Coolant change

[jaymel]

I'm the opposite of a motor head but I was looking how I would completely drain/flush the coolant system and it looks very messy...specifically taking off all 4 covers and removing the rubber rings and having coolant drain all over the engine.

Am I interpreting the wrong thing in the manual or is that how it is suppose to be done?

What are your thoughts on just using a turkey baster and taking whats in the reservoir out and replacing that with fresh stuff???

Please help. Thank You!

 

[Rhoy Carter]

To change and flush the cooling system, the procedure in the book needs to be followed. With an open top oil drain pan to catch the coolant you will get very little on the floor.

 

[jaymel]

What if I pulled the drain plug but did not take any out of the 4 covers?

How much do you think is stored in those covers?

 

[tmosel]

When I did it last year I thought the same thing, what a bad place for the coolant to drain. But once I drained the main reservoir the four by the cylinders just drained a little. It was easy clean up.

 

[MaxMidnight]

Am I interpreting the wrong thing in the manual or is that how it is suppose to be done?

Yes.

What are your thoughts on just using a turkey baster and taking whats in the reservoir out and replacing that with fresh stuff???

That would leave coolant in the lower part of the motor and radiator that the baster can't reach.

What if I pulled the drain plug but did not take any out of the 4 covers?

That would leave some coolant in the water jacket.

How much do you think is stored in those covers?

Never measured it but probably not a lot.

Assuming that you want to do the job properly then you should follow the process.
In addition to draining the old coolant I would also recommend that you flush the system with clean water to remove all of the old coolant and (hopefully) remove any crud that is laying around.

I could understand your reticence if you were doing this in your Living Room but outside shouldn't be an issue?

 

[SpecOps13]

Follow the proceedure. it works...

 

[Redbone]

You should drain all the old fluid, flush with clean water(maybe twice depending how clear it comes out) and then refill with fresh coolant (run the engine to circulate clean fluid). After getting the engine cleaned/ drained take the overflow tank off and rinse it well, maybe even put some nuts/ bolts to break up the gunk that is stuck on the insides. The tank has just 2 hoses (1 from rad cap, other is drain to ground) and will slide off fairly easy. Following the procedure in the manual works well.

 

[jaymel]

Thanks guys

 

[TurcoLoco]

I had to do this because couple of years back, I found brownish gunk in the fluid and there was hardly any circulation once the engine got hot which is usually caused by faulty thermostat but in my case, the previous owner must have put one of those anti-leak chemicals in the coolant or it was really really dirty for a 3 yo bike!
Anyhow, I had to take all the radiator hoses off and rinse/clean them as well as the the radiator to get all the junk out.

Ended up having to replace a few of the hoses and I also check the thermostat while in there (that is a b.tch to get to) and it seemed functional so I left it alone.
I used a few fluid oz. of Water Wetter mixed with Prestone Dex-Cool 50/50. I believe you can use any coolant just as long as it is borate, phospate and silica free.

 

[mymax04]

I had to do this because couple of years back, I found brownish gunk in the fluid and there was hardly any circulation once the engine got hot which is usually caused by faulty thermostat but in my case, the previous owner must have put one of those anti-leak chemicals in the coolant or it was really really dirty for a 3 yo bike!
Anyhow, I had to take all the radiator hoses off and rinse/clean them as well as the the radiator to get all the junk out.

Ended up having to replace a few of the hoses and I also check the thermostat while in there (that is a b.tch to get to) and it seemed functional so I left it alone.
I used a few fluid oz. of Water Wetter mixed with Prestone Dex-Cool 50/50. I believe you can use any coolant just as long as it is borate, phospate and silica free.

I WOULD NOT use dex-cool in ANYTHING I own. I didnt see what year ur bike is but there should be a valve under the radiator that makes it pretty simple. Per advice from the forum I drained & used vinegar & distilled water to flush twice & then mixed my coolant to 0 degrees, since its the water part that actually does the cooling & we need all the cooling we can get. and it stays in the garage so... hope it helps

 

[TurcoLoco]

I WOULD NOT use dex-cool in ANYTHING I own. I didnt see what year ur bike is but there should be a valve under the radiator that makes it pretty simple. Per advice from the forum I drained & used vinegar & distilled water to flush twice & then mixed my coolant to 0 degrees, since its the water part that actually does the cooling & we need all the cooling we can get. and it stays in the garage so... hope it helps

Why "NO" to Dex-Cool? A trusted and knowledgeable MC mechanic said it was OK to use it just as long as it was borate and silica free so it wouldn't harm the aluminum radiator. What brand do you use? :ummm:

I used regular water + hose to flush the system but rinsed it with a gallon of distilled water. Yes, water is the part that does the cooling and since it doesn't get that cold where I live, I could technically go 70water/30af but 50/50 works well too. For the extra water, I can always add more distilled water though but water wetter does a good job.

 

[MaxMidnight]

I could technically go 70water/30af but 50/50 works well too.

But remember that the 'Anti-freeze' is also a corrosion inhibitor!

Not sure what effect reducing the concentration will have over the long term but I would have thought that keeping to the manufacturers recommendations would seem prudent?

If the motor starts to overhead due to the reduced water content then I would suspect that there is an issue with the stat or clogged radiator, perhaps caused by not having sufficient corrosion inhibitor? evil:

I'd also advocate using one of the long life Anti-freezes as these only need replacing every five years.

 

[mymax04]

Why "NO" to Dex-Cool? A trusted and knowledgeable MC mechanic said it was OK to use it just as long as it was borate and silica free so it wouldn't harm the aluminum radiator. What brand do you use? :ummm:

I used regular water + hose to flush the system but rinsed it with a gallon of distilled water. Yes, water is the part that does the cooling and since it doesn't get that cold where I live, I could technically go 70water/30af but 50/50 works well too. For the extra water, I can always add more distilled water though but water wetter does a good job.

Dexcool was advertised as "extended" life but I have seen many cases of degraded gaskets... maybe its a case of people leaving it in too long... The universal antifreez I have here at the shop is both borate & silica free (per my oil guy that we get it from.) The guys here on the forum recommened the same thing. Just seen alot of ....maybe avoidable repairs from the use of dex-cool... and like I said it very well may be a case of it being left in too long but from my experience it would be last on my list of choices for my bike. Kinda like penzoil? If you were close to me I would give you the stuff I have here cuz after researching it I know its the right stuff to use & im sure there are others that you will find when the right questions are asked...

this is a link to the thread when I had the same questions as you a couple of years ago... hope it helps http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=7421&page=2