Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 3, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 3, 2023 Ok I got this ebay new radiator for a 1986 700 I'm bringing to life. The radiator cost $83.00 delivered. It came in today and looks great. I added pics of my stock and this for comparison. Not quite a bolt on and go but we love working on bikes and hand fitting things together...right!? 1) All the hangers are 1/8 thick alum., it will take some work to get the original grommets to work, especially the fan motor pin mount. 2) The 5/8-18 tapped bung for the temp sensor had a high spot on the weld preventing the sensor from seating. Fixed easily enough with a file and stone. (see pics) 3) The mounting locations are off a little at the bottom but I sure think small adjustments at the stays will handle that. Everything seams to be in the right place... The radiator now heads to ICW Radiators for their pressure testing and or repair. He has the capability to relocate any hangers that are off location but I don't see an issue here, if anything the fan screw mount holes are crooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted May 3, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 3, 2023 Good start. I was really expecting things to be way more off. $83 shipped.... ok then. Look forward to more reports. Thank you for taking the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 4, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 4, 2023 Day 2, fitting to the bike. There is an interferance issue between the frame behind the top rad. mounts and the huge radiator fan hangers mounted to the radiator itself, I'll post some pics in a minute. Stay tuned... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 4, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 4, 2023 Here are some pics, hope you can see what i'm talking about. So I can file the rad. top hangers to move the unit away from the frame a tiny bit. File more on the fan hangers at that corner. Both. Use hammer and tap radiator top cap at the fan brackets, I think its away from any soldering enough not to disrupt anything. Have Radiator Dude remake and relocate the top ran mounts. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted May 4, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 4, 2023 Slide the tubes in and double check lock to lock clearance. If those fan mounts are in the right spot, don't know if I would bother having them re-made. I would relieve them for the frame and see what that gains me. Small (thin) aluminum spacers to make the last bit on the lower mounts would not be the end of the world. One last check would be fender on forks, completely compressed for worst case scenario clearance check. But I think tire hitting the front head cover is usually the close one with 17" wheels and the forks slid up a bit to compensate. Fuckin' looks cool tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 4, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 4, 2023 Thanks for your input Captain. I did some file work on the fan hangers, slight persuasion and I'm thinking its hanging! Pics are with the fan in place. I think if I was putting the bike on the track I would have the fan hangers remade and relocated I'm sure my file work created weak spots that will crack eventually...but never mind that... Here are some more pics, tomorrow the radiator comes off to go see if it holds water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted May 4, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 4, 2023 Those fans are not heavy, don't think you have much to worry about. When you're "done", try and blend/radius any sharp edges or filing creases, that where cracks like to start. and then propagate. but... If you were going to the track, would you even have a fan? I never ran one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 18, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2023 Ok here is the wrap up on the new radiator. Brett at ICW received both the new and the old units, I shipped the old radiator for reference. He tested the new unit with no problems except the cap was no good. He straightened the fan mounts and reinforced them a little as well. As we talked, we decided to test the stock radiator...so that test revealed cracking around the fill area and a bad cap there too. Well he said he might be able to fix it and I said go for it. So about 180 bucks later I have a new cooler, the original working cooler again and 1 new radiator cap. To be honest...I'm thinking I'm going to put the original back on the old girl, hell most of the wrinkles on it are mine! lol https://icwradiators.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 18, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2023 Heres the fixed stocker...that's going back on the bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 18, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2023 This is the refitted new on going on the shelf for another day.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 18, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2023 On 5/4/2023 at 4:00 PM, Captain 80s said: Those fans are not heavy, don't think you have much to worry about. When you're "done", try and blend/radius any sharp edges or filing creases, that where cracks like to start. and then propagate. but... If you were going to the track, would you even have a fan? I never ran one. Thanks Captain for the advise on the stress cracking, and no offense on the laugh I left on your comment...I just never thought to remove the fan for the track days LOL! I was such a rookie...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted May 18, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2023 Thanks for the report! Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 I was going to ask why not use the stock radiator, glad you saved it. I'd have done the same reinforcing weld on the new fan hangers. I have used the chinese radiators for various builds and found them to be hit or miss with regard to build quality. One had the same high weld issue at the thermoswitch bung, another had the fan hangers mounted in reverse. Luckily for me I can take care of all the re-fitting, welding, pressure testing in my own shop, so they are usually still a solid money-saver for me on my projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted May 18, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2023 I was lucky that the repairs needed on the stock radiator was in a spot ICW could clean and fix, he has limited repair options for a painted 30 year old radiator. At least I have a new one if the stock takes a dump, or perhaps use the new one for a trade or something, it's fitted tested and ready to go. fyi ICW changed the radiator caps in both units from a 1.1 to a 1.8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdruid Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 On 5/4/2023 at 1:20 PM, tsmitty said: Day 2, fitting to the bike. There is an interferance issue between the frame behind the top rad. mounts and the huge radiator fan hangers mounted to the radiator itself, I'll post some pics in a minute. Stay tuned... I had exactly the same issue with mine. Bit hard to see but the mounts clout the frame and stop it pivoting back far enough to bolt up to the lower mounts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted June 22, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted June 22, 2023 1 hour ago, Fastdruid said: I had exactly the same issue with mine. I see it. Did you fix it? pretty easy to file, slightly bend and tap that aluminum; I swear its alloyed with bubble gum... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdruid Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 3 hours ago, tsmitty said: I see it. Did you fix it? pretty easy to file, slightly bend and tap that aluminum; I swear its alloyed with bubble gum... lol Yeah, bit of filing to sort. Just an annoying amount of effort. Unfortunately my original was pretty shot so no chance of fixing it easily like yours. One of the lower tabs for the guard had fractured, unsecured the guard had then rubbed through the rad itself and the whole thing had corroded badly. I've tried to buy a few second hand rads and generally they're bent, leaking or both! My biggest regret was many years ago DSS had a stand at a local show and they were selling off some stock cheap, one of them being a brand new rad for £140 (about $180 at current rates), wish I'd bought it but of course I didn't need a new rad then! Current list price for a new rad (if it wasn't NLA so irrelevant) is £571 (about $730)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tsmitty Posted June 22, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted June 22, 2023 21 minutes ago, Fastdruid said: Current list price for a new rad (if it wasn't NLA so irrelevant) is £571 (about $730)! Yeah when I was going through that particular challenge lol CMT wanted a cool $1000.00 I think for a stock new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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