**MORE** Wasp Nests! This Time In The Radiator Fan!

Removing The Radiator

I removed the radiator from EZ-RIDER, my rescue Honda 1997 Magna VT250CR, and the experience didn't come without surprises!

The first surprise was how easy it turned out to be!  Everything happened more or less without drama and/or complication, for once!  I managed to get the radiator off in less than an hour, which is a record for this motorcycle.

Even the fasteners were less trouble than usual!  Of course, liberally spraying every fastener with WD-40 probably helped a lot, as well has having (finally) all of the right tools!

The 1997 Honda Magna VT250CR radiator is held in place with three fittings.  There are two at the top and one at the bottom.  I noticed that the upper left fitting (looking from the front) is set up so that you can hang the radiator in place, loosely fasten it in place, attach the electrical connector behind the radiator (in the neck of the frame), and then go ahead and attach and tighten the upper right fitting and then the single lower fitting.  

Good thinking Honda!  You made it easy!

Main Hoses:

The two main hoses of the radiator were held in place by two standard hose clamps, which will definitely need to be replaced:

Overflow Tube:

The overflow tube is held in place by a little wire hose clip, which will also definitely need to be replaced:

Nuts & Bolts:

The other fasteners were in pretty good shape and seemed pretty ordinary:

- 2 x 8mm bolt (no nut)

- 1 x 10mm bolts (plus nut)

Electrical Connection:

The trickiest part of taking the radiator out was unhooking the electrical connection.  The radiator fan connector is hidden inside the neck of the frame, in a little rubber housing.  It is very hard to get at, and if you have big hands and fingers (guilty!) there's almost no room to be able to do anything once you have your hand(s) in there.  It didn't help that the connector probably hadn't been unplugged for 20 years!  When I put the radiator back on I am definitely spraying some silicone spray or armor-all on the electrical fitting to lubricate and protect the plastic parts!

Enjoy!

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Bill of Materials

CRAFTSMAN Mechanics Tool Set, SAE / Metric, 3/8-Inch Drive, 40-Piece (CMMT12018)

https://amzn.to/2FmKSrs

Glarks 100Pcs Adjustable 8-44mm Range 304 Stainless Steel Worm Gear Hose Clamps Assortment Kit, Fuel Line Clamp for Water Pipe, Plumbing, Automotive and Mechanical Application (Hose Clamp Kit)
https://amzn.to/39KuGyb

Glarks 290Pcs Fuel Line Hose Water Pipe Air Tubing Spring Clips Clamps Assortment Kit - Size 5-13MM
https://amzn.to/2ZWku13

WD40 Company 300012 Specialist Silicone Spray Smart Straw - 11 oz. (New Version)
https://amzn.to/2QsRNGb


Armor All 10160 Protectant, Original 1 pt (16 fl oz) 473 ml

https://amzn.to/2RGtHsx

CRAFTSMAN Screwdriver Set, Assorted, 8-Piece (CMHT65075)

https://amzn.to/2sSBGZj

Eeeek! Wasp Nests In My Motorcycle!

This video started off normally enough. I wanted to get the sprocket cover off of EZ-Rider so I could start to make an attempt to service the chain. It should have taken just a couple of minutes and a 5mm hex key... But, as with everything related to EZ-RIDER, it got complicated FAST! Someone had mounted an air horn on the bike at one point in its past, and the mount proved to be the trickiest part of this little project, because the nut that they had used as a spacer had me completely fooled. I thought it was a legitimate nut, and kept turning and turning it - with nothing to show. Eventually, the penny dropped and I figured that the nut was just there as a spacer, so I got a pair of pliers out and turned the VERY STRANGE bolt out of the sprocket cover - after struggling with getting the air horn out of the way! The air horn deserves a complete video of its own. It's ridiculously long and BENT in a curve, AND has a scallop taken out of it to fit beside the frame! Wow! Whoever put that in had a good time! I *love* it! I will do everything I can to make sure it goes back into service, but perhaps in a slightly more MMTM approved way! Once I got the sprocket cover off of EZ-RIDER, I discovered a broken lens inside of it from...a car taillight? I dunno - the lens is RED, so I wonder what part of what vehicle got in there, and HOW it got in there? Last, but certainly not least, I discovered a bunch of MUD WASP nests inside the cover. Thankfully, the nexts were empty and I didn't have to contend with any angry wasps! But their nests were still there!