GSR750 Radiator flushing

[Pabz0804]

Hi Guys and Gals,

I'm new to this forum so this being my first post i could do with some advise.

I'm looking to do a coolant change on my 2014 GSR750, at the moment it looks to have Suzuki super long life (blue in colour) but i will be changing it to Silkolene MAG COOL, so in good practice a flush is in order.

Is it ok to use tap water for this or shall i get deionised water from halfords which cost peanuts as i cant find distilled water locally.

I'm just worried that if i don't remove all the tap water it may cause scaling problems etc

Thanx in advance

[Riejufixing]

[jeffyjeff]

+1 with Riejufixing. You will have unlimited amount of tap water and the added benefit that it will be under pressure. Back flush the radiator bottom to top. The Silkolene MAG COOL will undoubtedly contain a corrosion inhibitor and mineral scale suppressant package that will counteract any of the hard tap water left behind. Like Rieju said, it will be miniscule.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Pabz0804]

Really appreciate your advice...
Think I'll go with the tap water option as you both point t out minimal water would be left.

So in flushing do I just run a water hose through the neck till it's clear at the bottom, then run it up the bottom hose, then clean out the expansion tank till no colour... then follow my suzuki procedure on filling and bleeding?

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Unless you're a pert young lady in a white t-shirt I don't think backflushing a radiator in-situ will end well.

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[jeffyjeff]

[Robby]

Just drain it and refill with premix. Flushing is only necessary when scale and stuff is likely. That only happens if a vehicle has spent a long time with tap water in it, or absolutely ancient coolant.

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[Robby]

The issue I have with flushing is that I'm never sure that I've got all of the water out, so I could be diluting my new coolant with tap water.

Varies between vehicles. Most cars are terrible for it, where you have a really easy drain plug on the rad, and then another one on the block which is going to be somewhere inaccessible, hidden behind a layer of shit.

Also if you cock up the flushing and make a geyser, you end up squirting coolant over your bike. Coolant is not nice to paint.

It the bike has always had coolant that is within spec (not too old or dilute) then corrosion is going to be minimal and sludge will be non existent. The majority of the crap will come out when the coolant is drained, and by flushing you're trying to chase down an unimportant amount of shit and you may create other problems.

[stinkwheel]

And highly tuned race bikes get tap water in them which is drained after every meeting. No fucks given.

I just use tap water to dilute my coolant anyway, very soft water here. I usually recommend people check in the kettle. If it's clean as a whistle, tap water's fine. If it's full of scale, use de-ionised.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[xX-Alex-Xx]

Shouldn’t matter too much if you’re left with a bit of water left over in the system. Not like it’s going to dilute the mix enough to bring the freezing temperature up to what we get as a low point in the UK. If it’s a concern, just mix it 55/45 instead of 50/50.
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DILLIGAF

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

By flushing with water you're removing the old coolant so as not to contaminate the new, which might also be of a slightly different chemical composition. If you're worried about subsequent dilution of the new coolant with residual water you can check with a cheap hydrometer (floating balls in a tube) but I think you'd be worrying too much.

I empty a jug of tap water into the radiator to drain, then another flush with deionised water (overkill, but it's cheap, plenty pure enough and I live in a hard water area), then refill. The expansion tank gets a flush too.

[Pabz0804]

[xX-Alex-Xx]