rotax radiator flush

[saskavid 47]

just wondering if anyone has used those prestone flush and cleaner products containing sodium citrate  on their rotax engine and if it is safe to do so? Don't know what rotax recomends just know I'm running a bit warmer than I should be for a given air temp and a bit of a gummed up cooling system is the only culprit left.

[Av8r3400 1178]

Flush with distiller water, or distiller water Dextron (pink) mix.

I wouldn't use anything else.

[Wild Bill 1]

Hey Mike,

 

    I found a web site that might help answer your question on cooling your engine.

 

 

http://www.challengers101.com/CoolantMix.html

[Guest]

i was about to point to my experience, but that web link says it all. I used to run 10-20% coolant and 80-90% distilled water in the summer and it greatly reduced my 582 water temperature. Definitely try that if you haven't. it will make a world of difference.

 

The other thing that can have a significant effect is the air outlet at the bottom of the cowl. There needs to be a lip to direct air down to help scavenge air out of the cowl, and the actual outlet area needs to be significantly larger than the inlet area.

[saskavid 47]

Thanks for the replies. I've used the 85/15 ratio of water to coolant every summer I've had the plane. It just doesn't cool like it used to for a given air temp. thought the culprit might be a partly stuck or malfunctioning thermostat but it was workiing fine. but noticed it had a lot of yuck on it that I would call glycol slime built up on it. And it has been building up over time probably throughout the entire cooling system effecting heat transfer qualities. the rad looks clean enough inside but any ammount of film is gonna effect cooling so want to get it as clean as I can as safe as I can.

   Mike