Coolant Pipe Connector Corrosion

[jimbo8098]

Got a big problem with corrosion on the pipe connector at the right of the engine head coming from the radiator. It's REALLY corroded. I've only had the bike for less than a year and went right over it with gunk a month ago to get rid of a lot of grime from winter but this is the only bit on the whole bike that seems to have an accelerated corrosion on it!

I tried coating it in  S100 (poor man's ACF) back when I first got the bike and the water just seems to ignore the stuff... I coated my XTs wheels in it and they are spotless after it lying under a cover in the back garden for almost a year!

Ideally , I think I will find some time to take it out and sand it , polish it , maybe paint it then put it back on but cover it up with something. I think this really should be done from the get go to be honest. Is it just the Scottish road salt that does it or are any of you having the same problem?

[Brockett]

Not sure about your model but my K9 Wee suffered from paint bubbling in the same area and spreading accross the casting cover.
I think maybe that cooling system water vapor is penetrating the paint above the pipe and hose clamp.

[Descolada]

.... Is it just the Scottish road salt that does it or are any of you having the same problem?

Your salt must be the same as Dundee salt, I have exactly the same problem on my K9. Rust bubbles around the corner below the coolant filler cap and again off the Hosepipe housing over the water pump. It has definitely got worse in the last couple of months.

I am guessing a wire brush to clean off, down to the metal (or sandpaper) then copious coats of Hammerite black smooth.

Have anyone done this repair already, could you offer any advice or tips please?

[Juvecu]

Someone's done it on a Vee before on here. Think he puts pics up too, you'll have to search for it, might be years ago by now.

[jimbo8098]

Here is a picture of the problem on my bike:



It has actually become a lot worse since , to the point where I am actually getting worried for it! Here is a pic I took about 10 mins ago:



Here is fatbelly's one as a comparison yesterday , he keeps his bike a lot cleaner than mine and dosen't ride through the winter so much , I rode every day but it got a good clean every month , at least (and I mean scrubbed with sponge and fairy , gunked the chain and rusty bits , S100 on the bare metal and removed the cowling on at the wheel to clean the engine itself , not just a quick hose down)



You can see it is not as bad as mine but it is starting to come on there too.

It does seem to be a road salt thing but I only got the bike in August! I am actually now at the stage of thinking of taking the system apart to get this bit of metal out and just replace it with a painted bit to stop that happening, it just seems like a very bad area and there is a lot of coolant going through those pipes so it really is an accident waiting to happen.