Damaged Radiator - Need Help!

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MitchAustralia

MitchAustralia

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Joined
May 14, 2009
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Location
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
I just went to clean out all the grass form under my radiator guards and discovered that my left radiator is bent in quite a bit :(
Heres some pictures:

IMG_2903.jpg


IMG_2904.jpg


What do you think I should do?
Is the damage not bad enough that I could just leave it?
Or should I go and spend $100 ++ and buy a new one :(
I can't even recall how it could have happened, but thats irrelevant now.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
Cheers, Mitch.
 
nope dont touch it, chances are it will then leak
if anything use spacers to get the guards to fit
 
My ex girlfriends cousin fixes radiators at his work, i mangled mine a fair bit worse than yours and it never leaked, but i got him to straighten it, all he done was grabbed a brickies chisel put it on a flat metal bench and tapped it out, then straightened all the fin's, I couldn't belive how rough you can be with them.

Just take it to a radiator repair joint it will take em 2 sec's to straighten it out for ya.
 
roost666 said:
My ex girlfriends cousin fixes radiators at his work, i mangled mine a fair bit worse than yours and it never leaked, but i got him to straighten it, all he done was grabbed a brickies chisel put it on a flat metal bench and tapped it out, then straightened all the fin's, I couldn't belive how rough you can be with them.

Just take it to a radiator repair joint it will take em 2 sec's to straighten it out for ya.
Click to expand...

yeah sounds like a good option,
just rang one joint up and they seemed pretty hesitant to work with dirt bike radiators?
I guess ill keep ringing around then..

If I dont manage to get someone else to straighten it out.. heres my two dilemmas.

This screw which goes through the plastics and into the radiator wont reach or screw in straight..
IMG_2905.jpg


This peg which mounts the radiator guard onto the radiator wont fit either because of the plastic/radiator mount is bent inwards and blocking the guard from sitting flush..
IMG_2908.jpg


Thanks guys
 
do not touch the core tubes.

you can get a pair of pliers and bend that tab back to screw your shroud back on. that outside bracket is just a bracket and you can be pretty rough with that. bent those things many times. but do not attempt to straighten the core.

Now would be a good time to invest in some Works Connection radiator braces. some of the best money I have ever spent.
 
westy465 said:
do not touch the core tubes.

you can get a pair of pliers and bend that tab back to screw your shroud back on. that outside bracket is just a bracket and you can be pretty rough with that. bent those things many times. but do not attempt to straighten the core.

Now would be a good time to invest in some Works Connection radiator braces. some of the best money I have ever spent.
Click to expand...

Yeah I might have a crack at that.
And I have considered the radiator braces but arent they like $90?
I have never removed a radiator before so.. when I pull it out from the hosing, will coolant come out?
im actually unaware of what the hosing which joins the two radiators does?? sorry for noob questions, haha.
 
Last edited:
why are you going to take the radiator off? no need. just do it on the bike.

radiator braces will fit without taking the radator off. well all mine have. never had a crf150.

90 bucks on the braces is better than +$500 for a new radiator.
 
also, dunno about a crf, never seen one, but on my YZF the hoses that join the two cores together basically just turn two cores into one. equalises pressure i guess. its all the same fluid, going all to the same spot. if you feel the need to remove your rad, you will struggle to put the hoses back on the wrong spot. they are all cut to length and only fit on one way.
 
westy465 said:
why are you going to take the radiator off? no need. just do it on the bike.

radiator braces will fit without taking the radator off. well all mine have. never had a crf150.

90 bucks on the braces is better than +$500 for a new radiator.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was talking about taking it off to hammer it straight again,
or do you reckon I could do that on the bike as well?
 
put the hammer down son. for the sake of your radiator put the hammer down.


i layed my KX250f down in the state champs in 2006. put a bigger dent that what you have. i straighened the bracket and did the next two races for that day. then i went to the Motorcycle Shoppe, and purchased some braces. I raced the remainder of that season. that bike was my practice machine for the next season. and to this day, it is still going. with no hammering whatsoever.

that dent will have no impact on your motor that you will be able to notice.

just straighten the tabs with some pliers. fit your braces and shrouds, and go riding.
 
westy465 said:
put the hammer down son. for the sake of your radiator put the hammer down.


i layed my KX250f down in the state champs in 2006. put a bigger dent that what you have. i straighened the bracket and did the next two races for that day. then i went to the Motorcycle Shoppe, and purchased some braces. I raced the remainder of that season. that bike was my practice machine for the next season. and to this day, it is still going. with no hammering whatsoever.

that dent will have no impact on your motor that you will be able to notice.

just straighten the tabs with some pliers. fit your braces and shrouds, and go riding.
Click to expand...

Sorry, obviously I dont make things clear enough.
I was just talking about "hammering" the bracket back into place, im not planning on trying to straighten the cores or anything crazy.
I shouldn't have used the term hammer because your right, I just need some pliers..
my bad, im off to do it now..
 
alright, I straightened out the tabs as best I could..
the holes dont line up perfectly but the plastic still screws in securely
hopefully over time the plastic will adjust to its new position and it will become easier to screw in, etc..
thanks for your help guys. :)
 
spoke to dad about the radiator the other day and he knows what caused it..
he dropped me off at a mates and was driving the bike home when it fell over in the trailer, and the radiator must have landed onto the edge of the trailer.
we could have sworn we tied it down like we always do, but obviously weren't thinking straight when we did.
so this weekend we are welding on some arms for the tie downs to go into :)
 
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