• Don't miss out on all the fun! Register on our forums to post and have added features! Membership levels include a FREE membership tier.

2020 alpha engine temps

J
Mar 8, 2019
124
76
28
What are you guys seeing mines running 140-150 and went as high as 160. Scratchers up or down didn’t make a difference almost seem to run warmer when I wasn’t hammering on it. Is this normal today is the first time I changed the display to show the actual temp instead of just the bar.
 
A

ak

Well-known member
Dec 7, 2007
2,776
723
113
What are you guys seeing mines running 140-150 and went as high as 160. Scratchers up or down didn’t make a difference almost seem to run warmer when I wasn’t hammering on it. Is this normal today is the first time I changed the display to show the actual temp instead of just the bar.
Seems high to me , top your coolant bottle up and are you running a snow flap? If not you need one if the snow is minimal.
 

summ8rmk

Most handsome
Lifetime Membership
Premium Member
Feb 16, 2008
12,368
6,038
113
yakima, wa.
Coolant is topped off and I’m running the factory snow flap.
Topped off to the cap or, just the fill line?
Huge difference in operating temps with just 12oz.

Shouldn't be 140° unless ur on ice or a couple inches of real dry snow on top of ice.

Sent it
 
J
Mar 8, 2019
124
76
28
Topped off to the cap or, just the fill line?
Huge difference in operating temps with just 12oz.

Shouldn't be 140° unless ur on ice or a couple inches of real dry snow on top of ice.

Sent it
Topped it off to the hot line after it was warm. It’ll hold 12oz more if I top it off to the cap? I will fill it to the cap before I ride it again.
 

summ8rmk

Most handsome
Lifetime Membership
Premium Member
Feb 16, 2008
12,368
6,038
113
yakima, wa.
Topped it off to the hot line after it was warm. It’ll hold and 12oz more if I top it off to the cap? I will fill it to the cap before I ride it again.
Yes, from the 'fill line' to the cap is an additional 12oz and equates to over 20° temp drop on the trail.
Had the same results on both my 18 and 19.

I asked TKI to look in to making a larger coolant reservoir to replace the plastic one. We could easily add another 16oz in that area.

Sent it
 

Octanee

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 15, 2010
1,188
217
63
44
Cranbrook Bc
Don't fill it up to the cap, you need the air for expansion..... If your full to the hot line then adding more won't help with cooling at all. Either you have faulty temp sensor or maybe a tstat issue, but you know what 160 ain't all that bad. Lol
 

summ8rmk

Most handsome
Lifetime Membership
Premium Member
Feb 16, 2008
12,368
6,038
113
yakima, wa.
Don't fill it up to the cap, you need the air for expansion..... If your full to the hot line then adding more won't help with cooling at all. Either you have faulty temp sensor or maybe a tstat issue, but you know what 160 ain't all that bad. Lol
Sorry but u are wrong.
I have proved it on over a dozen ctec sleds.
That additional 12oz make a huge difference.

Air and water both take up space. The cup is never half full or half empty..... its always full, with Water and air....

Coolant doesn't need to expand at 150° and if it did, the air that is in the bottle would have to push the cap open and leave to allow room for the water to expand....

I put 1,100 miles on my 18 and it stayed full to the cap the entire time.
My 19 has a leaky head and i still only add 2-3oz per month. Over flow tube is always dry.

Sent it
 
Last edited:

Octanee

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 15, 2010
1,188
217
63
44
Cranbrook Bc
Sorry but u are wrong.
I have proved it on over a dozen ctec sleds.
That additional 12oz make a huge difference.

Air and water both take up space. The cup is never half full or half empty..... its always full, with Water and air....

Coolant doesn't need to expand at 150° and if it did, the air that is in the bottle would have to push the cap open and leave to allow room for the water to expand....

I put 1,100 miles on my 18 and it stayed full to the cap the entire time.
My 19 has a leaky head and i still only add 2-3oz per month. Over flow tube is always dry.

Sent it

Unless your introducing air somehow into the cooling system by not having the thing topped up causing it to get hot....? otherwise It'd seem to be a cooling system issue of sort, the extra water wont radiate that much heat from its mass to cool the rest of the system down a good bit.,at the end of the day that's the main cooling mechanism is the tunnel cooler.

And fair enough these sleds don't run hot enough and hopefully never will get hot enough to boil the coolant out/push it out anyways lol.
 

dgibbons

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Jan 23, 2012
459
185
43
Cheyenne, WY
I'm running 100-110 in the deep. No snow flap and even in thin conditions on the highway trails where there's barely any snow, I don't think I've seen over 135 or 140 degrees. Scratchers are always down on groomed or packed trail. My coolant isn't filled to the brim, but at the appropriate cold level when off that it came from the dealer with.
 

kgra

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Feb 2, 2011
237
89
28
British Columbia
There is a bulletin on overhearing for some with faulty water pump - impeller isn’t gripping the shaft. Those temps seem high of it doesn’t come down while riding in deep. But common if not aggressive on the trail.
 
J
Mar 8, 2019
124
76
28
There is a bulletin on overhearing for some with faulty water pump - impeller isn’t gripping the shaft. Those temps seem high of it doesn’t come down while riding in deep. But common if not aggressive on the trail.
I’ll keep an eye on it. I never made it off the trail yesterday buddy flipped his kaos and bent the bars 15 minutes from the truck. Thanks for all the info guys!
 

summ8rmk

Most handsome
Lifetime Membership
Premium Member
Feb 16, 2008
12,368
6,038
113
yakima, wa.
My Alpha is 113°-120° on the trail unless there is very little snow/ice to kick up then i will see 125°- 130's...

In powder, 100-105°

Sent it
 

arcticridr

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Premium Member
Nov 11, 2003
319
45
28
65
Redding Ca
Mine today with 2-3 " of fresh on top of groomed hard pack was running 135-160 that's with 2 sets of scratchers the stock set and a set mounted on the skis also have the speedwerx vents in the front of both side panels !!! I mean as far as engine temps go 160 isn't squat , I would be concerned at 190+ . Regretfully Some of us aren't able to unload in 2' of fluff !! Pretty much anywhere in our area it's a 2-5 mile ride to the high country to the fluff , I remember for years the only sleds that would have to pull over and cool or pack snow on the boards were the polaris's I rode with all types and models had I wanted this issue I would have bought one lol . I am not out of complete break in 5 hrs but this sucks if it's gonna be like this ☹️☹️ coolant bottle is topped off , water wetter ????? Hate to have to add a rear cooler arrrrrrrg!!!!
 
Premium Features