Coolants - Water vs Premixed vs Water Wetter

[ShogunTX]

With summer temperatures and the increasing cost of fuel, many folks will be riding more this summer out of neccessity than pleasure. This means more folks will be in stop and go traffic longer and temps on these older bikes tend to spike. What are your thoughts on keeping the old FZRs cool this summer?

[dans96fzr600]

When the heat starts here in TN I will be switching to straight water with Wetter in it. The water wetter has additives in it to not only help with heat but to lube the water pump and keep rust from forming when using straight water in the system.

[haunter]

never put wetter in with antifreeze!

[dans96fzr600]

never put wetter in with antifreeze!

Mind if I ask why you feel this way?

[Rich]

The two easiest ways to cool the FZR motor are to get aftermarket headers and a YZF radiator setup (with the oil cooler). With both of those mounted you can pretty much idle all day long in 100 degree heat without the bike having issues (assuming your fan works).

[dans96fzr600]

The two easiest ways to cool the FZR motor are to get aftermarket headers and a YZF radiator setup (with the oil cooler). With both of those mounted you can pretty much idle all day long in 100 degree heat without the bike having issues (assuming your fan works).

What years of the YZF would one want to get? And what has to be done to get this to work IE any mounting point mods, and does it work with the stock rad hoses, and last does the fan plug into the stock harness? I am interested in this since it gets red hot here in the summer and any advantage would be great.
Thanks,
Dan

[haunter]

never put wetter in with antifreeze!

Mind if I ask why you feel this way?

disregard that comment


http://www.jjoseph.org/water_cooling/co ... lysis.html



I'm interested in this YZF radiator mod as well....

[Rich]

Any year YZF will work (94-06), but only on the FZR's that have a spin on oil filter (90+?). You need the radiator itself, and the oil cooler, plus the lines bewtween, and lastly the metal tube that connects to the backside of the motor. This is not a bolt on deal unfortunately, but is not too difficult. The mounting points are completely different so you have to fabricate brackets. The FZR radiator intake faces forward, while the YZF intake faces the motor. This is not a huge deal since you can either use the YZF hose, or cut the FZR hose. A little massaging might be needed but it is not to bad. The lower hose is a little longer on the FZR which you can leave or cut a little. The oil cooler (which is optional) basically spins on in place of your filter and then the filter spins on to it. Water flows from the radiator to the oil cooler and then around to the motor. If you don't want to use the oil cooler you just block off the feed from the radiator. I didn't use a fan on mine, but I think the YZF unit would fit (tightly) and mounts better than the FZR unit would. Both fans are two wire so even if the connectors are different it wouldn't be much work to get them to mate.

The YZF radiator is much bigger and added with the oil cooler does a good job keeping the YZF motor cool, and the FZR motor even cooler. I am pretty sure there are other radiators the will fit as easy or easier, but the oil cooler part makes the YZF setup pretty nice. I sold all of mine (three or four setups) to the FZR400 guys.

[Deputy1042]

Out of curiosity, has anyone tried that Engine Ice Hi-Performance Coolant? The company claims it reduces operating race temperatures by as much as 50°F.

[shift]

Out of curiosity, has anyone tried that Engine Ice Hi-Performance Coolant? The company claims it reduces operating race temperatures by as much as 50°F.

i used engine ice once. it's over priced coolant imo. it certainly doesn't cool a bike as much as they claim.

when on a race track, i used deionized water (or distilled) and 1/4 to 1/2 of a bottle of water wetter. this will be the first summer riding the 400, so i might try water and the water wetter to see how it does. up 'till now, i've been using some prestone system care stuff (not the regular antifreeze) and when i sit in some traffic on a 80 degree day, i have to flip on the manual fan switch. but i usually am riding back roads and such where the pace keeps moving. i don't commute at all by bike.

[corks67]

just had the fizzy fullly serviced - overflow was filthy n muddy and ditto the radiator which ended getting flushed twice to clear all the crap out and then refilled with silkolene pro-cool which ive used in a fe bikes and always seems to work well even in our hot summmers .

cheers dave

[megaloxana]

I just filled mine up with water & waterwetter a few days ago. Haven't ridden it much so I cant comment yet. I'll prolly be riding to work next week and I see a lot of stop and go traffic...should be a good test.

[bweight]

Here's a good read on what Water Wetter actually accomplishes..

http://www.e30m3performance.com/myths/m ... wetter.htm

[ozzyfzr]

To be honest, flush and thoroughly clean your coolant system/radiator, replace thermostat (small cost really) then I add 70% antifreeze to water, I have fitted an over-ride switch for the fan and even on a 32C Track-day mine never got anywhere near the hot end of the scale!!!!

Over-ride is purely used as a panic set-up when in traffic, as the ambient temp can get to 40C+ in the summers here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quality maintenance is the key with the cooling system, clean out bugs and shite from the cores of the radiator and she's a good un.

Hope it helps
Ozzyfzr

[bweight]

Definitely something that I found I needed last year as well. I had to run an over-ride switch for my fan as well, and I used it more often than not.. I'd rather run on the cooler side and be able to at least maintain the temperature than let it get even close to the "hot" side..