PS reader question about motorcycle technology – cleaning the radiator

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PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator
www.factstudio.de, Joachim Schahl

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator

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PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator
archive

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Picture gallery, technical question: cleaning coolers.

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator
Werner Koch

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When the delicate lamellas are so bent and dirty, the cooling is not far off.

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator
Werner Koch

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After a long period of standstill and with the distilled water not completely drained, this water tank on a super sports car was completely eaten away and therefore ripe for scrap metal.

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator
Werner Koch

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The value 1.0 indicates the overpressure in the cooling system at which the water is blown off into the expansion tank. From there, the liquid is sucked out again as the engine cools down due to the resulting negative pressure.

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator
Werner Koch

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When working in the cooler area or before storage, the sensitive cooler network is covered with cardboard.

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator
factstudio.de

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PS technology expert and motorcycle whisperer Werner “Mini” Koch is constantly tinkering and tinkering himself in his own workshop, and no technology topic is too confused for him. And if he doesn’t really know what to do, he knows exactly where to ask.

PS reader question about motorcycle technology - cleaning the radiator
factstudio.de

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Picture gallery, technical question: cleaning coolers.

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workshop

PS reader question about motorcycle technology – cleaning the radiator

PS reader question about motorcycle technology
Cleaning the radiator

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PS reader Daniel Schramm would like to know the best way to remove dirt, rubber debris and insect corpses and how effective a radiator grille actually is. PS has the answer to the question about how to clean the radiator.

Werner Koch

11/08/2016

PS answer: For the external cleaning of coolers, tuner guru Kurt Stuckle recommends (www.kurt-stueckle.de) a steam cleaner in which the steam jet, which is over 100 degrees Celsius, not only removes the stuck dust, but also the rubber residues from the slats. Of course, you can also get to work with hot water mixed with detergent and a soft brush. However, it is essential to ensure that the filigree and soft aluminum slats are not damaged.

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The same applies when working on the engine or the exhaust manifolds, which is why the radiator fins are then protected with a “protector” cut out of cardboard. The lamellas are very important for efficient cooling and, if damaged, have to be aligned with needle-nosed pliers or a small screwdriver so that the air can flow around the water-carrying channels. A protective grille can certainly reduce mechanical damage, but the narrower the protective grille, the worse the flow to the cooler network.

Remove limescale from the entire cooling circuit

Poor cooling and the resulting reduced engine performance is often also due to the fact that not only the radiator, but also the engine, especially in the areas with high thermal loads (in the area of ​​the exhaust valves and around the combustion chamber), is covered with limescale deposits. This layer worsens heat dissipation and should be removed. To do this, the entire cooling circuit must be rinsed out with a lime-dissolving mixture. This is how it works: Dilute special limescale remover from car dealerships, lemon or vinegar essence according to specifications with normal tap water and leave it in the engine for a day. Then start the engine briefly, drain the mixture and rinse thoroughly with clear water. It is advisable to open the thermostat housing, as larger limescale particles are deposited here, which are only rinsed out when the engine is at operating temperature.

Coolant for street and racing use

A mixture of distilled water and antifreeze is always recommended as a coolant for the road, as this also guarantees corrosion protection and a certain degree of lubrication (water pump Simmerrings). For safety reasons (danger of slipping), it is forbidden in racing, you must drive with pure water. Which of course massively promotes the corrosion of uncoated aluminum and steel components. If the machine is not used for a long time, the water should therefore be replaced with coolant. Because the aluminum components in the engine and cooling system are generally very susceptible to corrosion. The distilled water is said to increase corrosion. If you want to be on the safe side, you can fill in a 50/50 percent mixture of tap water and distilled water, which then halves the lime content.

But tuner Kurt Stuckle knows another reason for excessive corrosion in the cooling circuit: This can also be a sign of a leaky cylinder head gasket through which aggressive gases get into the cooling water and eat up sensitive aluminum components there.

For use on the racetrack, a radiator cap with the imprint 1.6 or 1.8 should be installed instead of the standard 1.0 cap. Due to the higher blow-off pressure, the cooling water boils later and presses less cooling water into the expansion tank if it overheats, for example when the engine is delayed.

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