Concours 1400 (C14) FAQ > Cooling

Radiator fluid change

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tyler1015:
I know on the last board this was mentioned. Couldn't find anything on a search here. I am having my bottom fairings painted so I have to take apart just about everything to do it. I figured I would go ahead and change out the radiator fluid while I was doing it. Any tips?

Tactical_Mik:
don't do it inside.  The fluid comes out with suprising gusto.

c14addict:
Yes, there were several postings on this on the old system. There is debate on the actual coolant, and I ended up using the 50/50 mix from an auto parts store.  It did say low phosphates, and I did not feel like finding deionized/distilled water, and mixing it first.  I have done it twice, have 61K on my Connie, and no leaks, so I must have one possible way to do it.

The one thing to remember is, when that little drain screw is opened at the bottom, be prepared! :o  It does not dribble out, it launches horizontal until it empties.  I thought I was prepared. IIRC you are supposed to open the cap first. Even when open, figured there was no pressure.  WRONG.  It is just gravity, right?  But with the small drain hole, physics is deceiving.

When drained, close the drain plug, and all hoses, then re-fill radiator.  Fill up the plastic tank on the side to just the low point line.  Keep the radiator cap off and run it for a bit to circulate, but don't let it get too hot.  You should see bubbles on the surface of the fluid, and some fluid may spill out. Fill up if needed. Close the cap.
Now all fill adjustment is at the plastic reservior.  Run the bike for a while to get it nice-n-hot until the fans turn on.
Check the level in the plastic tank and fill if needed.
One thing that was odd about mine was that the plastic tank actually lowered a little when hot, but I thought it would do just the opposite.
Take a look at section 2-50 of the service manual.

Good Luck.

jonathan:
When I did mine nothing came out of the drain hole until I loosened the radiator cap. So, if you position the pan, remove the plug and then loosen the cap the results are less messy.

ZedHed:
OK, fellas here we go again -- Japanese coolant contains NO silicates but has phosphates.  It is an HOAT antifreeze.  All Makes All Models antifreeze from the auto parts store is just an OAT coolant and has NO silicates or phosphates and contains a Organic Acid called 2-EHA which is the OAT used in Dexcool.  This is a very problematic OAT chemical and I would NEVER use that crap in my C14.

I use Honda or Kawasaki pre-mix coolant as they are identical and the Honda is cheaper.  You can probably use Honda or Mazda auto coolant too.  You could also use Xerex Asian formula coolant except it is pink like Toyota coolant and would make the green OEM coolant look kinda brown.  I wouldn't do this unless I could flush every bit of the OEM Kawasaki coolant first.

As a last resort you could use Traditional North American Green coolant except it is not considered a Long-Life coolant and needs to be changed every 2-3 years and contains mega silicates and phosphates and again flush all the old OEM coolant first.

Silicates and phosphate provide immediate corrosion protection and the OAT provides long-term corrosion protection so OAT coolants with either silicates or phosphates are considered HOAT coolants (hybrid organic acid technology)

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