Mixing of coolant

[slang]

Hi, Fellow bikers, i am new here...

 

Have some queries about mixing of coolants. Hope to hear some advises from the brothers here.

 

Is it ok to mix around with diff brand of coolant?

 

I am using Castrol super radicool at the moment. My friend had given me a bottle of "turbo radiator coolant". Was wondering can mix with my current one or not?

[operator]

shld be no prob. coolants are used to remove heat only.

[kirra55]

Look at the composition of the coolant, as long as they are compatible, ie the same tpe it should be ok.

 

Just dont mix some of the Racing type coolants with the regular stuf pl put in their cars. Which should not be a problem as I don't think anyone sells the 'Race use only' coolants in Sg.

[kyl]

huh.. coolent nt just plain water meh?

[Aalex82]

  Quote

Originally posted by kyl@May 18, 2007 01:33 pm

huh.. coolent nt just plain water meh?

the coolant mixture in the radiator helps to bring down the temp of the engine..

plain water can oso do the job..

however, plain water will oso enhance the rate of rusting in yr radiator..

therefore pple will mix coolant wif plain water so that the rusting will be avoid..

[LarryDK]

From a techincal view.

 

Water can be used as a coolant, but it cannot achieve the required cooling effect for the system. Coolant are designed specificially to bring down the temperature quickly and prevent combustion, and it able to withstand high temperature, while water cannot.

 

Mixing coolant seems to be alright, but I will advise you not to. Different coolant works for different systems like I say, check what type of coolant is suitable for the bike you using and use only that type. If you ever want to change the coolant, be it brand or type, the advise is to flush out the old coolant and change the new one. You never know what kind of reaction the 2 different coolant might have.

 

Like I say, never say never, it seems alright, but I doubt you want to test the market and be the first one that have an overheat because of improper coolant usage.

 

Info from myself as i worked in milling industrial before.

[panclanrider]

It's true like what LarryDK mentioned..." Different coolant works for different systems"

 

There is one type which is pre-mixed and the other type that required mixing with distilled water.

 

IMHO, betta not mix different coolants together but in small quantity is still fine with me.

 

 

:goodluck:

[Aalex82]

  Quote

Originally posted by LarryDK@May 18, 2007 04:21 pm

From a techincal view.

 

Water can be used as a coolant, but it cannot achieve the required cooling effect for the system. Coolant are designed specificially to bring down the temperature quickly and prevent combustion, and it able to withstand high temperature, while water cannot.

 

Mixing coolant seems to be alright, but I will advise you not to. Different coolant works for different systems like I say, check what type of coolant is suitable for the bike you using and use only that type. If you ever want to change the coolant, be it brand or type, the advise is to flush out the old coolant and change the new one. You never know what kind of reaction the 2 different coolant might have.

 

Like I say, never say never, it seems alright, but I doubt you want to test the market and be the first one that have an overheat because of improper coolant usage.

 

Info from myself as i worked in milling industrial before.

Coolant prevent combustion??

there is no combustion taken place in the cooling system..

Water hav higher heat conductivity.. where it can transfer heat much more efficient than the glycol-base coolant itself..

Glycol-base coolant's job is preventing rusting to occur, increase the boiling point of plain water to withstand the high temp of the engine and prevent freezing of coolant for winter weather..

that y there are brands in sg mkt which is water-based that dun hav anti-freeze properties as sg is a tropical country

[LarryDK]

Yes yes, that is true.

 

I used the wrong term, not combustion. Hmm, rephrase it will be water evaporate too fast, that makes cooling not that effective, that should the way to describe ba.

 

Sorry, not good with words.

[Aalex82]

  Quote

Originally posted by LarryDK@May 18, 2007 05:17 pm

Yes yes, that is true.

 

I used the wrong term, not combustion. Hmm, rephrase it will be water evaporate too fast, that makes cooling not that effective, that should the way to describe ba.

 

Sorry, not good with words.

no worry..

we share share info in SBF..

