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nrausch

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2003 Savage

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Re: Running Hot
Reply #14 - 06/03/13 at 08:04:00

Correction: I did mean F not C for the temperatures. So that does make more sense. 525 F degrees probably would have melted the engine into a solid blob.

It ran great all weekend, and we had a hot one!

The exhaust pipe does not seem to be too clogged, but I still want to take it off and check it internally. Now I have run into the issue that all of the bolts holding the muffler and the heat shield where the pipe meets the muffler are totally rusted shut and won't budge.

I noticed 3 half dollar sized rust holes in the bottom of the muffler and am thinking I want to just replace it, or swap with a Jardine or something. The holes seem to be only in the outer layer. (You can't stick a finger in more than half an inch) If so, should I just drill out the rusty bolts? I pretty much emptied a can of WD40 on these guys over the weekend, hoping they would loosen enough to move.

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2003 LS650 Savage.

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