Changing of the coolant

[slarson]

I went for a ride today and it was pretty cold (50 to start and about 62 when I got home). I noticed that the fan came on twice during the ride, in traffic. It has come on this past fall a little more than I remember it used to. I'm thinking I need to replace the coolant. I seem to remember somewhere seeing the whole job put down somewhere in words. Anybody have any idea where that might be, because I remember there being a couple of tricks to getting it all out?
Thanks.
Steve

[MagnaMan]

Hi Steve,

According to the maintenance schedule you should change the coolant at least every 24 months. I definitely think you need to change the coolant and maybe even check the cooling system.  My fan never comes on unless I'm in 95+ weather and in traffic to boot.  See this thread regarding the fan operation:  http://www.magnaownersoftexas.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=71

I couldn't find any instructions but I recently changed the coolant myself so here's a few tips from my experience and from talking to the parts guy at my dealership.

Radiator cap
One thing to watch out for is a little screw in the radiator cap to prevent it from just being twisted off. The screw on my '99 was stuck on tight. It took several penetrating oil treatments and the longest (more leverage/torque something like that) phillips screwdriver I had.

Drain plug
No need to remove any hoses, there is actually a drain plug in the water pump.  Just give it a close look and you'll see. It's the only bolt that doesn't look like it's holding the pump on. Of course with the radiator cap off, it will allow air flow and drain faster.  

Flushing
After draining it in a pan, I filled my bike up with water and started it up.  There is a fair amount of fluid that stays trapped in the block until the thermostat opens.  Then I drained it again.

Coolant
Be careful about the coolant you use.  Most of the stuff you can get at the auto parts store contains silicates, even if it doesn't say it on the label. ( I even called a few of the brands that didn't have them listed and the engineers told me they did.)

Honda says the silicates cause premature water pump wear as well as eat up the block.  I ended up getting the coolant at the Honda dealership simply because I couldn't find a car coolant without silicates.  

And it goes without saying, but be sure you dispose of coolant properly. It's really caustic stuff. I poured mine into an empty plastic gas can and hauled it off to the county re-cyc center.

Hope this helps and if anyone else has more tips or corrections please let us know.

[roboto65]

Hi guys as far as the fan goes mine comes on in traffic in 30 degree weather and 95 just depends on how long you keep her at speed well as far as I can tell it is one of those things I don't  worry about while riding. In stop and go it comes on in any weather and I ride in any weather as it is my main mode of transport.
Greg and I just got done doing mine I did it because I did not know when it was done last...

As far as flushing I would not use tap water because of the minerals if you are going to do it use distilled water. Just disconnect the vent line on the rad and drain the overflow tank and pull the plug drain it might be clogged too mine was...

[MagnaMan]

Thanks for the clarification on the fan, Allen.  And also a good point on using distilled water.

[slarson]

Thanks, everyone. My light never comes on, just the fan. But as I said, now it happens in cooler weather. I have had the bike for about 1 1/2 years and haven't done it, so I really don't know when it was done last. I'll do it this winter. Going to do my brakes and fork springs, too.
Steve

[No. 6]

I don't want to start an argument here but the use of distilled water when flushing a radiator is unnecessary and is a waste of money.  Minerals that create rust and other deposits take a very long time to buildup in the system and for the entire 2 minutes that tap water will be flowing through the coolant system there is no chance for any buildup.

[Greg Cothern]

Assuming you can flush the entire contents out and not leave any tap water in the system.  
Basically do what makes you comfortable and ride!

[slarson]

OK, it's taken me awhile to get to this, but today is the day. I also could find some basic instructions on how to drain the coolant, but I have some questions before I start. Where exactly is the water pump? The directions show it on the left side, somewhere around the shift lever. Do I take off the cover for the sprocket and shift lever to get to it? Is there anything I should know before taking off the cover? It seems that I remember someone saying something about not dropping a sleeve for the clutch cable or something when taking this off for changing the sprocket. Do I also take out the block drains like it says in the service manual I have, or is that uneccessary? Thanks in advance.

Steve

[slarson]

Oops. Another question. Do I fill it with 100% coolant or a 50/50 mix? I bought 3 quarts from the dealership yesterday, and they said that would be plenty. So... fill at the radiator, then up to the line on the overflow, or some other method? Thanks in advance.

Steve

[slarson]

Oops again. Got one of my answers just by reading the bottle of coolant. It's Honda's brand, and it says it's already mixed with the proper water. I still have the other questions, though.
Steve

[MagnaMan]

Where exactly is the water pump? The directions show it on the left side, somewhere around the shift lever. Do I take off the cover for the sprocket and shift lever to get to it? Is there anything I should know before taking off the cover? It seems that I remember someone saying something about not dropping a sleeve for the clutch cable or something when taking this off for changing the sprocket. Do I also take out the block drains like it says in the service manual I have, or is that uneccessary?

You do have to take off the cover over the sprocket. Then you'll see the radiator hose hooking up to the water pump. My notes above should tell you how to locate the drain plug in the pump. I don't remember if I had to unhook the clutch cable or not.

I would also take out the block drains. It is my understanding that you don't really have to "flush" the system if you use the drains because you'll essentially get all the coolant. I didn't have the manual when I first did mine and wasn't aware of this. Since then I've read the manual and thought, "Wow, that would be even easier".

Yes, the Honda coolant is silicate free and pre-mixed.  If you also want to add some cooling protection, search this forum for discussions on the Royal Purple ice. It's just a thought.

[slarson]

Thanks, Jesse. It all looks pretty straight forward now. I'll tackle it tomorrow night after I let it cool down. I need to get some of the washers, too. Forgot about that part.
Steve