# 2005 Brute overheating NEED HELP



## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

ok im new but ill try to make this EZ. so its been overheating now for some time, im going to list everything done to it but first YES YES YES YES the radiator is CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. so work done .. **flushed coolant & radiator ** thermostat ** inspected water pump and impeller **fan works ** adjusted valves ** replaced muffler (pipe was broke) ** oil dont mix with coolant and coolant dont mix with oil ** radiator cap ** carb rebuild kit and cleaned ** cleaned engine ** used scope cam to check to see if pistons look washed (would mean coolant is getting in the heads) ** presser test was good ** got a bulletin from Kawasaki direct on wire connector corrosion (fixed) **

NEXT 
90% of work done from dealer i could not spend any more so i picked it up they told me to do the head gasket but they said they dont think thats what it is but thats what they would do next they said they never seen anything like it no loss of coolant no loss of oil.. i say IMPORTANT .. at idle the fan will cycle on and off as it should and DOES NOT over heat, once you start riding it the fan DOES NOT turn off then starts to over heat ONLY when riding


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## NMKawierider (Apr 11, 2009)

How does it run? I mean how do the plugs look? could it be an extreme lean condition like fro cracked carb boots...very common on 05s and 06s...has anyone check the float levels? they could be very low. I am saying this because you said at idle it seems OK but with more RPMs and fuel/air it tends to heat. If the system is air-free and flowing correctly, then it should be able to extract the heat from a normal operation...but yours isn't. So either the flow rate is low for some reason, or the heat generation is..well much higher then normal. Blown head gaskets allow compression to enter the water jacket while running and coolant to enter the cylinder and down to the crankcase when not running. While running the water jacket is over pressured and the cap lets that go into the recovery bottle but for a while the hot light does not come on and until the fan switch is exposed to the air, the fan will work. In time the coolant is displaced and air is trapped in the jacket making hot spots...and other problems. But you are super-sure nothing like that is going on...right?


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

when the carb was rebuilt the boots had been checked everything looks good so it was re used. and yes nothing is mixing levels are all good rad is full. i think it is lean but i cant tell, the dealer said it could be lean i told them to check but they did not because they said it runs great. not sure if you or someone can explain how to know if its lean or not


also .. pipes will get red hot when riding, thats also why i think its lean


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

The headers get really hot no matter what, but hotter when going slow or in low gear. If you know someone with a thermal infrared temperature meter, you can shoot the headers to see how hot they are actually getting. Or you can check the spark plugs to see what color they look like, but that may take a while to get a good read. You could throw a shim under each carb needle, and go up one size on the main jets to see if there is a difference. I agree about the float levels in each carb as well - set a little low level, and it would lean out the mid to WOT range. There's so much more to check too. I have another buddy with a 2012 going through overheating issues, but he has not got back to me about it.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

so call me stupid for asking but the "float levels" .... what exactly do you mean .. the float in the carb bowl ??? if so im not sure how to check that, i know how to take it apart lol. and i have a heat gun it has a temp rating of like 40* - 400* so not sure how good it is but the pipes read close to 1k like 850* that just sitting without riding. i just dont understand why the best dealer around me could not fix it im sure its something stupid. but anything helps thanks guys ... but about the float ????


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

Brute750MD said:


> so call me stupid for asking but the "float levels" .... what exactly do you mean .. the float in the carb bowl ??? if so im not sure how to check that, i know how to take it apart lol. and i have a heat gun it has a temp rating of like 40* - 400* so not sure how good it is but the pipes read close to 1k like 850* that just sitting without riding. i just dont understand why the best dealer around me could not fix it im sure its something stupid. but anything helps thanks guys ... but about the float ????


The Carb floats. There are two ways to check the float level adjustment - Both ways are spelled out in the service manuals. I adjust mine by tilting the carb back and measure the float height, not the tube way. And 850 degrees sounds pretty high - never actually measured mine, but have read other posts where guys were reading 700 degrees f.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

thanks i am reading the manual and going to try and study it im not the best at the books so i can get some help on my end not to worry but do you know off hand what i should be looking for like you said 850 sounds high. should i look into getting a fuel level gauge? for 1 carb it says *"20.4 +1 mm (0.80 +0.04 in.) below the punch mark"* im not to sure how to measure that .. your talking 850 700 degrees and the manual dont talk about degrees im kinda lost sorry im reading page 3-13 (77) i tried to upload the page


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

Kawasaki Brute Force 750 Service Manual (Page 78 of 532)


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

thanks guess i was off by a page. im going to check this out, i will be away this weekend so ill try to get to it Monday or Tuesday and ill post back and see what happens. Enjoy your weekend, thanks again.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

ok so i just finished. today i pulled the carbs and adjusted the floats, 1 carb was way off the other was close. i ran the ATV and the fan did its cycle, and again when riding the fan does not turn off. the light did not come on when i stopped running it but the fan was on for a good 20 min it was hot, i dont want to create further damage by intentionally waiting for the light. so again its still over heating. what should i try next any ideas, thanks


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

What carb brand of jets are installed and what is the #'s on them ? Is there an intake snorkel installed or just factory air box opening ? Did you try bleeding air out of the radiator at the rad cap while engine is running ?


