Dirt Rider . Net Text Version Home
Pages: 1
bummed with my drz
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)
Posted by: dirt boy---------------------
I bought a 2001 drz400 in march of that year. 1 year and a month the water pump seal started to leak. returned to my local suzuki shop and had it repaired,or so i thought. $120.00 and 16 days 3 rides it starts up agian.but worse than before.went back to my local suzuki shop to inform them that the repair on my seal had started to leak again .please order the parts you need to fix it . last time it was 22 days on one of the 2 seals that are involved in the water pump. well once agian it was a wait on a part,not sure witch on this time,came in last week and dropped it off once more for round 2 of drz fun. called today to see if it was ready to go they said sure, the mech. is about to go out and see if was leaking agian after they had ran it earlier and was fine after starting it up once more it had started to leak all over agian! they are not sure why and were going to call suzuki to see what they knew about my 1 year old bike. any body out there that has had a similar exp? or why is this a on going ordeal 
Posted by: jimbo---------------------
I had the same situation with my 01E zook. It dribbled a wee bit until I
tightened the pump bolts after that it went away. Sorry to hear of your
problem and I hope the dealer fixes it right!
Jimbo
Posted by: WR400Fanatic---------------------
i really haven't the slightest on your DRZ cuz i don't know much about them, but on alota engines i work on if your surfaces aren't even you're gonna have leaks, if that's the case you need to hone the peices down square and then if the seals are just like plain paper gaskets then i'd just try to use some high temp RTV to seal it up and try that. but like i said, i don't even know what a DRZ engine looks like, let alone the water pump.
Posted by: dirt boy---------------------
jimbo, thanks for the reply,at first when this started it leaked very little and would somtimes even stop. but i was worried about it and started checking out my manuel to see if it was a simple gasket. after ordering the o-ring (funny shape) the book suggesed to use "super grease" from suzuki.ive been fixen pnuematic tools for years and never use anything other than a lito-grease and woundered if i could use the same. so i went to the mech ive know and had worked on my mega-mile xr in the past and is great! he said nope plain old grease would do just fine. but he wrenches on hondas and asked the zuk-mech next to him and he said yea, but that the o-ring under the cover wasn't the problem that pump has a seal that when it goes bad there is small hole that allows the the leak to drip out rather than into the crank case. i'm just hoping that the pump is bad in some way. and needs to be replaced after a year of use. i keep track of milage and its at 2237 . ive put some bucks into it with a recent fork work from slavens racing in colo spgs and was amazed at the improvment and highly recommend the work, to have this now happen. makes me think i should have stayed with a xr. and i as well hopes that the dealer fixes it right at N/C!
Posted by: dirt boy---------------------
wr400 fanatic,a rubber and metal du-hicky like on a out put saft on a shifter stub or a out put saft so i dont believe rtv would help as far as honed down square the saft is round would have be turned but man isn't that shaft and seal got some tight tolerances and that wolud'nt work but ifs its bad in a year of use i dont think i could recommened a drz and ive been quite happy with it up to now.
Posted by: Suzooka---------------------
Mine also did this I just rode it any way for a while until it got very bad and was not safe to run. The mechanics around here are incompetent with a wrench and I don't think they could fix anything the right way so I did the repair myself. Was not a fun task but I fixed it and have had no leaks for 300 miles so far. Now I only use premixed cycle coolant and redline water wetter because I think it is much better on the seals.
Posted by: dirt boy---------------------
Suzooka, after the first seal the dealer suggested that i use anti-freeze that has no silicone in it. being that silicone is sand that maybe the minute particals build up and worn out the seal.so engine ice was used and still agian the the seal went out.and mind you i'v e never replaced the original coolant or added automotve style coolant i guess the silicone is there to clean your cars cooling system. but i very happy for you that yours is good now . although with the closest nat.forest closed due to fire i would'nt be able to ride within a good distance so either way i'll have to wait it out.let you know!!!
Posted by: FlashBurn---------------------
One of the guys I ride with had the same problem but he bought some thicker gasket material and cut his own gasket with an exacto knife and it doesn't leak anymore.The surfaces may not be perfectly flat anymore but the thicker gasket seams to fill the gaps.
Posted by: jdiaz---------------------
This is interesting, considering that the DRZ400 doesn't use a flat gasket anywhere near the water pump. The pump itself has two seals on the water pump shaft, and the water pump body seals into the side case using an o-ring. And the water pump cover seals to the side case using an o-ring as well. I wonder where your buddy was adding gasket material?
Jon
Posted by: FlashBurn---------------------
I don't have a clue or a DRZ so I'll have get more info next time I see him.
Posted by: patpipes---------------------
The local track owner was lucky enough to have the same problem so he installed a water tank on the back and waters the track with the zook and bought a Yamaha to ride.
Posted by: CAB---------------------
That's a good one Patboy... This is a very common problem w/the DRZ's, and other than maybe the countershaft seal is really the only weak point to the bike. Mine started leaking at 1200 mi. (when it still had the factory coolant in it- don't think it has anything to do w/coolant additives) and has been a fairly slow leak ever since. Have not fixed it bcz. I know of many that could not stop the leak by merely replacing the various seals, etc... Now have 3500 mi. on the bike and until it gets worse, I just add coolant from time to time when the level drops. Go to thumpertalk.com and do some searches on this and you'll get lots of detailed info. The really disappointing thing is that we're into the third model year and as far as I know, the design hasn't changed one bit! Wake up Suzuki!
Posted by: dirt boy---------------------
thanks for all the replies that were helpful and informing. the lastest on my drz is that my dealer has stepped up to the pump and did the repair at n/c to me. they ended up replacing the water pump shaft to stop the leak and as of this point no leaks-yet. if this happening to others then its time that suzuki does somthing about it . if this was a automobile or truck there would be public pressure to the makers to recall -replace what ever iyt taks its obvious this is a design falt. we need to get a count and contact suzuki to adress this problem. and by the way on what my dealer said that suzuki said they weren't aware of a problem this sounds like b.s. to me if ther is a problem than i can only recomend to others to consider a different brand of bike. untill suzuki steps up makes it right . i've e-mailled dirt rider and will doing so to dirt bike and hope that maybe they'll do some investagative reporting on this .
Text Version Home
vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2009,
Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.
vB Easy Archive Final ©2000 - 2009
- Created by Stefan "Xenon" Kaeser
