Decided to tackle the radiator this weekend. First of all spent several hours researching coolants and views on the thermostat delete on here and AdvRider. These sites are a great resource, but sometimes the more you know the harder it is to decide!! While acknowledging the importance of engine temperature, I eventually decided that for the hot Australian environment, preventing meltdown in slow going in the bush was my priority - I would do the delete. In my amateur opinion, the Terra's temp management is just too close to the upper limit for my liking.
So I picked this coolant:
Drained the coolant, no problems. Next, let's see if I can get the thermostat out. Read the instructions on here again and got stuck into it, carefully....
Tried levering the tab, tentatively, didn't want to break it. No dice. Pulled the hose off and tried pushing from the inside with an Allen key. Still no joy. Hammer, nope. Ok, I'll have to get serious, pulled the radiator off and repeated all methods. Nope, Nup, nada - this thing is stuck solid. So after a couple of hours of trying to coax the thing out, I'm now at the point where I have usually broken something, and/or thrown the nearest tool to the far end of the shed. I really don't like working on bikes, things never go to plan and when something goes wrong, it's usually expensive. The force I was putting on this thing was gradually increasing consistent with my rising frustration, better to put it to one side and come back tomorrow. One last try, I changed my tack and used a smaller ALLEN key so I could reach the closest lip. I put a socket and extension bar on the end of it so I could hold it properly and get a decent hit on it...and I won....YIPPEEEE!!!
Pulled the thermostat apart and tried an Aussie 20c coin for size. A bit too loose for my liking. Then I was wondering if any of my pvc or poly pipe fittings might work. I found a poly bung (19mm I think).
Ground the thread off and shortened it to fit with a hot knife. I'll then secure it with screws as per the coin method. It's a nice snug fit, should I drill a small hole through it to help with bleeding air?
