Thermostat Delete Kits

[Greguw]

Hey guys 

I have done a 5 thermostat delete kits for a few buddies at my shop , 4 kits were the San Diego kit and one was the Champion ... Champion continues to be a dud . 

I do like the concept of being one piece but the coating that was applied continues to be a problem with leaking at the temp sensor .

Next thing we’re going to try is a copper washer and then remove the coating around the seat area to get a better seal .

Any one else install the Champion kit leaking coolant ? 

Now its just becoming a continue problem costing time and money . I would stay with San Diego if your going to delete .

 

Edited May 23, 2020 by Greguw

[5001craig]

I installed the Champion kit and had no leaks.  I did not use any sealant either.

 

[5001craig]

Since you are seeing leaks, have you thought about two to three wraps of teflon tape then a thin coat of sealant?

[DEMI]

to be fair, my SD leaked at the o-ring initially, had to reset it and it was not pinched. Surprised how well it has worked since then, even with the rubber cap block off. Sometimes simple is good. Teflon taped my sensor as I usually do with plumbing threads.

Edited May 23, 2020 by DEMI

[Greguw]

I did not mind the rubber cap on the SD kit , I did use new factory O-rings on all kits . Will try some copper crush washers and some thread sealer and see how that works . Anyone know if that temp sensor uses a ground ?

[Flash1034]

Why bother with all this?  What’s wrong with the stock setup?

[foggy3061]

3 hours ago, Flash1034 said:

Why bother with all this?  What’s wrong with the stock setup?

I guess riders in very hot climates benefit from better coolant flow without a thermostat in line.

However, on cooler days the bike will probably over cool.

[Greguw]

These bikes just heat up fast , thermostat just slows down the flow , I guess if you live in Maine or Canada could be use full  when 15 degrees out ... may butt is not riding this bike below 32 degree’s . 

Thermostat is fine for stock but if your delete with ECU and exhaust it works just fine , some guys may say it keeps the coolant temp to the motor more consistent . We have about 5 guys that ride these bikes locally and only problem we have had was this stupid leak from Champion manifold .

I was able to fix the leak removing the coating around the seat area and the stock washer worked fine but I also added a copper sealing washer ... I’m not a big fan of Teflon tape unless its last resort .

Edited May 29, 2020 by Greguw

[El Liebre]

Good to know...I just noticed my Champion Adventures manifold had coolant residue around it.

[DEMI]

I went this route for simplicity and cleanup via smog removal, etc. SD on mine. In reality, probably unnecessary, cheap enough other than time added in the garage.

[Greguw]

The 4 other San Diego one piece are just polished aluminum no special cera coat ... I did not use Teflon tape , I did carefully remove the coating where the washer seats and polished the Aluminum and used a 12mm X 20mm  sealing copper washer along with the factory washer and have not had a problem yet .

Suck I had to fix some else’s over engineering , they should have known to not trust a coating to act like a washer . 

I actually just ordered another kit from SD I have another bike we are deleting .

The stock Thermostat housing could be used for a budget delete , plug off the one emission port with a plug and you could either run the thermostat of not or put a restrictor washer but I see no need for that .

Deleted the bikes do heat up fast and never had any problems  with not able to stay hot as some people have reported on other sites these guys must ride in Canada or Alaska in the winter ... Not Me .

 

[DEMI]

I had to re-do my SD kit yesterday, noticed some coolant around the sensor plug. So I drained the fluid, used a new crush washer and teflon tape, cleaned up the delete part and used another new o-ring. Was slightly annoyed or maybe I was just jinxed from this thread.

[R.L. Sheldrake]

I suggest you call Colton directly and talk to him. He's a great dude and it's not a good look to be bashing the guy in a forum without talking to him first.

[Greguw]

Not bashing just being honest his stuff leaks ... picture speak for its self . I actually talked to Colton prior to ordering this kit and he assured me this coating was the best . 

We have not had any problems with the San Diego kits . They could offer a copper sealing washer if they wanted to eliminate any chance of leaking .

This is just my personal review and opinion ... Pictures speak for them self .

I’m not a big Teflon tape person , I would rather use a high temp thread sealant .

Edited June 2, 2020 by Greguw

[5001craig]

I have Colton’s CA kit and it has not leaked. 200 to 210 indicated by the gauge in the aftermarket radiator cap last two days. Fan kicked on a few times that I noticed (lots of heat on my left leg). I’ve been in OK at a DART riding school so there was some idling and I was happy to see things working as they are supposed to. 

[Greguw]

Just did another San Diego kit on a guys bike ... that makes 5  San Diego kits I have installed and the one Champion . Who’s Temp cap are you running ? 

Edited June 3, 2020 by Greguw

[5001craig]

On 6/3/2020 at 1:19 PM, Greguw said:

Just did another San Diego kit on a guys bike ... that makes 5  San Diego kits I have installed and the one Champion . Who’s Temp cap are you running ? 

I believe the radiator cap is Tusk.  I got it from RMATV.  Maybe not the most accurate way to get coolant temps but I've seen others I'm not a fan of either.

[Flash1034]

On 6/1/2020 at 5:54 PM, R.L. Sheldrake said:

I suggest you call Colton directly and talk to him. He's a great dude and it's not a good look to be bashing the guy in a forum without talking to him first.

Can you post a phone number?  Emails unanswered.  

Edited June 8, 2020 by Flash1034

[5001craig]

18 hours ago, Flash1034 said:

Can you post a phone number?  Emails unanswered.  

I've emailed Colton exclusively and he always replied.  Maybe he's busy at the moment.  I know I was out of the office last week and didn't respond to a lot of emails during that time.  I hate reading/responding to emails on my phone...

[R.L. Sheldrake]

Had an email exchange with him this weekend. I have a kit coming, but I haven't been in the same proximity as the bike to take the 4 way fitting off to send back to him. It's been a couple weeks and he's been super cool about it. I believe his website shows that the kits are backordered until July. I asked him about it and he told me he had me covered. He will get back to you.