Boiling over

[Papakeith]

I'm looking at possible solutions to my overheating problem on my CR500.
Granted I only experience this problem on really nasty tight slow sections of trails, but I'd like to eliminate the problem all together.

Right now the bike has the stock radiator cap. If my memory serves me it's a 1:1. I use a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and tap water.

Any thoughts? solutions?

 

[Rooster]

Singletracker500 had some overheating problems with his five-hunney. you may want to see what he has to offer up. I'll ask Dave (the guy that had the 500 next door at Cooperland) to see if he's had any trouble and or solutions.

 

[IrishEKU]

Papa K,

How does the coolant look? Dose it have any little chalk like bits in it? I don't know how the water is in Southern NE but from growing up in Maine and spending time in NH, I remember it being "Hard" or alot of calcium. It could be some deposits in the cooling jackets or in the Rads.
Just a thought, Get some flush and replace at the same ratio with distilled water.
Hope this helps,
Phillip

 

[RM_guy]

Keith,
Irish is right about the tap water. Use distilled. You might want to try Engine Ice or some-other stuff but just remember they are NOT antifreeze so don't let the bike get under 32 degrees.

You may just have to live with it overheating in the tight nasty stuff. MX bikes typically go faster than woods bikes so the radiators are designed with that in mind. You may be able to install a home made over flow bottle to capture and fluid that boils out and it would siphon back in the rads when the temp goes down.

Good luck.

BTW, I used that spell check thing on this post and it worked pretty good :)

 

[Hucker]

PapaK, as you know my bike loved to overheat @ Paragon. Once I got home I started using distilled water out of my dehumidifier. Worked great and I haven't overheated in the woods yet. I use 50/50 distiller and DexCool...

 

[jmics19067]

flushing the system and using distilled water is a great idea , also use more water less antifreeze in your mix. just dont go less than what you need to protect from winter freeze up. A higher pressure cap will help but I would be leary with MY twisted up radiators springing a leak. If you feel like welding tabs on your subframe bolt on a surge tank from like a yamaha wr on it.

If you really are having problems overheating replacing the long straight lengths of rubber radiator hoses with finned tubing could help.

 

[Papakeith]

All great ideas.
I will start with the flush and fill. Is it ok to use something like a prestone coolant flush?
Where do you get distilled water?
As far as an overflow bottle :think: I should be able to come up with something. *insert mad scientist smiley guy*

 

[RM_guy]

You can buy distilled water at the grocery store.

 

[crdaug]

try a little water wettter and a higher psi raditor cap from the auto parts store. I forget but think that the stock cap opens at like 10 psi and you can get one with a heaveier spring from the auto parts store.

 

[IrishEKU]

Originally posted by crdaug
10 psi

Actually most are 14psi I belive :think:

Originally posted by SiCnTwIsTdYz
i use a 50/50 mix of distilled water and ethylene glycol

Good mix for a car, badd mix for a CR500.


30% 'freeze and 70% water will give you protection to -20 DF. That's for a non-running engine. For PK's bike whom doesn't have a Res, that is a mix I would use and just add as needed.

Most anti-freeze is made of ethylene glycol. This product is derived from an oil base to help lube (water pump) and lower the temerature that water freezes at, not disipate heat, that is what the radiaters are for. Too much 'freeze will cause the boil over factor because that oil or oil based products hold heat and move more sluggushly(New Word?) than water. Another factor you may want to think about is the freezing temp of water, 32 DF. More water than 'freeze will and higher the temp the coolant will freeze at, more coolant than water the lower the hot temp the coolant will boil.


Just my .02

Phillip

 

[jmics19067]

More water than 'freeze will and higher the temp the coolant will freeze at, more coolant than water the lower the hot temp the coolant will boil.

not entirely true a 50/50 mix will boil at 225degrees farenhiet<?>, 250 degrees witha 15lb rad. cap , straight water boils at 212 at sea level and I believe 220 witha 15 lb. cap.

BUT antifreeze doesn't transfer btu's as well as water. So it is kind of a strange trade off , trying to get rid of the heat faster before it boils over<more water> instead of raising the boiling temperature<more antifreeze>.