no coolant catch bottle on WR450

[ozijake08]

Hi Guys, I brought a 09 WR450 about 6 months ago has been modified a little ,vortex ignition, full gytr exhaust, carb jetted to suit has low Ks 2600

The guy I brought it from had removed the catch bottle for the coolant, said not really needed as long as the coolant is over the top of core its fine . I find if you fill the radiator right up it just dumps about 100 ml

then the level stays constant sits about 15 ml down from top of radiator cap covering the core, I live in a hot climate 40c plus in summer and the bike hasn't even looked like getting overheated.

I don't top the radiator up as it just dumps that first 100ml I guess from expansion. any thoughts should I just leave as is

 

 

 

[Goonyz400f]

I'd say add it for safety,nothing bad can happen by putting one back on

[ozijake08]

thanks for advice, but don't have catch tank I guess in the old days we didn't we just checked the radiator at times

[toten]

Mine's an 03 but since I ride it on the street I decided to put the stock catch back on. I don't notice the weight. I need a fan too...

[MidlifeCrisisGuy]

I've got a 2012.  I took the coolant bottle off it.  I'm running a good HD coolant, nothing special and a 2.1 cap.  It will steam a little bit if its really hot out and we are riding slow and I'm slipping the clutch a lot.  Other than that, 99% of the time, it never steams. 

[Goonyz400f]

What's the point of taking it off though,your only saving a tiny tiny bit of weight

[MidlifeCrisisGuy]

What's the point of taking it off though,your only saving a tiny tiny bit of weight

 

After enough of those tiny little savings, your bike weighs 25 pounds less and rides way better.

[Goonyz400f]

Yeah true but its something that was designed to help your bike and help it run right

[ozijake08]

as stated I didn't remove was sold to me with out it

[ozijake08]

I guess back in the old days we didn't have catch bottles I don't remember one on my eh holden was I case of drop into a servo and fill her up and check the oil and water, though some of the bombs I had was fill her up with oil and check the petrol and water

[MidlifeCrisisGuy]

People ride YZ40Fs with the same engine without a catch bottle and it works fine. 

[DeepPurplishBlue]

People ride YZ40Fs with the same engine without a catch bottle and it works fine.

The YZ is designed for a 20 minute moto the WR is not.

[RMK800]

Here is what I would say. I was in some tight woods riding. Notice my bottle was about full as we got to the top. Continued to ride in more open faster pace stuff. Made a stop and noticed that the coolant was pulled back. I'm glad I have it on for the little weight there is.

[MidlifeCrisisGuy]

YZ250FXs don't have coolant catch bottles and they are an off road bike.  I think the WRs need a catch bottle to make them emissions legal.   You can't be emissions legal if you are periodically dumping coolant.

[RockerYZWR]

Get a 2.1 bar radiator cap (like the CV4) and you will puke anywhere from zero to minimal coolant.  Even when I go tractoring around in 1st/2nd gear stuff through the woods with minimal airflow through the radiators for many minutes on end in hot summer weather, I lose no coolant.  Stock was 1.1 and would puke all kinds of coolant into the bottle; got a Tusk 1.6 and it was better but not 100% (and it's now on my YZ250); 2.1 is the ticket for the WR, especially if you don't run a fan or higher flow water pump or something.  Triple semi-colon use there, btw.  

[MidlifeCrisisGuy]

Get a 2.1 bar radiator cap (like the CV4) and you will puke anywhere from zero to minimal coolant.  Even when I go tractoring around in 1st/2nd gear stuff through the woods with minimal airflow through the radiators for many minutes on end in hot summer weather, I lose no coolant.  Stock was 1.1 and would puke all kinds of coolant into the bottle; got a Tusk 1.6 and it was better but not 100% (and it's now on my YZ250); 2.1 is the ticket for the WR, especially if you don't run a fan or higher flow water pump or something.  Triple semi-colon use there, btw.  

 

+1 on this. 

 

Fancy coolants may have much higher boiling points than water + glycol, but they are poorer conductors of heat.  As a result, your engine runs hotter when using them.  

 

A 2.1 bar rad cap allows the water+ glycol to get hotter before it boils over.  The engine runs as cool as it can because the water and glycol are better conductors of heat and if it does get too hot, it will steam a bit.  With the fancy coolants, you get no steam, but the engine is running incredibly hot.

 

My engine has only ever steamed a tiny bit with the 2.1 bar cap.  Both times were on super slow slogs with lots of clutch work.  Even then it only steamed a tiny bit.  I'm sure a fan would have probably prevented the steaming, but its not worth the hassle and weight to run one.

 

I check my coolant about every 5th ride.  It never takes more than a tiny bit to top it up and I'm probably overfilling the rad when I do.  I see no reason to run a catch bottle.

 

My WR overheated regularly with the stock 1.1 cap.  It was a bit of a joke how often and long it would steam.  Whenever we stopped the catch bottle would be bubbling.   

[RockerYZWR]

Agreed, and thinking of removing my catch bottle.

[Gunner354]

+1 on this.

Fancy coolants may have much higher boiling points than water + glycol, but they are poorer conductors of heat. As a result, your engine runs hotter when using them.

A 2.1 bar rad cap allows the water+ glycol to get hotter before it boils over. The engine runs as cool as it can because the water and glycol are better conductors of heat and if it does get too hot, it will steam a bit. With the fancy coolants, you get no steam, but the engine is running incredibly hot.

My engine has only ever steamed a tiny bit with the 2.1 bar cap. Both times were on super slow slogs with lots of clutch work. Even then it only steamed a tiny bit. I'm sure a fan would have probably prevented the steaming, but its not worth the hassle and weight to run one.

I check my coolant about every 5th ride. It never takes more than a tiny bit to top it up and I'm probably overfilling the rad when I do. I see no reason to run a catch bottle.

My WR overheated regularly with the stock 1.1 cap. It was a bit of a joke how often and long it would steam. Whenever we stopped the catch bottle would be bubbling.

Completely wrong regarding fancy coolants! Get the facts correct!

[ozijake08]

Hi Guys, thanks for the very positive feed back. been doing a little more research on this and yes a higher pressure radiator cap will stop coolant loss as it increases the temperature before the coolant boils.

thus by being contained you wont lose coolant , but it wont lower the temperature you bike is running at, it just keeps the fluid in the radiators.

my concern is this, a radiator cap isn't a lid to contain fluid, but a pressure relief valve. to go from say 1.1 bar to 2.0 almost double must put incredible pressure on other seals in the cooling system.

i.e water pump seals the pipping and fittings for the cooling system, I guess the japs put 1.1 so it wont increase pressure on other components.

im looking at an Australian product that lowers the boiling point of water when added called LIQUID INTELEGANCE think I might give this a go before I try and turn my engine into a high tech pressure cooker

[ozijake08]

sorry gunner345 a high pressure radiator cap isn't lowering the temp of water just containing it longer before it boils and expands, fancy additives greatly increase the boiling point thus stooping expansion