Anti-Freeze

[puzzle]

Last weekend I drained my GPZ500S of it's coolant to renew it. However, upon checking the anti-freeze it wasn't suitable for aluminium engines so I didn't put it in. I managed to get some but it was too dark to proceed (no power in garage), meaning that I only refilled it with 50:50 water/anti-freeze this morning. Effectively, the bikes had no anti-freeze in, only what little remains in the engine after draining (didn't flush it through until this morning). Question is I know it has been between -1 to -5 at night, will this have damaged my engine? It starts and runs ok with no leaks but I'm not re-taxing and insuring until April so it won't have a full road test until then. Thanks in anticipation.

[Robby]

If the engine was sitting empty of all coolant for a week, doing nothing, thats ok.

If it was being ridden with no coolant in, thats bad.

If it had plain water in and was cold enough for the water to freeze enough to expand and crack stuff, that may be a problem.

The anti freeze is in the coolant to stop it freezing, expanding, and cracking pipes in sub zero temperatures. If theres no coolant in the engine at all, theres nothing to freeze.

[riichy]

thanks for the topic, just remembers to fill mine up
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.......... PLOD ............ zx636 2004

[loply]

Not a definitive answer but my mates Astra froze solid (no antifreeze at all) and sat like that for a while, and when it thawed out nothing was cracked or broken.

So i'd say you may be fine... Cross your fingers.
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Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!