Need some advice fellas (coolant)

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by Sirlot, Jul 23, 2008.

  1. Sirlot

    Sirlot New Member

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    I live in Atlanta and our interstates turn into parking lots very often around the city. The other day I was averaging about 5 MPH for about 45 minutes on the interstate (bad wreck). My 06 VFR temp climbed to about 250 before I could eventually work my way out of the traffic. Outside temp was about 97. I realize my gauge will flash if I reach 251. It never did so I went about my business and everything seemed fine. Climbed on the bike this morning and immediately it smelled like something was burning. U-turn back to my house. Haven’t had a chance to look at it, but did notice by looking inside my fairing there was light green splatter over some parts of the engine, etc (wasn’t too bad). I imagine its coolant.

    My question is, have any of you had this problem? I’m going to take off the lower fairing when I get home from work. I’m sure I need to ad some coolant. I’m just not sure if the splatter was from it possibly boiling over or if a hose went bad from that dreadful day on the interstate. I’m hoping I don’t have to take it to the dealer.
     
  2. drewl

    drewl Insider

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    Just went through the very same thing a couple weeks ago. Yes the temp guage does blink at 251, and at 252 it boils over. I couldn't hear it while riding out of the construction I was caught in, but noticed it right away upon stopping.
    Check the coolant level, check all the hoses, and the seal on the rad cap. After a heat up like that you may consider a good flush and replace the coolant. I did. Gonna do the thermostat soon, but mine's older than yours.
     
  3. Joey_Dude

    Joey_Dude Member

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    Hey fellow Hotlanta resident, I'm up cumming, about 45 minutes north of Atlanta. I remember riding around downtown Atlanta and I saw the temperature gauge climb up to 235. :eek: After that I replaced the coolant with distilled water and water wetter (available at just about every motorcycle shop). Since then the hottest I ever saw the bike get up to was 228 and that was on a spirited ride (7-10K RPM) in mid 90's weather.

    I recommend doing that and see if you can replace the thermostat too while you're at it because it requires flushing the coolant out anyway and it's a relatively inexpensive part (about $35 last time I checked). The thermostat has to be replaced every 2-3 years anyway and that's a possible easy fix for you.
     
  4. woody77

    woody77 New Member

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    I'm running EngineIce, here in Cali, where 100*F+ is pretty common. And our dry air seems to impart less ability for the radiators to cool themselves (the humidity in the air means it can absorb more heat energy without changing temperature).

    Works VERY well. Bike gets warm, but nothing the fans can't handle.

    But then, I can lane-split when things stop up...

    Before I was comfortable with lane-splitting, I sat stopped in heavy traffic both with std coolant and with the EngineIce, and no contest as to which is better.

    You're probably also good with distilled water and WatterWetter.

    The big issue is to make sure you NEVER use tap water in the cooling system. Lots of crap in tap water that will cause cooling problems.

    When I flushed out my old coolant I also flushed the system with distilled white vinegar. it was audibly reacting with mineral deposits in the cooling system on my bike. Flushed it out well with distilled water (twice) and then filled with EngineIce.

    Also, make sure your radiator cap is good. If it's not holding pressure, the engine will more easily overheat.
     
  5. Azamat

    Azamat New Member

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    Distilled water sounds like a good idea. Anybody else use distilled water, or am I the only putz this has never ocurred to?
     
  6. Revtune

    Revtune New Member

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    Distilled water is a necessity, especially in an aluminum engine. Anything else will cause heavy mineral deposits when it reacts with the aluminum, and will eat away the impeller in the pump.

    Rad cap and hose clamps are the first place to look for dribbbles.

    FYI the premixed honda coolant is already at 50/50 and uses distilled water.

    Water wetter is also an awesome product. I use it in my RC51 which is known to run notoriously hot, and even in the heat of summer here in Calif, it never over heats. It runs a good 10 degrees cooler than when I was only using 50/50 in it.

    Engine ice is basically the same thing, except already pre mixed.
     
  7. CalG

    CalG New Member

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    I use the water that is collected from our basement dehumidifier.

    It's almost distilled, but has condensed on, and dripped over the aluminum chiller tubing, so has gained some Aluminum ions. Mo betah!

    CalG
     
  8. dizzy

    dizzy New Member

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    If you didn't hear cooling fan, you may want to verify it's operation. If your cooling system got to the boiling point, the first thing it should do is fill up the coolant reservoir tank. When that gets filled up, it spits on the ground via the overflow tube. If your reservoir has normal level, it's unlikely the coolant got to the boiling point.
     
