Antifreeze question

[JTidwell44]

What antifreeze are you guys using/recommend? My local bike shop said that yamaha calles for a 60/40 mixture but when I looked it up, other sites say 50/50. Also my bike shop wants to charge me $9 for a quart of the yamaha brand antifreeze but a gallon of Prestone costs under $11 at Walmart.

 

[ouchez]

Buy a gallon of Name Brand Premix made for aluminum engines.

I used Honda Pre-mix.

O

 

[Ost85vmax]

Anyone know off hand the capacity of coolant the vmax holds?

 

[PATMAX]

There's a sucka born everyday, said the stealership.

 

[dtoebaert-5311]

69,9% distilled water
30% propyleneglycol
0,1% benzotriazole
The 0.1% is supposed to add extra protection against cross-corrosion but I`m pretty confident it`ll be good without if you can`t find the benzotriazole
If you buy premix you get exactly the same but much more expensive...

 

[DMAN999]

I used Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze the last time I changed it ($12 @ WalMart and Advanced Auto).
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone-Extended-Life-Antifreeze-Coolant/16879960
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...archTerm=antifreeze&zoneAssigned=1#fragment-1
Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant is compatible with ANY antifreeze/ coolant – regardless of color – for use in ALL makes and models of cars and light duty trucks. This patented formula provides a high degree of performance durability and carefully balanced protection against temperature extremes and rust corrosion of all cooling system metals, including aluminum.

Straight from the Owners Manual:

 

[dtoebaert-5311]

Straight from the Owners Manual:

Many have turned to propyleneglycol for reasons of safety, it`s actually a food additive in contrast to ethyleneglycol which is very poisonous. For cooling they are practically the same unless you drive around in heavy freezing all day, then maybe EG will perform a little better.
See attach.
We use PG instead of EG in all our machines (laser cutting, plasma cutting,...)
Just sharing information

 

[naughtyG]

Buy some nice concentrated coolant (aluminium safe) from the auto store, and mix it with distilled water. You only need as much coolant as it says on the bottle to protect against freezing in the winter, depending on where you live. Usually 25-30% coolant is enough, unless you're in Alaska!

The distilled water's actually got the best cooling properties, and the coolant protects against freezing and corrosion.

I've always mixed my own coolant like that in all my vehicles - the pre-mixed stuff is so overpriced it's not even funny, considering it's mostly water!!

 

[dannymax]

Whatever is on sale (alum. engine safe of course) and mix it like Naughty said.

 

[JTidwell44]

Awesome! Thanks for the help guys.

 

[sdt354]

+1 to all the above. Check the threads here on draining and flushing too.
Steve-o

 

[V-V]

I used Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze the last time I changed it ($12 @ WalMart and Advanced Auto).
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone-Extended-Life-Antifreeze-Coolant/16879960
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...archTerm=antifreeze&zoneAssigned=1#fragment-1
Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant is compatible with ANY antifreeze/ coolant – regardless of color – for use in ALL makes and models of cars and light duty trucks. This patented formula provides a high degree of performance durability and carefully balanced protection against temperature extremes and rust corrosion of all cooling system metals, including aluminum.

Straight from the Owners Manual:

Do you need to add water? 50/50

 

[TK3333]

I would not add water to 50/50.

 

[Dorney]

I run Engine Ice it's really a great Hi-Performance Coolant. It's all ready to use.

 

[maleko89]

Take a look at Toyota factory red; premix is an option as well. Once you change it, never have to change coolant again. Good for heavy duty, lack of use, 200,000 miles.

Mark

 

[MaxMidnight]

Whilst we tend to refer to the fluid as 'Antifreeze' I suspect the more important aspect (for most of us) is corrosion protection.
Without the corrosion inhibitor the aluminium elements will be eaten away over time and radiators start to sediment up.

The attached article, whilst pushing the Ford product gives some interesting information.

 

[Lil'skeet]

Engine ice for me. I'm in Florida and ride an 09 1700 vmax with some work done to it. Used to get hot in summertime traffic until I flushed it and used engine ice. Very expensive but it works. Now use it in all of my water cooler bikes. 08 buell 1125r with modifications, 07 crf450r mostly stock, 01 zrx1200 mostly stock. The rest are Harleys that don't have those problems. ENGINE ICE!!

 

[MaxMidnight]

I wonder why and how Engine Ice differs from other Propylene Glycol coolants?
From what I read it doesn't appear to have a 'magic' ingredient.

Perhaps I'm being a tad cynical but it seems that you can get other Propylene Glycol for a lot less....

 

[Bill Seward]

I change my coolant on average every 6 years. I use anything that I've got out in the garage at the time, or if I need to buy some, whatever is on sale. I make sure it's OK for aluminum engines. It comes out clean, the catch tank isn't cruddy inside, and the motor doesn't seem to be overheating. Very rarely, I get a small drip out of the thermostat housing in front of the engine near the starter, but so far, it's not enough to concern me. Seems to happen overnight after a hard run the evening before. I'm thinking the housing loses its seal as it's cooling down. Never leaks or drips when hot. I seem to remember that the top of the housing is plastic. Maybe that's the cause of the leak? I also think I read that there is an aluminum top to replace the plastic one. Anyone know about this?

 

[eric1959]

Do you know the efficiency of the heating transfer versus the percentage of antifreeze in distiled water?