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## NMKawierider (Apr 11, 2009)

If you are sure there is no air pockets in the system and the radiator is full to the brim, and it is truly running hot, then there is most likely a flow problem. A flow problem can be a pump problem, a thermostat issue, kinked line, plugged radiator or even something trapped in the system. Some have found chunks of RTV and other gasket materials in theirs. Is one cylinder running..noticeably hotter then the other? Have you had the front plastics off with it jacked up about 8"s and run it with the radiator cap off until the fan cycles one complete cycle and the coolant is full? If son did you notice if you could see the coolant moving at all? Should be moving quickly with the fan on as that would mean the thermostat is wide open. Have you tested the thermostat? Have you inspected the water pump? It's rare the impellers loose their gage but not unheard of if the coolant wasn't changed as outlined in the manual. Aluminum corrodes and leaves white aluminum oxide on the fluid where it acts as sand in the system. That destroys any close-tolerance component..like water pumps. Then they can't move the coolant as they should. So...do some checking.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

*DMAN *... --i have a factory air box with a UNI foam filter. --i got a carb rebuild kit made by SHINDY (03-11985469). -- i did bleed out the system with the cap off and also the dealer did. -- #'s i have a 158, but the kit also has a 152, i replaced org 158 with new 158.

*NMKawierider*... --thermostat is new and it does open and close. --water pump was inspected by 2 dealers, 2nd dealer told me it was double gas-kited but it looked good so they put it back but with 1 gasket. -- and coolant was changed by dealer with dealer coolant. -- cylinders are running id say close to the same temp. -- all plastics are off and i jacked it up today and let it do a cycle with cap off and yes i can see it moving but when fan comes on coolant goes down, i did top it off when it did that and it was moving it looked like a good speed. can i upload videos on here i can get a short clip on the speed of flow (dealer said cooling system was in great working order)


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

I have no idea of how the Shindy jets are compared to the OEM Keihin jets. It is very possible that your jets could be smaller bore than the Keihin jets. If they are a smaller bore than the Keihin jets, you could be running lean which is creating overheating. Just a thought, but not sure if that is your issue.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

when i got them it was OEM carb rebuild kit (what i was told) but regardless of that i mean it was overheating be four i even installed the new kit. i just cant understand this and why the dealers cant either is their something else ... also due to all plastics being off i noticed something today. a box in the rear when running get soooo hot you get burned when you touch it is that normal? its the Regulator/Rectifier pg 418 or 17-4


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

No not normal - it does get hot though. That is why it is finned. Check your running voltage - should be about 14.4 volts.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

ok i will check that and see i will also try to get a temp off it. i dnot know how hot it was but i couldn't touch it thats for sure. THANKS , but is it herd of to cause it to run hot or over heat because of that if something is wrong with it? what is it that, that controls? *thanks DMAN*


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

That part is the voltage regulator. It needs to work properly or electrical Gremlins start taking over.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

so i have a question that crossed my mind. is it possible that it could have jumped a link or two on the timing witch would cause it to overheat. but is that known to possibly happen. like i said i was ridding for a wile (4 - 5 months) and then just one day after 4 hours it just decided ok time to over heat, and i had to limp it back 4 hr out into the trail. and if that is possible what is the best way to check the timing? a timing light or top dead center and look for a marking, i never did this id deff get help if this is a possibility ?


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## NMKawierider (Apr 11, 2009)

Brute750MD said:


> so i have a question that crossed my mind. is it possible that it could have jumped a link or two on the timing witch would cause it to overheat. but is that known to possibly happen. like i said i was ridding for a wile (4 - 5 months) and then just one day after 4 hours it just decided ok time to over heat, and i had to limp it back 4 hr out into the trail. and if that is possible what is the best way to check the timing? a timing light or top dead center and look for a marking, i never did this id deff get help if this is a possibility ?


Not really possible. One link it would run so bad you wouldn't even warm it up...two links and the piston hits the valves. I think all the possibilities have been discussed.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

ok well with that off the chart then the only thing i can say is a *bigger jet* because red hot head pipe means its lean? so then get a bigger jet send more fuel and see if it works? does that sound right to you?


