2001 Kawasaki Nomad; Drained radiator to change coolant. How do you refill when reservoir only takes about 3/4 quart?
So what's the deal with this eh? We know we're driving liquid cooled
bikes, we know the coolant should be replaced every year or two to prevent
corrosion (and, coincidentally protect the system from extreme cold) but when
was the last time you changed coolant? Well then it's about time right? Below
are instructions straight from the Kawasaki Maintenance manual. One caution. A
helper is always handy when removing the gas tank. One person to hold the tank,
the other to remove hoses (especially in the case of the FI).
And what coolant should you use? 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 (silicate free). If you're
looking for other options check out this other Fixit page. For whatever it's worth I use Honda Pro
Coolant. It is pre-mixed with de-ionized water and comes in a blue quart bottle.
Cost will be around $4 a quart but you're going to know it's good for
your bike.
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.
So lets get to it!
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
(Gadget note: 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.
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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
courtesy ofhttp://www.gadgetjq.com/coolant_replacem... suggest anyone with a Vulcan 1500 to read... and donate to the website... awesome reference... can save a ton of money
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Under the the gas tank
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