RADIATOR SERVICE ADVICE

[flightdoc]

Hi BD,

My Nomad is an 05 with 25k miles on it. Should I be thinking of a coolant change at this point? If so what do you recommend for coolant? Are there an tips on doing the change?

thanks

The manual states every 3 years or 36,000 miles whichever comes first. My friend does his EVERY year on his goldwing. Personally I'm not into excessive maintainence. Just my unsolicited 2 cents.

[blowndodge]

If you haven't changed it by then, yes now is a good time. Most modern antifreeze lasts a good long time. Nothing serious about changing it per owners manual instruction. Just make sure that if you mix (did not buy the pre-mix type) used demineralized water.

Kawasaki recommends a permanent type antifreeze (a mix of soft water and ethylene glycol plus corrosion and rust in inhibitors) for aluminum engines and radiators.

Total amount needed for a complete refill is 2.3 liters or 2.43 quarts. You'll use most of the leftover half quart to refill your coolant overflow tank.

1. Place a container under the radiator drain bolt (bottom of radiator) and remove bolt. Careful, there is a rubber washer that can fall off the bolt. Lose that and your radiator will be drip, drip, dripping away until you find a replacement.
2. Remove fan controller unit (for cleaning) & reinstall. (dealers tend to skip this since it can be a little time consuming to get to)
3. Remove or pull back gas tank (removal is much simpler on the carbed bikes so you might as well get the tank out of your way. FI riders may want to remove the vent hose(s) from the rear of the tank then just move the tank rearward about three inches. This will give you access to the radiator cap)
4. Remove radiator cap
5. Remove water pump drain bolt (lower left corner) so any coolant remaining in engine can dribble out. It'll be less messy if you can fashion a funnel from something to guide the coolant to your drain container.
6. Remove right side cover and reserve tank bolts then reserve tank. Remove hose from container and drain coolant. Clean tank thoroughly and reinstall. (a bottle brush helps with this cleaning)
6a An optional step here. Using distilled water and white vinegar create a 50/50 mix. Put the drain plugs back in your radiator & water pump then pour the mixture into the radiator cap opening. Put the cap on and run engine until warm. Let cool and drain the mixture. Pour clear (distilled) water through the system allowing it to drain from the radiator and pump exits flushing all the vinegar/water mixture out.
7. Mix your coolant (unless you purchased pre-mix). Make sure all the drains you've loosened are tight. Pour coolant slowly into filler neck. Fill overflow tank to the 'full' mark.


At this point there are two approved methods for re-filling the radiator. The first uses the air bleeder bolt which is forward of the radiator cap (looks like a brake bleeder). The other is probably the method you've used with your car, the 'engine running' method. Either way you're likely to spill some coolant so do this someplace where you can get a hose on the spill and rinse away easily.

Method 1, using the air bleeder bolt:

1. Install radiator cap
2. Fill reserve tank to the "full" level with coolant and put the cap on
3. Bleed air from the system using the air bleeder bolt in the casting below radiator cap. (torque on that bolt is 69 in lbs)


Method 2, running the engine and letting the air out through the cap opening:


1. Start engine (radiator cap off) and run until no more air bubbles can be seen. Tap radiator hoses to force any remaining air bubbles to the top. Stop engine, add coolant to top of filler neck. Install cap
2. Remove reserve tank cap again and fill tank to the 'full' level. reinstall cap.
3. Install side cover

Finally, Ride. Check the reservoir level after the engine has cooled to be sure the coolant level is proper. Top off to the 'full' mark if its low.

Too complicated? Kawasaki service dept can do this for you.



Thanks to John Lawrence

[trip]

I recently (right before I went on my Utah trip) had my coolant changed. My bike had 25,000 miles on it, so being the illustrious mechanic that I am, I had a local motorcycle shop do it for me.

While on the Utah trip, once it got cold every morning (36 degrees), my bike would leak a small amount of antifreeze in the morning at startup. The rest of the day, it wouldn't leak at all. It appeared to be coming from the bottom hose. Checked the hose clamp and everything else I could find. All seemed to be OK.

While on the trip, I decided not to touch anything. I figured if it was the radiator, it might leak worse, plus it was only leaking about 10 drops worth every morning, then it would quit for the day.

After I got home and inspected the problem further, it turned out to be that the lower radiator hose clamp was not tightened enough. I had to use a socket wrench instead of a phillips screw driver to tighten it enough.

If there is a moral here, it might be that after loosening your hose clamps, you might need to tighten them a little more to get a seal.

[kevin]

FWIW, my manual calls for fluid change at 3yr/24K miles or 36K "km". It also calls for the radiator hoses and water pipe O-rings to be replaced, too. Personally, I changed the coolant after two yrs and plan on the hose thing at the 4yr mark--I am a low mileage rider--with another coolant change. I did inspect the hoses. Hope I made the right choice. There is a ton of replacement things at the 4yr mark and I wanted to lump them all together.

[flightdoc]

thanks everyone. I appreciate the info. BD, your directions are great. I think I can handle the task. It would be interesting to see the top of the motor with the tank pulled back anyways.
Do I use the same type of coolant I use for my car??

[bobzinger]

I used to use a hydrometer and if the reading was good then the antifreeze was good. Why does it have to be changed completely?
On a car they can flush the system without removing everything...Is there a way to do that on a Nomad without removing the tank.

[flightdoc]

why do I get the feeling I need to be looking over my shoulder!

[trip]

why do I get the feeling I need to be looking over my shoulder!

Don't worry flightdoc...it's not you. It appears that Doc is having a bad day.

[flightdoc]

"Do I use the same type of coolant I use for my car?? "

[blowndodge]

as long as it states safe for aluminum. See above second paragraph. Almost all are. Read the label on your favorite product to verify.

[michiganmike]

This is from Gadgets site.

Ethylene Glycol (EG) – This is basically your “Prestone” type of products. Maxima’s Coolinol, Pro Honda Coolant and Spectro Coolant are examples of this type of product. It is basically the same as the coolant/antifreeze product you can buy at the auto parts store, but “silicate-free.” This is important, don’t get the stuff from the auto parts store unless it’s silicate free. Most are pre-diluted for easy use; they are diluted with a more pure distilled water or deionized water (deionized water is explained below). This is better water than what you can buy at the grocery store.

[flightdoc]

thanks Mike

[dogdoc]

yes Mic thanks for your answers, good info.

[donoller]

silicate free is the the word or you will have water pump problems also use distilled water