XLT Cooling issues need advice

[SpencerA]

Ok so since my I got my sled back together its been a nightmare with cooling issues. The guy who did my sled mounted the coolers under the tunnel for better cooling. As you can see in the picture they come up right by the coolant reservoir. He had problems getting the air out of the system so he installed a clear tube between the coolers to make sure coolant was flowing. You could physically see the coolant flowing great. Got about 3 miles in and the hose actually burst (Look at pic of hole). Now I'm not a mechanic but the hose he used was much like a fuel hose but much bigger. Isn't a cooling system have a lot of preasure and thats why that hose burst? So I'm obviously going to change it and run some actual cooling line between the coolers. So I need help getting the air out. I've read that you get the front up high. So how high, and what steps do I take to insure this system is completely free of air. Oh yea and everything has been eliminated from head gaskets, o rings, water pump etc etc. So the airlock has been the problem.

Last question is it bad to go slow on the trails with these motors? I sometimes go with my family and my pulls a snowcoach so she has to go about 15-20mph. I try to get in the soft stuff on the side of the trails as much as possible. My motor has a few mods, pipes, heads, porting, clutching. Seems like I heard that you need to wind the motors out so I don't overheat and carbon build up?

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[modded93xlt]

the coolant lines aren't exactly high presure lines, but even low PSI's(1-3psi) can blow a hose not rated for it.

a couple options to blead out the are would be:

-Most common i have heard is lift up the front end and then run the engine, this should help work any airbubbles back towards the motor. I have always used this method and had great luck. I ussually put a board over the rafters in my garage(to spread the weight) then just loop a wratched strap over this and hook it to the front bumper. I ussually get the sled to like a 30 degree angle and just watch the coolant.

-another method i have heard that I REALLY Like, but takes more dedication. add 2 T's to your coolant line and put in some shutoff's. this would allow you to divert the coolant line outside of the sled. Then use two hoses to run them into a bucket filled wiith coolant. the benifit I saw in this is that you know you will get all the air out. the down side(and it's a big one) you have to change your coolant lines to work this in. I heard of this one from a grass racer who had to flush coolant alot.

as for going slow, yes it can be bad, liquid cooled sleds need snow spray on the coolers, if you are going too slow in hard pack(trail conditions) you're not really getting enough cooling. Air cooled sleds are alot better for putzing around the yard. However, you can make a big difference if you install ice scratchers, this will create more spray and help cool the motor.

 

[X2Freeride]

I cant belive that guy thought that hose was going to work as a coolant hose on a pressurized system. Your powder coated tunnel doesn't help either. Are your coolers at least free of powder-coating?

 

[SpencerA]

I cant belive that guy thought that hose was going to work as a coolant hose on a pressurized system. Your powder coated tunnel doesn't help either. Are your coolers at least free of powder-coating?

My thoughts exactly! Its not powder coat its Line X and yes the coolers are free of any of that.

 

[SpencerA]

the coolant lines aren't exactly high presure lines, but even low PSI's(1-3psi) can blow a hose not rated for it.

a couple options to blead out the are would be:

-Most common i have heard is lift up the front end and then run the engine, this should help work any airbubbles back towards the motor. I have always used this method and had great luck. I ussually put a board over the rafters in my garage(to spread the weight) then just loop a wratched strap over this and hook it to the front bumper. I ussually get the sled to like a 30 degree angle and just watch the coolant.

-another method i have heard that I REALLY Like, but takes more dedication. add 2 T's to your coolant line and put in some shutoff's. this would allow you to divert the coolant line outside of the sled. Then use two hoses to run them into a bucket filled wiith coolant. the benifit I saw in this is that you know you will get all the air out. the down side(and it's a big one) you have to change your coolant lines to work this in. I heard of this one from a grass racer who had to flush coolant alot.

as for going slow, yes it can be bad, liquid cooled sleds need snow spray on the coolers, if you are going too slow in hard pack(trail conditions) you're not really getting enough cooling. Air cooled sleds are alot better for putzing around the yard. However, you can make a big difference if you install ice scratchers, this will create more spray and help cool the motor.

So basically when you lift the sled up what has to be the highest point so I know how hight I need to lift? Seems like that is the most common way I've heard people get the air out.

I'm going to try to run ice scratchers. I'm also putting a Digitron 4 window with water temp. What temps should I be starting to get concerned with?

 

[modded93xlt]

simple way to judge how high to go would be lift the engine higher than the coolers. You don't need any extreme angle, just enough so when the airbubble goes to the highest point in the system, where ever you are burping it from is that point.

with mine I only need to lift the bumper about 8" but I have board coolers and not a tunnel cooler.

