My New Husaberg! Parts etc?

[KentJ]

I picked up a 2005 FE550 a couple weeks ago and took it out for my first ride at Tamihi yesterday. I'm pretty happy with the way the bike rode and am even happier that I didn't kill myself. The big 550 has tons of power but never tried to rip my arms off in the trails . The power was much more controllable than I'd expected (especially coming from the old 250). The bald D606 also kept the front end from lofting too much, but that tire has seen it's last ride. I think once I get the suspension and ergos (my legs are really cramped) dialed in I'll be even happier.

I got the bike for a great price so I knew there would be some maintenance issues with it, and right now it looks like the water pump is leaking. After looking at the Service Manual it seems like just a gasket issue as it was weeping from the pump cover down the side of the block. The seals are behind the impeller and apprently when those fail they end up leaking through the weep holes in the block. Does that seem correct?




Anyways, where do you guys go for OEM parts for the pre-KTM Husabergs? Are International Motorsports and Kenco able to source parts still? Or is Tasky's the best bet?

Thanks,

Kent

 

[c337b]

I buy all my parts from Ken at Kenco He sponsors both the Orca Run & No Work Zone Ride Does it have a fan on it? You will want one if you are going to do single track

Lots of good info on http://husaberg.org/

Frank

 

[KentJ]

No, the bike doesn't have a fan on it and it did boil over a few times during the ride. I'm looking at options but it doesn't look like there are and plug and play kits out there. I think a KTM-type SPAL fan would be the best bet and hopefully there's room to mount it behind the rad. Do you have any suggestions?

After doing some research it looks like oil (not coolant) is leaking from the weep hole on the water pump bearing, so the bearing and seals will need to be replaced. I called International Motorsports today for the parts I need and *hopefully* they will be there in 2 days. I will be impressed if they show up that quickly! So far it's a good sign as far as OEM parts availability.

I have signed up for Husaberg.org and yes, there is a ton of info on there. Some of those guys have really figured these bikes out!

Thanks for the info.

-Kent

 

[sylvain]

You may have a look at Evan`s waterless engine coolant http://www.evanscooling.com/

The boiling point is very high and it should not boil over again even without a fan.
Also that things don`t expand, so less pressure in the system.

I ran that in my Beta without any issues.

 

[c337b]

2005 is not set up for fan kit Not enough room between tank and rad. No bung on the rad for thermostat On my 2004 I ended up finding a used 2006 tank bought a 2006 fan kit / radiator and shrouds I also upgraded the stator Not cheap My wiring harness was set up to take fan Keep an eye out for used stuff Also search on the Hberg site guys have adapted other fans to them

Tank http://husaberg.org/classifieds/18225-oem-gas-tank-06-08-fe.html

 

[KentJ]

Just doing the quick math and it looks like those items (not including the stator) would be $800+. Soooo, I think I'll be looking at either fitting a smaller fan, or trying some of the Evans Coolant that Sylvain suggested.

I have heard that those types of coolants just increase the boiling point but don't actually increase the cooling capacity of the system. I'm not sure if that's true, but if so maybe a coolant overflow bottle would do the same?

Aside from that, I've read that lower gearing can help with mild cooling issues as it keeps the coolant circulating better through the system. Maybe? I'm running 15/49 now so I'll be dropping it a bit anyhow. If nothing else it will keep me from slipping the clutch as much.

The other thing is the jetting; everyone says that the stock jetting is too lean so that could be making the engine run a little warmer than needed.

All said, the bike only boiled over a few times in the trails and I was getting stuck on the hills a lot more than I'm used to since the rear tire is bald. There were at least 4 times I lost traction and had to roll back down to the bottom for another go. Maybe the best way to increase air flow through the rad is to ride faster! I'll have to get a feel for it and see how much of an issue it really is I guess.

-Kent

 

[c337b]

Check your rad cap I upgraded mine from a 1.4 to a 1.8 It will hold a bit more pressure before it boils Make sure you bleed all the air out of the system If you have air it will overheat.There is I bleed screw at the top of the cylinder With the engine hot crack open the bleed screw and burp any air. Also make sure your rad level is correct It should be 10mm above the fins when cold You could also look into a coolant tank so if it boils you do not loose the fluid onto the ground I would not go to evans Heat is bad it breaks down oil which in turn will destroy your motor

I found the bike was not really designed for slow tight single track It needs air movement to stay cool I ended up buying a GasGas EC250 for the single track

 

[KentJ]

Thanks for the tips, I'll check those out. I'll fixing the water pump seals/bearing as soon as I get my parts and I'll drain the coolant then. I'll make sure it gets burped correctly afterwards.

The engine size probably lends itself better to open terrain riding, but I bought it on a whim so I'm hoping I can make it work for what I need.

 

[c337b]

I also added some water wetter to my antifreeze It is suppose to help

 

[PistolPete]

When I got my 09, it had a slow leak...a few dribbles out the weephole. Check the orientation of the shaft seal. It was a known assembly issue on the 09 and up bikes. I have to remove my seal (carefully) with a dental pick and flip it around.

 

[KentJ]

I don't think it was leaking coolant, just oil. But I did replace the water seal anyhow. The shaft o-ring was kinda shrunken and hard so that was probably where then oild was coming from. I was expecting to see the shaft all worn down where the water seal rides, but it looked OK. Hopefully I can avoid any weep hole leaks for a while now. We will see.

On a side note, the bearing/seals install was pretty easy. Everything came free with some taps with a drift, BUT I managed to knock the kickstart sprag out of place when installing the cover and the whole thing came loose. I had to pull the clutch out to get the damn kickstarter back in place, but at least I know how everything fits together in there now!

On another side note, I was super impressed with the parts availability. International Motorsports was able to get the parts from Husaberg/KTM in 2 days! Probably just good timing as they said they were putting in a order that days anyways. But still, a good first impression for me as I've never received Yamaha parts that quickly.

Now to finish seal up the case, top up fluids, mount the new tire and go for a ride!