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Coolant degradation

12K views 47 replies 18 participants last post by  manybikes 
#1 ·
Hello all- Planning on flushing my coolant system soon. Just wondering- It seems that lately I've been getting more boil over. I'm used to a drop or two per trip, but it seems lately to be slightly more than that. As coolant degrades, would it's lessened abilities possibly cause it to evap more quickly? Makes sense to me that it would- just wondering what you all say. Also- I have a thermo-bob installed if it matters.
 
#3 · (Edited)
You didnt mention how many miles you've ridden since your last change, so assuming it's time, definitely do the flush and change. Unless your coolant is very old or you put in a very low ratio of coolant:water, your coolant should not be boiling over. I assume your ratio is the nominal 50:50 (I run 40:60) and your boiling point should be at least 260*. Your system is a closed/pressurized system and evaporation should never be an issue.

If you're losing coolant, you're likely leaking it from one connection or another, or from your drain bolt. Check for signs of a leak. Most coolants will leave a crusty or powdery substance at the hose connection or under your drain bolt. Also check the rubber hose that connects to the bottom of your reservoir and runs to the top of the radiator, next to the fill cap.

For the boiling issue, check and verify that your fan is coming on. Let it idle and after about 5 minutes the cooling fan should kick on. If it is, your thermostat should be working correctly. If the fan doesnt come on, replace your thermostat.

I highly recommend Zerex G-05 Coolant 50:50 mix or 40:60, but not less than 40:60 coolant to water ratio. Be sure to use distilled water. The G-05 is at Napa for $14.99 per gallon. It looks and smells like Tequila.
 
#5 · (Edited)
The original coolant in your 2011 is now 3.5 years old... Drain coolant, flush system and expansion tank with de-mineralized/distilled water. The boil over is commonly caused by grungy pressure cap. Dried coolant residue should be visible in the tank. There may also be some flaked black paint from initial overspray upon manufacture.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Couple of threads on this. The first two year my bike had a couple of drops after shut down. I was not alone. If its coming from over flow tube I talked to Kawi about that issue. Solution is to bring over flow tube straight up from tank another inch. Its just fluid creeping out of over flow holding tank tube. Do not put a clip on the tube LOL thats what I did first and it stopped the drip but Kawi said no no. Now drip is gone. No big deal. :thumb:

If its leaking from somewhere else you have an issue.
 
#8 ·
Given the age, you definitely want to flush it. I was amazed how much black paint I found in my coolant when I drained mine to put the therm-o-bob on.

I really think your drips were from what MTS mentioned though. You shouldn't be getting boil over on the V.
 
#10 · (Edited)
My 06 650R used to do the same thing but I traded it shortly after that problem started and never found a cure. :goodluck:

Just looked at my coolant the other day when I took the plastics off to install some wires, and it looks like it has white powdery scum all sunk at the bottom of the res tank. I never really looked at coolant in the res tank of anything else very carefully, and the bike only has ~150 miles so far. Is this normal? The bike has sat for about a year, being a 2013 leftover, if that means anything.
 
#16 ·
I replaced my coolant after I bought by 2011(12) V 2nd Hand with 18,400km on the clock.
I saw cloudy white stingy bits in the overflow tank and thought yuk!

I bought a Thermo-Bob st the same time I bought the bike - so killed 2 birds with one stone - Install the Thermo-Bob and flush and clean the coolant system.

After a good flush and coolant tank internal clean as there was a residue scum - I used Nulon Long Life Blue Coolant and Demineralized water 50/50.
http://www.nulon.com.au/products/Cooling_Systems/Blue_Long_Life_Concentrated_Coolant/

-Safe for use in Japanese vehicles as it DOES NOT contain Silicate or Borate
-Safe for use in European vehicles as it DOES NOT contain Phosphate
-Type A Glycol Coolant for ultimate Anti Freeze/Anti Boil protection
-Contains unique OAT technology for ultimate corrosion protection
-Long service life of five (5) years or 350,000 km service life (whichever comes first) when used as directed

:)
 
#17 ·
I plan to drain and replace the coolent this weekend.

