Cheap & easy DIY radiator guard

reenmachine

Member
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I had my radiator out to do the SPAL fan upgrade and thought I'd make a simple radiator guard while I was at it.

I found this stainless steel mesh screen on amazon. It comes with three pieces, each just a little larger than the radiator core, all for $12.

I trimmed it to size with tin snips (it cut easily).

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I then drilled five small holes in the flange around the perimeter of the radiator. BE CAREFUL

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A little safety wire to secure it, and done!

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No, it's not rigid aluminum like most commercial guards, but it feels sturdy enough to do the job, and it'll certainly flow better. Plus for basically $4 it's worth a shot. You could also hit it with some black spray paint beforehand if you're so inclined.
 

reenmachine

Member
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That's blocking a lot of surface area, just sayin'....

We'll see how it works. My feeling was that it doesn't block nearly as much surface area as the typical "aluminum plate with holes" approach, and it's much thinner, which impedes flow less as well.

For basically $4 it was worth a try.
 

Seth

Member
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Looks Awesome! Good job with that DIY.. Looks Clean as it gets, Flat black would set it off :cool:
 

ianblewitt

New Member
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We'll see how it works. My feeling was that it doesn't block nearly as much surface area as the typical "aluminum plate with holes" approach, and it's much thinner, which impedes flow less as well.

For basically $4 it was worth a try.


so how did it work?
 
Awesome! The stock radiator guard is only held on by the fasteners they probably use for car bumpers and mine fell out long ago... the holes are probably M7mm and I had no spare bolts of that size and the thing was noisy as hell flapping around from vibrations so I replaced it with a metal guard I bought for $40 on aliexpress and never been happier. I added it to my collection of rubbish under the bed next to my pillion footrests and stock fender.
 
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