[kpzen]

Use this for straightening the fins.
But i've never heard of a case where bent fins were the culprit for overheating.

[Raccoon]

I'm stupefied by the number of responses! Have read and really appreciate every single input, though I'm not replying to every post individually, to avoid repetition and clutter.

Originally Posted by condor

@Racoon, like Mayank said, the fins are delicate and very often get bent. But it does not mar the cooling efficiency. Any in-efficiency in the cooling may be more because of clogging inside the radiator, and hardly due to bent fins.

Unless the radiator itself is damaged, I suggest you let it be. You can also check any other car of similar age - any make any model - and you will see there are many more such cars, and running fine.

Efficiency is likely to be marred as airflow over them is going to reduce.

As for your second para, I thought of the same thing later - that I should have checked out other cars at the workshop. Will check out other cars, if/when I get the chance.

Originally Posted by greenhorn

is it something like what happened here (scroll down for the pics) ?
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ler-query.html

Not really. Firstly, the radiator is not quite of this type. Secondly, only lower right corner fins have bent in a single direction.

Originally Posted by ariesonu

Hi Racoon,
There are many so called RADIATOR SPECIALIST & you may find one near some car garage OR repair market.
I know one very goog guy here in Mumbai because I have seen him fix the most complex & fragile (read radiators of Vintage & Classic cars) radiators.
They have their own divised tools but mainly use blow gun & aluminium solder rods AND THEY ARE NOT EXPENSIVE.
However I dont see any reason for you to go for such repairs till the TEMP needle in your car is 'happy' .
Raab Rakha.

Finding some random guy is a bit risky ans one never knows how qualified he is. Was hoping someone from Poona here might know someone. Shame on Maruti for not helping at all in this respect.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

About the Radiator specialists that the SA mentioned, there indeed are many such. There was this tiny shop filled with radiators of all sizes near my house in B'lore.

As per my observation, what they is - rinse the radiator completely in kerosene (what it seemed like) and drain it off. They then set right all the radiator fins with a pair of tweezers. The fins are extremely delicate and they handle them with just as much care. The radiator is flushed in kerosene again.

Ask around FNGs in Pune; they might know where such guys are.

Kerosene? I wonder why that is required. I mean why would one require kerosene as a solvent for coolant which is water based. I had told the SA to flush the radiator and replace the coolant as it was about 3 years old. He told me that they had flushed it, but have no idea how they do that if they use something like kerosene. The radiator of the car has never been removed in its life, as far as I know.

Originally Posted by im_srini

Yes, a comb can be used in a pinch & would straighten out the worst of the bent fins. If the fins are bent only slightly, the comb won't help much & finding a matching comb that is sturdy could be difficult. Radiator & A/C repair shops usually have a metal comb that they use to straighten bent fins. Here's a professional product. But, as advised by many members, if the fins aren't bent much & you've not noticed anything untoward so far, just leave it be...

Thats exactly what I had in mind! But the dopes at MASS seemed to have absolutely no idea about any such tool. I feel its important that it be made of plastic (as shown in your link). A metal comb may damage and scratch. Wonder why MASS does not have something like this. Maybe Maruti disapproves for some reason?

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Usually radiators are designed for 10 to 15% additional capability and hence would not be a concern. Further you too noticed it only when the grill was removed and not while the car was running which means there waere no physical symptom like over heating. So could do without any repair. Leave it alone.

Yes thats right. Never had any issues of overheating till date. The temp gauge always settles midway after a short while. Don't recall ever seeing it go above that. I agree that it may be ok to leave it alone. However, my pedantic nature won't be very happy about it. Another concern is that it may be ok to leave it this way (with reduced efficiency) most times. But supposing one day the car is used extensively on a v hot summer noon in stop and go traffic, and when cooling efficiency is required to be optimal, I'm not sure if something will be affected.

Any idea if the front bumper/headlights/grill or anything needs to be removed if the fins are straightened using the comb tool mentioned above?

[rajeev k]

There is one more aspect to this. The fins are meant to vent away the heat which will do this job even if they are bent. Moreover, being on the front side these fins will be exposed to cold air more as the vehicle moves.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Any idea if the front bumper/headlights/grill or anything needs to be removed if the fins are straightened using the comb tool mentioned above?

I don't think so.

Although it might just vary from car to car but I've seen the radiator being removed from inside the hood at Chevrolet and Honda A.S.S.

Ideally, radiator shouldn't be attached the the bumper but rather the chasis so you could remove it without having to remove the bumper/grill.

[Raccoon]

^^^Cool. Guess I'll just have to ask the radiator guy, if I get one. Not doing it on priority, as the issue isn't serious. Would not be keep to remove the radiator for that... as coolant has just been replaced.

