Overheated engine = engine problems?

I'm re posting this in the engine section as I'm not sure if I have an engine heat issue or Electrical issue.

Hey back after another mechanical hiatus. I have a very troubling issue! My gas boils. it's a hot 27 Celsius day here in AB
Bike has been sitting for a few months just put a new clutch, fresh rotella t 15w40 oil in it this weekend fired it up let it warm up adjusted the clutch so the bike was running for about 20 min in the garage. Took it for a test run all a ok. Then the bike stalled. I notice a hissing sound like air from a tire coming from my gas cap. When I opened it boom I was showered in boiling fuel ouch! Well I got looking and noticed my ignition wire was resting on the engine damn! Melted where the coil wire and Dyna ignition meet. And the heat coming off the bike was crazy. the frame of the bike was scalding.

Theory 1: bike over heated from sitting still too long

Theory 2: coil short (again) and That creates the heat

I was thinking about the First theory last night. I didn't let the bike cool down enough after I fixed the wire and fired up the bike again.

Theory 2: After I fixed the wire I Tried to drive it and it bogs/chugs on acceleration with the clutch fully out. So I'm thinking electrical again. Gas started to boil again crazy hot frame.

I'm going to start one wire at a time around the coil checking resistance again my fear is I fried another pair of $200 coils with a short!

Any suggestions?

Thats sounds pretty crazy lol. Never heard of that. Try pulling your gas tank off the bike and running a hose to your carbs, check all electrical connections and see what happens.
Sounds electrical, lucky you didnt blow yourself up :blink:
P.S. If a hot wire was actually touching your tank and the tank was insulated by rubber mounts, it might have intermittently touched ground and heated up the tank, that is a possibility. Once my friend had an old GT550 2 stroke and his clutch cable started smoking and the rubber started burning, electrical issues can cause some crazy shiz.We ended up pulling the batt. ground to stop it and then traced and found a hot wire touching the bare metal on the cable near the carbs and once it grounded, it went up in smoke quite quickly.

Are you sure the gas was actually boiling as opposed to expanding vapors caused by heat which, in turn, caused the hissing sound?

How full was the gas tank? How long were you running the bike before? Were you just idling in your driveway, high RPM highway speeds, stop and go around town?

20 minutes, even at idle RPMs is dangerous as these bikes need moving air to cool down, you could have overheated it in your garage. Mine is plenty warm after 2 minutes idling.

Idling for 20 minutes in the summer? That engine must have been red hot. Also, keep in mind that gasoline can boil at a much lower temperature than water; depending on the gasoline formula as low as 100* F. Ed

- Yes it was boiling :woohoo: glad I had my leathers on!!!!

- Tank was half full
- bike running at choke idle speed (3k rpm) for 5-10min and idle (2k rpm) 5-10 more. I do have an oil cooler but lack of air flow is a problem.

I'm thinking the bike was just super heated however is there any residual issues I should check prior to another test run?

What about electrical? would a hot coil create that much heat without dying? The bike starts fine and prior exp has shown a bad coil wont start the bike or idle for more then a few min. Plus to heat the frame/tank to that level of heat would be intense.

What is with you guy's in AB with leaving vehicles idling/ running when not being driven?
My 2 son in laws both from AB leave there stuff running all the time, summer or winter.
One of them melted down a hood on a snowmobile from leaving it running! The other leaves his Duramax running for an hour when he comes home for lunch. i don't get it, they have starters, its not freezing out, shut the futzers off and restart when you need to go. Start it and drive/ ride. You probably overheated you engine and certainly overheated your fuel supply, Why?

:laugh: Can't speak for your son's

it was nothing but carelessness and lack of attention. I was so focused on getting the idle set clutch adjusted and all the other fiddly things I left it running for.

But hey thanks for the lecture

now I pray I haven't added more future problems. Are there steps to take to check out your systems in the event of a overheated engine.

XL777 wrote: ...steps to take to check out your systems in the event of a overheated engine.

Would change oil and filter.
If no unusual noise when running, most likely no permanent damage.

Akin to riding Main Street in Daytona Beach during Bike Week.
All of 'em over-heated and smokin'.

When idling while servicing, such as carb sync, helps to have an electric fan blowing on the engine.

Good Fortune!

Makes sense.

I did the oil change that day :pinch: I did notice that may fresh clean oil was pitch black. Most likely burnt it? It is Rotella T which is a heavy duty oil any chance its fine?

Any chance that hot oil would warp new friction clutch plates? On my second run it felt like my clutch wouldn't disengage.

I would try re adjusting your clutch and i would do it with the engine not running.

Drained the oil when I got home you would never know it was fresh 20 min prior. Black and smelled like burnt plastic vs the slight detergent smell rotella has. Wow ! Hopefully it's only 20 bucks in oil and filter to learn this lesson. I just rebuilt the damn motor 800 km ago it's not even broke in :lol:

XL777 wrote: Drained the oil when I got home you would never know it was fresh 20 min prior. Black and smelled like burnt plastic vs the slight detergent smell rotella has. Wow ! Hopefully it's only 20 bucks in oil and filter to learn this lesson. I just rebuilt the damn motor 800 km ago it's not even broke in :lol:

If it was true synthetic you might have hope.... ddino oil not so sure.

My old 1986 Dodge always ran syn oil: one late night it decided to blow it's head gasket 100 miles from home at 1AM coming back with my wife in the car. Blew all the water out and the temp gauge buried off the dial (turned it into an air cooled engine?). I drove it home anyway. When I parked it I raised the hood.... the engine was so hot I could not put my head under the hood. Next morning put water in at and drove it to the dealer. Replaced the head gasket and found no engine damage.