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Looking at changing my coolant, anyone use purple ice in an R1?

In looking at water flow setup, my high point is the water pump, I think the bottle in pic 1 is for overflow, I have no header tank, and only place to top off is the Rad cap. In refilling should I use the 2 hoses at the highest point, or the RADIATOR?

Traditional, regular green coolant is fine assuming you have an auto radiator installed. The civic radiator is very popular.

Yes, that is an overflow that prevents loss of coolant each time the system is heat cycled. The minimum level should have the end of the hose covered in coolant when cold.

Final fill at the highest point in the system, which looks like an inline thermostat housing.

For easier filling and checking (if the overflow happens to be empty), I would add an expansion tank plumbed into one of the heater hoses and mounted near the firewall and fit a female brass tee in the heater hose close to the heater with three brass nipples sized as needed.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

it's an R1 Radiator, with no heater installed.

You didn't say if it was getting too hot in traffic or running at speed.

I guess your rad looks like this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/394081506624?c ... 31544fcf6c

Zero experience with purple ice but special coolants are a temp(orary) solution. Like the pun? I do!

Baffling around the radiator is a major factor for cooling above 45mph. I'll assume you are running the R1 cooling fan and the r1 thermostat has (hopefully) been removed with the installation of the inline thermostat, which should be 180f to provide some cushion if overheating is just a matter of time.

You could add an expansion tank to increase the system volume which helps. Another option is to fit an automotive radiator with reducers to adapt the hoses and a better cooling fan. The civic is very common: https://www.ebay.com/itm/374244842190?f ... R8Tbi-vlYA

R1 Core: 15.35 " x 9.34" x 0.87", 1 row, 144.77 sq in surface area, volume 124.73 cubic inches, 1" inlet and outlet.
Civic core: 14.25" x 13.75" x 1.50", 2 row (can be three row), 195.93 sq in surface area, 293.90 cubic inches. 1.25" inlet and outlet
Scion core: 19.75" x 14" x 2.0", 276.5 sq in surface area, volume 553 cubic inches, 1.25" inlet and outlet.

You might just check the stat temp and add an expansion tank to see how that goes.

Something like this if you have room:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/312606264708?h ... R-KQ-uvlYA

A reducer. You just add a short piece of 1 inch od pipe and a couple clamps to reuse your hoses. They come bent too if that helps the fit:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334300334874?h ... R47CqOzlYA

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I'm running an r1 with an oem radiator with the stock overflow.
I fill from a hose at the highest point. I'm using green coolant. I have zero baffling for the radiator but my lower engine sides are wide open under the hood. I run around 160-170 cruising on the highway at 6krpm. Temps climb to 210-220 in traffic until the fan comes on and pulls the temps down.

Yep, that is one I have, love the pun, no real issues just wondered if adding additives might damage anything in the motor. I can't believe the number of hose clamps I have, 15 total, I guess a few more can't hurt.

Same set up in mine, runs the same as yours.

My fans are mounted on the backside of the RAD, do you know if they are push or pull? I would think pull, but I need to check to see if the builder has them correct.

Sometimes there are no additives to prevent rust so normal green coolant is added, which reduces the effectiveness of the special, low surface tension coolant, but I've not researched "purple ice". Straight water with a special coolant cools the best but would quickly corrode the system from the inside.

If you want to make a tee for an easier access with maybe a smaller tank based on GTO's experience and can't find a commercial tee, it can be made from 3/4 pipe fittings which has a 1" od and a reducer bush for smaller pipe on the leg that goes to the tank. Paint the tee first if black steel versus stainless or brass. You can have an overflow with an expansion tank or one or the other. Some expansion tanks have a sight glass. Expansion tanks are common on real sevens/caterhams.

The fan could come on at a lower temp with a temp switch swap.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

That sounds like a good way to go, filling from 2 different hoses at the thermostat housing seems like a pain in the ass, a fan switch is also in the future.

I see heater sized (1/2-3/4") hoses also. where are these going? Moe pics please.
Looks like the inline stat could be placed below the later frame tube if that helps eliminate an air pocket.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

The 2nd one shows the hose going under or into the head below the tb's, the 1st pic from the top of rad to the thermostat housing, I thought about that yesterday, I would just need to get a different hose from the rad to thermostat housing.

I'm looking at removing the Thermostat housing and replacing it with a straight pipe, making the rad cap the high point in the system, any thoughts on eliminating the Thermostat, I live in south florida, so no real cold temps to deal with.

It sounds like removing the thermostat housing and replacing it with a straight pipe, actually remove the thermostat? You need the thermostat and the restriction to control water flow and to build pressure within the engine block. But making the rad cap the high point in the system, does make life easier, but I would still incorporate a thermostat in the system.

OK, thanks