The original radiator mounted on Project 41, a 1987 VFR700 F2, has seen better days; crash damage on both sides, corrosion, dirt and petrified bugs everywhere, slightly bent on the right side — it's a mess. Still works fine and salvageable, and I am refurbishing it, but I've decided to try out an alternative.
A Chinese company called GPI Racing offers replacement radiators for many vehicle applications, including the RC24/26. They're prevalent on eBay under several names and sellers, but I suspect they're all made by GPI. While appreciating the economies of large-scale production, I still can't help but have healthy skepticism of a $75 (shipped) item that Honda would certainly price at many hundreds of dollars.
I was unable to find much firsthand experience on the usual internet forums, so decided to find out for myself and ordered one. Arriving in less than a week, I was first impressed by the packaging, and then by the look and feel of the product itself. The radiator appears robustly made with quality material, nicely finished welds and cap included. Some of the mounting tabs are a bit crudely cut and not perfectly aligned but, again, very robust.
(click on an image to enlarge)
A Chinese company called GPI Racing offers replacement radiators for many vehicle applications, including the RC24/26. They're prevalent on eBay under several names and sellers, but I suspect they're all made by GPI. While appreciating the economies of large-scale production, I still can't help but have healthy skepticism of a $75 (shipped) item that Honda would certainly price at many hundreds of dollars.
I was unable to find much firsthand experience on the usual internet forums, so decided to find out for myself and ordered one. Arriving in less than a week, I was first impressed by the packaging, and then by the look and feel of the product itself. The radiator appears robustly made with quality material, nicely finished welds and cap included. Some of the mounting tabs are a bit crudely cut and not perfectly aligned but, again, very robust.
(click on an image to enlarge)
The first thing I did was compare several dimensions — everything was spot on or very close. I began the swap by transferring the rubber mounting grommets and test fitting to the frame mounts — everything lined up well. Next, I moved to fitting the fan, where I found a 5mm gap at the bolt mountings. No problem, just fit a thick washer to fill the gap.
The OEM temperature sensor screwed right in place; I will replace the sealing o-ring, still available from Honda.
The OEM temperature sensor screwed right in place; I will replace the sealing o-ring, still available from Honda.
My next priority is to fit the protective grill to the front side. I found that the aluminum finning is noticeably more delicate compared to the OEM radiator, so I wanted to protect it before proceeding. Searching my parts hoard, I found an old screen for test fitting.
The Gen 2 radiators were supplied with two types of grill mounts; one had the upper two mounts using a tab & slot mounting with the lowers using screws. The other style uses screws top & bottom, as does this new radiator. My issue is that the screw mounts are not threaded and too thick to use the original U-clip screws on top. After considering different solutions, I settled on well nuts (below). I drilled out the existing mounting holes to fit the well nuts and tightened the screen in place. One of the four mounting holes was about 2mm off-center, but a little filing had everything lining up.
The Gen 2 radiators were supplied with two types of grill mounts; one had the upper two mounts using a tab & slot mounting with the lowers using screws. The other style uses screws top & bottom, as does this new radiator. My issue is that the screw mounts are not threaded and too thick to use the original U-clip screws on top. After considering different solutions, I settled on well nuts (below). I drilled out the existing mounting holes to fit the well nuts and tightened the screen in place. One of the four mounting holes was about 2mm off-center, but a little filing had everything lining up.
With everything in place, all that was left to do was to connect the coolant hoses, fill the system with distilled water and run the engine up to temperature. All went well. No leaks, and the fan activated at the proper time. The system has been in place for a week and run twice more with the same results.
The only other nit is that the coolant overflow hose fitting is larger than OEM so I'll need to address that, probably by switching to a silicone hose which will tolerate stretching over the larger fitting.
l'm in the early stages of this build so the radiator will be coming off for grill refinishing, engine detailing and silicone hoses fitted.
Final thoughts: I'm actually impressed with this product and pleased that there's an aftermarket radiator available for the RC24/26. I half expected quality and fitment issues but found nothing of note. The manufacturer claims better cooling and TIG welded aluminum in a "vacuum brazing furnace" (above my pay grade). I plan to make use of this radiator long-term on this project, fully realizing it's an unknown quantity, but then so is a tattered 40-year old original.
The only other nit is that the coolant overflow hose fitting is larger than OEM so I'll need to address that, probably by switching to a silicone hose which will tolerate stretching over the larger fitting.
l'm in the early stages of this build so the radiator will be coming off for grill refinishing, engine detailing and silicone hoses fitted.
Final thoughts: I'm actually impressed with this product and pleased that there's an aftermarket radiator available for the RC24/26. I half expected quality and fitment issues but found nothing of note. The manufacturer claims better cooling and TIG welded aluminum in a "vacuum brazing furnace" (above my pay grade). I plan to make use of this radiator long-term on this project, fully realizing it's an unknown quantity, but then so is a tattered 40-year old original.
Third Party Updates: Reader Michael advised that the overflow nipple is only screwed in place with teflon tape as the sealant, and his eventually began leaking at that point. Mine's the same; you can see the tape in this photo. His solution was to weld it in place, but I plan to "JB Weld" it.
VFRworld forum member Fastdruid added that his installation required lots of fettling to fit. As for longevity, he's been using it for two years problem free, including two track days.
VFRworld forum member Fastdruid added that his installation required lots of fettling to fit. As for longevity, he's been using it for two years problem free, including two track days.
Click on image for the eBay link
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