waterless coolant

[johnbirchjar]

Hi Guys,Has anybody had any dealings with this new Waterless Coolant?J.B.

[Mick Taylor]

Just putting waterless coolant review into Google brought up loads of information, a lot of it conflicting, you would really need to find a trusted source and analyse their opinion.

A couple of things that did pop out of the pages were that it won't cure an existing overheating issue (although the manufacturers say it will, so you would need to research that) secondly, the need to carry some at all times in case you need a top up because you can't use water, they are inflammable and have a low flash point, and, unexpectedly it's been banned by some race circuits because it is so slippery when spilled, oh..and it's expensive.

I think you will have to plough through lots of conflicting information.....but I've always thought people are more likely to publish their complaints and disasters than the other way round, so read between the lines.

Mick.

[johnbirchjar]

Thanks for that Mike,I have spoken to a few of my biker buddies but no one has had first-hand experience yet,so I will hang fire for a bit and keep experimenting with my current cooling system.J.B.

[Zed]

Have been using waterless coolant for two years now and it has been boringly uneventful. One nice side effect is that it appears to heat up a bit quicker. You must ensure yourself that the coolant system is sound before you put it in and it will require a flush liquid to be put through before you use it. I do not carry additional coolant with me as my coolant system is sound. worst case the coolant is 100% glycol with additives, so just add water. You will have to repeat the process again of flushing when you get back, but if the coolant system is sound you should never have to open it or add liquid (it will not evaporate like water). Total thermal capacity of the system is down, but even on the hottest day sitting in traffic this does not cause the bike problems. I think i saw 100 deg C or just under once. At temp it sits between 80 and 90; very boring. I have actually got to the point where i forget it there and treat it as an air cooler engine like my other bike. I periodically open the hatch and peer at the reservoir but that it. No leaks or puddles on the garage floor after a hard ride or sitting for a month.
The reason i did this was really to protect the sidewalls (of which there are no new ones according to Graham) and owners putting water into the system was killing them off. This way, having ensured mine are sound i can ensure the longest like for them that i can. Post strip engine inspection after the use of this type of coolant indicates very clean passages (read bare metal). Any residue on the surface of the passages would act as a thermal barrier which is the case for all water cooled engines that i have looked at over the years. So on balance i don't think it makes a huge difference to the rate of cooling that it has lower thermal capacity and it eliminates the nucleonic boiling issue that can occur for very hot surfaces (which this engine has lots!).

[johnbirchjar]

At last ,a positive feedback,Thanks for that Zed,sounds like waterless is the way to go.
Just a thought,what if one has to work on the pump or any other part of the cooling system?can the coolant be re-used? J.B.

[Zed]

Everything has to be checked before you start because once it is flushed and filled you really don't want to go back in. My bike is really a low mileage 2nd bike so i really am never going to be kicking seven bells out of it. In this case prevention is better than cure. The system can be drained down and then then refilled with the original fluid, but if any fluid is lost, then you have to buy another can to top it up. At a certain point this cost can get silly. You can get a 2lt can to keep this cost down but it will still be about £30. Do that a few times and it is just not worth it. Mine is sealed, happy, not leaking so i do not touch it. As this system is maintenance free, you will need to get to several years of use before you can crack the system open and it cost the same amount as normal coolant replacement. But like i said, i am buying peace of mind that i will not be damaging my sidewalls which Graham told me others have trashed on their engines due to water top-ups.
Somewhere else on the forum they were talking about the lack of parts going forwards which my just kill off these bikes altogether (ironically at a point when Wiznorton is increasing interest in them!). There does not appear to be a viable near term engine swap and making new engine parts appears to be a minefield with multiple owners to the original drawings. I just want to leave the bike better than i found it preferably and certainly no worse.