Harbor Freight
Radiator Fin Straightener
One of the easiest ways to make sure your engine runs cool.

Straighten damaged fins and remove debris without danger of puncture
Also great for oil coolers and air conditioners
Works on most makes and models of vehicles on the road today, with spacings of 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 15 fins per inch

ITEM 37892-1VGA

$3.99

 

I never knew there was such a thing - here's a picture:



Pretty slick!

 

Grille comes out super easy. Remove 4 screws across the top of the grille. Lean it out about 10 degrees so you can reach behind it. Across the bottom are 5 spring clips. Use a wide screw driver to pry the spring clips out and then the grille pops out.

 

Tool to clean fins? = $3.99 + tax
Fuel to go buy the tool? = $15.00
Being **** enough to own such a tool? = Priceless!

 

That's why there is a box behind the cab.

 

Thanks bpounds, sound like a good project for this wknd.

 

That tool is a "fin comb" used for straightening the fins. I have used them for over forty years. Essential with show cars.

 

NAPA and Autozone both list them on their websites, about $13 at Autozone with in-store pickup available.

 

Speek to your local HVAC tech and they probably have 20 of them in there truck you can have. I was in the field for several years and gone through many of them myself. As I'm sure you can tell by my frequent posting I'm in the office now

Thank you Bill for the driscriptive post and pictures! I took a look at mine and think I will have to do the same.
Question though..... In the A/C world we have a chemical we spray on A/C condensers and it foams up and then simply wash off with plenty of water..... Do you think that would work on our trucks?

 

Screws on top, clips on the bottom. I usually pop the clips loose with a screwdriver, but with a stock bumper they might not be accessible and you can just pull them out.

 

I'm not familiar with the stuff, or what chemicals it contains. Is it safe for paint and plastic? But I don't really think you need any cleaner. If you see a lot of dirt, mud, or grease, some Simple Green would be my choice. Mine was just bugs, mostly bees and wasps. And more sand than I would have expected.

One tip is to be careful with the water spray if you have a lot of pressure. Those fins are about as thin as any I've ever seen, and high pressure spray could bend them over. Though I didn't have any problem.


Those pictures make the fins look bent a lot worse than they really are.

 

it is an acid based cleaner and foams out wherever there is contamination. I use it on aluminum/copper fins without damaging the paint on the A/C units but if you do not get it washed off it can eat away at the fins. Did that little diddty when I was a FNG....

I was just thinking that may be one way but you are probably correct and I should'nt need it for a few bugs and such.

Have a great week!

 

Ordinary detergents work fine, along with the garden hose and a soft natural fiber bristle brush. Don't rush it. It's less damaging to erode away the dirt and bugs than to blast or scrub.

 

O.k... I'm gonna play the stupid card for a moment....

How do you use a fin comb on fins that are less than perfect? Not only bent out of position, but bent over, or otherwise damaged?

The AC condenser in the Freightliner is in sore need of some MAJOR work with one of these, but I can't for the life of me figure out how it'd work.........

-blaine

 

The one pictured will do 6 different fin spacings. It's just like a pocket comb. put it in the little slots and pull down. Only one of those will fit your radiator, not all 6.