I have a 95 kawasaki ZX 9r B -2 and cant for the life of me keep the motor cool..?

Question

I was told the head gasket was probably blown and that I could fix this problem if I had some time and minimal mechanical skills ... otherwise this will be around 600-1000 dollers .. Is this true and what all is involved.

Answer 1

If anyone can rebuild this motor with minimal mechanical skill, I'd like to see that. I think they were hoping you would and screw it up so bad they could charge you $$$$$$. If you are familiar with OHV construction and timing camshafts, have a shop manual, wrenches, torque wrenches and beer, you can do this yourself. I don't consider it to be an easy job.

First off, flat-rate for a head gasket on this model is 6.2 hours. Multiply that by the shop rate for your labor charge. The Kawasaki head gasket is $56.88. Figure in $30-$50 for o-rings, exhaust gaskets, oil, etc. Add that up to see if you are getting ripped off or not.

Second. You never tear down a motor unless you know the cause. If the gasket is blown, there will be evidence you can verify. Is there oil in the coolant? Does the exhaust smell funny? (Burning coolant stinks.) Is more moisture then normal in the exhaust? Are any of the plugs wet? Did they do a pressure test of the coolant system? Did they do a leak down test on the motor?

Third. Head gaskets normally don't go unless the motor overheated. You may repair it and still have an overheating problem. How have you verified your overheating problem? Is it boiling out coolant? How long do you have to run it before it does? Is your coolant fresh and properly mixed? Is your fan running? Have you checked the system with a laser temp gauge to see where the heat build-up is? Is your water pump leaking? You could have a simple problem like a stuck thermostat or a bad wire on your fan switch.

Before I would tear this motor down or pay big bucks to have it done, I would check it out and make sure of the problem first. Most of the cooling system checks are simple. Contact me if you want the details. Otherwise I would take it to a different shop for a second opinion.

The post above mine has some very good information on cooling system problems also. You now should be well informed.

Answer 2

First of all, how long has it been since the coolant was changed? Old dirty coolant doesn't conduct heat like clean stuff does and I know that from experience. Has it always run fine before and then did it start running hot suddenly of has it kind of crept up on you? Suddenly often tends to be mechanical while gradually tends to be something dirty or plugged up. Make sure the coolant overflow tank is full and there is no air trapped in the radiator. On my big Kaw, removing trapped air means having coolant in the overflow tank, disconnecting the fan and running it until the gauge says it's overheating, then shutting it off and letting it cool. When hot it will expell the air and when it cools, it will suck coolant back into the radiator. Check for crud in the radiator such as mud, bugs, cats, dogs and such. Using a high pressure car wash wand on the radiator can flatten the fins and block air flow, so use nothing more than a garden hose and hit it dead on, not at an angle. When you start it cold, does it keep getting hotter until it's overheating or is it only in hot weather, stopped traffic or after hard running? If the former, it's probably the thermostat stuck closed. If it doesn't warm up as quickly as before and overheats after hard running or traffic but is ok under moderate running, then the thermostat is probably stuck partially open.

Now for the head gasket....if a lot of coolant is being lost, bubbled out of the reserve tank or the stuff in the reserve tank seems foamy after being run, then it's probably the head gasket. If you aren't getting any of that, then I seriously doubt that's the problem. If the head gasket is leaking, that means compression from the cylinder(s) is leaking into the water jacket and you're going to get plenty of pressure built up. I've had leaking head gaskets actually swell up the radiator like a pumpkin from the pressure and spew foam out of the cap like a rabid dog. If you suspect the head gasket, after being run and gotten hot, remove the spark plugs and let it cool off. Then crank if over and you may get coolant spray from one or two of the plug holes. When you shut the engine off, there'll be 18 pounds or so of pressure and if the gasket leak is bad enough, it will push coolant back through the leaking gasket into the cylinder. Sometimes, but not always, it all depends upon the severity and physical condition of the leak. If you aren't getting any of that stuff, then be careful of who you ask for advice. Many people that don't know their butt from a hole in the ground immediately spew out the "blown head gasket!" advice. The only advice I will give you is when you have a problem, start with the most obvious and cheapest to fix cause and work up from there. NEVER start with the "$1000 blown head gasket" cause first because if you do, the real cause will be a McDonalds sack blown over the radiator.