Radiator Coolant change

[Adirondack Bill]

I  just discovered that I have been neglecting my radiator coolant. My maintenance schedule indicates that the coolant should be replaced at 24,000 miles. I am nowhere near that, but I missed the little ( side note),  24,000 or every 2 years!  I bought my Valk new in 2014 and have never changed the coolant.  I checked out my shop manual, the process does not look too difficult.  You just have a bunch of plastic to remove to get to everything. Does anyone have any tips or things I should be aware of when doing this service. I know I will need about 2  1/2 quarts of honda coolant to mix  (1 to 1) with distilled water for  total of 4.84 quarts for the whole system including the reserve tank. Anyone had any problems doing this service?

[Robert]

You have to remove all the plastic on the front including both nacelles. The Honda coolant should be a 50/50 mix already so there is no water to be added. The radiators are not fully self bleeding either, one has the radiator cap and the other has a bung with a big screw at the top. You have to make sure all the air is out of both radiators otherwise the bike will not cool properly since both will not have coolant in them.

I would suggest an easier solution, leave the coolant you have in there and use at least one bottle of Red Line Water Wetter. It has corrosion inhibitor, water pump lubricant and as an added benefit keeps the bike running cooler by breaking the surface tension of the water and therefore it touches all the surface of the heads and radiator and makes for better thermal conductivity. As an added benefit you can only take the nacelle off that has the radiator cap and drain enough coolant out to allow the full bottle of Water Wetter to be added.

Antifreeze technically never goes bad, yes it can get acid but the main reason for changing is the lubrication and anti corrosion properties fade away. By adding Water Wetter you restore those properties. If you have ever opened a cooling system up and looked inside and seen a white powder that is the additives in the coolant falling out of suspension. This is what clogs radiators and this does not happen with Water Wetter and since you use the same coolant what has fallen out will remain and not be added to so as to clog the system.

When I did mine the radiator cap failed to hold pressure when I put it back on so had to remove the plastic and replace the cap. Its cheap have one handy and replace it at the same time.

Dont look at dosage recommendations use the whole bottle. Most Advanced or auto parts stores should carry it.


https://www.redlineoil.com/waterwetter


WaterWetter®

    Unique agent for cooling systems that doubles the wetting ability of water
    Rust and corrosion protection allows for use of straight water in racing or reduced antifreeze levels in warm climates
    Improves heat transfer and reduces cylinder head temperature
    Use one bottle for most passenger cars and light trucks, treats 3 to 5 gallons or 13.2 to 15.9 liters, vehicles with larger cooling systems should use two bottles, small cooling systems should use 1oz (3 to 4 capfuls) per quart
    Compatible with new or used antifreeze (including DEX-COOL® and long-life versions) to improve the heat transfer of ethylene and propylene glycol systems
    Satisfies ASTM D2570 and ASTM D1384 corrosion tests for glycol-based antifreezes
    Contains no ethylene glycol

I use this in all my vehicles and love it.

[Adirondack Bill]

Robert, thanks for the feedback. The Water Wetter route does seem a lot easier than doing the full drain.  I just feel funny leaving 6 year old coolant in there.  I noticed  that Honda now has  Pro Honda HP coolant  (type 2) ? How is type 2 different from the original ? 

[98valk]

test it probably still good to use.   evans cooling one and done for life.

[Robert]

Ethylene glycol or propylene glycol antifreeze does not really go bad. If you wanted to technically recycle your antifreeze you could take it out, run it through filters, check the ph and then test the strength and then add the corrosion and rust inhibitors and put it back in. It is very stable, it is used in wide variety of products including food and cosmetics which is a shocker to most people. Just ask your wife for a cream she has and I bet you can find it on the label.

The glycol part of antifreeze is actually clear and its only the additives and the color that make it change color.

Looking at the label of the Honda coolant you mentioned it is blue and has a different additive package in it. It is also prediluted which means you do not add water, it is premixed. If you decide you can just get a good green coolant and use that, but use the Water Wetter also.

 Unlike oil that does have an actual shelf life and is used for lubrication coolant has no perish date.

I changed my coolant out shortly after I bought my bike but here in Florida I use 10% antifreeze mix with water and then add Water Wetter to my coolant. Since it never freezes here and I dont plan to go anywhere that it would freeze but do worry about the heat and running cooler I changed to my preferred mix. I doubt I will ever change it again since there is no need.

By the way antifreeze actually makes your vehicle run hotter since it is not as good a heat transfer agent as water. That is why racers use water and a additive like Water Wetter.

I use this mix in all my vehicles and have never had a problem and never changed the coolant. On my 1500 when I sold it the inside of the radiator and cooling system looked brand new, like it just came off the showroom floor. It was in there for 13 years without a problem.

[Adirondack Bill]

Robert, thank-you for taking the time to respond to my questions.  You have been very helpful both now, and in the past. I have always found your mechanical knowledge to be  sound. I am going to take your advice and use Water Wetter. It will save me a lot of  time, energy, and money-  4 or 5 quarts of Honda coolant is'nt cheap!   Once again, thanks.