which coolant

[firatc 0]

Which coolant do you use on your bike? Pro Honda Hp Coolant doesn't seem to be widely available. My local Honda garage suggested Castrol coolant for aluminum engines. Castrol Radicool SF - do you think this would be ok to use? 

 

[Tex 36,817]

I'm sure it would be just fine, matey. There are several suitable ones to choose from, but, as a general rule, I tend to use Castrol products when available.

[Slowboy 20,408]

Just make sure it's silicate free, otherwise the carbon seal in the water pump may fail.

Brian

[firatc 0]

Thanks for the swift response...

 

[howard 70]

As slowboy says, make sure its silicate free! Cost me a new water pump by using standard Antifreeze 😣 I am now using Rockoil, "iced kool" silicate and phosphate free coolant 😉  

[Joeyjoejnr 96]

Anybody know if this coolant is suitable

that auction site item number:

282142301993

 

 

[Trumpet 216]

1 hour ago, Joeyjoejnr said:

Anybody know if this coolant is suitable

that auction site item number:

282142301993

eheH

Quote

Hehe probably. But the Halfords OAT Antifreeze,  five year life, silicate free, suitable for Aluminium Engines, is the one I have used in the past on both my CBF500 and Sprint ST1050 without issues. Buy it premixed, or buy demineralised water to dilute it. Unless you live in a soft water area. PS, last time I checked, Ireland is not in the midlands Joe.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2017 by Trumpet

[Joeyjoejnr 96]

9 hours ago, Trumpet said:

eheH

 

Ah I did spot the halfords coolant alright. It's the pink colour one ? If that's safe I'll go for that I suppose. 

 

Ireland is in the Midlands. Just follow the north star and take a left at the mossy top hill. You can't miss it. 

[Tex 36,817]

Be very careful when 'mixing' anti-freeze types. If you're topping up your coolant do so with the same type as the existing one. If you're draining the system be sure to flush it through thoroughly if you're going to use a different type.

 

Never mix glycol and OAT. There are pages and pages about this on the Internet if you wish to research it. Simple rule? All 'green' anti-freeze will mix, all 'pink' anti-freeze will mix, green and pink won't mix.

[Trumpet 216]

Good point. I was assuming as its a Honda it would never need topping up,  and that its standard practice when draining old Antifreeze to flush out the engine and radiator with water before filling with fresh. After a few months over the two year limit on standard antifreeze, I found rust around the radiator filler and in the expansion bottle on the Triumph. I went for the OAT as it has a five year life. And finally just be tree freindly, never put old antifreeze down the drain, or let you pets lick it up (it has a sweet taste)  It has to go as special waste to the local civic disposal amenity. It kills pets and fishes if it gets down the surface drains.

Edited March 16, 2017 by Trumpet

[matt28 401]

It's time to change coolant in my NC, as motorbike is nearly 3 years old now.

Is this one ok?

 

Edited July 12, 2017 by matt28

[steelhorseuk 1,690]

 

Lifted straight from the service manual....

 

RECOMMENDED ANTIFREEZE:

High quality ethylene glycol antifreeze containing

silicate-free corrosion inhibitors

 

-Mark-

 

 

[Dunnster 1,650]

On 12 July 2017 at 19:23, matt28 said:

It's time to change coolant in my NC, as motorbike is nearly 3 years old now.

Is this one ok?

 

Yeah, that's the one I used last year.  

[Guest jd_chaos-rider]

On 16.03.2017 at 09:03, Tex said:

Never mix glycol and OAT. There are pages and pages about this on the Internet if you wish to research it. Simple rule? All 'green' anti-freeze will mix, all 'pink' anti-freeze will mix, green and pink won't mix.

 

Hi Tex, could you tell me what's the difference in composition of pink and green coolants? Is one of them glycol, the other OAT (whatever it is?), or is it something else?

 

I wonder if I can use any of them in my nc750x, but after learning the difference I will probably know.

 

 

 

The other question is that after I drained the cooland before valve clearance checking it was quite stinky, so I think about cleaning the system a little bit - is it OK if I just flush it through the upper safety valve with distilled water, with drain valve opened? Of course possibly right before putting a new coolant to prevent any possibility of corrosion

 

cheers

 

Kuba

Edited June 18, 2018 by jd_chaos-rider

[Tex 36,817]

Hi Kuba, ‘OAT’ (organic acid technology) coolant is, indeed, ‘the pink stuff’ and, as said, doesn’t mix with the glycol based ones. For a Honda you need a mix of distilled  (not tap) water and a silicate free coolant.

