[Item Review] If the Size Fits, It’s Fantastic! Protect Your Oil Cooler with ACTIVE’s “Armis” Core Guard

Lately, there’s been quite a boom in oil cooler core guards, right?
You know, those things with the intricate mesh pattern created by edging.

They come with a hefty price tag and have that aggressive, flashy look. *Confused by that description?
I wanted something more straightforward, and I found it—even with custom sizing.
It might be the cheapest oil cooler core guard out there, so check it out.

Here are the Armis core guard dimensions.

Core size	Row count	Height × width	Color options
9 inch	10 rows	76 × 266 mm	Silver / Black
9 inch	13 rows	97 × 266 mm	Silver / Black
11 inch	13 rows	97 × 327 mm	Silver / Black
11 inch	16 rows	119 × 327 mm	Silver / Black

It looks like there’s less versatility than I thought, but use this as a reference.

ACTIVE core guard page

Very straightforward. This is the kind of product manufacturers should be selling.

Speaking of list price versus cost… this kind of product is the most realistic.
The market is flooded with original products with high list prices but low profit margins.

I genuinely “really love that bike model” is what I feel.
If you like a shop, I’d love to see you support their original products with that
“spirit of backing them up.”

Products like this with low cost and minimal bulk are great. They’re a smart buy.

Price-wise and finish-wise, it’s in that sweet spot where replacement is affordable and quick when it gets old.
I really have to hand it to them.

A gotcha on first glance. Confusing instructions are the industry standard.

If you’re wondering “You secure it with this?” you’re 100% right—it uses cotter pins and rubber washers. It’s actually pretty innovative and simple.

After trying it, I realized that depending on the paint on the oil cooler, the pin can be
“hard to insert in certain spots.”
Getting it installed without scratching the cooler while it’s mounted is a bit challenging.

Bare metal looks aggressive, so I’ll wrap it with my usual trim as usual.
The trim gives it a gentle fit and tones down the aggressive look.

I’ll temporarily secure it like this.
Then “the position of the guard mesh and where the cooler passes through” need to be matched up.
When you do things properly, there’s always extra work involved.

I want to do the installation efficiently and smartly.

A welding rod or similar will do.

The cotter pin is long and “won’t fit as-is, and you can’t bend and cut it.”
Measure the length you need plus a bit extra and trim the cotter pin beforehand—it’ll go faster.

The original hole is hard to insert into.

Enlarging the rubber washer hole with a punch makes installation easier.
This rubber washer is just there to prevent scratches and provide tension. Enlarging it makes removal and installation smoother.

Apply some tension, then bend the cotter pin and finally cut it.

Having a good sharp nipper that can cut in tight spaces is really handy.

This nipper isn’t technically supposed to be used this way, but “the tip is super strong.”
I even use the tip to “cut stainless wire.”
You’d be surprised how often you run into tight spots like this. It’s incredibly useful in those situations.

ACTIVE Armis [TYPE-2]
Round 9-13R Black (97×266mm) 1350010

That’s how we got the core guard installed (*´ω｀*) The blog posts are a bit out of order, but I’ll keep updating.

The oil cooler is Oono Speed bolt-on kit with filter cap