[Toaster]

No it's not ok. Normal tap water doesn't have any anti-corrosive agents and eventually you'll have some build-up from mineral deposits as well. If you plan on running just water, fill up with a mix of Redline Water Wetter and distilled (and preferably ionized) water. Lots of race vehicles use this mix. But on the street, I think you're best off using coolant.

-2000 ZX-6R.....

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[josh1095_1]

hey all, i just took my radiator off to get at my fan shroud which was bent and stopping the fan from turning. i fixed it, but i dont have any coolant on hand so i filled it with straight water. i ran it up to 218 degrees to check the fan(it worked) and didnt here or see anything abnormal. is it ok to run just water? i watched the weather and its only going to get down to 50 tonight here in st louis. i dont want to hurt it at all. thanks for the help.

 

[Jimmy 2 Times]

sorry to hijack the thread, but what coolant do you recomend, is it okay to go to pep boys and buy any coolant, or should i get the "kawasaki" brand at the dealer

thanks
jimmy

 

[Toaster]

You can run out and use any automotive coolant you find at your parts store. No need to pay inflated prices at the local stealership. However, I'd avoid any product that has Dex-Cool in it. In my bike I use Engine Ice. Not because I have an overheating problem but because I'd like to give myself the most insurance possible against overheating (gets really hot and humid here in DC).

-2000 ZX-6R.....

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[Jimmy 2 Times]

yea, i meant to say besides dex-cool, where can i get engine ice?

thanks again

 

[Flash Ahhh]

Don't use tap water in your radiator unless it was an emergency. And if you do, as soon as you can you need to drain and flush the radiator with distilled water.

Regular water will cause build up and mineral deposits, and believe me, you don't want that.

Around here, if you do track days they want you to drain your coolant and use dionized/distalled water. So if you wreck and your fluid spills, it doesn't leave slippery residue on the track. Most people then ride home with the water and then drain and refill once they get home.

As far as coolant is concerned, use a coolant formulated for aluminum engines. You don't want to use regular anti-freeze stuff like Prestone, no no no no no.

I use Coolanol by Maxima Racing Lubricants. I don't know if it's the best stuff out there, but it seems to work fine for me, and it gets into the 100° F range here in the summer. This stuff is a antifreeze and deionized water blend, so you don't have to delute or mix it at all. Pretty convenient.

Hope that helps.

-Flash





"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but habit" - Aristotle

 

[Toaster]

Sorry this thread slipped my attention. I had to mail-order the Engine Ice since I couldn't find it locally. Lots of aftermarket vendors do carry it so it's not hard to locate if you're surfing online. I ordered mine from Kiernan Racing www.kiernanracing.com

-2000 ZX-6R.....

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[swjohnsey]

Unless you are using the Engine Ice specifically for racing applications you need to check to see if provides corrosion inhibitors. For normal applications regular old green anti-freeze mixed with distilled water is the ticket.

 

[Toaster]

No worries. It comes premixed with deionized distilled water and it meets the same requirements for corrosion performance as regular ethylene glycol antifreeze.

-2000 ZX-6R.....

__________

 

[Brucelee]

Has anyone heard of owner's manuals?



Brucelee
2002 6R Chrome Yellow

"It is the art of fighting, without fighting!"

 

[Liambane]

I'm sure everyone is aware of the owners manual, and most probably even read it. But the manual says things like use only oil specifically designed for motorcycles and that the dealer is the place to go for oil changes, etc. Which is bunk. So I don't really see a problem with someone asking about antifreeze types. There are a lot of things for our bikes that are as good or better then what the factory calls for and is cheaper to boot.

You don't have to be faster then the bear, just faster then your friend.