changing the coolant.

[mavpsa]

hi, has anyone changed their coolant? a friend recommended engine ice. i've heard about it but have never used it.

i'm running low on coolant, which is odd b/c the bike only has like 1900miles. does anyone have a recommendations on best methods to accomplish this task?

thanks

 

[Black Widow]

What do you mean running low on coolant. Is it down in the Rad as well as overflow bottle?. or is it just at the low mark on the overflow bottle(wich is normal with a cold engine.)? Unless you have a leak you should never loose any coolant. The ICE product will not make a huge difference on such a small cooling system, if at all.

 

[mavpsa]

thanks black widow. it's low on the overflow res. haven't checked it once hot. i just figured that once in was on the low mark, need to refill the coolant. was thinking of just swapping it out if i needed to add coolant.

 

[lyric911]

thanks black widow. it's low on the overflow res. haven't checked it once hot. i just figured that once in was on the low mark, need to refill the coolant. was thinking of just swapping it out if i needed to add coolant.

There's no reason at all to swap it out. Just add if you're a little low.

 

[DLSGAP]

I beg to differ... when swapping to engine ice in the zx10 and water wetter in the zx7, both ran noticeably cooler....about 15 degrees

 

[mavpsa]

I beg to differ... when swapping to engine ice in the zx10 and water wetter in the zx7, both ran noticeably cooler....about 15 degrees

thats exactly what my friend reported. although he did say that several of people made the switch themselves and didn't notice the difference. but, he swears by engine ice. the bike gets hot here during the summer and sometimes i sit in a lot of traffic (when not lane splitting).

 

[lyric911]

I've never seen a scientific study about the efficacy of things like Engine Ice vs standard coolant. Your cooling capacity is largely dictated by the radiator. Anecdotes are meaningless. I'm open to being *proven* wrong.

 

[Vapordan]

Choosing The Right Coolant - Popular Mechanics good read if you've got the time.

 

[lyric911]

http://msdssearch.dow.com/Published...rans/pdfs/noreg/180-01397.pdf&fromPage=GetDoc

Not a study, but food for thought.

Edit: Hell, using just water would make your bike cooler than any antifreeze would.

 

[12marsFZ8]

I ran Engine ice in my r6, didn't run any cooler. the best thing about it is its non-toxic. The thermostat doesn't know the difference so it will still open and close to reach yamaha's operating temp.

 

[jumb5150]

So mine was real low on the reservoir but when i checked the radiator, it was filled to the brim. Where do I add the coolant?

 

[jumb5150]

NM got it going.

 

[JSP]

So mine was real low on the reservoir but when i checked the radiator, it was filled to the brim. Where do I add the coolant?

To the reservoir.

 

[Fazed]

If the coolant is at the low line, it is fine. Check it when the engine is warm and you'll see that you will have more. If it is below the line then fill it to the low line. Don't be tempted to fill to the high line as when the engine gets hot, it bleeds off some coolant into the reservoir. If it is already full then it will come out the overflow pipe which is normally right in front of the back wheel.

 

[Mansack]

I use Water Wetter with distilled water. Super cheap, not slick (well, as slick as regular water, I guess), and has the faint smell of pork rinds. Best thing next to just distilled water in terms of cooling, and the water wetter will keep things from rusting/corroding (which would/could happen with only distilled water). Totally good to go for track days too, while regular antifreeze and even engine ice sometimes is not.

Only downside would be if you're in a cold climate and your bike sits outside. This is a coolant, not an antifreeze. Bad things could happen... But mine sits in a garage over winter.