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Should I repair this Radiator or replace it?

1K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  sandiegobrass 
#1 ·
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Guys,

I have a Small Needle Prick on the inside of my Radiator. I only steams a little,and virtually no leaks, but It is still enough to smell. I found this after I flushed and cleaned the system. I hate stop leak, but it is hardly noticible untile it sets and idels for a while. Lucklily, I found it when I was moviing my front runng lights.

I have a parts bike. should I fix the current one? Or just replace it with the one off of my parts bike?

Thanks,

Nightrider1
 
#3 ·
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Hatcherman,

Will do. thanks for the info. I know the engine ran well before I stripediot for parts to sell. I will pull it, check it out. Mabye throw some pressure from my water hose to it. I have a hose that is cut, annd I can just simly put an O clamp around it, but that will not show any small high pressure leaks like the one currently on it. I will give it a try anyway!

Thanks,

God Bless,

Nightrider1

hatchetman wrote:
If your other rad is in awesome shape, pop it in. Than if you want you can keep your leaking rad as a spare just in case!
 
#4 ·
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I don't know if this is just something we have here but we have places that re core the rad for you for not a lot.

Just a thought as these babies get harder to source as new parts.
 
#6 ·
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Nightrider, I agree, I would pull and replace and then take the one with the hole and have it recored. It shouldn't cost much, we have a local shop here that does car radiators for about 60.00 and the look brand spankin new when they are done. I'm sure a radiator from a goldwing would be less.

Tom
 
#8 ·
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Nightrider1 wrote:


hey...thats a hell of an idea with the garden hose!!...thx...just get all the tap water out when you put in the final stuff
Hatcherman,

Will do. thanks for the info. I know the engine ran well before I stripediot for parts to sell. I will pull it, check it out. Mabye throw some pressure from my water hose to it. I have a hose that is cut, annd I can just simly put an O clamp around it, but that will not show any small high pressure leaks like the one currently on it. I will give it a try anyway!

Thanks,

God Bless,

Nightrider1

hatchetman wrote:
If your other rad is in awesome shape, pop it in. Than if you want you can keep your leaking rad as a spare just in case!
 
#9 ·
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I would be careful with the garden hose. Radiators are made to run at 18-20 PSI Maximum, and it would be a weak garden hose that couldn't give you 45 or 50 Lbs pressure. Some over 100 PSI. If the rad has any weaknesses you would likely blow it wide open. Use a gauge and keep the test pressure to 1 1/2 times the operating pressure. If you have a 12 Lb rad cap, which is normal, keep the test pressure between 18 to 20 PSI.Or, you could leave the rad cap in as a safety valve, but that would only test to operating pressure.
 
#10 ·
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Feetup, water boils at over 200 and with antifreeze, over that, depending on mixture. Pressure is much higher than the water hose can give you even at 100 with normal riding. Besides if it busts a hole at that temp, it should be replaced or fixed anyway. Best not be riding with any type of leak, that link would be a time-bomb waiting to happen.

Now I have to correct myself, our caps are at 18 to 20 but the pressure that it is at boiling (hopefully not happening) is greater with antifreeze at times, so why are we still safe with a 18 to 20 cap?
 
#11 ·
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Spiderbob;

The reason for the pressure cap is that water boils at 212 deg. F at atmospheric pressure (14.7 PSI) but for every pound of pressure over that we gain about 3 deg before it boils. The increase is not linear but pure water will boil at 240 deg with a 10 Lb cap, 244 with a 12 Lb cap, 250 with a 15 Lb. cap and 256 with a 15 Lb. cap. The cap is like a safety valve and will open at the designated pressure. There is no way a thin brass radiator will stand 100 PSI as you say. To be safe at 100 PSI a STEEL Radiator tank would have to be at least 1/8" thick. I make my living with the design of pressure vessels, and you would be surprised how thick they have to be when they are odd shapes like a radiator top tank.
As you say, 50/50 anti freeze boils at a higher temperature than water at a specific pressure, but that has absolutely nothing to do with the pressure holding capacity of a common cooling system. Even heavy duty diesel engine radiators with bolted on cast top and bottom tanks operate in the 12 to 18 PSI range.
 
#12 ·
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Feetup:

Wow, thank you. I assumed something entirely different. Now I can also answer the question (correctly) when asked by others. It all makes sense stated the way you did. You know how many years I thought differently and nobody has ever corrected me, that is really sad.:shock:

This forum along with the Internet is just astounding how much information is available to us. Again, thank you Feetup.:)
 
#13 ·
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I know I'm old enough, and I suspect you are also, to remember when it took a lot of digging in a library to find a very small portion of what is available with one short search through the web. It's really quite marvelous, but you can use up an entire afternoon pretty easy.
 
#14 ·
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spiderbob the prressure cap keeps pressure in the rad , the purpose of this is to keep the water,or coolant from boiling as pressure rises the boiling point, that being said the raateing on the cap 18 lbs or whatever is still the amount of pressure in the system
 
#15 ·
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That is a fact, I spend say too much time on the Internet now. My mom is 92, got her a computer last year, she emails me almost every day, she finds things she never knew, unbelievable what she has done and seen. The important thing here is We all are still learning. :snowman:
 
#16 ·
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Thanks Guys,
I will just take it to a reaiator shop, and keep the old as a spare, but for right now, I an going to have to put the other in and wait till I can afford to have the other one repaired, and then put it back in. I'd rather (Must) go that route.
Thanks,
Sincerely
Nightrider1
 
#17 ·
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Radiator will not take street water pressure!!! About 13 psi is the Honda GoldWing limit (as per the cap). Do not pressurize with a hose..
 
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