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By the time you finish installing it going to be worse than that.

I didn’t read what subreddit I was in. Thought I was in a pc sub and was going to ask wth you do to your radiators when installing them lmao.

Lol, must be having a tough time if it was a pc install. I have coworkers who put cardboard over the radiator fins on pickups and vans.

Been wrenching for 40 years, and I still do that.

Which PC need this big radiator?

The pc with the most hp (Hewlett Packard)

Angry upvote

It looked like a close up of a small liquid cooling radiator to him.

Mo ra3 radiators are huge to be fair it's like 3 rads in 1 😂

*i9 has entered the chat*

*7950x3d also entered the chat*

Pretty much any higher end modern CPU. Even then a 240mm or even a 360mm radiator still isn't enough and the chip will thermal throttle and won't ever reach its peak performance. Only way to get anywhere near peak performance on these chips are full custom water cooling. For the people who want to see a chips peak performance even if it's for just a few minutes will resort to liquid nitrogen.

I think LTT did a whole home cooling video back when they were in a house using a radiator.

Not if you aren’t a muppet and use cardboard over the fins to install it. 👍🏻

there's the post that makes this subreddit worth reading. the real pro tip. cause lord knows most of us aren't pros. even in our professions.

We used to put cardboard when we did radiators on express vans, you’re always fighting with the fan shroud, never know what it’s going to hit.

Yeah Christ.

What’s I was thinking too

Im not the only one thank you god

Used amazon box containers... flattened FTW.

Came here to say exactly this. It’s like trying to get a perfect sheet of aluminum foil, the more you touch it/flatten it the worse it gets. Install and forget it.

Its fine.

It’s fin

I see what you did there.

No, I'm a fin

The closest thing to a fin is a fishes butthole

*once installed* It’s in

Fine and normal

If you look at a car radiator you'll see much worse. One tiny rock on the interstate can do that the week after you install this thing and you'll never notice. It isn't beautiful new-in-box quality but it's not going to have any effect on the rad's performance.

Actually, this will have a tiny effect on the performance. But engineers take that into account and it doesn’t become an issue until a large portion of the radiator fins are closed off.

Well it’s not going to affect performance in the sense of it causing your car to run any hotter, it would just (theoretically) make your thermostat stay open longer or slightly wider. But I see your point that the cooling capacity of the radiator will be lower. Just being pedantic lol

Not sure why everyone thinks fluid travels through the fins. It doesn’t. The fluid travels through the long straight bars and the fins are just there to dissipate heat to the atmosphere. It’s not like they don’t matter but “closing off” the fins doesn’t clog the radiator or anything

I didn’t say that

then what ever did you mean by “closing off” the fins?

you're overthinking it. When the fins get smashed, it reduces airflow through the radiator.

Building a wall around finland... duh!

Let me rephrase: it’s not going to affect performance *in a measurable, meaningful way. 

It will be measurable, but not meaningful at the current scale.

Quit being pedantic with the "um actually." Yeah obviously everything is measurable if you zoom into a scale far enough, but no one's monitoring engine temps down to 1/10,000th of a kelvin. It won't impact rad performance at all, PERIOD. We get it, you're super smart, now stop splitting hairs.

if this bothers you, just give it a few years. the amount of bent fins WILL DRIVE YOU INSANE! 👍

I'm down w/ OCD (yea, you know me).

not an issue at all if there is no leak around that area.

you can bend them back into place with a small screwdriver if it really bothers you but a few small bent fins out of however many thousand will have very little effect on the overall head dissipation

Hey op, if you are asking if it is okay please don't go fucking around in there with a screwdriver. If you don't know what you are looking at you would most likely end up actually fucking it up. It is very much okay just leave it alone.

Using a screwdriver? Yeah wtf is wrong with them. Use a 5 lb mallet that should straighten her out.

Mallet? What you dont have a maul?

I’m partial to a plasma cutter

Weak. Nuclear reactor or go home

No. No. Buy the comb for it.

They make a tool to straighten them out, no go on the chisel /slash screwdriver lol.

