radiator s4

Hi all. Does a radiator of st2 - st4 fits on a S4? (apart for the brackets of the fans)

[Darren69]

I expect the ST4 rad will fit but it won't have the 4 threaded holes for the rad guards of the S4/S4R. There is a place in Australia selling replica rads for reasonable money. I'm just looking for the link for you.

thank you Darren. The holes is not a problem you can make them if you push the fins carefully. The one that I have doesnt has threats. Instead it has some plastic allen that they have threat inside and you put some other at the other side to secure the fans

[Darren69]

I mean the threaded holes on the each side of the radiator, where you would put the crash protection.

Can't find the Australian one, but it may be worth contacting these guys, since they have several other Ducati radiators listed without the eyewatering prices.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Engine-Co...AAAOSwvN1fhdxO

thanks again darren

[jerry]

I fitted an St4 rad to an S4 no issues

Originally Posted by jerry

I fitted an St4 rad to an S4 no issues

thats the way I will follow

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by Darren69

I expect the ST4 rad will fit but it won't have the 4 threaded holes for the rad guards of the S4/S4R.

I suspect this is what I have; the rad kind of fits - but no screw bosses for the heat shield. It's also alloy instead of painted black. Biggest issue is that the mounts don't appear to quite line up, so there's a little creative "that'll hold it" on one of them...

Originally Posted by Darren69

There is a place in Australia selling replica rads for reasonable money. I'm just looking for the link for you.

They're actually in Hong Kong, but the listings show up on Oz Ebay (and in Oz dollars), for some reason.

Think this was the one you forwarded me, try this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DUCATI-MO...72.m2749.l2649

I asked the seller about the lack of fan mount brackets on the S4 rads, and Alan responded within hours (with the time zone offset, likely as soon as he got to his desk) with an explanation in perfect English and photos of the original to illustrate.

I ordered one; I have a tracking #, and wasn't holding my breath. But I just checked it; the ****ing idiots at Parcel Farce have had it for a week "awaiting payment of customs charges". Which, of course, they've never asked me for.

Most of them are fine, but they've got some real mouth-breathing dolts sprinkled in there as well...

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by spuggy

Parcel Farce have had it for a week "awaiting payment of customs charges". Which, of course, they've never asked me for.

Just to make me out a liar, bill was sitting on the mat in today's post...

So an extra 25 quid (12 and a half for VAT, 12 quid to PF as their fee) to the quite stonkingly reasonable Flea Bay price. I ordered November 30th and PF have had it since the 17th.

Of course, if you can get it from someone in the same country (or even continent), that's gotta be better - although some of the other skywave-uk stuff lists as shipping "From China", sooo...

[Darren69]

Originally Posted by spuggy

Just to make me out a liar, bill was sitting on the mat in today's post...

So an extra 25 quid (12 and a half for VAT, 12 quid to PF as their fee) to the quite stonkingly reasonable Flea Bay price. I ordered November 30th and PF have had it since the 17th.

Of course, if you can get it from someone in the same country (or even continent), that's gotta be better - although some of the other skywave-uk stuff lists as shipping "From China", sooo...

Yep, that's the one. What did they say about the lack of fan mountings?

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by Darren69

Yep, that's the one. What did they say about the lack of fan mountings?

As you know, S4 rads don't have the mounting tabs on the outside, like the others... I asked because many things about the radiator fixings are puzzling/not obvious if you've not taken one apart (like, HTF do those little rubber hats do anything at all, much less support the rad).

I've been a little reluctant to dismantle a bike that's both working and shows hints that the fit of the incorrect part(s) may not be entirely correct... Thought I'd save all the excitement for one go

He said:

If you look at the original radiator, the fans are not mounted on the side but instead locked into place through the core with your original fans and “bolts/plugs”.

The parts diagram only shows the screws on the fan side; the "plugs" must be considered part of the radiator... But if that's all they are, pushed through the core, shouldn't be too hard to select a suitable orientation (measure twice, cut once, eh) and swap them over...

These were the pictures he sent:

[Darren69]

I guess if the new one has the same number of fins and spacing is the same it's just a case of counting the fins and putting the plug through the core in the same place and bending the fins to suit? With great care as i imagine it's not something you could afford to get wrong?

I've not had mine apart that far, so I don't know what the plugs look like even.

Those anti vibration rubber things must do something since mine is only held on with one bolt in one top bracket, the other 2 must be held by the position of the rad and the hoses and frame tabs holding it all captive but allowing just enough free play.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by Darren69

I guess if the new one has the same number of fins and spacing is the same it's just a case of counting the fins

Heh. I regret to say that I'm almost certainly going to measure. More than once

Originally Posted by Darren69

and putting the plug through the core in the same place and bending the fins to suit? With great care as i imagine it's not something you could afford to get wrong?

Well, based on my experience with radiators I didn't much care about, the core itself - eg the hollow rib the cooled medium flows through - is the delicate thing; the internal fins are relatively weak and not especially strongly attached. Not quite tin foil - but their purpose is to add surface area and the thinner they are the more you can fit in, sooo...

When I get to it, I'm planning on removing one of the fans, perhaps popping one of the plugs out and taking a gander at it, if not immediately obvious already. Should be reasonably easy to figure out if the hole is cut (eg drilled, fins removed) or the fins were just coerced out of the way (eg hole formed with increasing diameter pointy drifts or the like). I kind of expect the latter would do the job.

Originally Posted by Darren69

I've not had mine apart that far, so I don't know what the plugs look like even.

Yeh, I'm envisaging a hollow threaded tube, with that mushroom head spanning the core, just long enough to almost reach to the other side, with the hex so you can hold it to stop rotating while you nip up the fan screw. Which look pretty short in the diagram, meaning the plug has to reach most of the way through.

But time will tell

Originally Posted by Darren69

Those anti vibration rubber things must do something since mine is only held on with one bolt in one top bracket, the other 2 must be held by the position of the rad and the hoses and frame tabs holding it all captive but allowing just enough free play.

Yeh, I've looked at the parts diagram multiple times; the bottom fixing seems to have some kind of wacky bolt in the case with a sleeve (that I'm guessing the rubber thingy just slides over), and one bolt at the top.

Eh? WTF do the others do then??? Just hold it off the frame???

LOL. I expect it's one of those things that'll all make sense once it comes apart.