Date: 28-03-24  Time: 13:41 pm

Author Topic: Radiator Fan woes  (Read 3079 times)

JD-LincsUK

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Radiator Fan woes
« on: 12 August 2016, 03:52:39 pm »
'ey up!

I just had my radiator repaired, as it had sprung 3 holes due to "fan rubbing".

The holes were apparently caused by the fan shroud rubbing against the cross pipes - but I don't really see how, as the fan was well solidly attached.

Is this a known phenomenon (there's a big word!) or am I just unlucky? After I bought the bike, I found some radiator repair putty under the seat, and I'm wondering if maybe a previous repair had fallen out, because I really can't see how the fan shroud could have done this. Vibration? Maybe - but to the extent of wearing holes through the radiator? I would think that unlikely.

So I'm totally kerfuffled!  :crazy

Falcon 269

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #1 on: 12 August 2016, 05:00:35 pm »
Over time, the smallest amount of vibration could have caused the fan shroud to chafe through the pipes.  Not a commonly reported problem, so you were probably just unlucky.

I'll be taking a closer look at mine soon, though - just in case!   

JD-LincsUK

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #2 on: 13 August 2016, 11:11:05 pm »
I'll be making sure it's tightly secured - though I was wondering if a little buffer may help. Considering the temperatures, maybe not, but I was thinking of maybe wrapping a layer or two of self-amalgamating tape around the shroud.

I'll see how much space there is, without fouling anything or interfering with the fit.

*Edit: it would seem that self-amalgamating tape is normally fit for up to 95°C, so a bit iffy for this purpose...
« Last Edit: 13 August 2016, 11:16:36 pm by JD-LincsUK »

AyJay

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #3 on: 14 August 2016, 01:09:38 am »
The fan surround/mount is very flimsy and easily bent so it might be its just been nudged into contact with the radiator. Just bend it away from the radiator and you should be fine.


Mine had one lug snap off and that started it rubbing. A few hundred speed bumps on the commute to work and it was eating into the core.

unfazed

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #4 on: 14 August 2016, 10:24:01 am »
Could even have been a wayward stone from road works got stuck in there or the bike went the gravel route on its side putting stones everywhere :eek

JD-LincsUK

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #5 on: 14 August 2016, 06:25:11 pm »
Well I was quite impressed with how sturdy and rigid the shroud was, possibly due to multiple coats of paint and rust treatment!

Anyway, it does fit rather tightly, so I'll leave it as is. My missus also thought it may have been a stone thrown up, but I reckon I would have heard that clattering around in there. Mind you, there are millions of the little buggers around these parts - 'gravel' driveways being the in thing these last years - at least for people too lazy to cut their grass! And as such, they are also too lazy to tidy up the pebbles they drag around out of their properties - and hence the roads being covered in the buggers! Our cul-de-sac has enough laying around to cover a beach - and they fill the drains up, too.

Add to that the road 'repairs (which we had done last week), where they just throw down a covering of tar and throw loads stones on top - and it makes it more likely than it was when I started. Hmmm.

JD-LincsUK

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #6 on: 15 August 2016, 09:37:24 am »
Disaster strikes!  :'(
Whilst putting things slowly back together, I realise I have used the wrong bolt to attach the upper radiator fan bracket - so I try to loosen it when....


Went like it was made of cheese. No idea if this is repairable. I have an idea for a bodge job, but it would mean knocking out a few of the fins at the top.

Just what I needed.... not.

Also - see what you mean about the shroud being a bit floppy.  :rolleyes


Edit: I ordered some Durafix aluminium welding rods from Amazon - hopefully be able to get a strong enough weld to sort it.
« Last Edit: 15 August 2016, 01:50:56 pm by JD-LincsUK »

unfazed

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #7 on: 15 August 2016, 06:41:58 pm »
Just looking at your initial pictures, the fan should have 3 mounting points, yours only has 2.
The fan cannot be mounted properly/securely with 2 mounts.

JD-LincsUK

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #8 on: 16 August 2016, 10:17:03 am »
Thanks very much for pointing that out. I hadn't looked at the photos in my Haynes in any detail, as it was such an easy job, but you're right - the fan unit I have is a complete bodge job.

One lug has been broken off (and sanded down and overpainted) on the radiator bottom right, and two brackets have been removed from the fan shroud and one added (badly!).

I was considering repairing the lot, but decided to buy a used fan and shroud unit from ebay (£28 all-in) and see if I can attach a couple of fixing brackets to the radiator. I have plenty of suitable bits in my garage - and have ordered aluminium welding rods. Never welded aluminium before, so I'll have a practice first (there are some good vids on YT covering this).