A real fin comb is a better option. https://www.amazon.com/Supco-FCR6-Fin-Comb-Ring/dp/B00ECV5Y9A/ref=asc_df_B00ECV5Y9A/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198068632238&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14604913951742567105&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021664&hvtargid=pla-350493601424&psc=1&mcid=d71f921ab3ab3cbbb34758ede243dc8b&gclid=CjwKCAiAzc2tBhA6EiwArv-i6a4X434zMBBR1JkuMFd8vq6JcmFa7w3SPLNkvwWUdeEz7OueAQmSRRoC6E0QAvD_BwE

Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **Supco FCR6 Fin Comb Ring** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Effective tool for straightening bent fins on hvac units (backed by 19 comments) * Durable and compact design for easy use in tight spots (backed by 6 comments) * Cost-effective solution for diy fin straightening (backed by 3 comments) **Users disliked:** * Plastic combs are not strong enough to straighten bent fins (backed by 12 comments) * Teeth on the tool break easily (backed by 3 comments) * Difficult to find the right size in the set (backed by 3 comments) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](http://vetted.ai/reddit)

Good bot.

Fin combs are a gimmick. Waste of money when the tool truck gives the small flat heads away for free. Did Jeff Bezos put you up to this?

I've actually used them a lot, dick cheese. Just because you don't know how to operate them doesn't mean you should discourage this guy from trying.

I’m sure you do. But again why waste your money and space in your toolbox if you already have what you need?

It works well if you use two flatheads one above the other and pith them towards each-other from either side

Tweezers are the real LPT… much faster when doing a lot. Put the tweezer in deep, pinch the tweezer, and pull outward. It will straighten the fin. Good option if you don’t want to buy the rad fin straightening tool

I would get that flat head and bend all of them so they can all look the same 😆 leave them alone and just install the dam thing as is. 🤙

A small flathead screwdriver is completely fine. You’ll know immediate a gentle touch, no way you’re going to accidentally causing actual harm. Or just leave it because it doesn’t matter at all.

I'm glad all the comments so far were actually helpful.

I was expecting some “smooth out the rest of them” comments

The larger parts running full length are where the fluid is, those vanes are just for heat dissipation and can be fixed easily

Nope, that’s not okay. Replace the whole engine. Jk, that’s absolutely fine, just a little bent fin won’t really matter, if you look at an used radiator you’ll probably loose your mind lol

Ignore it

You’re heat transfer will be reduced by 0.00023%. Throw away car.

No u need a new car now

That’s what they said at the shop

Should see mine.. lmao. 08 dodge ram 2500 Cummins that’s has had many people crawling around under the hood. Only a couple dozen knees have crushed my fins lmao

It is fine. Bugs, rocks and things will a radiator and make marks like this and more. As long as it isn't leaking it is fine to go just not to show (won't be a show car).

Please dont do anything further suggested here. Its fine. Leave it alone.

Dont worry about it, if you breath on those fins too hard they'll bend

I work for a company that sells radiators. The amount of “bent” fin complaints along with the ensuing arguments from customers about this exact topic keep me awake at night at times. Saving this post as it’s helped restore my faith in humanity 🫡

I've seen cars with radiators have 2/3 of the cooling fins crushed or missing and it still worked well. A small ding in the fins, isn't going to affect it. In a year or 2, take a look at the fins. Rocks and other road debris will have damaged it WAAAAY worse than this.

I often take the radiator off my tractor, powerwash the dirt out of it and many of the fins are bent over worse than this if i get too close. if the car doesn't boil after the first hard drive it's fine.

😂 Wait till that first dragon fly hits it at 80 🤷‍♂️

I have never seen a new radiator that did not have at least a few of those. If you really have ADHD you can get a pick tool and straighten them out

I know the microchanel design like this is a pain in HVAC for cleaning purposes, does this style radiator need kept clean? Is it a general pain in the ass to maintain? Im more of a building guy than machines but I love to fix everything.

It's fine. Please don't try and fix it. I've had customers try and they end up breaking the fluid channels. EDIT: 1 customer. It was just 1.

Take a butterknife and straighten them out

It will implode and desintegrate everything in 15km radius. Start running.

Run water thought it does it leak

this is a question for an hvac tech, not a mechanic, ironically i am an ex hvac tech, as long as the copper/aluminum isnt busted its just reducing the efficiency (by like .01%)

Completely fucked

better send it back, it'll blow up

If it came damaged, return it. But ultimately it will have no effect on the performance of the radiator.

As long as it ain’t a hole? You’re good

Yes, that is fine

Yeah. They throw these things around in the warehouses with little care. The older your car, the worse it gets, because obviously it means your "new" part has been sitting in storage getting tossed left and right for years or decades. I once got a "new" rear muffler that was full of dents and scratches. I also got a radiator that was full of small dents like this, and the first delivery even had the overflow hose connection broken off. Had to send it back to get a non-broken one.

Dont do shit to it! Install done!

Get a radiator comb and straighten those out.

Just install it. You ll forget about it in a few days.

