Have you ever felt your thighs and legs burn during traffic or during normal ride? I hope most of us have felt it especially during heavy traffics. You can feel the radiator fan just pushes the hot air or you can feel the heat from crankcase if you didn't wear shoes. Is this normal? Yes. When under working condition engine normally heats and heavily while idling. Its fine. But the problem arises when you see engine overheat indicator turned on or your engine heats more than normal before you ride hard. Why this happens? Let's see them one by one...
If air cooled engine
In a air cooled engine, fins are responsible for cooling the engine. The fins are directly connected to the combustion chamber. We know that when combustion takes place inside combustion chamber, it produces enormous amount of heat. Those heat are transferred into fins. While riding, air flows through that fins thus taking away the heat. When you ride slow or idle your engine, the amount of air flowing through the fins will be less thus your engine emits more heat.
Engine oil
Generally we know that engine oil do the job of lubrication. But it actually do some more job which includes cleaning, cooling and sealing. For proper cooling, we should maintain the engine oil properly. If there's less oil, the parts will not get sufficient amount of oil for lubricating and cooling and thus your engine produces more heat. If the engine oil is not replaced periodically, the oil will lose its viscosity and the oil film will become thinner. This also will make the engine emit more heat. So make sure that you maintain correct amount of engine oil and replacing it by the given time. Its good to inspect the engine oil level and oil leakages regularly.
Clutch
If the clutch plates of your motorbike is gone, engine's power will be wasted. When you don't get proper response, naturally you'll twist the throttle more to move your vehicle. At that time, engine overheats unnecessarily and its power & fuel will be wasted.
Intake and air-fuel mixing system
If your intake or air filter is blocked, the air flowing into the chamber will be less. At the same time, if there's any disturbance or fault in fuel mixing system, the a/f ratio will become lean. This cause the engine to heat quickly. So, setting the carb or fi system to deliver correct mixture and using good intake will minimize the heat.
If liquid cooled engine
This system is slightly complicated than oil and air cooling and contains more number of components. Here, a separate coolant perfectly mixed with distilled water is allowed to flow around the chamber. By doing this, the coolant medium will carry all the heat produced in the chamber and sent to the radiator. The concept used here is very simple. In tea shops, for reducing the heat, they'll flow the tea from one glass to another with more distance. If there's more distance, there'll be more area of contact with air and thus the temperature will be reduced soon. The same concept is used here. After carrying all the heat from the chamber, the coolant is pumped to the radiator with the help of coolant pump. In radiator, the coolant will flow zig zag like structure thus making more contact with air. The fan is present behind the radiator thus pulling all the heat away. If anyone of the part in this system fails, your engine heats more than normal.
When your engine heats more than normal, you have to check the following. Check whether the coolant temperature sensor is working. Next you have to go for coolant pump. Check for any damage in radiator. Check whether the radiator fan is working properly. Maintain the coolant level properly. If coolant pump oil seal breaks, the engine oil mixes with the coolant thus changing the property of the coolant. Check whether the thermostat valve is working fine. If radiator fan is not working, check its relay.
Improper engine oil circulation
It is always suggested to change the oil filer whenever the oil is changed. The dust particles that the oil carry will deposit in the filter. If the filter is fully clogged, the oil will not circulate properly to the components. If the oil pump is damaged, the oil from sump is not sent to the bore and head. Thus, automatically the temperature will raise. While doing the overhauling works, make sure that the gaskets don't block the oil passages.
Revving the engine high for long time
If you are ripping your engine either at track or in road, due to more friction, engine will heat normally. If liquid cooled engine, you have to make sure whether all the components related to that system is working fine. If it is a air cooled engine, surely you have to give break for some time. If you continue to ride with that heat, there are chances for piston getting seized in the combustion chamber.
While riding, when you feel heat which is higher than normal condition and see engine overheat sign at the instrument cluster, first thing is you don't have to panic. Find a right place to park your bike and turn off the ignition. Check whether the coolant oil is present. Check for any leaks. If coolant oil is very low, you can use distilled water for some time. Allow your engine to cool for some time.
