I have a 2001 kawasaki Mojave. It is powered by a water cooled 250cc, dohc engine that has 11:1 compression stock.
It really scoots for a small 4wheeler!
It comes from the factory with a 170 degree t-stat and an 11 lb radiator cap. It also has a very small electric engine cooling fan that according to the repair manual is supposed to come on at 195 degrees. It does come on......But not often.
The quad does not have any kind of temp guage or light.
I found some stickers at a tractor repair place that record engine temps. So I get a few.
I stuck one on the hot side of the radiator and went for a ride. BTW: It was 113 degrees outside temp when I left at 10:30 this morning!
I figured a great day to test a cooling system.
The sticker covers 180-230deg in 10 degree increments. I rode almost 15 miles non stop, the 180 square never turned black. indicating that the engine was below that temp.
I had to stop at a hwy and waited several minutes for a break in traffic so I could cross. During this wait the 180 square turned black, indicating that I had hit 180 while waiting.
Later on I had to do a 50 point turn around in a canyon. I watched the 190 square turn black, then the 200 square. Indicating that I had hit 200deg.
The rest of the ride was uneventfull except for a ride across a dry lake that had me overheating but not the quad.
How hot is too hot for a small engine that has an aluminum head with an aluminum cylinder that has a pressed in steel liner?
I was not worried at 200 degrees, I figure this is well within the engines operating range. I was thinking that if the 230 square turns to black I should get the thing moving fast enough to get air through the radiator to cool it off.
Whats everyone else think?
It really scoots for a small 4wheeler!
It comes from the factory with a 170 degree t-stat and an 11 lb radiator cap. It also has a very small electric engine cooling fan that according to the repair manual is supposed to come on at 195 degrees. It does come on......But not often.
The quad does not have any kind of temp guage or light.
I found some stickers at a tractor repair place that record engine temps. So I get a few.
I stuck one on the hot side of the radiator and went for a ride. BTW: It was 113 degrees outside temp when I left at 10:30 this morning!
I figured a great day to test a cooling system.
The sticker covers 180-230deg in 10 degree increments. I rode almost 15 miles non stop, the 180 square never turned black. indicating that the engine was below that temp.
I had to stop at a hwy and waited several minutes for a break in traffic so I could cross. During this wait the 180 square turned black, indicating that I had hit 180 while waiting.
Later on I had to do a 50 point turn around in a canyon. I watched the 190 square turn black, then the 200 square. Indicating that I had hit 200deg.
The rest of the ride was uneventfull except for a ride across a dry lake that had me overheating but not the quad.
How hot is too hot for a small engine that has an aluminum head with an aluminum cylinder that has a pressed in steel liner?
I was not worried at 200 degrees, I figure this is well within the engines operating range. I was thinking that if the 230 square turns to black I should get the thing moving fast enough to get air through the radiator to cool it off.
Whats everyone else think?
