BRP: Common sources of coolant escape?

[Zapp22]

BRP guys

I'm finally ready to end procrastination and figure out an old issue. my BRP ALWAYS smells of coolant from the time I crank it [from cold] til shudown. I never see a leak of any kind, no vapor, no drip that I can spot, but I sure do smell it. I use a high pressure cap from summers racing, if that matters. I installed a supposedly race-grade thermostat also from Summers.

what are the common sources of such a leak? is it possible that just a little is getting past the head gasket and I'm smelling it in the exhaust? if so wouldn't it run like schmuck if that were true? [its running terrific]...

? clueless

z

[frankstr]

Maybe your just smelling the vapors from the overflow tank....

?

[eastreich]

I don't know if this may be the cause of your problem, but it was the cause of mine. I was smelling coolant all of the time and never noticed a leak. I did have to top off the bottle every now and then, but I still couldn't find the leak.

I replaced my stock (and quite mangled, but not leaking) radiators with a new set of Fluidyne rads and noticed that my radiator hoses were VERY soft. I ordered all of the hoses, but went riding that weekend with the old ones anyway. I could still smell coolant. After installing the new hoses the following week, no smell. All that I could think of is that the soft hoses were begining to allow a little seepage out the ends where they were clamped due to them being so soft. I am running the high pressure SRC cap, but I still have the OEM thermostat. My bike is an '01 (at least the hoses were from that vintage), so maybe that is normal, but I am speculating that the higher pressure cap has something to do with hose longevity.