Need to check if there is enough space in front of the fins. If there is, comb should be able to do the job without needing to remove the radiator. In that case, it should be a quick job. Just need the right sized radiator comb.

[ariesonu]

Some pics of damaged area would have been better.
After my earlier post, I visited the RADIATOR SPECIALIST today & he just couldn't stop laughing on the COMB idea. No offense to anyone but these were his EXACT words "SAHHIB AGAR YEH SAB ITNA ASAAN HOTA TOU MAIN DUKAAN HI BAND KER DETA" (Sir if it was so easy, I would have shut the shop).

I took some photos of the work he was doing on some spot damage on a radiator. He was shy to get himself clicked & I didn't offend him.
He used a simple nose plier & screw driver, but like an artisan to fix the spot. I could not stay long to see him finish the job.
His advise is to use kitchen tongs (the ones used to flip chapatis) & straighten each fin, one by one. Patience is virtue.

His ENTIRE shop (Under those wraps are HUGE radiators of ship generators)

His "Patient" on operation table

A close UP (If you look closely on tools, you can see nose plier, this is what he was majorly using to fix the spot.


Raab Rakha.

[Raccoon]

^^^Thats interesting. Thanks for posting the pics and all. I don't see anything laughable at the "comb" idea.... as long as its possible to insert and move it along the fins. It seems to be the way to do it abroad, from what I could find online. Also, I reckon the result are likely to be more uniform.

Anyway, had a look today, and the SA had told me he would try and straighten things up to the extent possible. They seem to have made some improvement and now it does not seem that bad. Or maybe its because I saw it with everything assembled back. I guess I'll leave it the way it is... unless I can somehow find someone with that plastic tool/comb. But it seems its gonne be difficult to do it unless the things in the front are removed.

[BuRnT RuBbEr]

if the fins are in perfect order, you will witness that the fan kicks in just a little less often. so you could say that you will be enhancing fan life and, to an extent, alternator life by keeping the radiator clean and tip top.

you can fix it yourself if it's really bugging you. get clear access to the affected portion and straighten the fins out with a forcep. patience is very important.

[Raccoon]

^^^True. I already realize that. And thats why I like to have things they way they are ment to be. Maybe I'll try the forcep thing soon.... though I feel more inclined to use the "comb" tool. No idea where to get it though and Maruti is no help.

Anyway, this is low priority right now, as have to deal with the damage and issues that the dealer Chowgule Industries, Pune, have meted out to my car. Details on another thread.

[JustCause]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

^^^True. I already realize that. And thats why I like to have things they way they are ment to be. Maybe I'll try the forcep thing soon.... though I feel more inclined to use the "comb" tool. No idea

Use the hair comb. It works very well if used gently. I'd used them for my split A/C whose fins got bent as a result of using a hard cloth to wipe. The cooling was affected by a considerable margin as air flow was restricted. Only thing is, you need to be very patient. Don't try to jam the comb into the exchanger coils. It is not something you'll get right in one go. For eg. if you start straightening the bent fin, the straight fin alongside it might get bent, leading to frustration. Gradually, you'll bring it to a point as if no damage had occurred.

[Raccoon]

^^^Interesting. I guess I'd need a comb with pretty stiff teeth?

[pcpranav]

wat a coincidence, yday I accidentally bumped to this thread. today while some other searches on AC radiator, cleaning found these (and many more):

Condenser Fin Comb Training - YouTube

Amazon.com: Mountain 8300 AC Condenser Fin Comb: Automotive
Amazon.com: Adjustable Fin Comb - Comedium base by Sealed Unit Parts Co., Inc.: Everything Else

OT: how straighten the fins on intercooler on turbo (I have Xylo) ? can such comb be used ?
thanks,

[Viraat13]

I just skimmed through the thread, but yes, go to a radiator specialist and ask him to comb the fins. Even the guys who come to service your AC at home will have this with them. Not difficult at all!
The photo uploaded by kpzen hits the nail right on the head.

[deetjohn]

I have a new Swift and have done close to 9800KM now.

I have done quite a bit of highway runs and some fins on both the radiator and the intercooler are bent. Thankfully I have a temp gauge in the car and it's been consistent. So I know the radiator is fine.

What about the intercooler? How do I check whether its okay? Should I use a comb for straightening the fins or leave it as it is?

[Raccoon]

^^^No, you can't really gauge the loss of efficiency thru such console temp. gauges.

As per response from Maruti Suzuki Regional Office - they don't recommend any such combs. Their justification is that they often cause minute leaks by damaging tubes and such. Often the leaks caused are very small and difficult to detect. I wanted to ask more but the discussion veered into the problems I'v been facing with their dealership... and later it lapsed. I guess I'll have to take some time to probe into this further, and if there is a safe solution to this problem. Their dealers (at least 2 of them) have put up there hands saying they have no advice from MSIL regarding this and can't help.