Fixing radiators

[firecracker22]

I don't know how many of you read my little story over in the women's forum but I crashed pretty good on Sunday.  Took a fifth gear header off a sand dune.  Details in the girl's room. 

I bent my radiator.  Is there anything I should know before I try to straighten it out?  I have had offers of help but male creatures approaching my bike with rubber mallets in their hand makes me nervous . . .

I don't think the radiator itself is bent, looks like just both edges where it bolts on and where the shroud bolts to it.  I haven't taken the shroud off yet though so I'm not positive on that.  I might as well flush the cooling system while I'm in there; are the fancy coolants worth it?  If so which one?  Are they mixed at 50/50? 

Sorry for the dumb questions.  Thanks in advance.

 

[IrishEKU]

Sharla,
That was a heck of a tumble you took and I'm glad to hear that your o-k. I took a pretty good tumble this past summer and bent my L/s rad back about 45 degrees. I pulled the Rad and was able to use a large creacent wrench to gently bend the mounting tabs back into alignment. As for flushing the system I would consult the owners manual to be sure but, I don't think that an automotive coolant systems flush would hurt anything. As for what coolant to use pick your flavor. As for the ratio, 50/50 is o-k, and remember to use distilled water to cut down on deposits like calcium that can do a number on your impellar and clog the pasages in the rads.

Good Luck,

 

[jmics19067]

"I have had offers of help but male creatures approaching my bike with rubber mallets in their hand makes me nervous . . . "


you should be nervous anything less that a five lb sledge is a kiddie toy;)
take a good look at what you need to do and do it, the aluminum used in radiators is pretty soft the brackets should straighten out fairly easy. As long as you saty away from the core and the tanks you should be ok.

if I gather the description of the damage correctly, I have taken two blocks of wood standing on edge with the radiator sandwiched in between them. witha small hammer tap down the crease that is pointed at you. Now turn the radiator over and lay it down on one of the blocks of wood, using the other block of wood like a punch smack down that crease.I have used this appproach succesfully before. Agian as long as you stay away from the core you should be fine and an extra set of hands and eyes is very helpful in trying to hold your sandwich together and keep an eye on the core while you can concentrate on the tapping.

and you just havta say " OK , when I nod my head you hit it"

 

[SirThumper]

Sharla, if you are still a little nervous after reading these posts, then take it to your local bodyshop, they will most likely fix it for free. (I would).  They should have all the tools needed and they are pro's at fixing bent metal.

If you ever tweak a radiatior that you think is beyond repair, send it to Mylers in Utah, you can find their name in the back of any magazine.  They will send it back to you the day they fix it, turn around is very fast.

 

[bclapham]

try to find an ethyleneglycol coolant rather than propyleneglycol.

 

[firecracker22]

Originally posted by bclapham
try to find an ethyleneglycol coolant rather than propyleneglycol.

Is that the red kind? The stuff they call "Dex cool" or "extended life" or whatever? Can I mix it with the regular kind or will I have a whole bunch left over that I can't put in my pickup?

Thanks guys for all the help! I might try it to see how involved it will be, like I said I haven't even taken the shroud off yet. It is bent in so that the back end of the fender brushes the radiator louvers when it is turned that way and the edge of the shroud points in almost toward my forks. There was already some damage there but the crash made it worse.

 

[Jaybird]

Sharla,
I have to completely disagree with bclapham on this one. Stay away from the Ethelene Glycol formulation of coolant. Go with Propylene Glycol and distilled water.
Ethylene Glycol is a good coolant but deadly to animals. It's sweet smell is very aluring to dogs and cats and will kill them with just a few sips.
Propylene Glycol is much nicer and will do the same job.
One brand is called "Sierra" (odd they would pick that name) and I believe it's a Prestone label.

I bet bc just got them mixed up.....:)

 

btw....you can do the 50/50 thing but I usually use 25/75 as we don't have quite the frigid temps here. I think 50/50 is good for -20f.

You can buy a gallon of coolant and a gallon of water and still cost less than any pre-mix out there.

 

[kmccune]

I'm not going to get into the antifreeze argument, but be sure to use a brand that states on the container that it is safe for use in aluminum. I think they all are now, but better safe then sorry.

Good Luck


Kevin

 

[SPD]

If you have to send it in check around locally first. I found one close to home that was inexpensive and quick. No shipping charges and only 3 days.

 

[bclapham]

i am not getting to the antifreeze debate, since its already been done

http://dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?threadid=51816&highlight=glycol

after many years of handling very dangerous chemicals on a daily basis, i personally see no problem with the use of ethylene glycol since its safe use only requires common sense.

FC22: i am very sorry to have started all of this debate and add more confusion to your descision on which coolant to use.

Sincerely

Bruce

 

[firecracker22]

No worries, Bruce. Debates happen and I've started a few myself. I will have to further research the antifreeze thing. While I agree that more most people the environmentally safe kind is better, for me it really doesn't matter since I no longer have pets and since I take used antifreeze to the local junkyard where they do God-knows-what with it. All I know is that they accept it. I have no idea what the Water-wetter/Engine Ice debate is all about.

 

[IrishEKU]

Originally posted by firecracker22
I no longer have pets

What happened to your pup?

I thought you had one, am I wrong?

 

[firecracker22]

Originally posted by IrishEKU
What happened to your pup?

I thought you had one, am I wrong?

He stayed with my ex. :(

 

[Jaybird]

I've been involved in a few of these debates over coolants, but not once have I heard anyone advocate ethelyne glycol over propylene glyc.
You have got to be kidding me bc....how much "common sense" does it take for you to keep your radiator from overflowing in the case that it hapens to overheat?
And how much common sense does it take for you to be able to stop that situation in the first place?
Perhaps you should tell the owner of the pet, who happens by your overage and laps a few sips of it and dies, that they should have used common sense and realised that there would be some intelligent dirt bike riders using a poison that can kill their pet around and they should know to keep their pet away from anywhere that dirt bikers may be.

I'm not sorry one bit to stir up this argument. In my opinion, if there is an alternative fluid that is miles safer than another, why then should the alternative not be used by folks with good "common sense"?

FC, The local junkyard has no business taking on ethylene glycol. I bet the EPA has no idea they are doing this. I'm no environmentalist whacko in the least, but when I think of things like that reaching ground water because junk yard operators are using "common sense", it irks me.

I have merely stated my opinion on the matter. I happen to use mucho common sense when it comes to handling chemicals, and I don't need to have "many years of common sense handling of hazardous materials" on my resume to know whats right and whats totally ignorant.

 

[IrishEKU]

Originally posted by Jaybird
FC, The local junkyard has no business taking on ethylene glycol. .

Jay is right on this one. Drop the old stuff by an oil change place, they are liscensed and will dispose of it for you. As for what type of antifreeze you use(and it seems to be my fault for not stating the difference in my original post) stay away from the dex cool. It is designed for larger automotive engines. I personally use the pet stuff because of the number of pets and children in the neighborhood.

Originally posted by firecracker22


He stayed with my ex. :(

Oh man, Sharla, I'm sorry to hear that! :(