MotorMax coolant enhancer

[hembramacho]

I had a go at putting some MotorMax in today, with the idea that I would remove some coolant out of the tank and replace it. I managed to remove about 1/4 of a litre and then hit a snag. There seems to be a seperate compartment in the tank that the cap is above, which holds about the amount I removed. The rest of the coolant I could see through the side of the tank but I couldn't reach it with my syphon! So I managed to fill the tank back up to the full line with about 1/4 of a bottle of MotorMax and presume I'll need to do this another 3 times once I've driven round a few times to mix it. Unless anyone else has got a suggestion to get more coolant out at a time and/or I'm missing something here?

Andrew

[mikeonb4c]

I had a go at putting some MotorMax in today, with the idea that I would remove some coolant out of the tank and replace it. I managed to remove about 1/4 of a litre and then hit a snag. There seems to be a seperate compartment in the tank that the cap is above, which holds about the amount I removed. The rest of the coolant I could see through the side of the tank but I couldn't reach it with my syphon! So I managed to fill the tank back up to the full line with about 1/4 of a bottle of MotorMax and presume I'll need to do this another 3 times once I've driven round a few times to mix it. Unless anyone else has got a suggestion to get more coolant out at a time and/or I'm missing something here?

Andrew

Well my preference was for draining coolant from the radiator draincock, but................

[hembramacho]

I had a go at putting some MotorMax in today, with the idea that I would remove some coolant out of the tank and replace it. I managed to remove about 1/4 of a litre and then hit a snag. There seems to be a seperate compartment in the tank that the cap is above, which holds about the amount I removed. The rest of the coolant I could see through the side of the tank but I couldn't reach it with my syphon! So I managed to fill the tank back up to the full line with about 1/4 of a bottle of MotorMax and presume I'll need to do this another 3 times once I've driven round a few times to mix it. Unless anyone else has got a suggestion to get more coolant out at a time and/or I'm missing something here?

Andrew

Well my preference was for draining coolant from the radiator draincock, but................

I presume that would be easier then Mike. Point me in the right direction then fella!

Andrew

[Ron Miel]

I had a go at putting some MotorMax in today, with the idea that I would remove some coolant out of the tank and replace it. I managed to remove about 1/4 of a litre and then hit a snag. There seems to be a seperate compartment in the tank that the cap is above, which holds about the amount I removed. The rest of the coolant I could see through the side of the tank but I couldn't reach it with my syphon! So I managed to fill the tank back up to the full line with about 1/4 of a bottle of MotorMax and presume I'll need to do this another 3 times once I've driven round a few times to mix it. Unless anyone else has got a suggestion to get more coolant out at a time and/or I'm missing something here?

Andrew

Hi Andrew
Likewise, I found that I couldn't get into the side part of the tank - but I'm surprised that you could only syphon out the equivalent of 1/4 bottle of MotorMax. I definitely managed to add (slightly over) 1/2 bottle, after the first syphon out, and the remainder in a second round, after a few days running first to ensure full mixing and distribution.

You could try Haydn Callow's recommendation by now overfilling the header tank with the balance of 1/2 bottle of Motormax, when the engine's cold and before you syphon any more out, then running the engine (I would say, a few times), just enough to open the thermostat* and get it circulating - but not hot enough to cause venting from the tank. Then, when the engine's cold, syphon back to the full line, and run normally to thoroughly mix for a few days. After that, syphon off again, and add the rest, repeating the process of returning to the full line (if necessary) once it's again thoroughly circulated.

*(Check for warm coolant in the header tank.)

When I managed the exercise in two fillings, I did slighly overfill (less than a centimetre depth), first time, but it was insufficient to cause venting when hot, so I didn't even need to syphon back to the full line. For the second filling, I just had enough MotorMax remaining to replace the syphoned out coolant, bringing the level back to the full line when cold. I'm confident that if I hadn't overfilled first time, I could have got 50% in each time. Was your header tank level, particularly fore and aft, when you syphoned? Cheers, David

[Ron Miel]

Another thought Andrew - have you measured exactly how much is left in your bottle of MotorMax, using a measuring jug (I did, and had to buy a new jug for our kitchen - but now I've got a garage measure!)? Just remembered this, and the figures below:

- after the first coolant syphon out and (over-)fill back with MotorMax, I had 428 ml left in the MotorMax bottle.

- therefore, if the original content of the bottle was exactly the specified 946 ml, I added 946-428 = 518 ml MotorMax first time.

If you didn't measure accurately, I suppose it's possible that you've already got more MotorMax in the coolant, and less of a job still to do, than you thought(?). I measured, because I found it very hard to estimate the remaining (completely opaque) bottle contents any other way.

