coolant additive

[vmaxx05stud]

just wondering if any you guys add any product to the antifreeze to help w/ the hot running vmax. i know some people like to drain it and run w/ water and say redline waterwetter, but i dont want to drain the coolant. thanks

 

[maleko89]

Nope, just straight coolant is fine. When filling it follow manual instructions and pour slowly. Then, run for several minutes with the cap off to get rid of any air in the system.

 

[vmaxx05stud]

i dont have any overheating issues. the vmax just runs on the hot side. alot of people i guess put a lower heal sensor in to make the fan come on sooner. thanks.

 

[maleko89]

Yeah, I have a different fan switch so it comes on sooner. Makes a big difference. My legs don't bake on 100 degree days at stop lights or slow traffic at Sturgis.

 

[vmaxx05stud]

somebody said it was a borg warmer switch but i have forgoton the part number of it.

 

[maleko89]

Tfs545

 

[vmaxx05stud]

Tfs545

thanks mark.:hippy biker:

 

[mvvette97]

I got mine here. http://www.vmaxoutlaw.com/merchandise/index.htm

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Nope, just straight coolant is fine. When filling it follow manual instructions and pour slowly. Then, run for several minutes with the cap off to get rid of any air in the system.

I've never seen a hot running max unless it was just sitting in stop and go traffic or rolling very slowly in slow traffic, (like a parade), unless there was something wrong somewhere.

The factory temp switch turns the fan on at 212, at least mine does. I checked it with a fluke dvom with temp attachment. Mine usually runs with the needle at about the 4 o'clock position which according to the same meter is about 175-180.
My thoughts are that any temp cooler than that is not ideal for the most efficient combustion. 200-210 is actually ideal. That is why most cars are set to run at that temp.

 

[vmaxx05stud]

most cars you arent sitting right on the engine.lol. both my 01 and 05 vmax's run high in the red just cruising arounf town or like you said stopped. going steady down the rd isnt a problem, it doesnt overheat. it just throws alot of heat back on the bare legs. thanks for the replies.

 

[mikemax04]

I've never seen a hot running max unless it was just sitting in stop and go traffic or rolling very slowly in slow traffic, (like a parade), unless there was something wrong somewhere.

The factory temp switch turns the fan on at 212, at least mine does. I checked it with a fluke dvom with temp attachment. Mine usually runs with the needle at about the 4 o'clock position which according to the same meter is about 175-180.
My thoughts are that any temp cooler than that is not ideal for the most efficient combustion. 200-210 is actually ideal. That is why most cars are set to run at that temp.

I concur 100%. If there is an ongoing problem of getting too hot, more than likely the bike has not been maintained properly at all times. Some people get exited when it goes above the rivet. If it enters the thin red zone, that's a warning that something is not right. The factory could have just as easily installed a switch that turns the fan on sooner for no more money. It's fairly important for longevity to let the engine run in it's comfort zone. Main reason bikes went to water cooling is to keep the engine within a certain temperature range where less wear and tear occur and thus prolong it's longevity.:twocents:

 

[Rusty McNeil]

most cars you arent sitting right on the engine.lol. both my 01 and 05 vmax's run high in the red just cruising arounf town or like you said stopped. going steady down the rd isnt a problem, it doesnt overheat. it just throws alot of heat back on the bare legs. thanks for the replies.

If I leave my 99 sitting idling in 98 degree Houston heat, just sitting there, the fan kicks on at 212 which is slightly above 3 o'clock and quickly brings it down. It will never climb higher than that no matter what.

I would think if you ever got to the red you have a severe colling problem and a fan switch or different temp sensor is just going to mask a real problem.

 

[vmaxx05stud]

well its funny guys that both my bikes run the same way and onother forums i have been on say the same thing about they run hot when not going very fast.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

well its funny guys that both my bikes run the same way and onother forums i have been on say the same thing about they run hot when not going very fast.

I guess what i am getting at is that YES the bike does run hotter when not going very fast or just sitting there. But how hot? Normally mine runs quite cool, sitting there or going slowly it does get hotter than I like and am used to but how hot is that really?

Your bikes really go all the way to the red or into the red?

At what point is your fan kicking on if left to do so on it's own?

 

[Buster Hymen]

i dont have any overheating issues. the vmax just runs on the hot side. alot of people i guess put a lower heal sensor in to make the fan come on sooner. thanks.

When you say on the hot side, is the needle near or in the red part of the temperature guage. I know there is a lot of posts of VMaxs running hot, but I wonder how many of them are hitting the red part of the temperature guage.

 

[Robbarrie]

:worthy: This thread has been hi-jacked into a cooling issue other than a additive, other than water, antifreeze, or water wetter I'm not sure if there is anything else you can add ? Sorry bud.