  9. GreyVF750F

    GreyVF750F Member

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    "I replaced the coolant with distilled water and water wetter"

    that's fine as long as your cooling system can handle the extra heat that WW pulls from your motor. If it can't, you can get in to a heat soak condition. This is where the cooling system can not cool the water temps down far enough, because of the added heat extracted by WW to cool the engine. The temps then climb slowly and it's harder to get back to normal. Also DO NOT use any of these products with glycol antifreeze. The antifreeze will hold the extra heat extracted and make it harder to cool an engine. WW is to be used with water ONLY. I talked to the company about this a couple of years ago when I used it in my play car and the average temps increased 10 degrees. Water alone (with rust inhibitors) is the best for cooling. Antifreeze will retain more heat than just water. But it raises the boiling point and keeps from freezing in winter. This helps in higher engine temps sometimes (boil over). It's kind of a catch 22. Antifreeze with the rust/corrosion inhibitors it's used by the mfg as an all around fit. So if you can use just water your better off in most cases.
     
  10. derstuka

    derstuka Lord of the Wankers Staff Member

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    Distilled water is most commonly used...however, as far as having the least amount of impurities, de-ionized water is the best. That is what honda coolant has in it, de-ionized water.

    You can still add water wetter to coolant, and it might help a tiny bit over stock. One thing that Water wetter does, is it helps to reduce the surface tension of water so that it can dissipate heat faster. On average, this will be the order of running from hottest to coolest from what I have seen and read.

    coolant
    coolant with water wetter (slightly cooler, maybe, if planets are aligned)
    advanced coolant (like engine ice)
    Just plain (distilled/de-ionized) water
    Water and water wetter
     
  11. musashi

    musashi New Member

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    I agree with checking the thermostat and hoses as I just replaced the coolant in mine and here in Denver we are having insanely hot days. I was sitting in traffic yesterday and when I parked the bike it was gurgling like mad and when I shut it down it spit some up. I think the temperature gauge hit 235 or 240...
     
  12. SLOav8r

    SLOav8r New Member

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    Yep, switch over to Water Wetter and dist. water. The ONLY disadvantage is that it offers no freeze protection. I'm clueless about anything east of Vegas, so I don't know if it actually gets cold in Atlanta.

    [​IMG]

    ALSO, on the off chance your bike does piss out the coolant or you wreck and bust a coolant line, the mess isn't slippery, dangerous or toxic.

    I had coolant issues last summer while I was in NYC, tried the Engine Ice stuff (the only thing I could find at the local shops in P-fuckin-A) and it wasn't much better then normal coolant.
     
  13. Sirlot

    Sirlot New Member

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    Sweet, thanks for the replies guys!

    I have never flushed out a radiator before. Is it hard? Guess there is a first time for everything though.

    Side note: My cooling fan was operating. The heat was just brutal. Today is the first day I have a chance to check it out since noticing it.
     
  14. drewl

    drewl Insider

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    Flushing the radiator is easy. There is a drain bolt on the side of the water pump. Open that( make sure you have a large catch container and stand back-it comes out fast) and remove the lids from the radiator and the coolant resovoir and let the coolant drain all the way out. Then flush vigorously with lots of water. I took the time to rinse each of the hoses out as well, but my coolant was VERY old. I also removed the resovoir and rinsed it out.
    There are filling instructions in the manual. The key is to get all the bubbles out. The fan switch is located at the top front of the left radiator and will need to be burped. You should run the bike for a minute or two after the first filling to circulate any air in the system, then check your level again. You may notice higher than normal temps for a few days after the flush due to air in the system. Continue to monitor the resovoir level to watch as the air moves out.
     
  15. Sirlot

    Sirlot New Member

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    Okay, finally had a chance to take the fairings off. I'm just clueless as to what would cause this. I took some pictures. Any ideas? Seems to be coming from this hole...
     

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  16. GreyVF750F

    GreyVF750F Member

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    Where's your battery overflow tube located? I don't know the newer bikes. But that stuff in away looks like battery acid. If it just wipes off then it's not. I can't figure out whats white colored other than that.
     
  17. dizzy

    dizzy New Member

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    That's not battery acid...besides the maintainance free battery eliminates the need for a drain tube and they rarely leak.

    It's coolant. I don't know the exact purpose of the hole but it looks like it's there deliberately...like a "weep hole" on a water pump seal.

    Leave the bodywork off, make sure your cooling system is filled at the rad cap (looks like your coolant reservoir is nicely filled), get your bike warmed up by putting around the block a time or two, let it idle until the cooling fan cycles a few times, make sure it's working consistently. Watch for any additional or continuing leaking, verify the location...and go from there.
     
  18. DGW

    DGW New Member

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    I think that the hole is there to let any thing that leaks between the cyclinders to drain out. The hoses for the cooling system converge under the throttle bodies. There's the thermostate there and also the cold start wax unit. Is that white liquid waxy? I think that the unit might have overheated. I've also read that the hose clamps on the hoses need to be tightened as they tend to weep a bit of coolant as time goes by.
     
  19. Sirlot

    Sirlot New Member

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    No it doesn't seem waxy at all. I'm guessing it's something to do with the water pump. Looks like I'll probably take it to the shop and get a dianostic on it. :frown:
     
  20. Sirlot

    Sirlot New Member

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    I was doing some research. Is that hole considered the "weep hole"?
     
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