Should be able to get it all sussed relatively easily if all goes well. :)

oh - and then I'll list the fan unit on ebay (without the shroud), if no-one here wants it.
« Last Edit: 16 August 2016, 10:19:23 am by JD-LincsUK »

ram

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #9 on: 21 August 2016, 04:03:43 pm »
one of those brackets broke on mine as well. i made a new one from a piece of alloy but fixed it back onto the rad with jb marine weld then spray it black again.
never had a problem with it since.
i think if you try alloy weld you will prob blow through. i think alloy corrosion was the original cause of the break


PaulSmith

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #10 on: 22 August 2016, 11:08:17 am »
I had a similar problem. One of the mounting lugs on the cheese fondue fan surround melted away leaving the rest to rub through the durex thin metal. I found a replacement fan on fleabay that was almost more expensive then the radiator repair.

JD-LincsUK

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #11 on: 22 August 2016, 04:05:16 pm »
It looks like the brackets on mine both broke at the right-angle 'elbow' point.

I've bought some aluminium strip from B&Q and it seems good enough for the job. I had a bike mechanic friend check it for me and he's happy it'll all be okay.

Just got the blow torch today (my pencil torch took so long to heat it up to the required 300+°C that it ran out of gas  :lol ) so I'll be doing the job tomorrow.

It's clear to me now that the holes were either caused because a previous owner had fixed the radiator at 12 and 6 o'clock only and it had just vibrated around the axis and was too close to the radiator or, looking at where the leaks are, it might even have happened when the thrid fixing point broke and may have been bodge-repaired with the putty I found.
« Last Edit: 22 August 2016, 04:07:57 pm by JD-LincsUK »

AyJay

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #12 on: 22 August 2016, 09:32:59 pm »
I repaired a snapped off lug on my Gen 1 radiator with Technoweld but like you I found the pencil blowtorches just don't get it hot enough to get the weld started. The whole radiator is a massive heat sink so it soaks a lot of heat up. Use a proper blow torch and go easy. It works like a charm when you get it right and you can reheat it and move it if it's not in the right position.


If the weld doesn't hold, it will be because of corrosion. Mine eventually became so rotten it just wasn't worth the effort - you can't weld corrosion! So I bought a cheap radiator on eBay


Radiator Cooling Aluminum Replacement for YAMAHA FZS1000 1998-2003 99 00 01 2002


Definitely not as well made as the Yamaha OE (it's 80 quid, not 400) but it's been on the bike for 20k miles now, so it works. Luckily, there are many more fans than radiators on eBay, so it's usually not a problem. And R1 fans are the same, you just need to keep the original mount/surround and bolt it on, but again, when the bolts are so corroded, it's very easy to snap the surround.
« Last Edit: 22 August 2016, 09:34:07 pm by AyJay »

JD-LincsUK

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #13 on: 25 August 2016, 02:59:39 pm »
I got the job done yesterday - went pretty much as you said, Ayjay - the flamethrower I'd bought was just that - but even then, with me having to heat up the really thick left-over tab of the previous job and the rad soaking up the heat, it took a while, but once heated up, it stayed hot enough for easy adjustments.

Funny thing was, it got so hot that the glue that they had mounted the rad protector on with burst into flames, and that fell off, too!  :lol

I just burned off the remains and used chemical metal to stick it back on. Used that to reinforce the welds, too, and I'm very happy with the results. It hasn't been fully up to pressure yet, but some short running tests were successful, without leaks. Also used the opportunity to do several other under the covers jobs and give it a quick spit n polish. Hasn't looked this clean in ages...

Thanks all for the input.

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #14 on: 25 August 2016, 06:51:18 pm »
Nice work, proper job!

JD-LincsUK

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #15 on: 25 August 2016, 07:21:16 pm »
Thanks  8)

AyJay

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #16 on: 25 August 2016, 08:30:06 pm »
Nice one. I might have a go with the old radiator. It's still in the garage somewhere!

solorider

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Re: Radiator Fan woes
« Reply #17 on: 28 August 2016, 10:26:40 am »
I repaired a snapped off lug on my Gen 1 radiator with Technoweld but like you I found the pencil blowtorches just don't get it hot enough to get the weld started. The whole radiator is a massive heat sink so it soaks a lot of heat up. Use a proper blow torch and go easy. It works like a charm when you get it right and you can reheat it and move it if it's not in the right position.


If the weld doesn't hold, it will be because of corrosion. Mine eventually became so rotten it just wasn't worth the effort - you can't weld corrosion! So I bought a cheap radiator on eBay


Radiator Cooling Aluminum Replacement for YAMAHA FZS1000 1998-2003 99 00 01 2002


Definitely not as well made as the Yamaha OE (it's 80 quid, not 400) but it's been on the bike for 20k miles now, so it works. Luckily, there are many more fans than radiators on eBay, so it's usually not a problem. And R1 fans are the same, you just need to keep the original mount/surround and bolt it on, but again, when the bolts are so corroded, it's very easy to snap the surround.

I also bought one of those radiators as well, but I haven't fitted it yet, I was surprised how quick it turned up, mine took a week from China.