Can you repair the oil cooler radiator?

[NickC]

Have a leak on my '88 R100GS oil cooler rad.

Does anybody know if it can be repaired or do I need a new one?

Rang a rad specialist who said due to the high pressure he thought oil cooler rads are aluminium and therefore cannot be repaired. Is it aluminium?

 

[Possu]

Not had one but all bike oil coolers I've had/seen have benn aluminuim.

They can be welded, success depends on them being very clean, location of crack or hole that needs welding & the skill of the welder - it's easy to burn a hole straight through the core.

 

[Greg Masters]

Aluminium is quick tricky to weld (compared with, say, mild steel) and an oil cooler radiator makes welding even more difficult due to its ability to bleed heat away from the point you are trying to weld.

Add to that the effect of a weld failure when you're on the road and I would be inclined to buy a new rad.

Greg

 

[Fanum]

Given the answers above, I'd be inclined to try some of that wonder-metal stuff rather than welding.....sand it, clean it with alcohol and bung the thing up.....you've not got anything to lose.

 

[Steptoe]

you've not got anything to lose.

except 3ltrs of oil .

if its leaking from inside the matrix - no chance of having it welded .

i think a new or good second hand one would be the sensible choice ( and as it just so happens, guess who's got one )

 

[riverking]

OIL RAD

Hiya Mate,

You can weld any metal to any other metal ( I used to stick nuclear reactors / submarines together) if you have the right kit.

Reality; D'ont bother - oil soaked ali is a pig with no guarantee of success - worst case it fails binning your engine oil onto your front tyre during high speed corner. Not good.

Take Steptoe's advice.