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Weak radiator brackets

2K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  Turtleface 
#1 · (Edited)
I installed a new radiator on my bike in January. Yesterday I saw my bike get up to 240° and didn't hesitate to take it straight home as I was 17 miles away. I kept turning it off along the way if I saw it reach 210 at stop lights. Further inspection and I see the radiator fan kindly melting against the headers! Why are there radiators for the 07-08 so weak with their brackets? I ordered a new fan b/c I can't salvage the old one. Is this a JB Weld job or a take the radiator out and go to a certified welder kind of job?
The pictures attached are of the old radiator being replaced and what I discovered today.
 

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#2 ·
Since I can't see the failed tabs on the radiator that the fan frame mounts to I'll have to take your word for what the problem is.

Thin sheet aluminum doesn't like stress or vibration, particularly when there is a load on it. Aluminum tends to crack in those conditions.

I'm guessing that you purchased a knock off replacement radiator, and it wasn't a perfect fit. Some 'encouragement ' may have been required to get it to align?
 
#3 ·
Since I can't see the failed tabs on the radiator that the fan frame mounts to I'll have to take your word for what the problem is.

Thin sheet aluminum doesn't like stress or vibration, particularly when there is a load on it. Aluminum tends to crack in those conditions.

I'm guessing that you purchased a knock off replacement radiator, and it wasn't a perfect fit. Some 'encouragement ' may have been required to get it to align?
 
#4 ·
It was a perfect fit, I pulled the radiator out today and used a steel stick to place the fan in place. Replaced the fluid and now the fan doesn't turn on at all. I watched it get up to 239°. Checked the fuse and its still right but I changed it as well.
 

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#14 ·
See the thing is;
My opinion is not a shitty opinion

You simply do not like my opinion because you made a bad purchase choice and now you are paying the price for said choices

So.............

NO HELP FOR YOU!
 
#13 ·
And everyone is saying the same thing.... The brackets can be corrected, by welding on new tabs. The fan is almost certainly destroyed.... The motor likely burned up when the fan jammed. A very few designs can self recover from a locked rotor, most likely this is not one of those.

If you want to make the repair cheap, try buying a used fan assembly off ebay, from a wreckers yard that gives you a warranty.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I did say thank you...
It is very odd when one asks a question here, they are likely met with snide remarks. And when that person replies with a rebuttal of their own the group turns gray. I appreciate all the help here.
This has proved to be not a place for the soft hearted and I keep returning to ask for help and give as much information as I can on the problem that I have.
You all urged me to get my permit, the day after-- I signed up for an MSF course. Not everyone does things in order but you all were here to prioritize my safety and others around me. It wasn't a nice conversation then and I still returned.
Getting back on topic, I replaced the fan and now the fan turns on at 212° where I'm sure its supposed to. Cools from 225° to 223° when it's 90° out. The spacing was the hardest part, mounting the fan and making new tabs as i weld. I used grommets to hold the fan up so that it is free to spin and not run against the radiator.
I'm going to replace the front stay this week, I'll make a different thread and ask questions when the time comes. Don't be afraid to give lousy opinions then.
 

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#19 ·
Mechanical things respond to physics, rather than our desires..... The dangers that we face, riding, tend to pare away the soft and fluffy aspects of typical day to day interaction. Doing your own maintenance requires a greater accountability, whether someone recognizes that before the bill comes due or not. The physics of the thing aren't concerned with our feelings.

Riding has significant risk. Maintenance is a key aspect of managing it. Comes in closely after training, right after gear..... Do it right, and it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

Get some part of the equation wrong, the consequences have significant dynamic range. Damaged parts, all the way to dead. Not an activity which supports fundamentally stupid behavior. I've buried a few people over the years. If you ride long enough, you will experience the same thing. We get abrupt out of self defense......

Seeking counsel, is much better than learning by Braille. Not always pleasant; still much better.

I commend you for taking the flack to get the gold nuggets.
 
#23 ·
Stay away from Chinese parts when possible. Would be a lot easier and cheaper to just buy a good used radiator from a dismantler or whoever and a used fan unit. Used OEM is infinitely superior to Chinese garbage parts like that. Depends on what it is too. I got ok Chinese radiators for my KX125, but it’s a dirtbike with a much simpler setup so it doesn’t really matter
 
#24 ·
Can confirm the anti-Chinese parts sentiment. I installed a Chinese rad on my 07, had the same issue, fan mounting tabs broke, fan slipped onto the header. Luckily, I caught it within 5 miles or so, and only had to rewire the melted wires to get it to come back on. Zip tied that fan through the radiator fins, since I have zero dollars to replace, currently. Definitely going to sources good oem radiator when I have the chance.
 
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