07 M8..antifreeze leak..heating

[Bails]

So I went to go for a ride last weekend. After warming up, we went for a couple miles and I noticed my "check engine" light flashing. I shut it down right away and popped the hood. Under the hood there antifreeze splashed everywhere. There was a small leak coming out of one of the head bolts, and the engine was really hot. I waited for the engine to cool down and I tightened the couple bolts that were loose. I started it back up, and a noticed a bigger leak out the back side of the engine against the bulk head. I didn't ride the sled for the rest of the weekend. When I got home, I was so scared that their may be engine damage that I ripped the head off. The "O" rings on the head bolts were melted and and big "O" rings for the head were also melted.

Because I was wondering about the engine damage, I took the head off before I pressured the coolant system up to see where the big leak was coming from. Now I'm waiting on parts to put it back together. Luckily there was no engine damage, surprisingly as it got pretty hot. The pistons, pots, and rings look pretty good.

I'm just wondering if the water pumps on the M8's are prone to going or if anyone else has had any trouble with leaks and the back side of the engine. The leak obviously had to be there in the first place in order to cause the over heat. I can't see any of the hoses rubbed through or anything.

I know I'll have to check once I get the head put back together for the leak, but just wondering if this has happened to anyone else.

 

[ojohnson19]

Hey there is a line behind the silencer that runs under the engine (you will have to pull silencer off in order to see the line). On my 2007 m8 that line rubbed against the engine and caused a leak. hope that helps you out.

 

[M1000CAT]

I would definatly change the water pump. had the same issue and swapped out a small hose to the heat exchanger and the water pump all good now.

 

[Bails]

Thanks for the reply's...I'll post what the end result was once I get my parts to put the head back together.

 

[Bails]

Ok I got my head back on and tried to fire up the sled...no go. As I was pulling it over, it just didn't sound right. It sounded like there was just too much back pressure. So I took the pipe off the find that it was totally restricted.. One of my riding buddies had his stock pipe so I went and grabbed it and whola!!

The restriction in the pipe caused the engine to heat up, which caused the coolant system to pressure up and looks like on of the hose clamps wasn't tight.

I'm going to cut the pipe apart and see what the restriction was.

 

[Bails]

Hey there is a line behind the silencer that runs under the engine (you will have to pull silencer off in order to see the line). On my 2007 m8 that line rubbed against the engine and caused a leak. hope that helps you out.

Thanks for the heads up.. That line wasn't leaking but was starting to rub. I put some thick conduit on it.

 

[pipes]

Ok I got my head back on and tried to fire up the sled...no go. As I was pulling it over, it just didn't sound right. It sounded like there was just too much back pressure. So I took the pipe off the find that it was totally restricted.. One of my riding buddies had his stock pipe so I went and grabbed it and whola!!

The restriction in the pipe caused the engine to heat up, which caused the coolant system to pressure up and looks like on of the hose clamps wasn't tight.

I'm going to cut the pipe apart and see what the restriction was.

post up pics of your findings

 

[Turbo-North]

Ok I got my head back on and tried to fire up the sled...no go. As I was pulling it over, it just didn't sound right. It sounded like there was just too much back pressure. So I took the pipe off the find that it was totally restricted.. One of my riding buddies had his stock pipe so I went and grabbed it and whola!!

The restriction in the pipe caused the engine to heat up, which caused the coolant system to pressure up and looks like on of the hose clamps wasn't tight.

I'm going to cut the pipe apart and see what the restriction was.

Mouse nest???

 

[Bails]

Ya, that's what I'm thinking. I always keep the sled in the garage and I have never seen a mouse around the house.......until the day after I tore the sled apart. There was a little brown bastard sitting on the blade on my quad. My dog killed the little bastard for me. But been as it got hot, I would have thought he would have fried.

 

[creepincat]

On my last ride of the year (last year) I must have hit a stump or something and bent my bulk head about a 4in square dent. So I cut it out and looked around before I put a new float plate on...lucky because the aluminum that bent just barely touched a coolant line that is under that part of the engine and put a pinhole in the line. If I wouldnt have grabbed that line I woulda never saw it and then who knows when it probably woulda let go. Anyway, thats my story about coolant lines.