 

[SpencerA]

simple way to judge how high to go would be lift the engine higher than the coolers. You don't need any extreme angle, just enough so when the airbubble goes to the highest point in the system, where ever you are burping it from is that point.

with mine I only need to lift the bumper about 8" but I have board coolers and not a tunnel cooler.

I probably need to go higher on mine since the u shaped hose in front of my tank sits higher then my tunnel coolers. Finding a hose that will make that bend might be the hard part. I can't take cooling hose and just bend it. I'm guessing it would collapse?

 

[wrtmani]

I probably need to go higher on mine since the u shaped hose in front of my tank sits higher then my tunnel coolers. Finding a hose that will make that bend might be the hard part. I can't take cooling hose and just bend it. I'm guessing it would collapse?

Might just be the angle of the picture, but it looks like that hose he put on is already collapsed some on the top bend (in the picture)? Do you have room to put a longer hose that can be routed to relieve the bend radius of the hose more?

 

[SpencerA]

Might just be the angle of the picture, but it looks like that hose he put on is already collapsed some on the top bend (in the picture)? Do you have room to put a longer hose that can be routed to relieve the bend radius of the hose more?

It actually didn't collapse until it blew. I'm worried if I go a longer hose that just puts it up higher therefore harder to get the air out? I'm hoping I can go to the auto store and find a hose that is molded to that bend already. Never know I might get lucky.

 

[SpencerA]

Went to auto parts store today and found a hose that has the bends in it that I think will work. I'll give you guys a update to how it goes.

 

[firecat99]

Are you using the bottom cooler? I just put a 93 XLT motor into a 01 Mountian Cat chassis and plumming is just as high up if not highter cause of the 144. all i did was fill up the head and run the thing for a while till i got most air out, then run it down the steet and back only like a hundred feet from low speed to full out come back shut it down open the rez tank for the coolent and the cap off my head, my guess yours is newer so you dont have it? I always run a clear bottol with air vent in it like you find on newer models and i always carrie coolent my first ride as sometime you have to get it super hot to work them air bubbles out. I have done the bringing it up to level but you really have to keep an eye on it as i have seized a few motors doing that and its sucks I perfer to do mine out in the cold and do a few pulls then your working the pump and the air out kinda like a truck motor but they can handle running longer without coolent and you can idle it up untill your T stat opens you wont get your T stat to open at idle and if you do its normally to late.

 

[SpencerA]

Are you using the bottom cooler? I just put a 93 XLT motor into a 01 Mountian Cat chassis and plumming is just as high up if not highter cause of the 144. all i did was fill up the head and run the thing for a while till i got most air out, then run it down the steet and back only like a hundred feet from low speed to full out come back shut it down open the rez tank for the coolent and the cap off my head, my guess yours is newer so you dont have it? I always run a clear bottol with air vent in it like you find on newer models and i always carrie coolent my first ride as sometime you have to get it super hot to work them air bubbles out. I have done the bringing it up to level but you really have to keep an eye on it as i have seized a few motors doing that and its sucks I perfer to do mine out in the cold and do a few pulls then your working the pump and the air out kinda like a truck motor but they can handle running longer without coolent and you can idle it up untill your T stat opens you wont get your T stat to open at idle and if you do its normally to late.

I'm not sure what you mean by bottom cooler. If your talking about the coolers under the tunnel then yes I'm running those. My main concern is the way we modded it the u shape that the hose has to make is where the air is getting caught in the system. Thanks for the advice at this point I'll take any I can get. Nothing worse then a overheating sled.

 

[lshobie]

So you just used the running board coolers in the tunnel? they are small to begin with and did you remove the front cooler? if so you will overheat on a trail in a very short time especially if you have a long lug track and the trail is packed. I overheated in minus 14 on my xlt the other day on the trail, off the trail for a couple of seconds and the temp went right down. the XLT was undercooled to begine with that's why i went with the large summit cooler.

 

[ttyR2]

On the XLT's, you can run it with the lever up on the radiator cap and it will bypass coolant back to the overflow bottle. Let it run that way for a while until you don't see any more bubbles in the clear line that runs from the filler neck back to the overflow bottle. should be pretty easy to bleed the air out of it. Hoist the front of the sled up a few feet helps too.

 

[slash]

find two 5/8 in 90deg pices of coolent hose and conect them togeather with a section of tubing if you want you can put a 1/8 in pipe plug in the middle for a air bleeder ...If the outlets on the tunnel cooler are bigger just use what fits..

 

[SpencerA]

I ended up finding a hose at the auto store that had a pretty good bend in it to fit. I drove it up on the trailer to get the nose really high and that did the trick. I wasn't able to jack it up enough in the shop to get all the air out.