[MiddleAgedBiker]

  Quote

Originally posted by slang@July 27, 2006 02:42 pm

Hi, Fellow bikers, i am new here...

 

Have some queries about mixing of coolants. Hope to hear some advises from the brothers here.

 

Is it ok to mix around with diff brand of coolant?

 

I am using Castrol super radicool at the moment. My friend had given me a bottle of "turbo radiator coolant". Was wondering can mix with my current one or not?

Don't.

 

Different brands of coolant has different additives that are not compatible.

 

Some brands of coolant specifically instruct you against mixing. One such example is the Honda coolant.

 

If you want to top up, get the original. If you just bought the bike and don't know what's used, flush it.

[MiddleAgedBiker]

  Quote

Originally posted by LarryDK@May 18, 2007 04:21 pm

From a techincal view.

 

Water can be used as a coolant, but it cannot achieve the required cooling effect for the system. Coolant are designed specificially to bring down the temperature quickly and prevent combustion, and it able to withstand high temperature, while water cannot.

 

Mixing coolant seems to be alright, but I will advise you not to. Different coolant works for different systems like I say, check what type of coolant is suitable for the bike you using and use only that type. If you ever want to change the coolant, be it brand or type, the advise is to flush out the old coolant and change the new one. You never know what kind of reaction the 2 different coolant might have.

 

Like I say, never say never, it seems alright, but I doubt you want to test the market and be the first one that have an overheat because of improper coolant usage.

 

Info from myself as i worked in milling industrial before.

Actually that is not entirely accurate.

 

The water in the mix is what does all the cooling.

 

The "coolant" acts as an antifreeze and an anti corrosion agent. That's the only function of the "coolant."

 

Which is why race engines run pure distilled water.

 

It's the pressure valve on the radiator cap that increases the boiling point of the cooling fluid.

[Aalex82]

  Quote

Originally posted by MiddleAgedBiker@May 22, 2007 06:06 pm

Actually that is not entirely accurate.

 

The water in the mix is what does all the cooling.

 

The "coolant" acts as an antifreeze and an anti corrosion agent. That's the only function of the "coolant."

 

Which is why race engines run pure distilled water.

 

It's the pressure valve on the radiator cap that increases the boiling point of the cooling fluid.

not juz the pressure valve that increase the boiling point..

the coolant oso play a part..

that y hav diff mixture ratio will give diff result of cooling..

[LarryDK]

  Quote

Originally posted by MiddleAgedBiker@May 22, 2007 06:06 pm

Actually that is not entirely accurate.

 

The water in the mix is what does all the cooling.

 

The "coolant" acts as an antifreeze and an anti corrosion agent. That's the only function of the "coolant."

 

Which is why race engines run pure distilled water.

 

It's the pressure valve on the radiator cap that increases the boiling point of the cooling fluid.

Yes, pure distilled water is good, but like you mentioned, its for racing. Thus for that short while, there wont be any corrosion happen. Also, it is expected that the engine and the parts of a racing bike will be sent in for service and overhaul after the race, thus, the distilled water will be removed at that time.

 

For general usage, we are expecting rain, shine, rain shine. The weather will also have the effect of corrosion, example, if you buy a bike and store it in home, put it under air con 24 hrs, it wont rust, but if you put it outside, undershade, it will still rust, all because of the weather and humid level.

 

Also, distill water is better than normal water is because of the chemical inside the normal water that will make rusting faster. (Well, its hard for me to prove it, but i think science when we are young got teach)

 

Anyway, water based or not, I think all coolant will have a certain amount of water inside (Or else how it can be a liquad) Thus, in long time run, the radiator will still rust, just the time it takes to rust and the way you maintained it. Like I say, some time, its not the coolant that rust the parts, its the weather that does the dirty work.

[MiddleAgedBiker]

  Quote

Originally posted by Aalex82@May 23, 2007 07:55 am

not juz the pressure valve that increase the boiling point..

the coolant oso play a part..

that y hav diff mixture ratio will give diff result of cooling..

yes u're right the coolant does modify the boiling point