LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

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steve996
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LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by steve996 »

FOR SUCH AN INCREDIBLE BIKE CAGIVA DID MAKE SOME GLARING MISTAKES ESPECIALLY WITH THE FECKIN RADIATOR AND THE WAY ITS MOUNTED.I HAVE HAD 2 SPLIT NOW IN 10,000 MILES AND WAS WELL PI**ED OFF WHEN THE SECOND ONE WENT.THE RADS FROM 3X ARE £304 AND A LONG WAIT TO GET THEM FROM ITALY.I HAVE JUST RECEIVED MINE BACK FROM PACE PRODUCTS WHO HAVE DONE AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFULL REPAIR BY CUTTNG OPEN EACH SIDE OF THE HEADER TANKS OPEN AND REMOVING THE OFFENDING ROW THAT WAS SPLIT AND REWELDED IT BACK TOGETHER AND THE WELDING IS SUPERB.THEY THEN REPAINTED THE HEADER TANKS AND YOU WOULDNT EVEN KNOW IT HAD BEEN PEPAIRED. THE ONLY VISIBLE SIGNS ARE THE TWO VERY NEAT WELDS AT THE TOP OF THE RAD.HOW MUCH FOR THIS WORK OF GENIUS THAT HAS RESTORED MY BELOVED V-RAP TO WHERE IT BELONGS(ON THE ROAD) £35.00 YES 35.00,I NEARLY FELL OVER WHEN THEY RANG TO SAY IT WAS REPAIRED- HOW CHEAP IS THAT! I CANT RECCOMEND THEM HIGHLY ENOUGH.THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK 10 DAYS FROM DOOR TO DOOR.SO IF YOU GT THE DREADED COOLANT LEAK FROM THE TOP LEFT HAND SIDE(AS I KNOW QUITE A FEW OF US HAVE)THEN HERES WHERE TO GO

PACE PRODUCTS LTD
HOMEFEILD ROAD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
HAVERHILL
SUFFOLK
CB9 8QP

T.01440 760960

ANYWAY SEE YA -IVE GOT A RADIATOR TO FIT!!!!!!!!!!!
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snapdragon
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Post by snapdragon »

Whoo, thats a good price (especially considering the cost of a new one) I think i have a leaky one under the stairs - best I search it out, and get it mended - then it'll be a spare, not a prospective hanging basket :)
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craftycat
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Post by craftycat »

Haven't had the displeasure of this one yet but nice to know there are cheaper solutions.. forewarned is forearmed!
2002 Cagiva Raptor 1000... mine all mine!!
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Runs With Scissors
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Post by Runs With Scissors »

Hmmmm....
No problems here... yet.
Steve, has your bike had the radiator mounting modification as described in the re-calls?
It's supposed to relieve some of the tension in the upper mounting point.
If you aren't living on the edge you are taking up too much room.
steve996
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radiator

Post by steve996 »

yes,my rad has the mods that is supposed to stop this happening,but having said that a fair few of the modded rads have popped too.i guess its just down to luck-having the bottom of the rad mounted on top motor probably doesnt help much but until someone comes up with something better i guess were stuck with it,(i still wouldnt swap it for anything else though)-see ya
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Brendan1983
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by Brendan1983 »

For anyone in Hampshire there is another Radiator place near Southampton called Wessex Radiators and they fixed and re-sprayed my Rad after my crash for £35 - not sure if they do delivery etc as I just took my rad down there in a bag, picked it up the next day.

Portsmouth Road, Bursledon, Southampton, SO31 8EP, UK

Telephone: work(023) 8040 2848
Fax: fax(023) 8040 2848
Cagiva Raptor 650 & CBR 900 RR-W

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shebee
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by shebee »

Thanks for the contact Brendan, its good to know of good companies
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Bear of Little Brain
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by Bear of Little Brain »

Pace no longer undertake radiator repairs, except for their own products. (Spoke to them today, March 23, 2011)

Wessex Radiators do. I was given a rough quote of £35 (I think that's for a resin fix rather than aluminium welding).

Does anyone have any feedback on Wessex?
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Ballacraine
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by Ballacraine »

BHM Compak Radiators gave me good service quite a few years back, when they custom built me a one off first class oil cooler for a decent price too.

They don't seem to have a web presence but a google search should come up with at least a phone number.

