How hot is too hot?

Well i'm new here and i have been trying my best to help people out because i have been helped. you know returning the favor? I feel i provided accurate information to jmollari. I know water wetter increases the efficiency i'm just saying that straight tap water boils very quickly. i have many bikes and i have in desperation had to put tap water or bottled water in my rads during enduro events and it boils very very fast. If you wan't to keep disagreeing with me be my guest.

Patman said:

Considering most radiators are now aluminum I'd say call it a universal application. Even when engines were iron and radiators were copper & brass distilled water was a good idea.

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+1

I consider it an absolute must on all liquid cooled vehicles. I ran distilled water even in my 60's big block cars as it helps keep the corrosion down. It is cheap enough that it isn't even worth considering using tap water unless in an emergeny. You should be able to pick it up even at a Walmart.

Also make sure it's a radiator fluid that is blended for aluminum engines. Some engines actually have magnesium side covers and standard antifreeze is corrosive to magnesium. I always use the Prestone Extreme sports antifreeze with the of that ICE additive.

Jmollari said:

...I hope they sell the water in something a little bigger than a drinking bottle though!...

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You can normally find it in 1 gallon jugs.

The grocery store will have it in gallon jugs. It's cheaper than a 20oz bottle too.

Jmollari said:

I like this new info. Brought many engines in to be hot tanked from build up in the water passages but never really knew the cause. I always remeber watching friends of mine and even mechanics at shops filling up with a garden hose... I hope they sell the water in something a little bigger than a drinking bottle though!

whenfoxforksruled.. whats this statemant mean? Had me scratching me head, lol :whoa:

"Its a 2 stroke, you only get 3 dollar signs for fun"

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The guys who do not recognize they have been neglecting maintenance obviously enjoy throwing excess money at their bikes? At this point its into the hundreds of dollars, 3 dollar signs, you keep running it, or if it was a 4 stroke, you can get into the thousands real quick, more fun? Also stolen from the stupid 6 flags great America commercial. And, I do jump around a lot, the internet is real impersonal, I hate it.

As long as you're jetted correctly and stay on top of the maintenance the cylinder plating could last forever. What causes it to wear out is the piston rocking in the bore.

I would start a 15 hour inspection interval and measure everything so you can get an idea of how the engine wears under your particular set of conditions. It wouldn't be surprising if you could go 50 hours on a piston if it's not ridden hard. Be sure to have a gasket set and piston rings on hand when you tear it down.

How long has it been since a complete rebuild including crank & bearings?

I have hashed the aggressive hours versus the trail rider hours, a couple of other times. Time is time. Aggressive can wear on one side of the drive train/clutch. A trail rider will wear both sides. Oil and filter maintenance are the big killers. Jetting and letting wear parts go long, can have detrimental effects on other items. Hows that rocking piston been treating your bottom end? You have seen what it does to the bore? The manual for each model, is model specific, really not something the Japanese have pulled out of their buttocks to screw us. They do have an odd sense of values. My recent jumping knee deep into vintage bikes, and frigging rms to boot, sure have exploded some of my worst fears , even worse! Oblong motor mount holes, camed axles, and how many cracks and heab welding spots before a frame is trashed? A guy on another thread that got seemingly slapped with the truth about putting distilled water into his engines. Its all in the manual? Looking is important, measuring does not take expensive tools, most can be done with a feeler gauge. Stick with solid information, take guy figuring with a grain of salt/disregard completely. Contact Eric Gorr and send your top end up to get checked/fixed. The kx has the lousiest plating in the industry. Carefully inspect your bottom end. There is no real hour mark on the rod. But, generally, 300~400 dollars can get you all new parts for your engine. And, what about the suspension? To me, the most important part. Let your front end separate on a big jump, it will wake you up. And not to worry, you should see what people do to their house plumbing!

It's sort of sad the most important part you can get for bike maintenance is also usually the least expensive, a factory service manual. They save you so much time and effort in everything you do on a piece of mechanical equipment be it truck, tractor, car, bike lawnmower....

What filter does my car use? How do I rebuild my fork? What kind of coolant should I use? IT ALL THERE! :bang: :bang:

Pat quit telling people tap water is bad for copper water lines! Sheez, I would have to run viega tubing, much better! I even heard the major faucet companies are shying away mall metals in their products carrying water, its seemingly not good for us? Go figure!