Changed coolant on aprilla SX 125 and this has happened to left hand rad any ideas

[Wendy]

[Old-codger]

Its nothing you have done there must of been something rubbing on the cooling fins to bend them out of shape and push them in. If you are careful get a flat bladed screwdriver and gently tease them back into shape so the air passes through better.

[husoi]

A toothpick works really well in straightening it.

I would say that job takes around 10 cuppas to complete

[Bender]

Has that had low antifreeze in the past and frozen ?

[husoi]

On a really close look it's strange how some of the finns have come out from the spacers.

You can get a brand new radiator for around 100 pounds on eBay.

Got one for the own and it works perfectly even being made in china 

[bud]

I would say that's past repairing yourself. Either replace it or get it sorted by a specialist.

[Nick the wanderer]

Not sure what it's like from the front, you may want to get a stone guard if it's being battered from there.

[Bianco2564]

Is the rad actually as distorted as it looks in the photo?

[Punts]

It looks like someone got too close to the fins with a pressure washer.

Even the £1 car washers can have enough pressure to damage the fins.

[RideWithStyles]

Obviously we are looking at the back.

photo looks straight with no fish eye on as the right side (confirmed with the connection, wires and frame) and the background on the left is perfect plus the right fin stack has had a different separation to its neighbours but it is straight.

 

Contact, pressure, force, sudden temperature differences on a weak part.

some rads are curved/concaved etc in the bike and car world.

they have been bent which would be my first thoughts. Noticed The splitting/separating sections further up that looks like sound wave/coiled barbed wire.

unless you suddenly had a impluse to try and use them like an accordion? .

if a very sudden and different temperature of too hot or too cold air/rad/water in combination with a cheap/weak part that can do it.

anyway if not, a best it looks like rough handling / poor mechanic skills with a weak component.

 

 

 

 

[Bianco2564]

If the rad is as blown up as the photo would suggest and it wasn’t like that before the coolant change, my guess would be it had an airlock, the engine overheated , over pressured and popped the rad. The rad cap should have relieved any excess pressure so I’m sceptical on my own theory.

[RideWithStyles]

I wouldnt discount that theory, rare yes but not strictly impossible.