Hey guys, the other night I had a crash and twisted the radiator.Currently, I ordered a new left rad which was 202 CDN plus tax, but tomorrow my dad is taking the twisted rad to his friend and hes going to try and bend it back. It doesnt leak right now, but by him bending it back could it cause it to leak? The outermost fins seem to be crushed on each side, I dont know whether he will fix that or not but how much do they affect cooling? I first ordered the new one because I didnt want the worries of wondering whether its running hotter or if its completely straight but after looking at it again it wasnt twisted super bad, so I may end up cancelling the order if he can fix it good. He works at a car shop that does rad repairs..any advice/what to look out for? Thanks
Rad repair
- Thread starter Joe_148
- Start date
Ol'89r
LIFETIME SPONSOR
- Jan 27, 2000
- 6,961
- 45
Joe.
You should have no problem. The aluminum that your radiator is made from is a very soft alloy. Those radiators can be bent and re-bent many times before they crack. If it does crack, it can be tig welded.
When you get it back make sure the fins are straight. If the fins are bent down, take the time to straighten them out. You can use a pair of needle nose pliers or a small screwdriver to straighten them. Hold the radiator up to a light and make sure you can see light through all of the fins. This is very important since the radiators on most dirt bikes are on the verge of being too small to begin with. If the airflow is obstructed by bent fins it can cause the bike to overheat.
Good luck.
You should have no problem. The aluminum that your radiator is made from is a very soft alloy. Those radiators can be bent and re-bent many times before they crack. If it does crack, it can be tig welded.
When you get it back make sure the fins are straight. If the fins are bent down, take the time to straighten them out. You can use a pair of needle nose pliers or a small screwdriver to straighten them. Hold the radiator up to a light and make sure you can see light through all of the fins. This is very important since the radiators on most dirt bikes are on the verge of being too small to begin with. If the airflow is obstructed by bent fins it can cause the bike to overheat.
Good luck.
- Thread starter
- #6
Well, he got it pretty straight. Its really pissing me off though because its still tweaked even though it looks completely straight because the shroud wont line up easily, and the outermost fins are all crushed. I think I might get the new one cause I cant stand when things dont line up and the fins worry me..
