Hawk Prep Fluid 5L is specially formulated to prepare a cooling system prior to conversion to Hawk Waterless Coolants. Compatible with all engine types, it is an essential step when an engine contains or has previously contained conventional water-based cooling fluid.
After a standard drain, water may remain trapped in the engine block, cylinder head, radiator, heating system, or various pipes. Thanks to its hygroscopic properties, Hawk Prep Fluid absorbs this residual water and also helps flush out loose dirt and deposits present in the system. It thus prepares the engine before it is finally filled with the appropriate Hawk waterless cooling fluid.
Important: Hawk Prep Fluid is not the final cooling fluid. It is used during the conversion process and must be drained before refilling with the Hawk cooling fluid selected for the vehicle.
The primary role of Prep Fluid is to minimize the quantity of water remaining in the system after draining. This step is essential to fully enjoy the benefits of a water-free cooling fluid.
Hawk recommends that , after conversion , the residual water content be ideally 3% or less. This concentration can be checked using a refractometer.
Proper preparation ensures that Hawk’s waterless cooling fluid will perform as intended and minimizes issues associated with the presence of water, such as localized boiling, vapor formation, oxidative corrosion, pressure in the cooling system, and cavitation.
Simply draining the system does not always remove all the water present in a cooling system. Some of the oldcooling fluid may remain in the engine block, cylinder head, radiator, heater core, and certain pipes.
Filling the system directly with a waterless cooling fluid without properly removing this residual water is equivalent to contaminating the new cooling fluid as soon as it is put into service. However, the benefit of the Hawk system lies precisely in the removal of water and the issues associated with it.
Hawk Prep Fluid therefore serves as the intermediate step between draining the old coolant and filling the system with the new water-free coolant. Thanks to its hygroscopic properties, it absorbs the residual water present in the system. The Prep Fluid, now saturated with this water, is then drained.
The system can then be filled with the Hawk water-free cooling fluid appropriate for the vehicle, engine, and its intended use.
Start by draining as much of the old cooling fluid as possible. The Hawk Prep Fluid is then introduced into the system to absorb any water that could not be removed during this initial drain.
Once the preparation procedure is complete, the Prep Fluid must be completely drained. The system is then ready to receive the appropriate Hawk waterless cooling fluid.
After the conversion, Hawk recommends that the residual water content be ideally 3% or less. A refractometer can be used to check this value and verify the quality of the conversion.
Prep Fluid must not remain in the engine as the final cooling fluid. Its purpose is to prepare the cooling system before the final fill with a Hawk Waterless Coolant.
Hawk Prep Fluid can be used to prepare various types of engines. However, once the cooling system has been prepared, the final cooling fluid must be selected based on the vehicle, the engine design, the materials used, and its use.
The vehicle’s year of manufacture is only a general guide. For vintage and classic cars, engine technology and the materials used in the cooling system must also be considered before choosing between Vintage Cool and Classic Cool.
Preparation with Prep Fluid ensures the cooling system is properly converted to take full advantage of the properties of a Hawk waterless cooling fluid. The goal is to remove water from the system and reduce problems directly associated with its presence.
In the hottest areas of an engine, the water contained in a conventional cooling fluid can boil locally and form steam. These phenomena reduce heat transfer to metal surfaces and can create localized hot spots, promoting overheating conditions that can, in particular, contribute to a blown head gasket.
Depending on the Hawk formulation chosen, switching to a water-free coolant offers benefits such as a very high boiling point, low vapor pressure, reduced cavitation, and the absence of water-related oxidation corrosion. These properties help protect the engine, water pump, hoses, gaskets, radiator, and various components of the cooling system.
Evans Waterless Coolants is now known as Hawk Waterless Coolants. The product previously marketed as Evans Prep Fluid is now Hawk Prep Fluid. This change affects the brand identity only and does not alter the product’s formulation.
GT2i is an official retailer of Hawk Waterless Coolants. At GT2i, you’ll find Prep Fluid as well as the various Hawk formulations that allow you to tailor the waterless cooling fluid to your vehicle and its engine.
What is Hawk Prep Fluid used for?
Hawk Prep Fluid is used to prepare a cooling system before converting it to a Hawk waterless coolant. Thanks to its hygroscopic properties, it removes residual water remaining in the engine after draining the old coolant.
Is Hawk Prep Fluid a cooling fluid?
Prep Fluid is a preparation fluid and is not intended to remain permanently in the engine. After the conversion process, it must be drained and replaced with the Hawk waterless cooling fluid appropriate for the vehicle.
Why isn’t a simple drain sufficient before switching to waterless coolant?
Even after draining the coolant, water may remain trapped in the engine block, cylinder head, radiator, heater, or certain lines. Prep Fluid helps remove this residual water to properly prepare the cooling system.
