[pablo.gyds03]

I must admit I have a collection of tools I probably don't need (including a recently acquired 1/2-inch Right Angle Impact Wrench) but love the novelty of owning them, and a coolant vacuum tool will soon be one of them.

Looking to get one of those too in 3/8.

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[CUL8R]

I got to say I respect you guys for finding new ways to add the coolant and get the air trapped in the system out, but the cost of the tools, compressor and time make it really not worth it, for such a easy task that's spelled out in the manual.
All you literally have to do is elevate the front of the bike. 19 to. 20 in up. Remove the bleeder bolts from both cylinders. Fill until coolant runs out of the bleeders, then Plug them back in and fill the rest of the way. Honestly, for the price that you're spending for the tools, come down to San Diego, I'll do it for you for a few beers. Or you can pay a mechanic to do it properly.
I do appreciate finding new alternative ways to do things, but I think this just might be overkill for such a simple job. It's starting to look like a rube Goldberg machine for swapping coolant, no offense.
Don't get me wrong. These tools do have value, especially when working on Volkswagen or Audis. Where coolant flushes can be tough getting the air out of the system.

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I bought the tool 10 years ago because my wife's Z3 is almost impossible to bleed and it has
a Aluminum Block and Head if it overheats it's toast. I have been using it for ten years now
on all of my Vehicles It helped me find small coolant leaks if the tool would not hold a Vacuum
there is a leak. I found out about on a Z3 forum and it has been one of the most used tools
I have it's one that once you have it you wish you would have bought it sooner. But if you
are buying it only to use on coolant changes for your KTM it's value is only that you will
not possibly drop your bike it's quick and it works well.

"It's starting to look like a rube Goldberg machine for swapping coolant, no offense."

No offense but hanging your bike from the rafters or putting a jack under your front
wheel etc fits your comment much better than using a proper tool.

 

[superduty]

I spent some time yesterday figuring out how to use my Airlift tool on my SDGT. Wow is it not straightforward. The clearance between the radiator filler neck and the bodywork is almost non-existent. I figure the only way to make it work is to loosen the fuel tank so I can remove the inner bodywork and allow for unobstructed access to the filler neck. It's making me think that the best way to approach the coolant refresh is to lift the front of the bike as @Hammerhead did. That or I'm thinking about using the car ramps I have. The issue with them is how to stand the bike up while on the ramp. For as much as I like KTM's bikes I've coming to the conclusion that they aren't very maintenance friendly.

 

[nosurrenda]

I read the coolant flush procedure in Hayes, and they reckon "...if you can't raise the front wheel at all then fill the system with the bike level and upright following the procedure described. We filled the system successfully without raising the wheel" (15:12)

 

[Hammerhead]

I read the coolant flush procedure in Hayes, and they reckon "...if you can't raise the front wheel at all then fill the system with the bike level and upright following the procedure described. We filled the system successfully without raising the wheel" (15:12)

You'll know after the first start if it worked or not. Any air trapped in the passages will cause overheating in a short time.

 

[Hammerhead]

I spent some time yesterday figuring out how to use my Airlift tool on my SDGT. Wow is it not straightforward. The clearance between the radiator filler neck and the bodywork is almost non-existent. I figure the only way to make it work is to loosen the fuel tank so I can remove the inner bodywork and allow for unobstructed access to the filler neck. It's making me think that the best way to approach the coolant refresh is to lift the front of the bike as @Hammerhead did. That or I'm thinking about using the car ramps I have. The issue with them is how to stand the bike up while on the ramp. For as much as I like KTM's bikes I've coming to the conclusion that they aren't very maintenance friendly.

I( know what you mean. I had to buy two stands, and I never owned a 60mm socket in my life before now.

The main thing, according to the manual, is that the front axle should be 19" higher off the ground than the rear. Hanging it was so much easier than ramping or raising it another way.

I'm planning to ride to the dealer to talk to the service manager today on another matter, and if I can remember, I'll ask how they do it.

 

[nosurrenda]

I'll use my ABBA centre stand and the rear tie down feature to put the bike into a static mono, that should be enough.

 

[pablo.gyds03]

I just realized, I could use my hitch hauler to elevate the front of the bike. secure it using the rear tie down points on the rack to the front of the bike and use tie downs from the frame of the bike to the bed cleats to further secure it. I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before, but I'm going to have to give it a try next time and take measurements. Should be easy to do solo, the hauler rack is heavy but should be a piece of cake once it's installed on the hitch.

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[superduty]

I talked to the guys in the service department at my dealer about how the perform a coolant change. They sling the front end with a forklift. I assume that all dealers use this approach since they have a forklift around for unloading crated bikes, etc.

 

[2cati]

I talked to the guys in the service department at my dealer about how the perform a coolant change. They sling the front end with a forklift. I assume that all dealers use this approach since they have a forklift around for unloading crated bikes, etc.

Too funny - when I asked them, they said they did their fist 1290 (fairly new dealer), they said the same thing…..curious why they don’t use a vacuum tool….

 

[superduty]

Too funny - when I asked them, they said they did their fist 1290 (fairly new dealer), they said the same thing…..curious why they don’t use a vacuum tool….

One of the reasons may be the effort required to use the vacuum tool. I'm finding that all the bodywork on the right hand side has to be removed to allow for sufficient space to attach the tool to the radiator filler neck. The inside panel is partially under the fuel tank so minimally the tank has to be loosened. I haven't quite figured out that part yet. So basically it's significantly easier/quicker to just lift the front of the bike if you have that ability.

 

[KTMgeezer]

Assuming the "universal" adapter in the Airlift kit would fit into the clutch reservoir and seal sufficiently, could the Airlift device effectively bleed the clutch? Serious question for those of us who sometimes find it challenging to bleed the clutch.

 

[KTMgeezer]

Sorry about the preceding off topic post.

 

[superduty]

Assuming the "universal" adapter in the Airlift kit would fit into the clutch reservoir and seal sufficiently, could the Airlift device effectively bleed the clutch? Serious question for those of us who sometimes find it challenging to bleed the clutch.

The vacuum works on the principal of collapsing the hoses upon application of the vacuum to draw the coolant in. The coolant system needs to be empty for this to occur. So, no, the tool can't be used to bleed the clutch. You'll need to use a pressure brake bleeder

 

[superduty]

I was able to get the Airlift tool to seal at the radiator filler neck without doing anything with the fuel tank. By removing most of the body work on the right side and pushing the inner panel far enough out of the way, there was enough room. I did need to use some string to keep the tool from slipping. The following needed to be removed:

Left and right tank spoilers​

Right radiator spoiler​

Windshield​

Headlight mask​

Loosen the front of the right side inner panel​

Right side air inlet and inlet duct​

Was able to hold 25 inHg.
The shop manual says to remove the bolt at the water pump. This won't completely drain the system since it isn't the lowest point. I had to remove the radiator hose from the pump inlet to complete evaluate the system. Guess that's because the bike was only on the rear stand, didn't use the front pit stand. The amount of coolant drained appears to equal the amount installed. Strange thing that the coolant capacity is supposed to be 3.20 liters but just over 1.5 liters were drained out not including the overflow tank.

 

[2cati]

Awesome write up - What year bike are you performing this on? Is it an R or GT?

 

[superduty]

Awesome write up - What year bike are you performing this on? Is it an R or GT?

2019 SDGT