Any Point Buying Fancy Antifreeze?

[rsv chris]

I'm going to change the coolant on my zx10r this month, and I have been wondering.

Is it woth buying specific poncy bike antifreeze? I put halfords stuff in the rsv mille and it's good for ally engines, so why bother with expensive bike specific stuff?

I am open to buying expensive coolant, just it must have a specific merit and not just be repackaged car coolant.

Any educated opinions?

[gsxr renegade]

I’m not entirely sure it matters does it? Surely all the coolant is there to do is help dissipate heat so I can’t see how you could make ‘bike specific’ coolant. I’d just use car stuff TBH as it come in bigger bottles so you don’t have to buy 3 to flush and re-fill the system.

I’m not mechanically educated though, just my opinion

[originalracingsnake]

Drain it, flush it with clean water, use whatever is cheapest.

[stupid luke]

I dont know what fancy antifreeze is but I was pretty suprised to pay 20.00 for 4 litres of the only one they had at a Shell station yesterday. They had the same one in 1 ltr but wanted near 7 quid for that Maybe I got the fancy one? Fuckin dear anyway I could have had 4 litres of Stella for 20.00

[Benji]

It's an interesting question, when you think race bikes in the main run plain water, to make clear up operations easier, but this is changed regularly, and the bikes will be left drained off.

Anti-freeze has two main jobs, one is to stop the coolant from freezing and the damage that can occur at that point, and the other one that is more and more important with alloy heads and blocks, is to prevent corrosion. Normal anti-freeze typically blue colour is based on non-organic technologies for corrosion inhibition, typically changed every three years. The other one is the OAT (Organic Acid Technology) that uses organic technology (not plants but molecules constructed mainly from carbon), this has a longer life typically 5 years between changes. One thing to bear in mind if you swap between, you need to rinse out, as the two sorts together leads to sedimentation, which can block narrow water ways.

At the end of the day, in the main you get what you pay for, would avoid the pre-mix as you are paying for water and you are stuck at there concentration, whereas if you buy concentrate you can dilute it to the protection level you require. Tend to use Blue-col antifreeze at work or Comma, you can get cheaper, but would you rather have tesco value for lunch or a nice bit of waburtons, neither is michelin starred but one is definately preferable to the other.

[gurninman]

Tesco value antifreeze is fine - been using it in our bikes for years.

[peter187]

It's an interesting question, when you think race bikes in the main run plain water, to make clear up operations easier, but this is changed regularly, and the bikes will be left drained off.

I always fill my racebike with coolant when I'm leaving it to sit.

[bignige]

Silkolene Pro Cool

[Superdunc]

It's an interesting question, when you think race bikes in the main run plain water, to make clear up operations easier, but this is changed regularly, and the bikes will be left drained off.

Anti-freeze has two main jobs, one is to stop the coolant from freezing and the damage that can occur at that point, and the other one that is more and more important with alloy heads and blocks, is to prevent corrosion. Normal anti-freeze typically blue colour is based on non-organic technologies for corrosion inhibition, typically changed every three years. The other one is the OAT (Organic Acid Technology) that uses organic technology (not plants but molecules constructed mainly from carbon), this has a longer life typically 5 years between changes. One thing to bear in mind if you swap between, you need to rinse out, as the two sorts together leads to sedimentation, which can block narrow water ways.

At the end of the day, in the main you get what you pay for, would avoid the pre-mix as you are paying for water and you are stuck at there concentration, whereas if you buy concentrate you can dilute it to the protection level you require. Tend to use Blue-col antifreeze at work or Comma, you can get cheaper, but would you rather have tesco value for lunch or a nice bit of waburtons, neither is michelin starred but one is definately preferable to the other.

Good info.

Had this with race car a few years ago, couldn't get the team manager to believe it was the cause. The sediment was enough to over the course of a weekend block the rads enough to case a 15 degreeC rise in coolant temp. Not good

[Inbred]

Mind if I bring this zombie thread back to life? I have a KTM 950 Supermoto that I am refreshing before the winter commute. The book say use Motorex coolant only but not which one (I can find 3 types and cannot tell the difference between them). However, from scouring KTM forums many rave about Engine Ice, this claims to reduce overheating and as my engine can get bloody hot in traffic I thought it may be worth a try. Anyone have any experience of this product? Anyone know if it is OK for the LC8 engine?

[CMSMJ1]

The best thing to make engines cooler is just water - it has the best heat transfer rate*

Coolant is only to lower the freezing temp of the water and to prevent it corroding the block and the pump.

*I reckon..

[Superdunc]

There are products out there that improve the heat transfer rate of water, I believe by making the water molecules smaller.

A good quality anti freeze will also improve cooling, 50/50 mix is most efficient.

The only important thing to remember is that there are 2 different types of antifreeze and not to mix them

[thefatman]

I thought anti-freeze was less efficient than water than cooling. I think it says this on the rock oil technical data. It's correct to say that a higher percentage of anti-freeze will increase the temperature at which is boils over though.

http://homepage.usas...AntiFreeze.html

Increase in Flow required for a 50% Ethylene Glycol Solution

Increase in circulated flow for 50% ethylene glycol solutions compared with clean water are indicated in the table below Fluid Temperature Flow Increase

(%) (^oF) (^oC) 40 4.4 22 100 37.8 16 140 60.0 15 180 82.2 14 220 104.4 14

[thefatman]

And a bit on using additives saying that engine ice etc should work

http://hellafunctional.com/?p=629

[Inbred]

I do appreciate the informed and considered opinions. I shall flush through and use standard stuff. I am no longer expecting kittens to explode if I do.

[banoffee]

I use the Triumph pre-mixed stuff as I get it at a good price.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it yet however, distilled water might be a good idea rather than tap water if you're mixing it yourself.

[CMSMJ1]

^ this.

I know most of you southern types have the skankiest tap water this side of Damascus.

Up where we get rain, and have nice reservoirs, the water is soft as owt..but I still use the output from my dehumidifier - no scales in my bikes, not fans uses or coolant except over winter.

[connor]

Silkolene Pro Cool

Another one here for the Pro Cool, my bike does run cooler with it in.

[Evilchicken0]

Antifreeze will raise the boiling point of your coolant, it also lubricates any moving parts (like the water pump impeller), its a lot better to use antifreeze rather than plain water.

The water you do use should be distilled you can get it in a local shop if you need to, its used in steam irons.

[Turok]

Just watch out as some bikes need silicate-free AF, otherwise the water pumps seals can apparently fail. Honda always specify this.

[lorenzo]

The water you do use should be distilled you can get it in a local shop if you need to,

How do you know what shops are local to me?

[Rompy McPoot]

How do you know what shops are local to me?

He hides behind your bins and spies on you. Look! He's there now!!

[wazrs257]

He hides behind your bins and spies on you. Look! He's there now!!

How do you know? Are you hiding round the corner watching his bins?!

[lorenzo]

This could go on for some time, until I notice there's a queue of forum members going down the street.

For what it's worth, i tried some of that 'water wetter' stuff and it dropped the temp on my bike by a few degrees, maybe 4, which meant the fan spent less time on in traffic, which was nice.

[Gmanb1h]

I use halfords advanced anti freeze. Expensive but have used it for 4 years in cars aswell as my bikes.

[Evilchicken0]

How do you know what shops are local to me?

Oh I know alright ......

I fitted a Muzzy Fan conversion to the Bim

[lorenzo]

I fitted a Fuzzy Man conversion to the Bim

Have a shave.