If your bike guage get close to the hot mark indication line, your bike is hot !
If it goes into that zone, you need to do something to get the temp down.

Many say just hookup a man-fan switch so you can turn it on when you feel its getting too hot. Or replace the thermal switch or both if you wish.

 

[vmaxx05stud]

ok guys, i just went out to look at the temp gauge(havent seen it since last oct.) and to remeber where it runs. it runs the very high side of the black, and no it neevr goes into the red zone ever. like i said it doesnt overheat. i have been told my many onthe tech forums this is a norm for the vmaxs. i was just trying to find out if adding the coolant addtives really help that much, or am i just better to put this lower temp. borg warner switch in. the fan does work like is suppose to. thanks for you r replys and i dont think i hijacked my own thread lol.

 

[Robbarrie]

I think allot of our bikes run there, thats why we do the manual fan switch setup. I've also read that if you replace the thermal switch, there isn't a real need to put in a manual switch, because the fan will kick in at a lower temperature. IMHO keep your rad very clean, inside and out ! It makes a huge difference. I did change the coolant that had been in it for years and did the switch thing. All was good for the rest of the season.

I have read about (RedLine) water wetter how it changes the surface tension of the coolant which allows the heat transfer to take place more efficiently and therefore cools faster as it passes through the rad. They claim as much a 30 degrees cooler, thats not bad for 12$. I will be adding some this year. I think I'll go 90% water to 10% antifreeze and add the water wetter. As long as I add more antifreeze before winter kicks in. If I lived where I didn't have to worry about that, I wouldn't run any antifreeze at all.

 

[mikemax04]

A lot of the "overheating" issues come from the back yard mechanics. Same with the oil pressure. Reason most vehicle manufacturers put in the idiot lights instead of gages, is for the simple reason to only fix something if the red light comes on. Give a guy a gage, and right away he thinks he's smarter than the engineers that designed the engine. These two topics have been beat to death for no good reason. If and when I read about engines freezing up because of lack of oil pressure or read of Maxes boiling over because they all run too hot, I'll make a change. In the mean time I'll go with what the factory decided. There is NO ONE out there that knows this motor better than Yamaha.

Lets all play doctors and lower the wife's temperature from 98.6 to 95. It's only a few degrees, what could it hurt? And besides, she might run better, but would be dead in a few days. Believe me, it matters.

Coolant? It doesn't get any better than a 50-50 mix of good antifreeze. It raises the boiling point, lubricates the pump, keeps the radiator cleaner and lowers the freezing point. These bikes haven't been around for over 20 years in spite of so called cooling and lubrication problems. Some say yay and I say nay. You go with what your common sense tells you.

 

[Robbarrie]

Mike;

In most cases 50/50 is probably the safest mix to use....thats what I used last season. But I didn't mix anything in with it ? I picked up some ww yesterday. I will be using it and at first I don't want allot of antifreeze in the system. I will then see what happens and go from there after I try it.

I think it's been beat to death, because it is an issue. I think Yamaha let the issue slip through the crack on production.....it passed and that's the bottom line. It happens in all kinds of manufacturing. They got it (good enough) for a pass. Which is ok as long as the maintenance is done properly year after year. But in the real world that doesn't happen in most cases. Therefore the bikes run hot and people start looking for a solution.

Real mechanics are expensive - many who will charge what they can and follow the book. Do this, replace that and if you still have a problem come back and we'll get you to throw some more money at it...

" O well Mr. Soso your bike is a 93 and thats pretty old so it's time for a new rad I think " my reply would be BULL ***"N ****....
Yes a new rad would be great and would solve the problem but at what expense ? Huge ! I looked into it.

As most, we do what we can, when we can, you just have to know when your in over your head. We learn from our mistakes and with a little help we can learn allot more.

Yamaha went with a guage instead of a light for two reasons, less complaints and you don't want people saying - " O that's just the temp light but don't worry about it while your in traffic" A guage is a judgment call, Yamaha left it up to the rider to decide how high to let it go ! Why - cuz they didn't get it right. Big motor small rad - no rocket science here. Plus the thermal switch they went with was rated too high - another - just passed issue.

Some say : Yamaha knew what they were doing. I work for a Jap man corp. They will not admit that they didn't get it right. When we tested the bike, it passed....bottom line. We have to raise our quality standards. We need to make it better to compete in the marketplace with our competition.

The Max is old tech and old standards - however was good enough and it has made it through all these years and the rough spots, because it was good enough !

Thank god for the backyard mechanics and people you share what they have learned along the way. IMHO :whistlin: