# Portable radiator cleaner



## Metal Man

Has anyone tried one of these or own one of these.
http://www.highlifter.com/product.php?pk=6832&pname

I been thinking of getting one. I love the big brute power but hate have to hunt down a water hose to clean the radiator every time i hit the deep mud. I'm *not* gonna relocate the radiator so i thought one of these may work in a pinch.


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## Polaris425

still have to be near water for them to work... and from what i hear they arnt that great... You'd be just as well off going and getting a little cheap electric pump thats all it is. There's not really any pressure i dont think.


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## Metal Man

Check this one out. http://cgi.ebay.com/Nomad-H20-on-the-go-portable-pressure-power-washer-NEW_W0QQitemZ220357140582QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item220357140582&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50


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## Polaris425

actually looks pretty cool if you had a way to carry it along on the ride.


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## josh13

The last time I went ridin my buddy had that problem. We just took a pepsi bottle and cut a hole in the lid, filled with water and cleaned the radiator with it. It worked in a pinch, but you still need water from somewhere.


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## Metal Man

I've done that with a bottle many times before. Not sure it really helped though.


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## josh13

It definitely helped my buddy. His light was flashing till we cleaned it.


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## Metal Man

OK i'll be able to tell yall how it works soon. I just bought one. Found a good deal on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_sg?url=me%3DA9Q4AMZRJGYPJ&field-keywords=Nomad+H2O+On-The-Go+Portable+Power&x=16&y=17


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## phreebsd

Sweet. We need a product review section 
I'll see what I can do about that...


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## Polaris425

I thought you were doing that anyway

We could just do something simple as make a new forum section.


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## Metal Man

OK The sprayer came in today. I think its gonna work great for what I'm needing. Its a little bigger then i expected. The pressure is nothing to brag about but it will do fine to clean a radiator in the middle of nowhere.


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## Yesterday

please update us after you actually use this. i'm curious if it will work out when you get some mud on your radiator.


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## Metal Man

Will do.


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## boogieandbride

I have seen a couple people with them and have thought about getting one myself but I think I could build one cheaper. They have quite a bit of pressure and work good.


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## beavel

Yea if they work well, I would be interested in having one. Cutting out my grill made it a lot easier for getting a bottle in there on the trail to wash it out, and works great after the ride when I put the pressure washer to it.


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## sandman7655

get a 5 gallon bucket and wash it down.


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## IBBruin

Metal Man said:


> I'm *not* gonna relocate the radiator


I'm just wondering why you don't want to relocate the radiator? Don't like the looks? Don't want to cut the plastic?


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## Polaris425

sandman7655 said:


> get a 5 gallon bucket and wash it down.


Do you cary a 5gal. bucket with you on rides? :thinking:


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## sandman7655

we have .usually keep it at the creek for wash downs or clean up.but we dont ride as deep mud as some.relocate the radiator if you want it to stop.


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## bump530

sandman7655 said:


> we have .usually keep it at the creek for wash downs or clean up.but we dont ride as deep mud as some.relocate the radiator if you want it to stop.


its hard to keep a 5 gal bucket at a creek when ur at an atv park. im sure it would come up missing or u may overheat a LONG ways away from the bucket. im sure its a good idea for how u intended it, but just not practical is most situation.


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## Yesterday

5 gallon bucket strapped to the back rack would take up my precious cooler's spot =/


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## sandman7655

use the front rack then,lol. iwas just kidding about bucket but it would work just be aggrivating to keep on rack while riding.


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## Metal Man

IBBruin said:


> I'm just wondering why you don't want to relocate the radiator? Don't like the looks? Don't want to cut the plastic?


Its just not practical for what i do most of the time. I do more trail riding then mudding.It would be nice to have the radiator up high if i done a lot of riding in the deep stuff.


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## tackleberry

I made one from a 750gph boat bilge pump,it came with about 10foot of 3/4'' hose. I reduced it down to 1/4" and put a longer power cord on it. It has just enough pressure to do the job and it does not take up much room. Cost was about $20.


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## vtfast

Gotta say I have used a coke bottle before and it worked well enough to get the brute cooled down and home with no further overheating. We have also discussed using a pump up spray bottle to clean the mud off with, all you need to do is keep it in the truck full along with extra water for the really dirty days. Have one that I will be trying next time we hit the deep mud......


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## phreebsd

I'd need a storage box to carry all this stuff around. 
I couldnt get one tho. I like the stock look above the plastics (though im missing some plastic after yesterdays ride!  Can't really tell it's misson tho)

I'm moving my radiator pooh on overheating.


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## expat_dude

I need to look into this before Marengo!!


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## Mud Narc

I'm about to relocate my radiator for this reason. Just looking at several others to see which one is the neatest and most cost affective.


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## IBBruin

I've remounted the radiator on 4 machines and none of them were done with any kind of kit. 06 Polaris 700, 04 Kawi 700, 08 Brute, 08 Polaris 800. I'll take pics when I get back to Shreveport where the machines are. If you can do a small amount of metal fab with minimum welding it can be done for the cost of the radiator and about 50 bucks. I used the stock radiator on my Kawi, just put it on top of the plastics and it works fine.


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## Yesterday

yessir! very interested in seein yer photos!


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## IBBruin

The Polaris mod was done with the HL radiator. The Kawi was done with the stock rad.


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## IBBruin

See the setup in the foreground? That's almost embarrassing. No it's not one of my creations. Take pride in your own mods sheesh.


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## Yesterday

man, i'm glad to see you older fellas still get down like we do!


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## Polaris425

man those are the best lookin radiator jobs I've ever seen. :rockn:


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## IBBruin

BigP said:


> man, i'm glad to see you older fellas still get down like we do!


If ya wanna hook up at Nats, we can show ya how us old men play. :rockn:


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## IBBruin

Polaris425 said:


> man those are the best lookin radiator jobs I've ever seen. :rockn:


Thanks, it's not easy and extremely time consuming but very little $$ in doing it like that. But you know what they say, if it were easy, women and children could do it.


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## IBBruin

I feel like I've steered this thread off topic, sorry bout that.


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## Metal Man

> I feel like I've steered this thread off topic, sorry bout that.


Its my topic so don't worry about ...cause i ain't. You just keep posting up pics like that!! Thats a cool looking radiator job. I might even consider something like that.


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## Yesterday

is a more powerful fan needed to pull enough air through that smaller openening?


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## Metal Man

Hahahahaha i just noticed the giant Coors Light heat shield on your exhaust. 

Very unique. I like it :bigok:


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## IBBruin

That coors light mini keg got trashed when I was pulling the Honda back with the broken tie rod. I used a hole saw to cut holes in the top and bottom of the keg. I cut the angle piece off the exhaust snorkel, slid the keg down over the exhaust then welded the angle back.It turned a few heads at last years nats for sure. LOL

As far as the fan goes I was concerned about that myself while I was doing the mod cause I didn't have anyone else to ask. I used the stock fan on the Kawi 700 and it has never overheated on me. Unless I'm hitting it hard in the mud or ideling for long periods of time, it very seldom comes on. Since the radiator stays 100% clean all the time, there is more surface area to dissipate the heat. Even a partially clogged or dirty radiator cuts your cooling capability drastically. I was trying to find pics of the Kawi with the fiberglass scoop removed to show ya'll the framework around the rad but haven't been able to find it yet. I may have to take more pics. I did incorporate the snorkle base into the radiator framework. It made for a much cleaner snorkel install.


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## Mud Narc

Man I really like those kits. Are you willing to share the design and if not how much will it cost for you to make one for me. I've seen several designs but kinda picky on the look. This one I like.


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## IBBruin

They aren't really kits. They are custom made to each machine. As far as sharing the design I sure don't have a problem with that. I'm headed back to Shreveport tomorrow and will take several close up pictures of everything I did. The scoops are hand laid fiberglass. I took the foam blocks from any craft store like florist put flowers in and made the scoop. Laid fiberglass mat over it. Once the glass had cured, I flipped it over and used a pressure washer to remove the foam. A little sanding and trimming and there ya go. The one on the Kawi, I built the frame that holds the radiator, taped an old pizza box around the frame, used the foam blocks to make the actual scoop part and glued it to the pizza box. Covered the whole thing in fiberglass. Pressure washed the foam out. On the inside of mine, you can still see parts of the pizza box. LOL

I really don't want to make another one. From beginning to end, radiator in stock location to radiator inside scoop and drivable, it takes about 25 to 35 hours of labor and there's no way I'm going to charge anyone to make one. If the guy isn't riding his Brute Thursday or Friday, I'll take detailed pics and hopefully you can tackle it on your own. 

On the Kawi, I'm playing with the idea of making a cone of some kind on each side and mounting speakers in it.


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## bruterider1080

**** it, i didnt know hl made one, i made one just like that out of a boat bilge pump some 3/4 inch tubing and a hose pressure nozzle......well i dont know about theirs but the one i put together is 800gph, with a screen so debris dont get in, and it shoots a stream like 30-35 feet....and pretty potent.


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## Yesterday

sounds like plenty of power to knock some tater's off yer radiator ---^


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## policebrute750

the best i found. i took my motorhome and installed a 3,000psi pressure washer in the belly and hooked it up to the water tank. if it gets clogged up pull it back and bam you know its clean then. 
i have also seen people use a gas powered washer and use buckets and gravity feed the pump. works great, you just have to be pulled back to the truck. but who rides that deep by there selves.


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## Yesterday

policebrute750 said:


> but who rides that deep by there selves.











me


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## sandman7655

you always stirring the pot


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## bruiser quad

I know this thread is kinda old, A few weeks ago at Turkey Bay, we were hanging out watching some jeeps play in the mud, they were using water fire extinguishers to clean off windows, radiators and such....


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## phreebsd

^sounds like a costly method.


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## bruiser quad

I think at one time between 4 jeeps i counted 5 extinguishers, so one of the guys must work at a company that deals with em or something. but that mud didn't stand a chance...


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