what is the best way to clean the radiator on my sportsman 450? i have been riding through alot of brush and now my radiator is clogged.

 

If it is cotton and grass seed and is all dry stuff try blowing it out with air from the back side. If it is mud then you will need to use a garden hose from the back side. Just be careful so you don't fold the fins over.

 

if it was flashing 'HOT" also check your coolant over-flow tank to see if the level is low...........My Sp 450's (I have two from 2006) when flashing HOT are always plugged at the rear(Fan side)........You can also take the front plastic insert off,if you don't have a winch there , and flush from there also..........But the back is hard to see and where the mud gets if it's mud your asking about..........Caper............

 

i tried the air hose that got most of the dust out. i will try the hose tommorow to get the mud out.

 

i've had my 800 so plugged i had to take it out to clean it as the mud baked right on and a hose wouldn't even touch it.

 

If you have some stubborn stuff you might have to soak it a few times with the hose. I find that soaking it a few times will help loosen things up. I beleive there is a tool(almost looks like a brush) that is made for cleaning out radiator fins. Also, when I'm out in the nasty muck I find a water source(usually pond or river) to run around in occasionally to keep things cleared out.

 

I think i am going to have to take it out like stendori said the mud is baked on.

 

I take mine off when it gets caked in, baked on mud. I use liberal amounts of water and one of those soft bristled car wash brushes.

 

stendori do you have any tips on how to clean the rad once it is out of the machine ? i have mud baked right on too (in certain areas) and it looks hard as rock any ideas/tips you can share to get it nice and clean without ruining fins this will be my first time attempting to clean a radiator

 

Water, water, then more water, and finally, water. No pressure washers, but a garden hose at a moderate spray pressure should be ok. Turn that hard gunk back to mud before trying to rinse it out. Again, a soft bristled dish washing brush is ok, just don't go gonzo with it. Soak the rad first if it is real bad. Then work the surface stuff gently off each side. Anything left in the center usually the hose can rinse out after both surfaces are cleaned.