Coolant leaking from S4R radiator?

[JimmyTheDriver]

LA, what does yours look like now?  I called and the guy rattled off a number of things they do, which seem to change the look of the radiator a bit.

DucHead - how much?

Thanks!
Jim

[Moronic]

Hey fellas,

Just got into work and noticed coolant coming from the radiator.  Is this an issue, or something like overflow and nothing to worry about?  The fluid tub has plenty of coolant in it.  I had the 7k major service approximately 500 miles ago.



Thanks!
Jim

I am sorry to reveal that mine failed there also, at roughly 30,000km. Apparently the leak arises from stress where the mounting tab on that side connects with one of the internal tubes. I had mine repaired but the fix failed pretty quickly. Only option was new part. Expensive, even with dealer assistance, and very disappointing.

Most disappointing aspect is I have no way of knowing whether the replacement has been designed and built better than the original. Hoping it may have. There was a run of failures on 1098s from about the same build period in the same place, but haven't seen much reported since so here's hoping.

One small sliver of good news is that the leak on mine did not suddenly open up and squirt out all the coolant. Fault was discovered on a trip and it got me home. On dealer advice I filled the overflow tank to the line and made regular checks, but the rate of loss was very low. The blowback makes a mess of the bike, though.

Good luck with your repair effort - hope it works.

[JimmyTheDriver]

Moronic, good to know.  I called the guys LA recommended, Mylers Radiators in Utah.  He seem very familar with it and mentioned them stress cracking.  Their fix is to 1) weld the leak shut  2) weld on "reinforcement straps" 3) paint.  I am curious what they look like.  The guy stated it should keep it from happening again.  You might want to check them out if you are worried.  

I'll be mailing mine to them next week.  Price is 100-120 excluding shipping.

Thanks!
Jim

[Moronic]

Jim, thanks for the info. Since I have a spare (but leaky) rad now, I'm in a good position to have it properly repaired as insurance against possible failure of its replacement.

I went through my excellent local Duc workshop (Pro Twin, for Perth readers) for the original (failed) repair, which I believe was epoxy based. They had sent out a couple of 1098/848 radiators to the same repairer, said the success rate was about 50/50. I made a few calls to other repairers. General response was that welding up a radiator made of curved aluminium tubes would be too hard. But Perth is a relatively small, isolated place.

Would be good to know how your repair works out. And a good prompt for me to seek a non-epoxy repairer - if necessary, by shipping to the US. 

[axle167]

I've also spoken to Mylers about my pinhole leak at one of the tubes.  The problem is I can't see where the leak is coming from, except for the coolant blow throughs and their collection at the fins.

The tech at Mylers did say that they may need to remove the fins at the leaking area to weld onto the tube.  The radiator will not leak, but may look damaged after the fix.

Others have said that Mylers will paint the radiator so that the damage may be less noticable, but I do prefer the look of bare aluminum.

Jim, could you please post up picutres of the radiator after the fix from Mylers?  Much appreciated!

Alex

[JimmyTheDriver]

Here are pics of the weld/reinforce job done by Mylers Radiators in Utah.  I shipped it there, had it welded, reinforcement bars put on, and a tub of coolant for $150.  Total time was about 2 weeks, but I was cheap and did the shipping freight/ground both ways.  Will put it on soon and report back.  

Overall, I would say excellent work.  Looks good for the price and what they did.  I knew from the start they would butcher some fins getting to the crack.  The hose is in the way of the gnarled fins so it's not really noticeable.  The reinforcement straps, as seen in the pictures, look stock on the bike.









Thanks!
Jim

[JimmyTheDriver]

I got the radiator back on and took her for a spin.  No leak.  I would use Mylers again. http://www.motorcycleradiators.com/

-Jim

[Moronic]

Thanks very much Jim for the follow-up with pics. Looks like they've done a great job considering the difficulties.

I may be in touch with these guys sooner than I thought. Was about to head off on a trip Friday and - Damn! - noticed the tell-tale green blobs of coolant on the hose and fan housing.

Just like last time. So, the original radiator lasted 33,000km, and the replacement part from Ducati has lasted about 16,000km. Very disappointing, to say the least.

Waiting to hear from my dealer on what, if anything, Ducati will do about it. With any luck they'll step up with a goodwill replacement. It is hardly reasonable to expect people to replace a $2K radiator when they do the belts, valves and fluids. 

Your timely post gives me a repair option that looks as though it might well solve the problem long-term. Very helpful, thanks.

[JimmyTheDriver]

I forget the guys name, but the gent I spoke with on the phone says they get TONS of Ducati, especially S4R rads in, all leaking around the same places.  He says so far, knock knock, the reinforcement bars have really helped people.  For $50, it was a no brainer.

-Jim