Water pump mystery hose
 

So there is a small hose coming off the very front of the water pump (the only one I see that doesnt come off the cover but the body of the pump).

I cant find it on any of the diagrams in the manuals, & thought it was just a breather but on hot days it drips a small amount of coolant. Is it just a drain? Does anyone know off hand?

What year is the bike? It sounds like it is the "drain hose" from the water pump seal that they put on the later model bikes. Does it have a 90 degree fitting on it?

The only thing I can see at the location you describe is the wiring for the ignition pulse generator.

OK yeah so small epiphany. It is an 05 motor. I was going nuts trying to find it on my 98 but it doesnt exist on that year!

BUT I still dont know what its supposed to do or where is should be routed to. Seems to drip coolant as the bike gets warm which I dont dig.

But it routes over to the left then what? Drains to the ground? Is this a sure sighn of a water pump seal?

Also, I have been riding it in this condition. I know there are variables but should I worry that coolant is mixing with oil? The coolant is flowing well so is the bike rideable or am I grounded til I fix it?

I was just gonna go on a ride today.

Ok so the mechanical seal right? (not the oil seal). And its been dripping a couple weeks, can I ride it til I get the seal as long as the coolant level stays good?

So surfer, how hard is the job to swap out the mechanical seal? Yank the cover then pop out old, & in new? No fuss no muss?

Lots o' fuss and muss.... it has to be pressed to the proper depth.... Check out the service manual to see the procedure pg 6-13... It's not that hard, just need the proper tooling

Most bearings are listed as press fits but I have always done the million tiny hammer taps (wheel and steering head). Can I shadetree mechanic this one also?

Is there a specific press that can be used on the motor in the bike?

No need to do it on the bike, just remove the clutch cover.

The problem that you can run into is that if it is not set correctly, the impeller can rub on the housing sending metal shavings trough out the cooling system.

The most common way to do this repair is to remove the cover and then take it to the dealership to have them press the parts in to the proper depth and then take it home and reassemble everything.

Clutch cover? On the opposite side of the bike? Did you mean water pump cover?

The water pump cover is on the clutch cover.

Ronayers.com Microfiche Honda>Motorcycle>1999>VTR1000F>RIGHT CRANKCASE COVER

Ronayers.com Microfiche Honda>Motorcycle>1999>VTR1000F>WATER PUMP

have a search on the forum as there was a case recently on the consequences of misfitting pressing chewing up...

Im all for home wrenches doing there own work.... BUT this is one job that can easily be screwed up, is not all that intuitive even with general motorcycle experience, and proper tools are much more important then say, doing wheel bearings.

READ the service manual as suggested, if you think you can do the job give it a shot...
But I can say, "hammering with little taps" is not going to get you the results your looking for on this job.

If your not comfortable doing the job after reading the manual, absolutely a great idea.. remove the water pump and right side cover, take it to a Honda shop and pay them to install the new seals, bearings and impeller if needed.

Is it just a matter of having a press (my buddy has a machine shop) or is it even beyond mere pressing?

Again, read the procedure in the service manual... Honestly if you cant, wont do that, or do not understand what is there... Likely best leave the job to someone else.

Any number of us on this forum that have done the job, and can say, well it was easy..

But as we wont be with you when you do it,,, what we think of the job means little.

An arbor press, the right driver, and cup... Support for the housing, and understanding of the procedure and you can do this :thumbsup:

Ok thanks.

I did this in my garage with no special tools when I replaced the right side cover. If you have a large vise and a good selection of large sockets it can be done. Can't remember if I used feeler gauges or calipers, but you need something to measure how far you press the mechanical seal onto the shaft.

Thanks hawkrider, thats what I was wondering. I've done valve jobs and lapped heads so was wondering if it was much harder if done with care.