What quantity of water might remain after the conversion?
Hawk recommends that the residual water content ideally be 3% or less to fully benefit from the properties of the waterless cooling fluid.
How do you check the quantity of remaining water?
The water content can be checked using a refractometer. This measurement allows you to verify the quality of the water circuit preparation.
Does Hawk Prep Fluid clean the cooling system?
Its primary function isto absorb residual water. As it flows through the system, it also helps flush out loose dirt and deposits. However, it should not be confused with a product specifically designed for decoking or intensive cleaning of a heavily contaminated system.
Should the Prep Fluid be drained before adding the Hawk coolant?
Yes. The Prep Fluid must be drained after the preparation phase. The cooling system can then be filled with the Hawk water-free cooling fluid suitable for the engine.
Which Hawk coolant should be used after the Prep Fluid?
The choice depends on the vehicle and engine. Power Cool 180° is intended for sports cars and high-performance engines; Classic Cool 180° for classic cars from approximately 1950 to 1980; Vintage Cool 180° for older vehicles, specifically those dating back to the 1950s; and PowerSports R for street, sport, and racing motorcycles.
Why is it necessary to remove water before adding a Hawk coolant?
The goal of the Hawk system is precisely to operate without water. Reducing residual water helps limit the issues associated with its presence—including localized boiling, vapor formation, oxidation corrosion, and cavitation—and allows you to fully benefit from the properties of the Hawk fluid used afterward.
Can Hawk Prep Fluid be reused after a conversion?
The Prep Fluid collects residual water present in the system during preparation. Once used and saturated with water, it should not be considered a new Prep Fluid for performing another conversion.
Are Evans Prep Fluid and Hawk Prep Fluid the same product?
Yes. Evans Waterless Coolants has become Hawk Waterless Coolants. The former Evans Prep Fluid is now marketed under the name Hawk Prep Fluid. The formulation remains unchanged.
Hawk Power Cool 180° 5L waterless cooling fluid is specially formulated for sports cars, high-performance engines, modified vehicles, and race cars. This variant of the Hawk range is particularly well-suited for high-performance engines that use components made of cast iron, copper, steel, and aluminum.
Hawk Power Cool 180° cooling fluid is used undiluted with water. With a boiling point above 180°C and a freezing point below -40°C, it helps reduce issues related to water boiling, vapor formation, cavitation, and corrosion in the cooling system.
It is essential to prepare the system before switching to Hawk waterless cooling fluid if the engine currently contains or has previously contained a water-based cooling fluid. Simply draining the system may leave residual water in the engine block, radiator, heating system, or various pipes.
The conversion must therefore be performed first using the Prep Fluid 5L. This ensures the system is properly prepared and residual water is removed before the final fill with Hawk Power Cool 180° waterless cooling fluid.
After conversion, Hawk recommends that the residual water content be ideally 3% or less. This value can be checked using a refractometer. Proper preparation is essential to fully enjoy the benefits of the water-free coolant, particularly in a high-performance engine or one that is used intensively.
Hawk Power Cool 180° cooling fluid is Hawk’s formulation designed for high-performance engines. It is particularly well-suited for sports cars, tuned vehicles, and race cars whose engines and cooling systems are subjected to demanding operating conditions.
Hawk designs Power Cool 180° for high-performance engines that use components made of cast iron, copper, steel, and aluminum. It is therefore the preferred choice in the Hawk range for performance-oriented or competition vehicles.
Choosing the right formulation remains important. For modern production cars, classic cars, or vintage vehicles, Hawk offers formulations such as Auto Cool 180°, Classic Cool 180°, and Vintage Cool 180°, developed for other engine types and cooling systems.
Switching to Hawk Power Cool 180° waterless cooling fluid is not simply a matter of replacing one cooling fluid with another. The goal is to remove water from the system in order to eliminate or significantly reduce several issues directly linked to its presence: localized boiling, vapor formation, pressure buildup in the system, corrosion, and cavitation.
In a heavily loaded engine, certain areas of the cylinder head and engine can reach extremely high temperatures. With a standard cooling fluid, water can boil locally and form pockets of vapor lock. Vapor transfers heat much less efficiently to metal surfaces than liquid, which can create localized hot spots and promote overheating conditions that can lead, in particular, to cylinder head gasket failure.
With a boiling point exceeding 180°C, Hawk Power Cool 180° cooling fluid remains liquid at temperatures at which a standard cooling fluid may begin to produce vapor. The cooling fluid thus maintains contact with hot metal surfaces and helps ensure more uniform heat transfer throughout the engine.
Its low vapor pressure also reduces stress on hoses, gaskets, the radiator, and other components in the cooling system. At the same time, reduced cavitation helps protect the water pump and other components exposed to the flowing coolant.
