Coolant changed but perplexed.

blompod

Standard Bore
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
9
Location
Brisbane OZ
I changed my coolant last night with engine ice and have a few questions. I did the change as per work shop manual. First the book says it holds 3.2 litres, I could only empty 2 out of it from the bottom radiator hose and that’s taking out the water pump drain plug which no fluid escaped from there anyway or barley a trickle. I filled it with demineralised water to flush it. The dealer said that was necessary due to the fact engine ice doesn’t mix with other coolants. Again could only put in 2 litres and take out about 2 litres. I unscrewed the bleed screw and poured in the water and the coolant in till it ran out the bleeder which means it’s full but still could only fit 2 litres in it. The worry is it’s not even showing in the overflow tank. Ran it toped it up ran it took off the cap checked it again but still not showing in the tank. It doesn’t have a temp gauge so I don’t know if it’s running hot but the light isn’t coming on and it’s really hot here in Brisbane right now. Thanks for any advice
 
The 3.2 litres includes the overflow tank, mate - as Goth just pointed out. You have to drain it separately, & fill it separately.

Warm the bike up a few times before you ride it and you'll find you need just about all the 3.2 litres by the time you top up the header/overflow tank a couple of times.

Also not a bad idea, once you reckon the level has settled down, to cool the bike right off, then do a quick check that the radiator is actually chockers. You'll probably spill a little bit doing this.

Since you've disturbed the water pump drain plug, keep an eye on it for a while, they have a nasty habit of leaking slightly unless you get 'em dead right.
 
Thanks guys how do you do that? does it have its own filler cap? I assume you have to take the tank off to access it? Will the fluid that was in it, not that I can see any, have mixed with the engine ice I put in the radiator and ruined it?
 
Plastic container under the bearclaw, has small hose to neck of radiator just under radiator cap, & a small overflow hose runs down to the ground..

Yeah, you gotta drain/flush/change it as well.
 
Oh yes I can see it under the bear claw, but how do I change the coolant in it? get the coolant out and put new stuff in it?
 
Easiest way just siphon it out?? Don't drink any!! Probably better to undo the two mounting bolts & take it off. When it's back in place, empty, use a small long-neck funnel to fill it up, firstly somewhere near the max mark. Warming the bike up a couple of times should pump any air out of the cooling system, into the bottle, then suck coolant back into the radiator as it cools down. After a couple of such cycles, the radiator should be chockers, then make sure the bottle is about an inch above the MIN mark when cold.

This allows room for fluid heating up & expanding in the radiator, to flow into the bottle, so the bottle will be at/near MAX mark when hot. Then as engine cools and fluid shrinks, it sucks back into the radiator and bottle will be closer to the MIN mark when cold. Anywhere in between will be OK.
 
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