Race Radiator

[Ghost400]

I am looking into putting ram air on my race bike, do you lower the rad on brackets if not using an oil cooler or cut a section out of the top of rad, also looking for a ram air box...........cheers Ghost400

[cargo]

Prob best to cut a slot in the top of rad..................you need to keep a reasonable "head" of water in the rad above the top of the cylinder head IMHO

I've got two rads that are cut to suit a ram air and they work fine but at the Manx last August I had a minor problem in that one bike was running a little bit hotter than the other I swapped rads and the problem moved so I figured the rad was dirty both externally and maybe internally also it was a bit battered I tend get a lot of stone damage racing on closed public roads. So that rad has now been replaced with a kit HRC one that was on my old Steelie CBR fitted with a few mods easy enough and still maintaining the "head"

Really any rad that will physically fit and give head ( pun intended) and be big enough to cool will work just fine

I dont use oil coolers..................... do a search and read all about it................

[Ghost400]

Do I Just lob a section out of my rad and seal the holes up with something.....I have Dynojetted carbs, zx4 cams, so looking for that little extra from ram air box and scoop.

[mark400]

Cut an airbox scoop sized section out of 4 - 5 of the top fins as cleanly as you can. Try not to damage the one below the cut ! (Done this before) :smt013

The cutting will quite often squash the fin ends a bit, so open them back up, as you need to pack them with Epoxy(Dynotech recommend at this point using a blowtorch to burn off any gunge sitting just inside the fin)

Now use Araldite and pack it into open end of each fin, then using long nose pliers, squeeze the very end of the fin shut, so that the aradite can't escape.

Then bend the fin back on itself, 180 degrees is fine. The Araldite will go hard fairly fast, so don't hang about. Easiest way is to do one whole side first, then the other.

Leave to harden for at least a day, then test fill the rad and observe.

Then run the bike up until the thermostat opens and check for leaks.

Then ride it and check again.

I am doing one this weekend so I can post photos of each stage if this helps ?

I suppose on the other hand - If you are not using an oil cooler, then you can just mount the rad below the scoop without chopping it up. I have also done this, but I had to modify the fairing lower as it wasn't as wide as the bottom of the rad.

[cargo]

sounds about right to me but dont cut to the full width of the air scoop cut it smaller gives you more fin to bend back to the actual width needed.

If you can find a good ally welder then that is an option to plug the fins too..............he or she needs to be good it's not the best quaility ally in the world


Just fitting lowering brackets is not a good idea in my mind you might not have enough of a head of water to fully fill the system and the top of the cylinder head might not be getting cooled properly................much much much better to cut.

[Deswilkie]

Done pretty much the same except filled the pipes with Chemical Metal and rolled them back. Even easier than you think to do as the pipes are very pliable.

[Ghost400]

Fantastic, thanks for all the help, I wont cut mine untill I find a Ram Air Box.