After poking around the bike and poking around the forum, I'm still not sure on the HOW TO for draining and flushing the system.:confused:

A little help from the shade tree mechanics out there? Thank you!
:feedback:
 
#19 ·
Great. Thank you.:thanx: Just a couple more questions:

1) Will the drain bolt on the engine also drain the contents of the overflow reservior? I assume that's all connected in line.

2) How much coolent will I be putting back in?

3) Do I add the new coolent through the radiator cap or through the overflow cap?
 
#20 ·
#22 ·
I got this job done today. Pretty simple overall, but it does involve unbolting a lot of parts. The instructions linked above were great! Especially the picture which shows the coolant draining under pressure horizontally! I'd have been cleaning up one hell of a mess if I didn't have the heads up on that. Thanks again.:goodidea:
 
#23 ·
It's easy on the V, compared to the KLR and Honda Shadow that belong to friends. I changed them both and there were a lot more parts to remove. The Shadow has a particularly nasty place to get at the overflow tank, and the rad cap is also tough to get at.
 
#24 · (Edited)
As most of you already know, you can use any automotive coolant that's phosphate and silicate free. The absence of borate is another plus.

We typically find water pump failures on bikes that the owners have recently flushed and replaced the coolant (with the wrong type).

Many of the "extended life" coolants are fine. Just check the label. It should say something like "Phosphate, Silicate, and Borate Free".

If you're just flushing the one bike, then the pre-mix may be a better solution. Much less leftover coolant, and you don't have to add a jug of distilled water. The convenience factor......
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This is what we've been using for many years.
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Prestone® LongLife® Premixed Antifreeze/Coolant and Prestone® Dex-Cool® Premixed LongLife® Antifreeze/ Coolant formula’s are phosphate, silicate, and borate free. These coolants use a special chemistry and technology that extends the life of the corrosion inhibitor package so that it lasts for five years or 240,000 kms (whichever comes first), and is safe for all cars and light trucks (old or new).

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#31 · (Edited)
Soo...I guess I have been riding too many air cooled bikes..except my 650 Dakar (now sold) which I drained and used Motul coolant...no mixing with water.
So I bought some coolant last week that is good for 250k miles etc. and is suitable for any engine anywhere anytime including quads, motorcycles etc etc. Phosphate, borate etc etc free
After reading the label and instructions they do not seem to think it important to mention if I have to mix this...WTF??
Back in the garage...to either drink beer or do this coolant replacement. Don't forget to flush with ion free water?? distilled water??..I'll just pop over to the corner store to get some of that.
Now I know why air cooled bikes were just so easy.
 
#25 ·
I follow the owners manual and change every 3 years. My bike always leaks a few drops on the ground because the coolant level in the tank is on the high side, so it splashes around and comes out the overflow tube. Not a big deal and I don't worry about it.
 
#29 ·
I found this:
"Pure glycol freezes around -12c. If temperatures are cold and there is not a proper water/antifreeze ratio, the coolant can turn slushy, therefore being extremely hard on the engine. High concentrations of antifreeze can lead to water pump failure, corrosion and increased engine wear. Any concentration of antifreeze above 60% can significantly decrease an engine’s freezing and overheating protection."
 
#30 · (Edited)
-12C = +10.4F

Water pump failure, corrosion and increased engine wear may be attributed to coolants containing phosphates, silicates and borate. Hopefully not a type of coolant that anyone is using in their motorcycle.

A 50/50 mix should be sufficient for most everyone - unless you live in the frozen north. All coolants are not created equal, so it's advisable to check the mixing chart on the back of the container.

Some believe that the "coolant" is the primary force in heat transfer, when in fact it is the water. Higher concentrations of coolant actually degrade the cooling ability of the system.
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Here's a chart from those nice folks at Peak. Take a look at the bottom of the chart. Most coolant manufacturers recommend the maximum mix at 70% coolant.
For you people in Alaska, a 60/40 mix might be a better idea.
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#35 ·
Okay Okay.....I did find distilled water at the corner store. I have now done the flush and 50/50 mix with the high end concentrate.

Now...while everything is apart I loosened the infamous 10mm motor mount bolts and ...yes...I do have a gap.
So..I do not have any stainless washers to shim with but I have copper...any problems with copper I should know about...other than it is a softer metal.
May have to see if I have any other washers around.
 
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