Papa Georgio
Well-known member
Getting my **** together to change coolant, do I use distilled water or purified water to flush?
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Coolant Flush Question
- Thread starter Papa Georgio
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Papa Georgio
Well-known member
rockmurf
IBA #31100
Supposedly they are the same but I would use distilled unless purified was all I could get.
majicmaker
Well-known member
I was told by water professionals the Distilled water and Purified water is the same thing. 
Panman
Well-known member
Why? Just go to the Honda shop and by the 50-50 Honda Coolant, it's only 3 quarts.
yamafitter
Reigning NERDS Granite Lane Gold Medalist
That is not true to my knowledge. Purified sometimes means just filtered whereas distilled is a completely different process where all other minerals & impurities are removed and the pH is balanced.I was told by water professionals the Distilled water and Purified water is the same thing.
escapefjrtist
Searching for Dry Roads
Panman speaks the truth. Don't waste your time with a flush...drain and refill with Pro Honda HP Coolant.
--G
ahchiu
FJR Commander
carlson_mn
Well-known member
I did the flush once then I realized that getting 99.8% out just by draining it and then filling it up with Walmart stuff seems to do the bike just fine...
HendR1ck
Active member
I used WaterWetter and water from the hose every spring. Then every fall, I used a good quality anti-freez and again, water from the hose. Only put 30,000 miles on that bike (FZ1) Then 21,000 miles on the next (R1) but never had an issue. Is water from the hose pretty bad stuff??
Its not that I'm cheep, but its just what I did...
Its not that I'm cheep, but its just what I did...
majicmaker
Well-known member
You mean they lied to me to sell me the only water they had?! Those *******s!That is not true to my knowledge. Purified sometimes means just filtered whereas distilled is a completely different process where all other minerals & impurities are removed and the pH is balanced.I was told by water professionals the Distilled water and Purified water is the same thing.
RossKean
Well-known member
Depends on how hard your water might be. No issue with soft water but if much hard water is left in the engine, it will result in scale formation which can block passages and inhibit heat transfer. Distilled, deionized, "reverse osmosis" or demineralized water are best for this application. "As mentioned previously, "purified" water can mean almost anything and unless you know what purification process is used, its best avoided. Even "softened" water is better than regular. It still contains dissolved minerals but the scale-forming calcium and magnesium are replaced with sodium which does not have a tendancy to form scale.
Ross
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mcatrophy
Privileged to ride a 2018 FJR1300AS
I'd seriously suggest leaving the antifreeze in all year, not because of its frost prevention but because of its anti-corrosion properties. And changing every other year is sufficient.
I don't believe there is any benefit to be gained using water wetter, no-one has ever suggested the cooling system in the FJR is only marginal, even in the highest ambient temperatures. So long as it's in good condition, of course
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mferriter
Occasionally trying to get work done
Be careful flushing your system with deionized water. It can be very corrosive to certain metals, including some lower grades of stainless steel. I know this from personal experience after washing down a 1/4 million dollar piece of SS pharmaceutical jet micronizer with DI water and coming back the next day to find rust spots all over it.
Do not let the DI water sit in your system for any prolonged period of time.
I'd recommend using regular tap water if you have decent water, but then add your coolant mixture, which contains a package of anticorrosives.
Not sure about the corrisivity of distilled water, but since it should have a relatively low oxygen content, I would suspect that it wouldn't be too bad. I also know from doing some conductivity work that not all distilled water is equal.
Do not let the DI water sit in your system for any prolonged period of time.
I'd recommend using regular tap water if you have decent water, but then add your coolant mixture, which contains a package of anticorrosives.
Not sure about the corrisivity of distilled water, but since it should have a relatively low oxygen content, I would suspect that it wouldn't be too bad. I also know from doing some conductivity work that not all distilled water is equal.
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RossKean
Well-known member
Deionized water can be a bit agressive to metal surfaces BUT as soon as it is mixed with antifreeze (or anything else), it ceases to be deionized. (Lots of ionic species in antifreeze) There is absolutely no issue with deionized water use for this application. (As long as it is not allowed to sit for an extended period of time without anything else added)
Ross
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Afast03nNJ
Well-known member
Use a premix antifreeze/coolant and put your worries aside.
Water wetters work to help transfer heat better. My company make a water wetter called Motor Max.
EPA testing shows exactly what it does to cylinder walls and combustion by enhancing the ability of the coolant to absorb heat from the motor and dissipate it more efficiently.
Don't confuse this with the running temperature of the motor, it will always be what the thermostat is set for.
However, cylinder walls are cooled quicker and more evenly which the reports prove reduces emissions considerably and yields a slight mpg increase.
Water wetters work to help transfer heat better. My company make a water wetter called Motor Max.
EPA testing shows exactly what it does to cylinder walls and combustion by enhancing the ability of the coolant to absorb heat from the motor and dissipate it more efficiently.
Don't confuse this with the running temperature of the motor, it will always be what the thermostat is set for.
However, cylinder walls are cooled quicker and more evenly which the reports prove reduces emissions considerably and yields a slight mpg increase.
GeorgiaRoller
Exit Stage Left
Your probably correct!
It never ceases to amaze me how the simplest routine maintenance question can have so many strongly varied opinions on what's right & what's wrong. Deionized Water vs Distilled Water vs Purified Water vs Tap Water vs.....sigh. The more you read the more confusing it becomes, the more complicated it becomes and you end up needing a Doctorate degree as a Chemist to change your Damn motorcycle coolant!
I did the flush/fill with distilled water and put the green stuff back in. Everything is fine. Next time I think I'll just drain & refill with the green stuff and be done with it. I think we make things way more complicated than they need to be.
Just my .02
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mferriter
Occasionally trying to get work done
I don't have a PhD, only a BS in chemistry, but 20+ years of experience - quite a bit of it learning exactly what does NOT work and documenting it in painstaking detail.
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