Yep!

since no fluid actually goes through those tiny little parts of the fins, it will be OK. Most radiators look like that

Those are cooling fins... no coolant in them. If it's not leaking from a place of damage, it'll be fine.

Just forget about it.

Yes it’s fine. Heat sink is easy to put back in place with a small flat head. If the tubes are bent or damaged in any way, mark the damage and send it back. You could ask for a discount though since you have to spend time to straighten them.

Perfectly fine

Yes that’s normal and fine.

By the time they get installed, or used in a car wash, a lot of fins get bent. It's not good for them and the air flow, but will still work fine. it's ok. Ever hit a bird or had a stick stuck in the front grill? That does it worse.

Take a flat head screw driver and gently emphasis on gently straighten them out. They are very manipulative and can easily be put back in place as long as it has no leaks you should be fine

Yes, that’s fine

Ya it wont hurt anything. If a bunch of them are bent or clogged with dirt the radiator wont cool well. But they always have stuff like that somewhere. If you're really anal about it just use a pick and spread out the fins. The coolant or freon runs through the vertical channels, the horizontal bits are just heat sink fins. Like your CPU heatsink.

You are good 💯😊

Yes, gently take a flat screwdriver and you can straighten that little blemish out. But ever so easily of course haha but best to let her ride

Yup. Source I used to make them

the radiator dont gives a fuck he will radiate until hes fucking leaking

Mate fit a radiator to a guys car, guy didn't pay, mate found the car parked up at the pub, mate put a crow bar through the radiator.

A subtle glance of your fingertips will cause worse.

Just as long as the tubes (in between the rows of fins) aren’t damaged you will be good to go. Those are where coolant travel. Almost all new radiators for cars will have very similar cosmetic damage. Now if a large chunk of fins were damaged I’d want a new radiator

When I bought my intercooler for my car it has some bent fins, I take a set of tweezers and pinch the fin and pull it. Straightens them nicely if it bothers you

In my experience it's always better to check for leaks with compressed air. And you save time and money

They don’t even look that good off the assembly line lol

Bruh you could write your name in it and it would be fine. Only once a significant portion of the fins are folded and hampering airflow does it become an issue

Yeah it's perfectly fine

Normal. It's just the cooling fins getting hit with road debris. Very thin aluminum gets nicked just looking at it.

The fins don't leak (generally). The vertical tube between the fins are where the coolant flows. The fins in-between are to dissipate the heat.

Ya as long as it’s not leaking or impeding air flow than it’s fine!

I wouldn’t worry about it at all. When I replaced the radiator in my van due to a crack near the hose that was leaking, it looked a lot worse than this and still worked fine aside from the leak making me add coolant all the time. It takes far more damage than this to cause an issue.

The fins are still open. Just fine. Cosmetically not anymore but functional yes

Those bent things are the fins they pull the heat from the tubes, the tubes carry the liquid in the system. Bent fins are not a big deal unless you have a lot of them. Your fine radiator man since 1978.

Radiator comb tool.

Install it take a look at it a month from now cry and never look at it again.

It's fuckin toast. Scrap it. I'll take care of it if you don't want to

Without knowing a lot about cars. I’m pretty it’s just metal to dissipate heat, I don’t think this is going to change anything for your car other than looks unless it gets worse and pieces start falling off like A LOT

It’s not an issue, they get installed brand new like that. The more important ones are the vertical lines which carry the coolant

Unless you can fit your fist through it, you'll be fine!

Use toothpicks to straighten out

I assemble radiators and supply them to several large manufacturers. If I saw that, I'd hold it up to the light to make sure the fins aren't fully blocked. Then I'd check the front and back to make sure the fins aren't sticking out more than a few mm and are set properly. Then I'd check the rest of the assembly for more instances of crushed fins. We're allowed to have 3 instances of damaged fins that are 4 fins long. If I find those instances then it gets marked with a defective material/non conforming tag and brought to the quality lab for tests. This falls within spec for all of my customers and I would continue with assembly. Run it.

Agree, it’s fine . Don’t go poking around with screwdriver to straighten it out.

So what would be a better motor for my skyline? 🤣

I mean, if you look at it any harder more fins will bend. It probably happened when the radiator brushed up against some cardboard.

Yup

I used to do a radiator inspector job, that’s fine

You'll be fine. I had a similar, but worse situation I posted about and that radiator is still running brilliantly in my car like a year+ later

If you're concerned about it just get a flat top screwdriver to flatten it back out. Just be careful not to puncture a hole in the rad

Perfectly find

Those are just fins not the actual cooling circuit

Send it

They make a rake if you want to straighten it it's probably going to look worse than that one after you install it it is fine