Regular antifreeze vs. Evans antifreeze

[WOODSRACER349]

Which would be better to race my 450 with?

[adinocr7]

I actually just changed over to Evans NPG + a few months ago. Its waterless and has a better life span versus plain old anti freeze. Engine Ice is good but is not waterless. The advantage's of a Waterless Coolant (Propylene Glycol) are pretty substantial:

1) Much higher boiling point
2) There is no expansion as temperature rises
3) There are no air bubbles formed like water and antifreeze mix. This is important because as those bubbles form (even though they are almost microscopic) you loose the effectiveness of heat transfer, as the only way to transfer heat is from liquid to metal contact.

I have to say I'm happy with the Evans Coolant. I can't say I notice a difference in power. I will say however for the money (appx $35 a gallon . . . more then enough to do a few flushes, one fill and have some in reserve) it gives me a better piece of mind when I'm running hard and fast and its 90 F outside.

Make sure that you flush everything properly. Its recommended to have no more then 3% water / antifreeze in your system otherwise the Evans Coolant will break down over time. I did the following:

1. Drained coolant
2. Flush with Distilled water and drain
3. If you feel necessary flush again with distilled water
4. * Important: Flush at least once with the Evans Coolant This is critical as it will get rid of any left over antifreeze / water in your system.
5. Fill with Evans

I'm not sure if you've ever done a coolant change . . . as this was my first one. Make sure that when ever you're doing a flush you let the engine get up to temperature. I simply let mine idle for around 5 minutes or until the fan turned on. That will help get any gunk or debris out of your system.

If you have a newer machine and plan on keeping it for a while I think this is the way to go. I believe you can go 3 - 5 years before ever needing a coolant change. (Check with the Manufacturer though to be sure). Best of luck.

[NVMYRC]

I have a question about Engine Ice or Evans either one. You say they cool better than just plain distilled water? Based on what? Have you ever had a cooling problem? I would challenge any coolant you can come up with to outperform this formula. 1/4 of your total coolant with Honda Pro-Coolant or whatever yamaha uses stock, the rest in distilled water and the appropriate amount of Water Wetter, 3-4 capfuls and don't over use it. The only reason I run any "coolant" at all is for the corrosion protection. Now this is a summer only formula. For the winter I run 1/2 the stock coolant for more "anti-freeze" capabilities. Alcohol does not cool as effective as just plain water but water does have a low boiling point and it is corrosive. I run 1000cc V-Twin sportbikes that have huge heating and sometimes overheating problems. This formula is the best at shedding heat I have ever used. I have tried them all, same bike, same conditions, and it is much cheaper. Do those products work, yes. Are they worth that much more, no. If you are interested I can give you the exact reasons, chemically, why they work, and, physically, why water is the best for heat transfer. Just my $.02.

Craig,

[adinocr7]

Craig:

They are all good in their own right. The Evans is a simple one step one time deal for a four wheeler. One flush with distilled water, another with Evans and your ready to fill and be done with it. Thats it. There is no summer mix, no winter mix and no need to figure out ratios between water and wetting agents.

I do know my machine runs excellant whether its 25 F or 95 F outside. So for a couple of buddies who want a better coolant for their 4 wheelers. They split a $30.00 jug of Evans. They'll get one flush each and more then enough to fill their radiators and overflow tanks. That's $15.00 a piece and everything is right there in the jug ready to go. Its good for the hottest days of summer and the coldest of winter.

But hey, if I meet anyone who would like to get into chemistry lessons or wetting agents . . . I'll send them your way.

;)

[NVMYRC]

That is the great thing about most quads. We do not generally have any heating problems unless highly modified. You are right ease of use is a concern and I, right now, am still running my stock coolant in my 700r. My race bikes however overheat at race pace on stock coolant. Engine Ice and Evans both showed a better result than the stock coolant but were still not optimal for my application, as heat was and remains a huge issue. If I sounded as if I was kicking those coolants I am not, they are quality products. For our applications here I believe any of the aforementioned products would work great. Just gives us all another option.

Craig,

PS: You can also add Water Wetter to those products to optimize their properties for shedding heat.

[adinocr7]

Craig:

Because the Evans Coolant is basically "propylene glycol " I wasn't sure if anything could be added to it. If this is not the case though, what type of wetting agent would you recommend? Its been in the 90's the past few times I've ridden. So if there is something that can make the Evans work even better I'm all for it.

[NVMYRC]

According to the Water Wetter website it can be added to any coolant product. www.redlineoil.com Truly though if you quad is not overheating and you do not have a temp gauge it is really hard to tell if it is working well or not, incomparison to anything else. Of course your fan coming on can be a good indicator but if you are not seeing any problems I really wouldn't worry about it. Not to beat the Water Wetter drum but you could try it with your coolant or even try my mixture. And for the record I did not come up with formula. It was a process of elimination from a lot of racers. It was found to work best. I was skeptical of course but I did my own testing and got the same results they were touting. They only reason we run any "coolant" at all is extra precaution for corrosion and it does raise the boiling point. Water Wetter does not increase the boiling point. I know that was a long winded answer but I hope that helps.

Craig,