[mikeonb4c]

I had a go at putting some MotorMax in today, with the idea that I would remove some coolant out of the tank and replace it. I managed to remove about 1/4 of a litre and then hit a snag. There seems to be a seperate compartment in the tank that the cap is above, which holds about the amount I removed. The rest of the coolant I could see through the side of the tank but I couldn't reach it with my syphon! So I managed to fill the tank back up to the full line with about 1/4 of a bottle of MotorMax and presume I'll need to do this another 3 times once I've driven round a few times to mix it. Unless anyone else has got a suggestion to get more coolant out at a time and/or I'm missing something here?

Andrew

Well my preference was for draining coolant from the radiator draincock, but................

I presume that would be easier then Mike. Point me in the right direction then fella!

Andrew

Well I reckoned that opening the draincock to lower the level (but not below the relevant pipes in the header tank) then putting in Motormax, and then repeating the process until all the Motormax is in......ought to do it. The theory was that the Motormax would stay at the top of the system whilst Motormax free coolant drained out of the bottom.

Its what I would naturally try in the absence of any other advice, but I wouldn't want to set myself up as an expert, as I'm not!

[hembramacho]

Another thought Andrew - have you measured exactly how much is left in your bottle of MotorMax, using a measuring jug (I did, and had to buy a new jug for our kitchen - but now I've got a garage measure!)? Just remembered this, and the figures below:

- after the first coolant syphon out and (over-)fill back with MotorMax, I had 428 ml left in the MotorMax bottle.

- therefore, if the original content of the bottle was exactly the specified 946 ml, I added 946-428 = 518 ml MotorMax first time.

If you didn't measure accurately, I suppose it's possible that you've already got more MotorMax in the coolant, and less of a job still to do, than you thought(?). I measured, because I found it very hard to estimate the remaining (completely opaque) bottle contents any other way.

Hi David - thanks for the reply. Just measured how much I have left in the bottle (will have to go out today and buy a new jug for the kitchen though ) and I have 560ml left. I did originally measure how much coolant I had removed, which was about 1/4 of a litre, so presumed having replaced it with MotorMax back to where the level was, this would have been the same amount! Obviously not though. I think I'll just run it a bit to mix and and do the same again and see what happens. Surely after a good mix whatever I take out of the header tank isn't going to make that much difference anyway.

Cheers

Andrew

[Ron Miel]

Another thought Andrew - have you measured exactly how much is left in your bottle of MotorMax, using a measuring jug (I did, and had to buy a new jug for our kitchen - but now I've got a garage measure!)? Just remembered this, and the figures below:

- after the first coolant syphon out and (over-)fill back with MotorMax, I had 428 ml left in the MotorMax bottle.

- therefore, if the original content of the bottle was exactly the specified 946 ml, I added 946-428 = 518 ml MotorMax first time.

If you didn't measure accurately, I suppose it's possible that you've already got more MotorMax in the coolant, and less of a job still to do, than you thought(?). I measured, because I found it very hard to estimate the remaining (completely opaque) bottle contents any other way.

Hi David - thanks for the reply. Just measured how much I have left in the bottle (will have to go out today and buy a new jug for the kitchen though ) and I have 560ml left. I did originally measure how much coolant I had removed, which was about 1/4 of a litre, so presumed having replaced it with MotorMax back to where the level was, this would have been the same amount! Obviously not though. I think I'll just run it a bit to mix and and do the same again and see what happens. Surely after a good mix whatever I take out of the header tank isn't going to make that much difference anyway.

Cheers

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

You're welcome. No, I'm sure you're probably right, although I had read one testimonial on the US MotorMax site, where the guy had driven two long trips (same trip/same ambient temperatures - one without Motormax/one with), before he was satisfied that he had a fully stable MotorMax coolant, to check before and after coolant performance (warm up time, running temps in different modes..) with. From that, I inferred that a fully mixed/distributed mix might take a while to achieve, plus I was in no hurry anyway - so I ran the stage one mix for two or three days (six fully hot/cold cycles). Whenever you do go to stage 2, I think you'll be able to get all that remaining 560 ml in, without over-filling to the extent that you cause venting - especially in the current low temperatures, and with the lower temp running MotorMax will give, anyway. Then, syphon back to the full mark, when you've thoroughly mixed all the Motormax over a day or three - that way, you'll waste very little. Do check your anti-freeze strength when you finish though, as the more Motormax you eventually get in, the weaker the anti-freeze will get.

Cheers

David

[hembramacho]

Thanks for the advice David, and for starting this thread .

Like you I'm not in any rush, so will run the Bongo over the next week or so and then try and get the remaining MotorMax in. I checked the antifreeze strength of the coolant when I syphoned some out and it was good for -17, but will check again when all the MotorMax is in just to make sure - good point!

Andrew