Stalled the bike on a nasty rock-covered hill last week. Bike falls on rider, specifically, direct hit by left radiator pinching left boot into rock. Radiator severely crunched. The outer edge of the rad frame was pushed in about 1/2" to 3/4", crushing the first two rows of 'fins'. Fortunately, the coolant rows were not leaking, despite the first two rows nearly touching each other. I wish I had taken a photo before I started messing with it, but I never anticipated being able to straighten it. The black plastic shroud would no longer bolt on, the ear was pushed in so far. Since the rad was pretty much useless as is, I started scheming how I could 'pull' the outer frame of the rad back out where it belonged. Leverage man, we need leverage! It was time to McGyver it. Open up a gap between two sets of fins near the worst bent-in area, thread a steel cable thru it, clamp, cut a piece of 2X4 about 7.5" long, and get a big mother of a pry bar. Viola! good as new. Now if it will only stay leak-free!
That is a great idea in a pinch. I sent mine out to a local radiator guy who only charged me $20.00 and came out fair.
agree.....nice post Funny, this is the 3rd damaged LH radiator I've heard of on a Husky in the last month (mine being one of those 3)
Maybe that procedure would have helped my LH radiator out after I caught it on a cutoff tree. I bashed it pretty bad, enough to separate the solder on the bracket. I replaced the radiator w/new but it would be great to have a spare. Thanks for posting this up. cheers, Mike
