1994 Honda Goldwing GL1500A coolant leak

[tcryder]

I store our 1994 Honda Goldwing GL1500A with a Motor Trike coupe conversion kit in an uninsulated garage in northern Minnesota. Each winter I notice some anti-freeze leaking on the floor during this time. One year the leak was from the small hoses that attach to the water pump, I think, next to the oil filter. I tightened them and it took care of the issue. This year the same thing I have a leak but it is not the hoses next to the oil filter. I think the leak is from the small hoses, but at the top, they go underneath the radiator and I am unable to access them to see if that is the source of my leak. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you. tcryder

[WingAdmin]

This is actually pretty common. In cold temperatures, everything shrinks, and small coolant leaks are often the result. You will usually see evidence of a few drops of coolant on the floor as you have discovered.

Normally once it warms up, the leak disappears, and there is nothing else to do. If you notice the leak continuing after it's warmed up and you've started riding again, then I would go after it. Otherwise, I just put a shop towel down under the leaking area and don't worry about it.

[Ansimp]

My 98 GL1500c was leaking from the T hose on top of the water pump outlet. It was fairly corroded and I had purchased a new T hose thinking that it was a cracked 22 year old hose as it wouldn’t tighten up with a new SS hose clamp. I had allowed this small leak to occur for quite some time as it only leaked a little after a hot ride and it always recovered from the overflow tank keeping the radiator full. I decided to keep the new T hose until I eventually installed a new water pump. For the time being I cleaned the aluminium water pump outlet neck and used some silicon sealant to glue the old hose back on. No more leaking hose seal.

[DenverWinger]

Mine usually drips a little on first startup after a long cold layover. First time it happened, I backed it out of the garage leaving a little trail of coolant drips, figured since it was already started I'd drive around the neighborhood 10 mins or so and warm it up nice, then go back home and look for the leak.

When I got home, the leak, wherever it was coming from, was gone, never to be seen again for the rest of the season.

First start of the season after you do your pre-start inspection and are ready to ride, never hurts to do a very short ride, just enough to get to operating temperature, and then go back and do a quick re-inspect for any issues that may come up (leaks etc).

[wezx]

I have a heated storage space but every winter (I ride pretty much year-round) I often get some coolant on the ground after riding and parking overnight. It’s never a lot and it goes away as the weather warms. Read here on the forum that it’s a common issue. Wouldn’t worry about it unless it continues to leak during riding season. I did have a leak that required replacing the water pump a couple of years ago but that will be pretty obvious and leak all the time.