how to change coolant?

[specialk]

Hey guys, has anyone done the coolant change on an '06? can you point me in the right direction or link to where I can get some more information?

I feel inspired...just changed my oil based on bd43's sticky!!!

 

[Shamus McFeeley]

Never Remove the Radiator Cap when the Bike is Hot! It will spray Hot Liquid all over you!

Most radiator caps today have a safety feature that prevents this by using two (or more) notches to relieve pressure without spraying (potentially) boiling liquid everywhere.

Drain the coolant from the radiator by removing the drain bolt on the water pump (right side engine, where the radiator hose goes to). You then have to drain the coolant reservoir by either A) take off the coolant reservoir to drain it or B) use a suction pump to suck the remaining coolant from the reservoir. It is located near your master cylinder reservoir, small plastic tank with a rubber cap and tube.

Fill your radiator by removing a lock bolt for the pressure cap and then filling it to the neck with your coolant of choice. Fill the coolant reservoir to the line marked on the back of the tank. Take the bike for a ride and get it up to operating temp, park it and wait until it cools. Check the level of coolant in your reservoir and add/remove as necessary. My 06 took just under 2qts.

 

[wrightme43]

Yep.

Only thing I did different is flush it with water a couple times, then refill with coolant.

 

[necrotimus]

I was forced to remove the coolant bottle on mine because the previous owner had mixed coolant types and I had some sludge. I don't recommend removing it if you have a choice it is a pain. But a syringe or use a turkey baster if you have to. Also be careful removing the lock bolt because if you arent careful you can easily lose it.

 

[chimneydoc]

When I changed my coolant I used distilled water and flushed the system several times. It's real easy.

Doc

 

[specialk]

got stuck...there is a small metal bracket that goes under the cap which the cap retaining bolt screws into. how is it supposed to go? took it apart too quickly...my fault

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

It only goes on one way, right side hole (in cap), insert the bolt. The tab of the locking piece faces upward (towards the front of the bike). Snug up bolt...

 

[AdamDJ]

Is it possible to top off the coolant by pouring it into the cap on the top of the radiator? Or do i need to pull the gas tank and top off the white tank? Im at the low level line right now..
Thanks

 

[J-Speed Inc.]

I recently did a coolant flush/change on my FZ6. I drained the original coolant from the bike and replaced it with water. Ran the bike for a few minutes to cycle the water through the cooling system and drained it. Repeated this until the water remained clear after running though the system. I then filled the radiator with a 50/50 mix of coolant/water (came pre-mixed) and ran the engine until up to proper operating temperature. I let the engine cool and checked the coolant level, added more if necessary.

After the coolant flush/change, I noticed the radiator fan turning on less often and the bike running cooler. My bike certainly needed this!

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Josh

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

My 04 FJR ran noticably cooler after the change to Prestone pre-mixed 50-50as well. Didn't notice as much a change on the FZ as it was about 2 years old and 5k miles on the clock...

 

[Dennis in NH]

Nice to know this is not such a tough job -- I guess being a naked bike helps :thumbup:.

Anyone use water wetter? The track day place I called does not want coolant in there. They want water only or water wetter. I'm curious because if I just change and put water wetter, then I don't need to change it if I take the bike to the track (hopefully at least once this year).

Thanks,

Dennis

 

[mawebb]

Here is a tip on not what to do. (Don't use Dex-Cool)

I have not performed maintenance on a vehicle myself for years, as I got tired of getting dirty and cold. Now that I have a bike, I am a believer in getting to know your ride,and there is not better way than to tackle the basic maintenance items.

Where I went wrong, was at the parts store, where I checked out the various containers of antifreeze and decided to go for the more expensive stuff that said it would last for up to five years. Sounded good to me. What I did not realize is that Dex-Cool, is a completely different product (OAT) and is not compatible with the typical green silicate based antifreeze, which is what Yamaha used from the factory. My next mistake was not flushing the system, so in fact I was mixing incompatible coolants. Fortunately I was feeling unsure about what I had done and checked for info on the web. There are horror stories about gumming and dissolved head gaskets, so I knew I had to fix the problem I had created. I did contact the manufacturer of the antifreeze and while they claimed I would probably be OK, they encouraged me to drain and flush the system. So that is what I did.

