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Went to change my timing belts yesterday - have read all the posts and decided to pull the radiator to make the job easier as suggested. Besides, needed to change and flush the coolant and replace the hoses. The posts just say "pull the radiator" like it's a simple task. It wasn't simple, and in fact I never got it out! What am I missing here? Is my set-up any different from everyone elses? I'm not a mechanical idiot.
I was able to remove the grill and bottom radiator bolts. I pried off the bottom hose from the radiator. However, the top of the radiator is what gave me trouble. The bracket that holds the grill and shields the topof the radiator wouldn't come off easy. It obstructs the removal of the radiator, and it itself is obstructed by the horn brackets. The horn brackets are mounted to THE FAIRING bracket. In other words, the parts must be removed in this order: 1 Fairing, 2 grill bracket, 3 radiator.
This can't be right!
I ended up only disconnecting the lower fairing bracket from the frame (just above the engine guard mounts) and pivoting the fairing up and away, to just make enough room to remove the grill bracket. Time was short, so didn't proceed with the radiator beyond this point.
(BTW, with just the bottom of the radiator pulled away, was able to r/r the belts, but spent WAY too much time fussing with the radiator. I have decided the top hose is in good enough shape just the way it is, and won't be replacing it.)
Where did I go wrong?!
Went to change my timing belts yesterday - have read all the posts and decided to pull the radiator to make the job easier as suggested. Besides, needed to change and flush the coolant and replace the hoses. The posts just say "pull the radiator" like it's a simple task. It wasn't simple, and in fact I never got it out! What am I missing here? Is my set-up any different from everyone elses? I'm not a mechanical idiot.
I was able to remove the grill and bottom radiator bolts. I pried off the bottom hose from the radiator. However, the top of the radiator is what gave me trouble. The bracket that holds the grill and shields the topof the radiator wouldn't come off easy. It obstructs the removal of the radiator, and it itself is obstructed by the horn brackets. The horn brackets are mounted to THE FAIRING bracket. In other words, the parts must be removed in this order: 1 Fairing, 2 grill bracket, 3 radiator.
This can't be right!
I ended up only disconnecting the lower fairing bracket from the frame (just above the engine guard mounts) and pivoting the fairing up and away, to just make enough room to remove the grill bracket. Time was short, so didn't proceed with the radiator beyond this point.
(BTW, with just the bottom of the radiator pulled away, was able to r/r the belts, but spent WAY too much time fussing with the radiator. I have decided the top hose is in good enough shape just the way it is, and won't be replacing it.)
Where did I go wrong?!