Coolant Change the easy way

2daMax

Active Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2015
Messages
675
Location
Penang, Malaysia
This is my 2nd coolant change for the bike and I thought I will document the procedures here with pictures. Caution: Do it when the Radiator is cool at room temperature.

Here are the Tools and Fluids I am using:
1. Toyota Long Life Coolant, 1L - safe for all Japanese vehicles (something about no phosphates and silicates that can destroy seals in the water pumps)
2. Motul MoCool - 5% per total radiator volume. Improves heat removal.
3. Measuring cup: Since I live in the tropics, freezing is something I don't get so I am going with a 30% Coolant, 5% MoCool and 65% Water (filtered soft). The higher the water content, the better the cooling efficiency it gets.
4. Total volume of radiator, expansion tank, all routes: 1.9L




Start off with removing these 3 screws.


Now you can access the Radiator Cap.



Open up the Drain plug with a 8mm Socket Hex tool bit. Collect the coolant with a bucket.


Inspect the cap for rust or damage or build up. This one looks healthy so there is no need for a Radiator cleaning service.


Place a funnel on the intake and flush the radiator with water (tap water in my country is soft. If the water source is hard which contains minerals, then it is better to flush it with RO, DeIonized Water, battery water etc. Minerals in hot water = precipitation forming on hot metal surfaces. Flushed as many times until the exit water is clear. I did about 3 liters of water to clear it.


Now, onto the Expansion tank. I use a pump from a Body Gel bottle. Pumped out as much as possible. May add in fresh water and pump out a 2nd time.


Close up the drain plug.


Fill in the Mixture of Coolant/Water via this funnel. It takes about 1.7L to fill the radiator to the brim. The other 200ml would be to the Expansion tank.


Remove the funnel to expose the intake. Carefully pour into the intake, slowly so that it doesn't spill out but allows the excess to flow into the Expansion tank via a small black rubber hose connected at the intake. Fill in until the Expansion tank is full.


Fill until the expansion tank is full. Closed up the Radiator Cap fully. Warm up the bike and check for leaks and add in if insufficient as indicated by the expansion tank levels.
 

pilleway

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Joined
May 18, 2019
Messages
747
Location
Mexico
Maybe it is the angle of the pic, but it seems to me that this rubber is very close to talking to Saint Peter, at any time:):)
View attachment 72737
Excelent information, this would help to any one wants to do a coolant liquid replacement. Wouldn'd you want to flush some clean water after its drain and before you pour the new coolant?
GREAT, thanks!
Have a nice day!
 
R

RonH

Guest
Good write up. Maybe the Yamaha is one of the easier vehicals to refill coolant and not needed, but this tool is so nice for filling coolant. Well worth the investment, and on some vehicals really the only way to fill the system properly. What it does is suck all the air out of the entire system to a high vacuum, then you place a hose in your new coolant, open the valve and the vacuum sucks in all the coolant. Works great.
 

yoyo

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Joined
Jan 30, 2016
Messages
915
Location
Swansea UK
It's a job I need to do over the winter (or next lockdown!) I'm planning on removing the solid coolant pioe across the front of the engine and giving it a coat of paint at the same time.

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk
 

Boondocker

Uncommonly Sensible
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Sep 21, 2011
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497
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Las Vegas, Nevada
This job has been on the To-Do List for too long. Thanks for the moto-vation.
 

2daMax

Active Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2015
Messages
675
Location
Penang, Malaysia
Excelent information, this would help to any one wants to do a coolant liquid replacement. Wouldn'd you want to flush some clean water after its drain and before you pour the new coolant?
GREAT, thanks!
Have a nice day!
Yes I did that and mentioned it also about using up to 3L of fresh water for the flush.
 

Jlq1969

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 5, 2018
Messages
1,749
Location
Argentina
It's still good, as there is no black rubber residue debris left on my fingers when I touched it. I have not washed it yet, fresh from the 'oven' when the pics was taken.
I'm glad that it is. I have read that sometimes there is loss of liquid through the container, and in general it has been more related to the failure of that rubber, than to a failure in the cap spring
 

gunslinger_006

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 21, 2016
Messages
961
Location
Seattle, Washington
I haven't tried it on the S10 yet, but I've never had a problem filling a radiator with this funnel: https://www.amazon.com/EPAuto-Radiator-Coolant-Filling-Funnel/dp/B01I40ZQWE
Fill up the radiator, start the engine, squeeze the hoses, and refill as necessary. Put in the center plug to return unused coolant to the jug.
Actually all of the EPAuto stuff punches above its weight class. I have a ratchet of theirs that i got for shit im not doing to my snapons and its been really great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
R

RonH

Guest
That looks good too if it fits the Yamaha. Good reviews on it. Price is really high though according to some reviews. $16.00 is high? Always entertaining to read reviews.
 

eddie98

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2016
Messages
58
Location
Kennesaw, GA
Good write up. I need to to this to mine.
One thing I have done to previous bikes is fill it with water, run the bike with just the water and let it get up to temp. This way any remaining coolant in the system is circulated with the water. Drain again and you will see that some coolant still come out. Then after it's cooled off, refill with coolant.
 
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