They are still going in Kenilworth Coventryish :wink:

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Bear of Little Brain
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by Bear of Little Brain »

Just for info if you live in the Nottingham area:
Came across these people, recommended via a Kawasaki blog (don't ask, but Radweld was involved):

Coolex Nottingham Radiators, Unit 8, Bloomsgrove Ind Est Nottingham NG7 3JG
Tel: 0115 942 3344
info@coolexperts.co.uk

Spoke at length to "Steve". If I was closer, I'd have given them a try. They've been in business since 1976 and produce certain Suzuki rads as well as doing repairs.
He says that they have just recently taken delivery of some new and expensive Swiss gear for epoxy repairs.
If I were to send the rad to them, he said that they would pressure and flow test it and give me a no-obligation quote, but said that an epoxy repair is typically £40 - £60 +VAT.
They also do TiG welding and re-coring. Reckons £80 - £100 for TiG and £300 for curved re-core. No idea what you get for that, just repeating what he said.
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Post by exposuredesigns »

Runs With Scissors wrote:55 years agoHmmmm....
... has your bike had the radiator mounting modification as described in the re-calls?
It's supposed to relieve some of the tension in the upper mounting point.

Can anyone let me know where i find this information. I have had mine repaired twice now, so not sure if the mod will help me. Pretty sure the wheelies dont help. :)
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snapdragon
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by snapdragon »

Bear of Little Brain wrote:55 years agoPace no longer undertake radiator repairs, except for their own products. (Spoke to them today, March 23, 2011)
Wessex Radiators do. I was given a rough quote of £35 (I think that's for a resin fix rather than aluminium welding).
Does anyone have any feedback on Wessex?
Not currently Bear, but I may just take my old rad to them and get it checked out and fixed if (not a big if) it needs plugging.
exposuredesigns wrote:55 years ago
Runs With Scissors wrote:55 years agoHmmmm....
... has your bike had the radiator mounting modification as described in the re-calls?
It's supposed to relieve some of the tension in the upper mounting point.
Can anyone let me know where i find this information. I have had mine repaired twice now, so not sure if the mod will help me. Pretty sure the wheelies dont help. :)
There's an instruction with pics on the forum if you check out recent posts, http://www.raptorchapter.org.uk/viewtop ... =11&t=3190 one in German and a translation
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Bear of Little Brain
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by Bear of Little Brain »

I've had Wessex Radiators do the repair. Took the rad down to them last Thursday to see what they were like. Basically, it's a two-man outfit in a battered shed, so I was hesitant to leave it with them. Even more worrying is that they phoned the next day asking how I wanted it posted back to me. Worrying, because it just seemed too quick a turn around (did they really have time to let things 'set' and retest for leaks? - probably). Anyway, I collected it Saturday a.m (open between 9 and 11). The repair looks neat and they gave it a coat of paint as well. All for £36 incl. VAT.

Haven't had time to get the rad back on yet, but I did do some "research" on aluminium radiators and coolants. It seems that the aluminium is prone to corrosion and/or electrolytic action. Apparently, something in the coolant mix coats the aluminium and protects it, but this protection is not a permanent coating. The coolant has to be able to maintain this coating action, hence the need to replace the coolant very regularly. (Now, that was news to me, because I have never considered coolant replacement to be a necessity, thinking it was one of those things that the manufacturers just put in there for "completeness", so to speak.) :(

Most importantly, I came across one article discussing all this at length in which it was clearly stated that the expected life of any aluminium radiator is 10 to 12 years. Can't immediately find where I originally saw that, but here is one reference stating "10 years or more":
http://www.ehow.com/facts_7632923_longe ... iator.html
It hadn't occurred to me that a radiator would have a finite life. :doh:

and here are a couple of links that provide good background info:
http://www.arrowheadradiator.com/Radiat ... 20Tips.htm
http://www.aa1car.com/library/radiator_repair.htm

My bike is a 2000 model, so I reckon that a new radiator (or a re-core) is probably advisable/inevitable. That, or endless repairs, because I would expect that the first leak is just the weakest point with the most corrosion going first. Oh, and fwiw, in future I think I'll use the marginally-more-expensive-but-longer-life red anti-freezes rather than the normal green/blue ones. Nothing is too good for my baby.
BTW, the guy in the auto supplies shop tried to look up the recommended coolant, but only had info for Suzuki cars and vans/trucks. Every Suzuki engine listed had "red" anti-freeze specified.
Fausto
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by Fausto »

I'm no expert on coolant but I believe it is unwise to mix the sorts. Often the red stuff is chemically different to blue but not always. Sometimes it's just a case of what colour dye the manufacturer uses. Best thing would be to see what type Cagiva recommend and stick to it IMHO. A quick look at the manual tells me that it should be Ethylene Glycol based and not mixed with an alcohol based one.
superaptor
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Re: LEAKING RADIATOR?LOOK HERE!!!

Post by superaptor »

when you said split did you really split it? can you please tell us how the radiator fails prematurely? do you do a lot of wheelies? very tempting on the cagiva... thank you
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