Now a days, every vehicle is coming with ecu's and with closed loop system. Everything will work automatically and there's less chance for problem to happen. If you face any problem, you can check the above mentioned parameters.
If air cooled engine
In a air cooled engine, fins are responsible for cooling the engine. The fins are directly connected to the combustion chamber. We know that when combustion takes place inside combustion chamber, it produces enormous amount of heat. Those heat are transferred into fins. While riding, air flows through that fins thus taking away the heat. When you ride slow or idle your engine, the amount of air flowing through the fins will be less thus your engine emits more heat.
Engine oil
Generally we know that engine oil do the job of lubrication. But it actually do some more job which includes cleaning, cooling and sealing. For proper cooling, we should maintain the engine oil properly. If there's less oil, the parts will not get sufficient amount of oil for lubricating and cooling and thus your engine produces more heat. If the engine oil is not replaced periodically, the oil will lose its viscosity and the oil film will become thinner. This also will make the engine emit more heat. So make sure that you maintain correct amount of engine oil and replacing it by the given time. Its good to inspect the engine oil level and oil leakages regularly.
Clutch
If the clutch plates of your motorbike is gone, engine's power will be wasted. When you don't get proper response, naturally you'll twist the throttle more to move your vehicle. At that time, engine overheats unnecessarily and its power & fuel will be wasted.
Intake and air-fuel mixing system
If your intake or air filter is blocked, the air flowing into the chamber will be less. At the same time, if there's any disturbance or fault in fuel mixing system, the a/f ratio will become lean. This cause the engine to heat quickly. So, setting the carb or fi system to deliver correct mixture and using good intake will minimize the heat.
If liquid cooled engine
This system is slightly complicated than oil and air cooling and contains more number of components. Here, a separate coolant perfectly mixed with distilled water is allowed to flow around the chamber. By doing this, the coolant medium will carry all the heat produced in the chamber and sent to the radiator. The concept used here is very simple. In tea shops, for reducing the heat, they'll flow the tea from one glass to another with more distance. If there's more distance, there'll be more area of contact with air and thus the temperature will be reduced soon. The same concept is used here. After carrying all the heat from the chamber, the coolant is pumped to the radiator with the help of coolant pump. In radiator, the coolant will flow zig zag like structure thus making more contact with air. The fan is present behind the radiator thus pulling all the heat away. If anyone of the part in this system fails, your engine heats more than normal.
When your engine heats more than normal, you have to check the following. Check whether the coolant temperature sensor is working. Next you have to go for coolant pump. Check for any damage in radiator. Check whether the radiator fan is working properly. Maintain the coolant level properly. If coolant pump oil seal breaks, the engine oil mixes with the coolant thus changing the property of the coolant. Check whether the thermostat valve is working fine. If radiator fan is not working, check its relay.
Improper engine oil circulation
It is always suggested to change the oil filer whenever the oil is changed. The dust particles that the oil carry will deposit in the filter. If the filter is fully clogged, the oil will not circulate properly to the components. If the oil pump is damaged, the oil from sump is not sent to the bore and head. Thus, automatically the temperature will raise. While doing the overhauling works, make sure that the gaskets don't block the oil passages.
Revving the engine high for long time
If you are ripping your engine either at track or in road, due to more friction, engine will heat normally. If liquid cooled engine, you have to make sure whether all the components related to that system is working fine. If it is a air cooled engine, surely you have to give break for some time. If you continue to ride with that heat, there are chances for piston getting seized in the combustion chamber.
While riding, when you feel heat which is higher than normal condition and see engine overheat sign at the instrument cluster, first thing is you don't have to panic. Find a right place to park your bike and turn off the ignition. Check whether the coolant oil is present. Check for any leaks. If coolant oil is very low, you can use distilled water for some time. Allow your engine to cool for some time.
Now a days, every vehicle is coming with ecu's and with closed loop system. Everything will work automatically and there's less chance for problem to happen. If you face any problem, you can check the above mentioned parameters.