After switching to Hawk water-free cooling fluid, the displayed operating temperature may rise slightly. Hawk notes that an increase of approximately 3 to 7°C may be observed after the conversion.
This increase does not necessarily mean that the engine is overheating. The fluid remains in a liquid state at high temperatures and helps prevent vapor formation and localized hot spots in the engine’s most thermally stressed areas.
Evans Waterless Coolants is now known as Hawk Waterless Coolants. This change pertains to the brand identity and not to the product formulation. The former Evans Power Cool 180° waterless cooling fluid is now called Hawk Power Cool 180°. If you previously used Evans Power Cool 180°, you will find this same formulation under the new Hawk brand.
GT2i is an official retailer of the Hawk Waterless Coolants brand. At GT2i, you’ll find the various Hawk waterless cooling fluids as well as the products needed to prepare and convert your cooling system.
When converting from a conventional cooling fluid, start by properly draining the system, then prepare it using Prep Fluid. This step minimizes the quantity of water remaining in the engine after draining.
Use the 5L Prep Fluid before the final fill. Once the conversion is complete, Hawk recommends that the residual water content be ideally 3% or less, which can be checked using a refractometer.
Once the cooling system has been properly prepared, Hawk Power Cool 180° is used undiluted with water. The volume required for filling is comparable to that used with a standard cooling fluid.
Hawk Power Cool 180° must not be intentionally mixed or diluted with water. Adding water gradually reduces the benefits associated with a waterless system.
For which cars is Hawk Power Cool 180° cooling fluid recommended?
Power Cool 180° is formulated for high-performance engines. It is particularly well-suited for sports cars, tuned vehicles, and race cars.
Why switch from a standard cooling fluid to a waterless cooling fluid?
The goal is to remove water from the cooling system to limit the issues associated with it: localized boiling, vapor formation, pressure, corrosion, and cavitation. With a boiling point exceeding 180°C, Hawk Power Cool 180° ensures that the coolant remains in contact with the engine’s hot areas at temperatures at which a standard coolant may begin to generate vapor.
Should Prep Fluid be used before Hawk Power Cool 180°?
Yes, when converting from a system that contains or has contained a water-based fluid. Simply draining the system may leave water in various parts of the engine. The system must therefore be properly prepared with Prep Fluid 5L before the final fill.
What quantity of water can remain in the system after the conversion?
Hawk recommends that the residual water content be ideally 3% or less. A higher quantity may prevent you from fully enjoying the benefits of the waterless fluid, particularly during high-performance use.
How do you check the quantity of remaining water?
The water content can be checked using a refractometer. This measurement verifies that the system preparation has properly reduced the quantity of residual water.
Can Hawk Power Cool 180° be mixed with water?
No, Hawk Power Cool 180° should not be intentionally diluted with water. Adding water gradually diminishes the benefits sought from a waterless cooling fluid. The system must be properly prepared before filling with Power Cool 180°.
Can water be added in an emergency?
Yes, but only as a temporary fix when it’s not possible to top off the water level with Hawk fluid. Power Cool 180° is miscible with water, allowing you to continue using the vehicle in an emergency. This solution is intended to be temporary only. After adding water, you’ll need to drain the system again and thoroughly prepare the system with Prep Fluid to restore the water content to Hawk’s recommended levels before refilling with water-free cooling fluid.
Do I need to add antifreeze to Hawk Power Cool 180°?
No. Freeze protection is built directly into the fluid, with a freezing point below -40°C. No additional antifreeze should be added.
Is it normal for the engine temperature to rise after switching to Hawk?
Yes, a slight increase may be normal. Hawk indicates that an increase of approximately 3 to 7°C in operating temperature may be observed after the conversion. This does not necessarily mean that the engine is overheating.
Can water-free coolant help protect the head gasket?
Its boiling point, which exceeds 180°C, helps limit the formation of steam and localized hot spots in the areas under the greatest thermal stress. This helps reduce certain overheating conditions that can lead to cylinder head gasket failure.
Does Hawk Power Cool 180° reduce cavitation?
Yes. Hawk claims that Power Cool 180° reduces cavitation erosion by 75% compared to water-based cooling fluids. This property helps protect the components of the cooling system.
How long can Hawk cooling fluid be used?
Hawk states that its waterless coolants can remain in service for the life of the engine as long as they are not contaminated. For Power Cool 180°, the manufacturer also claims proven use for over 20 years and one million miles without replacement.
Are Evans Waterless Coolants and Hawk Waterless Coolants the same products?
Yes. Evans Waterless Coolants has become Hawk Waterless Coolants. The former Evans Power Cool 180° is now called Hawk Power Cool 180°. The formulation remains unchanged; this is simply a rebranding.