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

Brute750MD said:


> ok well with that off the chart then the only thing i can say is a *bigger jet* because red hot head pipe means its lean? so then get a bigger jet send more fuel and see if it works? does that sound right to you?


If you are going back into the carbs, install Keihin pilot jets ( # 38 or 40 ) and main jets ( # 152 front / 158 rear ). If you don't have factory needles in there , order them ( 2 - NFKL Needles ).
Today while out riding, I noticed that my quad was running very hot during 90 degree weather - it was due to my fuel pump crapping out.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

dman66 said:


> If you are going back into the carbs, install Keihin pilot jets ( # 38 or 40 ) and main jets ( # 152 front / 158 rear ). If you don't have factory needles in there , order them ( 2 - NFKL Needles ).
> Today while out riding, I noticed that my quad was running very hot during 90 degree weather - it was due to my fuel pump crapping out.


ok great good to know .. can the fuel pump be tested maybe i can test mine to see if its a problem, maybe


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

dman66 said:


> If you are going back into the carbs, install Keihin pilot jets ( # 38 or 40 ) and main jets ( # 152 front / 158 rear ). If you don't have factory needles in there , order them ( 2 - NFKL Needles ).
> Today while out riding, I noticed that my quad was running very hot during 90 degree weather - it was due to my fuel pump crapping out.


as im thinking about the jets you said 152 in front and 158 in rear mine has 158 in both F & B . could that be a problem (again though it was all of a sudden thats why i dont see it being a jet but i guess you never know)


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

Brute750MD said:


> as im thinking about the jets you said 152 in front and 158 in rear mine has 158 in both F & B . could that be a problem (again though it was all of a sudden thats why i dont see it being a jet but i guess you never know)


At this time the 158 jets should be OK. If you download a service manual, it does tell you how to check the fuel pump output. If you have a stock vacuum type fuel pump, then check the vacuum lines going to the heads - check for cracks, dry rot, or leakage in the hoses.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

dman66 said:


> At this time the 158 jets should be OK. If you download a service manual, it does tell you how to check the fuel pump output. If you have a stock vacuum type fuel pump, then check the vacuum lines going to the heads - check for cracks, dry rot, or leakage in the hoses.


ok thanks im definitely going to check that asap i will get back to you. that it is very possible a vacuum hose could be bad... would a leaking vacuum line also affect 4x4 not engaging might not be the same vac line as the fuel pump but just a thought because i need to switch it in to 4x4 and drive for 20 or so feet be four it engages. just thinking i might have a bad vac leak


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## dman66 (Feb 20, 2011)

No vacuum lines for the 4x4. That could be your quad stuck in limp mode ( flashing light between 2x4 / 4x4 ), or the front diff actuator is beat or needs cleaning, speed sensor could be defective, or the 4x4 control box could be defective. That is why you need a service manual. There's to much info to type out for testing.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

dman66 said:


> No vacuum lines for the 4x4. That could be your quad stuck in limp mode ( flashing light between 2x4 / 4x4 ), or the front diff actuator is beat or needs cleaning, speed sensor could be defective, or the 4x4 control box could be defective. That is why you need a service manual. There's to much info to type out for testing.


ok thanks for that i did look at it and found no vac lines on the 4x4 after i sent that message. as far as the fuel pump the lines look good but i want to test the pump just have to get some time maybe Monday this week is not good


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## Bruteuser7 (Aug 1, 2017)

This may be a dumb suggestion but did you check to see if the water pump impeller was stripped it does sound like a flow problem and that's not something i think the dealer would check.


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## shotgunred5050 (Apr 4, 2017)

I put my fan on a switch and pretty much leave it on when engine is running all the time. I also added another radiator on the front rack and it is linked to the stock radiator under the rack with hoses. Rode it for hours last weekend at royal blue and it stayed at 180 to 190 on the temp gauge I added, you can find the post on here to add a gauge if you haven't already. It got up to like 230 one time but only because I forgot to turn on the fan switch. Turned on the fan and in about 2 minutes it was back down to 180 degrees. I know this may not be your desired fix but it works for me.


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

Thanks guys i had te dealer check the water pump and the impeller. i did list that but no worry i know this is a long list of things. i was going to try an over sized rad i found on ebay but i would of liked to fix it and not get a bigger rad i wanted to keep it original but i dont think that is going to be the case after reading other post. it sounds like everyone is having problems and need to do a rad upgrade or oil cooler or this or that . what do you think ?i think next is the rad upgrade and a temp gauge and see what happens


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## Brute750MD (Jun 5, 2017)

i have all the parts and im going to start the oil cooler upgrade and see what happens.


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