Coolant change out

[cem385]

So I asked this question in the general area with no response so I figure ill ask here.

Have to change the coolant out and wondered if anyone uses evans coolant. I've had experience with it before but not with my rsv. Trackday requires me to change out coolant. Anybody?

Thanks in advance

[potere]

I posted a step by step with pictures on this some months ago, try the search in this category.

[kzmille]

Are you thinking that you can use evans coolant at the track? If they don't allow regular antifreeze they won't like evans coolant much either. Being straight propylene glycol with no water I'd say it's at least as slippery and as hard to clean up as 50/50 ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol has a lower thermal conductivity than water or 50/50 mixes so would not make a very good choice for motorcycle track coolant unless the coolant speed through the cooling system could be increased.

[cem385]

I posted a step by step with pictures on this some months ago, try the search in this category.

I saw the step by step and found it informative. Thank you but I was looking for info on evans coolant.

[cem385]

Are you thinking that you can use evans coolant at the track? If they don't allow regular antifreeze they won't like evans coolant much either. Being straight propylene glycol with no water I'd say it's at least as slippery and as hard to clean up as 50/50 ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol has a lower thermal conductivity than water or 50/50 mixes so would not make a very good choice for motorcycle track coolant unless the coolant speed through the cooling system could be increased.

Yes, I've used evans before at the track. I thought the big reason for coolant change out was because of hazmat. I liked it in my zx9 because I didnt have to change it out for the winter and it's lifetime coolant. Doesn't boil over and has a lower freezing point than similar products. it gets pretty cold up here in the winter. I never had over heating issues. I guess I will contact Evans about the thermal conductivity you mentioned. They seem to promote it's used in motorcycling.

[kzmille]

Antifreeze is forbidden at many race tracks because it is very slippery, which creates an obvious unnecessary hazard for riders, and it takes a lot of water to clean it up. This later part makes it very disruptive to trying to get a day of racing done on schedule. Environmental concerns have very little to do with it.

Here is some info at Evans and an excerpt. While reading this page never forget that they are trying to sell you something. Manufacturers do stretch the truth:

http://www.evanscooling.com/maintenance/

Non-Aqueous Propylene Glycol (NPG) with additives to protect metal surfaces was chosen as the replacement liquid. Because of the specific heat and specific gravity differences between NPG and EGW coolants, it is theoretically necessary to increase NPG's coolant flow approximately 27% over that for EGW to remove equal amounts of heat from the engine. In actual application however, where current cooling systems produce significant amounts of vapor, less flow increase can provide the same, and even increased, heat rejection. Since there is no water in the system to cause cavitation of pumps, the increased speed is easily achieved. The flow can be further increased to provide even better cooling of the engine. The physics of why NPG cooling allows for higher engine performance can be best understood by looking at how the vapor is managed.

If your track wants you to remove the antifreeze what they want is for you to have no antifreeze of any kind. Some tracks used to and some still may allow products like Engine Ice. Engine Ice, like Evans is made from propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol like most conventional antifreeze. Propylene glycol is essentially the same as ethylene glycol in terms of how slippery it is and how much water it takes to clean it up. If a track does not allow ethylene but allows propylene it is only due to ignorance of these facts. If they do not allow ethylene glycol than you should not use propylene glycol out of respect for the other riders.

Use distilled water. Adding a little Water Wetter will give some corrosion protection and is not a safety hazard. It does not provide any freeze protection though.

[cem385]

thanks for the info much appreciated. Below is the coolant requirement.

Advanced and Intermediate group riders must use water, water wetter or a non-ethyl glycol based anti-freeze/coolant. Approved Poly Glycol brands are: Evans, 7th Gear, Liquid Performance, and Engine Ice. Automotive ethyl glycol based coolants are not allowed.

[Bayou]

OK it might not be a rules violation at this particular track BUT how would you feel if your cooling system leaked and it caused someone else to go down and get hurt?

[jer factor]

And possibly miss 1 or 2 sessions trying to clean it up.

[Bulletbob]

I have used Evans NPG for many years in our race cars. It cools and protects extremely well. It is also recognised by almost all racing sanctions and tracks as being safe to use. It is not slick like anti-freeze. If it gets on a track surface it is no different than water on the track. That's why Evans makes this particular coolant for track use. I am a firm believer in Evans after many years of proven use.

[cem385]

I went with 7th gear pg coolant. Per stg recommendation and also the clamp kit from af1.

[Nicholas_James]

Here's the thing... If you don't follow the guidelines and lie to us at a trackday that you are following the rules and really are not and you are still running etholyn glycol (Typically Green Coolant) and you crash and spill antifreeze all over the track you are not only ruining the trackday for yourself but you are also ruining it for all the other people that day. The shit is extremely hard to clean up. When green coolant is spilled all over the track it becomes ICE. That portion of the race track is ruined for the rest of the day if not weekend. You deserve to get your ass kicked for running this kind of coolant at a trackday and banned from the organization for that matter.

I recommend to run water and water wetter additive. If it spills on the track it is very easy to clean up and evaporates. You just have to remember to change it back during the winter. There is also engine ice which i believe is a propoline glycol. It is water soluble, easy to clean up and does not freeze.

Please follow your local trackday organization rules for coolant. It's not just you it's the rest of your trackday friends that will suffer. You can also put other peoples lives in danger if you spill slippery coolant all over the track. It's not a laughing matter and taken very seriously.

It is very easy to change the coolant / water back and forth in the motor.

[kzmille]

He's talking about propylene glycol. Like you, I wouldn't use it but apparently many tracks and organizations do not forbid it. I couldn't find anything more recent than 08 but just looked at an 08 AMA rules book and all it said about coolant is that you cannot use ethylene glycol. It said nothing about propylene glycol which I find astonishing.

[Nicholas_James]

He's talking about propylene glycol. Like you, I wouldn't use it but apparently many tracks and organizations do not forbid it. I couldn't find anything more recent than 08 but just looked at an 08 AMA rules book and all it said about coolant is that you cannot use ethylene glycol. It said nothing about propylene glycol which I find astonishing.

Propylene glycol is hard to find. It's the same shit they use to de - ice airplanes. One manufacturer made it for a while and was selling it at auto parts stores. I forgot the name brand. I don't understand why they don't get rid of all the hazardous etholene glycol shit. I'm pretty sure engine ice propylene.

[kzmille]

Propylene glycol is not that hard to find. Engine Ice, Evans, 7th Gear, Prestone Low Tox, Amsoil, Sierra, Star Brite. There are others. The reason they don't get rid of EG is that it is entrenched technology that works well. Too many companies are making money on it and they don't want to change.