I think NPG is required at some tracks. Don't know for sure since I am not a trackkie.
Evans' products are designed for cars. The motorcycle use is kind of a sideline. I mean, it is just pure polyethylene glycol.

 

Sorry to get off topic folks....you get me talking about stuff going off on a tangent....but...

Polyethylene glycol and etlylethere glycol is used almost interchangeability by companys that make coolants....(also to de-ice airplanes)..the one differance is that the polyethylene glycol is slightly safer if you drink it from the bottle (a pharmaceutical version that is highly refined is sold as MiraLax laxative)....both are deadly after having been in a car as they pick up heavy metals from the cooling system....(remember the, was it earth safe antifreeze in the white bottle, with the trees on it....proclaimed safe for pets, etc....that stuff was Poly..).
So what are they selling....just a nitch product.....with different use instructions from the sound of it...."don't add water, so it runs at 0 PSI!!'

Well...with no additives to control corrosion....and I would wonder how it interacts with seals, gaskets, and hoses. Thermal transfer, or rather it efficiency of the tranfer would also be a worry...the thing that scares me off is this line from their flier...


"EVANS "Waterless" Coolants;
coolant vapor may ignite if it is above 240°F and comes in contact with an open flame (leaking
ignition spark, failed exhaust header, etc.) Always observe fire precaution warnings in your vehicle
owner's manual."

The fact it is a flammable liquid.......radiator leak.....MINI flombbay! sounds to be like a danger in an enclosed engine compartment!!

Then this line for NPG.....

"NPG is not recommended for daily drivers or
cold weather operation, and may require system modications to ensure a successful conversion"

NPG+ might be ok in a car...actually it is the reccomended formula for cars/trucks........but they state it is a lifetime fluid...all radiator fluids are....the limit is the additives that control corrosion in the antifreeze......so it is a lot of marketing mumbojumbo...interesting stuff though....wan to be a gina pig?!

 

MINI plans the "lifetime" of the car at 150k. By 100k we're already beyond middle aged.

By 50k under warranty I had....
2 transmissions, 2 clutch and flywheel assemblies, 7 door internals, the thermostat, 2 passenger seats, 3 passenger motor mounts, the speedometer/clock assembly, 2 ECU flashes for the cold start issue, 4 O2 sensors...and that's what I remember off the top of my head, but needless to say MINI put more than the value of the car into warranty labor. Since then, 1 ground strap, 1 more tstat (will be 2 once the weather gets a little warmer it's a slow leak right now) 2 full sets of brakes and the serpentine belt.

I really don't think you need to remove the IC to replace the thermostat however if it's already off I'd say it's much easier to check the torque on the spark plugs (possibly consider replacing based upon mileage/condition), and if you're not running an oil catch can, check the IC for a little spray coating of oil and clean that out.

Oh yeah and last winter I went to replace the oil in the SC, and instead of being able to get it done I found the plugging bolts had been stripped from the factory so I can't get in there to find out until it's too late anyways. So I've been sitting on this ticking time bomb ever since.

 

Erm. ^^ TWO transmissions and clutches inside of 50k [dot dot dot] ?!? Is this just your daily driver or are you beating the snot out of it with some frequency at the track?

Also, from whence comes your info about MINI planning the life of the car at 150K? Just curious.

On the flipside, for the doomsday crowd, my car was an unmitigated disaster early on, but has been mechanically sound since about 50K (knocking profusely on horizontal surfaces of various compositions, just to cover my bases). 120K later and I'm still on my original clutch and transmission, have only just replaced my rotors (2nd set of pads), and am just now dealing with a coolant leak. But the car, while enjoyably driven, has never been to the track. It's just my daily driver.

Anyway, just in case someone with no problems finds this thread and assumes that disaster looms: it may not.

Then again, my entire vehicle may fall to pieces tomorrow. I don't know.

 

Since everyone seems to be in a helpful mood, my 02 MCS with 65,000 has a vibrational noise that is coming from beneath the car. Sounds like the passenger side. I have just had the power steering re-done because of some leaks, I have had the air conditioning condenser replaced because the other one flat-out quit. Now there is this vibrational noise. I have an extended warranty that would hopefully cover whatever it is, but I can't figure out what it is. What is it that could make that noise? I've had the car since new.

 

Update...

I wussed out on the DIY and had it done by an indy shop. However, I did get to watch so I thought I'd post some tips for anyone contemplating a DIY.

Executive summary

1. the IC doesn't have to be removed
2. the lower radiator hose doesn't have to be disconnected
3. not much coolant is lost in the process

Procedure

1. do not loosen or remove the coolant tank cap
2. unplug the cables going to the fuse box (the one in the engine compartment...)
3. remove the airbox and associated connecting tubes
4. jack up the left side of the car (this makes it easier to put a plastic catch container under the car and also changes the car's angle to reduce the amount of coolant loss in the next step)
5. remove the thermostat housing
6. replace the thermostat, seal and optionally the housing
7. reassemble everything
8. replenish lost coolant
9. start the engine and bleed the cooling system
10. rinse off any spilled coolant

I was surprised by how little coolant was lost during this procedure -- I'd guess less than a cup. I attribute this to the angle resulting from lifting the left side of the car and leaving the cap on the coolant tank.

 

Great info, thanks.

 

Specific steps on bleeding would also be helpful.

 

I was just reading this thread. I did my thermostat twice... incorrect gasket the first time areound but it's my daily driver so I didn't have time to wait for the part. The Supercharger stays on just remove all of the intake hoses and upper intake box there is a group of wires that needs to be moved over as well.

The beleeding. there are two bleed points on the system. 1 is an 8 mm bolt right around the thermostat, i believe it was on teh block or manifold. and the other point being a plastic bleeder screw on the upper hose right at the from of the car. after changing everything over and filling the overfill up run your car to normal temp and open up the plastic screw (the other is a pain to work with) when you open it there will be steam. Once it stops steaming a small amount of fluid will ooze out. close it and make sure the fill level in your overfill is right and you are done.

 

Just to add to C-Lop's bleeding procedure...

You should purge the air from both bleed points, since air can get trapped in both places.

It's an iterative process -- alternately bleed from each bleed point until only coolant (ie, no more air) bleeds from each one. It may take a while for all of the air to be bled out.

Make sure to check the coolant tank level after the bleeding.

 

Replacing the thermostat really isn't all that difficult. Pelican Parts will soon have an article completed showing the procedure in detail. In the meantime, i can answer any questions you may have. In our case, someone tried to use sealant on the mating surface between the housing and the head. This probably made the leak worse.

(edit) I'm going to be bleeding the coolant on our project MINI here tomorrow, I'll get some good pictures of the procedure and throw up some notes here.