2015-05-29 New Radiator is Shit

It started with the sweet pungent smell of hot glycol. I've been searching for leak from sometime, at least 3 months. Along the way found a leaky radiator. Replaced it with one I had from the deer strike. It lasted 3 weeks then started leaking from the upper core, just like the one I bought from ExtremeMarine. Then I discovered a leak coming from above, from the cap/T-stat area. 

Removed the t-stat, cleaned everything up good, (there corrosion on the 3 bolts holding the two t-stat body halves together). Put all back together.

1 week later, the sweet pungent smell of hot glycol. Remove lower cowlings again. Remove t-stat assembly again. Find small nick on hose from head water inlet behind clamp. Of course it was on the bottom, undetectable until removed.

The hole.

Just enogh to leak when hot and p;ressurized.

Ordered new radiator from http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRO-Radiator-FITS-Yamaha-FJR1300-FJR-1300-2006-2012-07-08-09-10-11-12-READY-SHIP-/251913411376?hash=item3aa7359b30&vxp=mtr

Here's how it arrived. So far so good.

The coils are not as finely spaced as OEM.

It had these two holes.. Looks like they pushed something through to hold it for painting?

OEM.

New.

Where it goes.

First bad discovery.. the fan mounting wasn't perfect. Had to bend the tri-arms to fit the holes. Even at that, the brackets are under constant tension, something I don't like.

The side plate holes are aligned correctly.

A veritable symphony of FJR1300 radiators.

My head number. It's one of the phastest ever made.

The brackets on the new rad are cheesy. I'm not impressed, but press on trying to make it work.
The aluminum button was freaking INSIDE the radiator... 

Uneven alignment. No big deal, easily bent into correct shape. Still.. shouldn't have to.

The upper mounting brackets are a different story. Completly misaligned to fit the frame. In attempting to reposition it, the cheesy weld broke and the core compressed. It wasn't even freaking close to every fitting the frame. It took very little force and the weld broke. No way would it survive my dirt road.

So there it is. Contacted eBay to return. Bought a new radiator for $390 from PartsZilla. Two are in the Yamaha Cali warehouse. Should be to me in 2 weeks. Just in time to install then go riding. 

Moral of the story? Don't buy cheap Chinese crap. You will pay for it in the end.

Fini