GL1000/1100 Cooling System Servicing/Silicate Free Myth

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Sidecar Bob
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#31

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Yeah. I think it's sort of like oil: Religious considerations aside, which brand, type (mineral vs. systhetic), specification (motorcycle vs. automobile) &c you use is far less important than how often you change it.

It doesn't matter whether it has silicates or boron or amines or any of that stuff: Regular coolant is only supposed to be good for 2 years and long life (extended life) is good for 5 years.

If you leave it in for 10 years or if you run the engine with the stuff the previous owner put in when? Maybe it's been in there since new? and you have water pump problems, or maybe even if the rubber parts of your water pump just decide that 25 years is long enough and they want to leave in small pieces, don't blame it on what was or wasn't in the coolant when it was made.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
oldiegoldie
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#32

Post by oldiegoldie »

Well, I already bought a jug of Prestone Extended Life thats free of all that stuff, so I guess I'll use it and make sure I change it when recommended. I might try a 70/30 mixture, since It'll be covered-up in the garage for winter. It stays about 40 degrees in there at the coldest.

Carbs done, brakes re-done, tires, valves adjusted, timing near perfect (Randakks split version) and the head gaskets HELD this time. I have done the flush-out, so after being laid-up for 13 years, I'll give her a bath and she's finally ready to go!!!

I guess I'll get a little riding time in after all ( I still need coolant tube o-rings..... on order from Honda and in on Wed!!)

Yippee!
1978 GL 1000 Goldwing (Blackie)
1978 GL 100 Goldwing (still under renovation but on the next spring!!)
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Sidecar Bob
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#33

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Sounds like plan to me, but don't cheap out on the coolant.

If you mean 70% glycol/30% water you should be OK, but if you meant 30% glycol/70% water you might want to consider the possible results of a heating system failure or a power outage.

Image
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
oldiegoldie
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#34

Post by oldiegoldie »

WOW, geat graphic!

I never though about that situation. Its certainly not beyond reason either.............when you least expect it.............I thought the extra water would provide better cooling, but it never overheated anyway.

Very good thoughts and terrific info.

Thanks Again
1978 GL 1000 Goldwing (Blackie)
1978 GL 100 Goldwing (still under renovation but on the next spring!!)
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Sidecar Bob
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#35

Post by Sidecar Bob »

A friend of mine once spent all summer doing up the engine of his Z28 and then put plain water into it to try it out and bring it home from where he did the work. He drained the cooling system before he put it away for winter. In the spring he couldn't figure out why it took so much coolant to fill it up.....




until he looked inside the crankcase...
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
brian beal
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coolant

#36

Post by brian beal »

i just recently changed my coolant and thermoostat in my 82 gl 1100.
i had a hard time finding a yellow metal antifreeze and went with a 50/50 pre diluted mix that said "protects all metals including aluminum"
Am i OK with using that??
Goldwing Aspencade Gl1100
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Whiskerfish
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Re: coolant

#37

Post by Whiskerfish »

brian beal wrote:i just recently changed my coolant and thermoostat in my 82 gl 1100.
i had a hard time finding a yellow metal antifreeze and went with a 50/50 pre diluted mix that said "protects all metals including aluminum"
Am i OK with using that??
Does it say "silicate free"? If not then I would change it immediately.
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
and a whole garage full of possibilities!!

Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
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coolant

#38

Post by brian beal »

what will happen if it is not silicate free??
Goldwing Aspencade Gl1100
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Whiskerfish
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#39

Post by Whiskerfish »

It will destroy the bearing in the pump and you will be spending @ $150.00 and a day to fix it.
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
and a whole garage full of possibilities!!

Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
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Sidecar Bob
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#40

Post by Sidecar Bob »

See my comments on the previous page of this thread about silicates.

- There was no such thing as silicate free coolant when these bikes were made. Many of these bikes ran for hundreds of thousands of miles with non-silicate-free coolant with no ill effects.

- The coolant should not be in the actual seal. It is a self lubricating sliding seal and it would have to be already leaking for coolant to find it's way between the mating surfaces where the silicates could theoretically do harm.

If your religion requires you to use silicate free coolant as a matter of faith then by all means use it. But don't go telling others that the dire predictions of seal failure caused by silicates in the coolant are anything other than mythology.

My water pump failed shortly after I switched to silicate free coolant but you don't see me telling everyone that the lack of silicates had something to do with the failure, do you? The logic is just as sound as any argument I've heard for silicate free coolant....

And we all know that it couldn't have anything to do with the fact that the rubber parts were 25 years old, don't we?
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Whiskerfish
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#41

Post by Whiskerfish »

Sidecar Bob wrote:
If your religion requires you to use silicate free coolant as a matter of faith then by all means use it. But don't go telling others that the dire predictions of seal failure caused by silicates in the coolant are anything other than mythology.
I understand there is some controversy over this subject but it is just too coincidental to ignore. If you want sand in your antifreeze then put sand in your antifreeze. Me I will leave it for others ;) ;) ;)
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
and a whole garage full of possibilities!!

Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
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Sidecar Bob
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#42

Post by Sidecar Bob »

- There is no mention of silicate free coolant in any of the factory manuals.

- There is absolutely no proof that silicates in the coolant are harmful to the water pump or have caused any water pump failures. Any water pumps that have failed have been really old. The failures are generally in the rubber parts, not the sliding seal.

- Silicate free coolant wasn't invented until almost 2 decades after the first GoldWing was built. If silicates in the coolant were harmful to these water pumps none of them would have survived until silicate free coolant was invented.

- As I said before, if coolant is getting between the mating surfaces of the sliding seal it has already started to leak so it doesn't matter if the coolant has ground glass in it, let alone dissolved silicates.

Some people get religious about this and won't listen to fact. That is their right and they are welcome to use any coolant they want in their own machines, but they shouldn't predict dire outcomes for those who don't when there is no documented evidence that it has ever happened.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Whiskerfish
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#43

Post by Whiskerfish »

Well I defer to the experts. Randakk and Pete Boody both recommend using Silicate free anti-freeze. http://www.randakks.com/TechTip25.htm
Line number 30. And I had a discussion on this subject at Randakk's Rally last year with Pete. He is of the same opinion.

That is good enough for me and also good enough for me to feel confident that I am not passing on bad information.
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
and a whole garage full of possibilities!!

Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
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Sidecar Bob
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#44

Post by Sidecar Bob »

I think we had better leave this subject now.

As I said earlier, changing the coolant regularly is probably more important than what kind you use anyway.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
vintwing
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Re: GL1000/1100 Cooling System Servicing

#45

Post by vintwing »

Thanks for the tips regarding the thermostat, and the heater hose. I replaced the hoses today. One tip I will pass on; even though I measured the new hose against the ones I removed, I wish I had added a half inch more to both when I cut. The new hose is stiff and a bit awkward to work with. Especially the lower. It was dripping quite a bit when I first put it together and added plain water. I was able to crank the hose clamps tighter after I ran the bike up to full operating temp. However, I still have a small drip at the lower end of the lower hose. The original hose clamp is done up all the way to the stops. I am debating removing it tomorrow and using a standard style hose clamp, I can probably get it tighter. I want to get this right before I put in the final coolant mixture.
1975 GL1000 Antares red Nanaimo BC Canada
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