rca29 Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 Hi, I'm planning to replace the coolant (actually, i noticed yesterday that my Honda dealer sold me my used xx with water on it, instead of the antifreeze/water solution), but i have two questions: - In order to do the air bleeding, the manual says to start the engine, let it iddle for 2-3-minutes, snap the throttle 3-4 times to bleed air... When i do this step, should the reserve tank cap be removed, or must it be closed ? I changed the coolant on my car several times, but it has a screw to bleed the air, but i think that this is different on the bike... On the service manual i see a hose going to the radiator called "air bleed hose", do i have to do anything with it ?? Thanks for your urgent help, as i'm planning on doing it today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 rca 29.... I did it about 2 months ago. I used HONDA blue PRE-mixed stuff. You need about 6 bottes. The fucking dealer told me 4...luckily I got extra. I also used Water Wetter..One cap full per-quart ! My fan NEVER comes on anymore and the bike is a consistent 8-10 degrees cooler. Worth the 8 bucks ! As for your question.....CAP OFF ! Let the bike heat up...and the level will automatically go down...the air will bubble out. Snap the throttle and the bike sucks fluid in. Every time you snap the throttle the fluid will go WAY WAY down. Do it 3 or 4 times....not to hard though. Turn the bike off...wait 2 minutes..and fill. Do it all over 2 or 3 times. The reserve is difficult because the overflow tank is so milky white you cant see the fluid. Wait for the night time....take a flash light and put it right over the overflow tank...and then fill as you can see no pboblem. Don forget there is a main drain pipe....then the bolt on the block...and then the overflow ! Pull the air bleed hose and it will empty the overflow. Any more Q's....just ask ! Dave Any problems while doing it....Cell 201-481-2405 !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XX Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 good info! i was thinking of doing this myself next weekend. I also used Water Wetter..One cap full per-quart so how many capfulls did you end up using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 Four ounces take care of the whole system, even if you don't end up adding that much new mix (instructions say 1oz. per quart). I have no idea how much a capful might be......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 Cap is an ounce. I would just added it straight to the Honda Pre Mix....Shake it a few times....READY ! Redbird had no idea what he is talking about. How could you not know the cap is an ounce...Well...you did ride the short bus in school ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XX Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 is this HONDA blue PRE-mixed stuff pretty easy to find? or could you quote a part #? could i get it pretty much anywhere? where can i get the best price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 Dave.... 5 bucks per quart...dealer...DONE ! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rca29 Posted August 9, 2003 Author Share Posted August 9, 2003 First of all, thank you Dave for your quick response. I did it this afternoon (the bike wasn't running with water on the radiator after all, but i replaced the coolant anyway). I live in Portugal, and i think that it should be VERY difficult to find the water wetter :sad: I did all the steps covered in the service manual (drain pipe, bolt on the block, released the air bleed hose) and i think that everything's ok. After reinstalling these elements, i started filling up the radiator up to the filler neck. While i was filling it, i saw some air bubbles coming out of it ( radiator filler opening). Then (when the coolant reached de radiator neck), i installed the RADIATOR cap, and filled up the reserve tank (a little more than the max line as i couldn't see it) at that point. I started the engine (without the reserve tank cap), let it iddle for 3 minutes, snapped the throttle 4 or 5 times...and i didn't noticed any drop on the coolant level ! I stopped the engine, started it again, snapped the throttle and the coolant was at the same level (a little above the max line). Then i let it iddle until the point where i know that the fan should start working (on the temp needle gauge), the fan started working, but the coolant stayed at the same level. I drove the bike for a while and everything seems to be ok, but i have three questions: - Is there any possibility that there is some air left in the circuit (as the coolant level never dropped) ? - Is it normal that the coolant on the RESERVE tank doesn´t get hot, even after the the fan started working ? (naturally, at this time you can't almost get close to the radiator, or the large radiator hoses as they VERY HOT - doing their job - but the reserve tank is almost cold) - Is there any problem to have the reserve tank coolant level a little above the max line ? (It's really hard to see the level in that milky white tank), unless you get a special light angle). Thanks a lot for your help, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted August 10, 2003 Share Posted August 10, 2003 Well...you did ride the short bus in school ! Only reason you know that is because your mom was driving it. I recommended adding straight to the system because you might not end up using all the coolant you mix it with. More accurate to put the four oz. right in the bike, 'cause you know the total capacity of the cooling system. But that's just me........ :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted August 10, 2003 Share Posted August 10, 2003 You need to bleed the system with the radiator cap OFF. I would take the cap off and do it again to make sure. I bet you will need to top it off. Sorry I missed the timing....and thanks for not giving me your phone number to call YOU...because Portugal is NOT LOCAL ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted August 10, 2003 Share Posted August 10, 2003 I recommended adding straight to the system because you might not end up using all the coolant you mix it with. More accurate to put the four oz. right in the bike, 'cause you know the total capacity of the cooling system. But then it will all sit at the top ? OIL/WATER...Only kidding...I bet it doesn't matter. Hey....so what if my mom drove the short but....it was an easy transition from riding it all her life :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rca29 Posted August 10, 2003 Author Share Posted August 10, 2003 Today i woke up, checked this thread and... ...removed the right lower fairing to check the radiator bleeding. Again, i didn't noticed any drop in the coolant level, but the fan is working like it should, so i guess it should be ok. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rca29 Posted August 10, 2003 Author Share Posted August 10, 2003 There are two issues that i don't understand, that i noticed before and after changing the coolant: - Is it normal that the coolant in the reserve tank is at a low (cool) temperature even when the fan in working and the temperature really high on the temp gauge ? - I've read that when you're stuck in the traffic and the temperature needle rises, you can rev the engine a little to cool down. I tried that on my garage, and i had to stop the engine as the temp needle rised, instead of dropping. In any case, the fan is working and if i start moving the temperature drops a lot ( it can come to 1/4, 1/3 running around 100 km/h and above) Remember that i'm talking about an '99 Fuel Injected Bird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XX Posted August 10, 2003 Share Posted August 10, 2003 rca, i don't have good answers to your questions, so i'll leave them up to the experts, except for the suggestion that you have to rev, and hold the rev at like 2,000 rpm or 2,500 rpm for awhile to see a drop in temp from the coolant circulating as i've experienced waiting at street lights. on another note, did you re-use your drain plug washers? (cylinder head and water pump?) on another note, not to be an idiot, but you guys, is this the honda pre-mix stuff you are speaking of? seems ronayers has a pretty good price no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 First off rca29, with the overflow cap on or off doesn't matter, it is vented to atmosphere through the overflow tube to the ground. To bleed the system (only from cold!) leave the radiator cap off start the bike let it warm and keep pouring your mix into the radiator till full. When the hoses are warm, snap the throttle a few times to burp air out. Put on radiator cap and top off bottle. After next couple of rides check bottle level and see if at right level at hot when hot or cold when cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy1100 Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 - Is it normal that the coolant on the RESERVE tank doesn´t get hot, even after the the fan started working ? (naturally, at this time you can't almost get close to the radiator, or the large radiator hoses as they VERY HOT - doing their job - but the reserve tank is almost cold) I know I will get corrected if wrong but to my understanding the overflow bottle should not get hot like the rest of the coolant due to the fluid in the bottle doesn't circulate with the coolant in the system. This is just there to accomodate expansion and contraction of the fluid with the drastic temp changes....as the fluid expands it fills a little more in the bottle and as it contracts it sucks a little back...technically speaking.. :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rca29 Posted August 13, 2003 Author Share Posted August 13, 2003 Thank you all for your help. The reserve tank works in a different way than in my car, and after i followed the hoses that come in and out from the reserve tank i understood that i couldn't be in any other way. By the way, XX: I did re-use the drain plug washers? (cylinder head and water pump). Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XX Posted August 23, 2003 Share Posted August 23, 2003 hey, did you guys do your coolant drain and flush on the sidestand, centerstand, rear swingarm stand, or what? my haynes manual, if i didn't miss it, doesn't spec which... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rca29 Posted August 24, 2003 Author Share Posted August 24, 2003 did you guys do your coolant drain and flush on the sidestand, centerstand, rear swingarm stand, or what? I did it on the centerstand. You only have to remove the left and right lower cowls (don't follow the Honda service manual on this, or you'll end up removing a few more things that you don't really have to...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 I started on the sidestand then found if I took it off and rocked bike left and right I'd get more out. Can't do that with a cage :!: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XX Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 yup, did the same thing, got more out. :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeblackbird99 Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 I'm positive that I read it 'burps' best on the sidestand. An earlier thread said that the radiator cap is vented to the autmosphere. I believe that is only true in an over-pressure situation. Radiator caps are designed to seal the radiator up to a max pressure and then allows only excess presure to vent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted August 29, 2003 Share Posted August 29, 2003 I said the overflow bottle cap, not radiator cap. There are some cars out there that have a pressureized overflow bottle. Very strange to work on. :???: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rca29 Posted September 2, 2003 Author Share Posted September 2, 2003 I started on the sidestand then found if I took it off and rocked bike left and right I'd get more out. Yes, you're right. :grin: I had to re-drain my coolant out and flush the entire system a few times with distilled water before i pour the Honda pre-mixed coolant (i was using Dex-Cool on it, but then i read about it and got scared). :shock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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