I completely drained the system and flushed both the rad and overflow tank with de-ionized water which is sold by the parts store as water to mix with coolant. I ran the bike up to temperature and flushed the system a second time. I knew I was good to go when the water was clear (no signs of pink). It is important to note that the overflow hose needs to be cleared out as well and can be done by attaching a funnel to the end of the rubber hose that goes into the tank. The antifreeze will exit at the connection by the neck of the rad. I should also note that I was able to flush the overflow tank by filling with water and using a large soap bottle pump to empty it out. I refilled the system with regular antifreeze of which I selected the pre-mixed version, to ensure I was getting a 50/50 mix.

I hope that by posting this information, I can prevent someone else from making the same mistake. The good part about this whole ordeal, is my cooling system is really clean now.

P.S. Dex-Cool is OK in appropriate applications, specifically when used in a new system, but as stated by the coolant manufacturer was not recommend for motorcycles.

 

[FB400]

Is it possible to top off the coolant by pouring it into the cap on the top of the radiator? Or do i need to pull the gas tank and top off the white tank? Im at the low level line right now..
Thanks

You definately should top off the radiator this way, but you will need to add 50/50 coolant mixture to the white reservoir as well. It is possible to stick a tube through the frame and fill that way but it really is easier to just raise the tank to get at the reservoir.

If you are going to go through the trouble to rinse with water, why not use radiator flush solution instead?

 

[bd43]

It was pointed out to me from an engine mechanic last week that re-enforced my selection of coolant. Make sure the coolant you choose does not contain silicates. The silicates apparently can deposit on water pump seals, grind away and eventually cause the seal to leak.

I did a coolant flush this spring and ultimately decided on the Honda Type 2 coolant that is used in their automobiles and motorcycles, and.... it's a pretty bluish green color.

I also came across this webpage which is a good read.

Choosing silicate free motorcycle engine coolant for Honda motorcycles

 

[FB400]

I've been running the green stuff for 1300 miles.. Hoping no bad effect.

Thanks for the heads up bd43, I will pick up some of the type II coolant this week.

 

[turbid]

do type 1 and type 2 coolants vary in colour? my mechanic just recently changed the coolant of my 06. it was green in colour now he put in a red one that last up to 5 years compared to the 2 of the original coolant.

is the red one he put in silica based? i did not ask him what brand of coolant he uses so im ignorant about this fact

 

[blitzcraig]

i'm going to flush my coolant today, but i have one question please that i'm fuzzy on: i know i have to remove the reservoir and clean that guy out as part of the process, but when flushing the radiator with water before i add new coolant, do i have to put the reservoir back on, or do i leave it off until i have cycled water through it a few times and then reinstall when i am ready to add the coolant? perhaps this would be an obvious answer once i get out to the bike and start doing the work but just thought i would throw this out there now please just in case.

thanks as usual :thumbup:

craig

 

[FB400]

Blitz..
The easiest way to accomplish is to siphon the coolant out of the reservoir, rinse and repeat. If there is crud in the bottom, then perhaps use a radiator flush and pressure stream from garden hose to remove.

Here's how I did it.

1) drain radiator from water pump drain bolt
2) drain and rinse rerservoir (as above)
3) fill radiator with radiator flush and distilled water (get at auto parts store)
4) run the bike at idle for 10-15 mins
5) drain radiator and refill with distilled water.
6) run again 10-15 mins
7) drain and fill with 50/50 coolant mix (see BD43 note above recommend type II coolant)
8) fill reservoir with 50/50 coolant
9) check the reservoir after first ride/cool down for proper level

I think the hardest part is trying to remove/install the radiator cap on the '06 model. This is made easier by removing inner fairing but requires more work. All in all a pretty easy maintenance job

 

[blitzcraig]

Thanks FB... so you say leave the reservoir tank installed? What might I use to siphon it, I think I saw someone say turkey baster on here somewhere? I'd have to run out and find something. I'll be going to Pep Boys for the coolant, wonder if they may have something. Is it really that difficult to take it off? That's what my manual says to do.

:cheer:

 

[FB400]

I used a simple hand siphon purchased at a marine store for my boat (cost 20)

A turkey baster would work fine and only cost a few $. I mean you could very well remove the reservoir.. just seems like more work.

Ask for a non-silicate coolant. and umm.. pep boys hires some really unhelpful people, the worst I have ever dealt with in auto parts. Just read the label and you should be fine