 

This would be spot on (if you have a Halfords branch nearby).

 

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/antifreeze/halfords-oat-ready-mixed-antifreeze-2-litres

[giley 458]

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/238761 is what I used same as my mechanic used previously.

[Guest jd_chaos-rider]

2 hours ago, Tex said:

Hi Kuba, ‘OAT’ (organic acid technology) coolant is, indeed, ‘the pink stuff’ and, as said, doesn’t mix with the glycol based ones. For a Honda you need a mix of distilled  (not tap) water and a silicate free coolant.

 

1 hour ago, giley said:

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/238761 is what I used same as my mechanic used previously.

 

 

Thank you guys!

Luckily, I work in a lab so I have plenty of double distilled water

[embee 7,288]

Slightly disagree with some comments

Apart from the"waterless" coolant some folk try to sell (propylene glycol), all normal coolant is ethylene glycol based as the antifreeze part, the OAT bit is the corrosion inhibitor. 

Important thing is to use silicate free, silicates can cause seal wear in pumps not designed to use them.

The colour is dye, while there is a basic convention for green/blue, red, and pink/ purple etc regarding type, it's not foolproof.

I'm currently looking at Comma 30 as a replacement for the Toyota red which I've been using. It is BASF glycol 30 based, and silicate free. Note that most of the other Comma coolants contain some form of silicate. Check the data sheets to be sure.

[Andy m 23,502]

What's the price difference to Honda? I'm thinking reading a dozen spec sheets isn't worth the cost and worry compared to walking into a dealer (or going through Fowlers) and asking for NC750 coolant. If I was running Stobarts it would be worth the read, but for a few litres every two years?

 

Andy

[MikeBike 5,005]

On 18/06/2018 at 18:22, giley said:

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/238761 is what I used same as my mechanic used previously.

£10 per litre x 2 + 3.95 delivery = £23.95

 

On my 16k service from the Honda Dealer it says

HONDACOOL HONDA COOLANT READY TO USE (1 LITRE)  2 qty   @4.17Unit 1.672 VAT   8.34

So £10.12

 

So half price if you walk in to the local Honda Dealer...

[MikeBike 5,005]

22 hours ago, jd_chaos-rider said:

 

 

 

Thank you guys!

Luckily, I work in a lab so I have plenty of double distilled water

Note it says "ready to use" so not for dilution.

[giley 458]

 

Opps wonder how much John Banks would charge bet it's more than you paid will pop in and check sometime out of interest.  don't ask me what oil I used..... :-)

[MikeBike 5,005]

6 minutes ago, giley said:

 

Opps wonder how much John Banks would charge bet it's more than you paid will pop in and check sometime out of interest.  don't ask me what oil I used..... :-)

Oh,  Do Honda parts/service item prices vary across dealers? I'd just assumed they would be standard.

[giley 458]

2 minutes ago, MikeBike said:

Oh,  Do Honda parts/service item prices vary across dealers? I'd just assumed they would be standard.

I don't expect they should, I'll report back!

[Andy m 23,502]

The dealers aren't Honda they are Honda distributors. I know, its hard to tell as they've signed up and agreed to fixed colours, logo's etc. Honda sell to them at list less discount on the assumption the distributors will add roughly the discount back and thus not really compete with each other. It is illegal for them to insist on this though, if they want control they have to own the distributors which means owning their pension schemes, liabilities, management costs etc. Hondas only control is to suggest dealers not hitting their targets may lose the franchise, but after the internet was invented this is a very poor way to influence what they do, sacked distributors just go online and Honda is replaced by Chinese bikes branded as AJS/Vellocette/Morini/Hurley-Pugh or whatever.

 

You will find a distributor 50 miles from his competitor at the top of Scotland will charge you list plus 10%. One round the corner from an independent parts distributor list less 25%. The aim as a seller in a price driven market is to have 99% share by charging 1% less so in a given location they should all be close. You of course get the incompetent selling at zero margin to gain an extra 2% (of nothing) and the very clever whose websites look discounted but charge more.

 

Simple answer, prices will vary.

 

Do you have time to worry over the price differences that won't cover the cost of a coffee? Might two bottles of coolant keep the dealer employing that old school mechanic who can save your bacon going for a few hours longer?

 

Andy 

Edited June 20, 2018 by Andy m