help removing coolant reservoir and installing custom bottle?

[Markus77]

Hi Everyone,
I'm hoping to get some advice/how-to's on removing the coolant reservoir and installing a custom bottle up front on my project bike. I've seen this done on a few other bikes and really like the look. It doesn't seem to be an overly complicated procedure but I'm hoping someone here who's done it before can fill me in on how they went about it. Do I need to buy a new hose or can I just cut and add a new fitting to the existing one? How did people go about fitting the hose to the custom bottle after drilling a hole? For the custom bottle, is there a minimum capacity needed? The old bottle I have on hand here that I was planning on using is only 250ml which I'm worried may not be large enough. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys,

Mark

[Scott_]

You could fill the old bottle to the max mark, then measure it to see how much it holds and size your replacement one accordingly...
As far as the hose, no reason you can't re-use the old one and shorten it.

[Markus77]

Thanks Scott! Good tip about measuring the existing reservoir - not sure why I didn't think of that! In terms of using the current hose, I'm not sure what kind of fixture I would need to get to secure it to the new bottle to ensure no leaking etc. Any ideas?

[K1300S]

A hose clamp.....

[Laitch]

A hose clamp.....

I'm not sure we're at that stage yet, Marshall, though yours is a radical idea. The hose pipe fitting, if any, and the method to attach it to the custom bottle is the mystery here, I think.

Here's how one member here solved that, Markus. It's the red bottle in front of the air box. It looks as though a hole was bored through the cap then the hose inserted.
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,7596.0.html

[Markus77]

Hi Laitch,

Thanks for this. I was thinking I would need to attach the hose near the bottom of the bottle similar to the stock setup. Perhaps this isn't the case. It would certainly make it much easier if I can run the tube into the top of the bottle as I wouldn't be quite so concerned with making the connection watertight etc. I'm going to keep searching around and see what I can come up with. Thanks guys - any other ideas more than welcome:)

[Laitch]

The hose should reach the bottom of the container without being stoppered by it, and fluid should not slosh from the container's top nor should the bottle come loose and spray the spectators with its contents when you land on the exit ramp while jumping cars with your bike during a daredevil exhibition at the district fair. Those really should be the only requirements if the container's composition is suitable to hold coolant.

[Markus77]

Ha! That's great:) Okay I think I was making this out to be harder than it is. I guess one option is just to give it a go and see how it works. Going through the top of the bottle will make things easier than I had initially thought so I'll give this route a try. Thx guys

[Laitch]

I guess one option is just to give it a go and see how it works.

There you go. The same strategy was used with the Hubble space telescope.

[Bill]

If going in through the top just make sure it reaches to the bottom so you don't loose syphon when it cools down.

[Markus77]

Thanks for the tip Bill - will do:)