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HOW TO: Change Coolant & Flush Radiator

149K views 177 replies 79 participants last post by  AreOneQ 
#1 · (Edited)
Here is a simple how to in replacing your coolant, flush your radiator.
You will need to remove r & l mids and lower fairings.

Tools needed:
phillips screwdriver
distilled water
coolant - water wetter - engine ice, whatever floats your boat
large plastic container to collect coolant.

**Note ** Coolant is poisonous so dispose with care and not down the drain. Take it to a hazardous collection area. As it has a sweet odor, pets can get poisoned on it unknowingly so be careful.

Pic 1, once the sides are off, open radiator cap on the right side. You can elevate the bike if you want. Makes removing the fairings easier. Either use a funnel or remove the ram tube.
Pic 2, loosen the hose clamp. You can mess with the 8mm plug but I don't.
Pic 3, give it a good wiggle.
Pic 4, place tub under bike and pull off hose.

Things to watch for, oil, rust, and particles. Oil means that the o-ring is probably not sealing well, so look into getting the o-rings replaced. Rust will make the coolant color change towards brownish. Flush engine as best you can with distilled water, then top off with coolant/distilled 50/50 water mix. Particles will be found. I don't know where they come from or how they got there but I usually see some black flecks floating around. Not really a big deal as long as it doesn't clog anything. If you regularly flush your radiator, you'll be fine.

To flush the radiator, reattach and tighten hose. Fill the radiator with distilled water to the top. Run motor up to temperature or go for a short ride. Come back and empty out again following the above steps. You can do this as many times as you feel necessary. I only flush once if the color of the removed coolant has a clear green shade to it. Coolant and distilled water prevent corrosion from taking place. Never use tap water as it has minerals and salts that will destroy your engine.

If you're anal, you can mix coolant and water in a used container to a 50/50 mix. Where I live temperatures never get close to freezing so I run mostly water with about 20-30% coolant. I also eyeball it when I pour it into the radiator counting 10 seconds, water, then coolant then water. Fill to the top. Fire up engine and let it warm a little, coolant level sometimes drops. Add more to the top and cap. Check reservoir for the proper levels. Get in there with either a pump with a clear tube or a turkey baster. Then you're done.
 

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#5 ·
I ran tap water for about 4 months in my 2000 r1 and recently changed to distilled water just the other day. Is there anything that I should be worried about???? Since reading this I have asked a friend of mine to bring me in some corrosion protection stuff that he has for cooling systems. He said that he has a special bottle of stuff that is purposely used for flushing and stuff that your run through after that for corrosion protection. Should I use it?????
 
#7 ·
I'd add coolant to the distilled water. It has anti-corrosion stuff in it. Whatever damage was done is done. Going forward you know better now.
 
#11 ·
I really dont think that 4 months of riding with tap water would affect it, and neither does the other guy that I have talked to. Either way if anybody knows what i should be looking for I would definately appreciate it. He told me that all that may have happened is crystals may have formed in some areas, but as far as destroying your engine from it. I dont buy that. Or at least I dont want to buy itLOL.
 
#13 ·
I didn't say anything about the engine being destroyed. Just that whatever rust or minerals that got in there are in there now. The only thing is to have an anti-corrosion coolant mixture in there now so that you'll keep protecting the engine.
 
#21 ·
hey thanks for replies, im gonna do it probably this week, its just interesting if theres gonna be a difference in temperature drop between using all WaterWetter/EngineIce or mix it with water/coolant.... just wanna keep it under 200 F in this hot weather while at stoplight :)
 
#29 ·
hey Kangroo for some reason the picture aren't working for me. Maybe due to the site being down. Is it possible for you to repost them? Would be greatly appreciated.
 
#30 ·
hey Kangroo for some reason the picture aren't working for me. Maybe due to the site being down. Is it possible for you to repost them? Would be greatly appreciated.
not working for me either. I think they're still working on getting all the bugs out.
 
#37 ·
Very good info, since I have to drain the engine ice outta my bike to take it to the track. I've always just had the guys do it for me, but it seems simple enough I should be able to do it myself.

Thanks!!
I thought one of the selling points for this stuff was that it was track safe/approved?
Is this not correct?
 
#36 ·
is there any other way to flush it. can i disconnect the hose and run the bike until most of the coolant comes out. or should the bike not be run without coolant in the lines.
 
#38 ·
:no you don't need to get all of it out. It's not like bad milk past its due date. Best way is to disconnect and empty, then refill with just distilled water, run the bike, then disconnect and refill. I just do this twice.
 
#40 · (Edited)
Thanks for the write up

I've completey changed the coolant fluid in my 2001 R1 to distilled water + Waterwetter

Can't tell any difference with what the product claims and what some other people have claimed. I was using Maxima Cool-Aide before I had Waterwatter on (http://www.maximausa.com/products/misc/cool-aide.asp)

To those who are using Waterwetter + distilled water, what is temperature that your bike is showing at certain speed/rpm?
 
#47 ·
Thanks for the write up

I've completey changed the coolant fluid in my 2001 R1 to distilled water + Waterwetter

Can't tell any difference with what the product claims and what some other people have claimed. I was using Maxima Cool-Aide before I had Waterwatter on (http://www.maximausa.com/products/misc/cool-aide.asp)

To those who are using Waterwetter + distilled water, what is temperature that your bike is showing at certain speed/rpm?
You aren't going to notice a difference on the gauge.

Think about it. Coolant flow through the engine is regulated by the thermostat, which automatically maintains the amount of coolant flow to keep the engine at its ideal operating temperature.

So, if your bike's coolant temp is usually about 175*F in steady state running, then you won't see a 10 or 20-degree drop, because the thermostat will simply adjust automatically to keep the engine temp in the range in which it operates most efficiently.

However, you might notice a difference on a really hot day while sitting in traffic. IN this situation, the coolant temp might not rise as fast.

Furthermore, if you run the bike real hard on a twisty road, then stop for a minute or two, your bike's temp might not go up as high. (My bike's coolant temp has been known to very briefly rise to as high as 235*F while stopped at the end of a good road on extremely hot days after running very hard, though it goes right back down after I start moving again.)
 
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