Thread: Radiator "side supports" on 32 roadster question

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HELLO.....is anyone home on this forum? LOL How could a week go by without a single post? After all, the 75th birthday is coming up for the 1932 Ford and I'm sure many of you (like me) are working on roadster projects. How come no activity?

I have a question about using the solid Fink/Hagen style side hood mountings and that they double as radiator side supports. On an "original car" the radiator and grill shell is supported by rods that go from the firewall "to the center" of the radiator. This allows the car frame to twist and flex as it goes over curbs without stressing or flexing the radiator. On the Fink/Hagen style hood supports they mount the grill/radiator solidly to the firewall and when the car is twisted this motion is transferred to the radiator. I believe this is the reason my AFCO aluminum radiator only lasted 5000 miles before it developed cracks in the corners and required replacement.

I just finished installing a new Walker radiator and was wondering if I should mount only the lower and center top mountings on the radiator? By not mounting my Hagen hood side supports directly to the radiator it would allow the top of the radiator to float a little when the car twists. The radiator would still be mounted at the bottom to the frame and mounted in the center to the radiator shell at the top. It's a little confusing explaining this and I hope you get my thinking.

Lets hear some some of your thoughts.

HELLO.....is anyone home on this forum? LOL How could a week go by without a single post? After all, the 75th birthday is coming up for the 1932 Ford and I'm sure many of you (like me) are working on roadster projects. How come no activity?


ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ....................... HEY, QUIT MAKING ALL THAT RACKET, WE'RE TRYING TO NAP HERE !!!!!


Actually, i had the same concerns when I mounted the '32 grille and Brassworks radiator on my '27. When you are going down the road these two items take a real beating, and move around a fair amount. I used the traditional stainless round rods that go from the firewall to the sides of the radiator, and put rubber doughnuts under each mounting bolt on the radiator, and after about 3 years of driving, the mounts broke loose from the solder on the radiator, and I had to have a shop resolder them. I also left the bolts slightly loose, so the rubber could flex a little.

My frame has almost no flex, but the position of the radiator right over the front spring puts a lot of vibrations into the radiator. I think the original radiators were bolted on one side, and had a small coil spring around the bolt on the other side. Not sure of that, however.

Don't have any real answers for your situation though, just thought I would add to your post that I have seen the same problem.

Don

Yep, IMO the radiator has to be able to move around a bit or it will get busted up real quick.

Never really thought about it like this. I guess I will try rubber mounts under it and rubber on the side mounts as well to try and help

I am at the point of tying everything down and had the same concern because I have a Be-Cool alum. radiator. there is no top mount on mine and the grill shell is mounted to the rad. side supports. I decided that the original way was best on the bottom mounts and ordered a stock (but stain. steel) mounting kit. It uses a rubber pad under each side and both bolts have a spring on them for movement. They also are set up for a cotter pin because you don't tighten them down tight. That should help. I am also going to run side mounts simular to the Fink mounts, but just on upper mount until I find out about movement.
Jim

Thanks for your feed back guys. Yes, I had the first radiator mounted with the original style (Vintique) mounting kit, a rubber pad, stainless spring, and bolt with a nylox nut so you do not have to have it very tight.

I really think that I'm going to cut off the top side mounts on the radiator and use the stock top mount of the radiator attached to the steel grill shell and allow the radiator top to have some side to side free play. The Hagen hood side mounts will be attached to the grill shell.

As a side bar I drove the car 250+ miles on Sunday with the new Walker radiator and was surprised how well it cooled the engine. I disconnected the electrict fan, and had to place a sheet of card board behind the core to keep some heat in the engine. Note: I have since installed an 195 degree thermostat so it should now stay warm enough.

On the Hagan hood set up the bars that go from the firewall to the radiator on each side are attached to the sheetmetal of the radiator cowl/grill that surrounds the rad, not the radiator side itself.
In fact with a metal car it works better. IMHO. I'm sure they'll send you a CD on the installation if you ask em. Pete Hagan is a stand up guy.

Originally Posted by rocknrod

On the Hagan hood set up the bars that go from the firewall to the radiator on each side are attached to the sheetmetal of the radiator cowl/grill that surrounds the rad, not the radiator side itself.
In fact with a metal car it works better. IMHO. I'm sure they'll send you a CD on the installation if you ask em. Pete Hagan is a stand up guy.

Hey Rock N Rod, thanks for your feed back. No need to "stand up" for Hagan or his products as I'm very happy with his products (hood top/hood sides/triple mount) and also their great service. My car is an "all steel" (RodBod) roadster with a brown patina some would call RUST. I have followed the Hagan install CD "to the letter", and yes the side bars attach to the radiator grill shell. But, the radiator also has a top/side mount that attaches the radiator to the grill shell at the same exact point. This ends up being a "solid mount" and when the car frame flexes the radiator core top is put into a twisting bind. As previously mentioned, I plan to utilize the radiator/grill center top mount point and also the lower side mounts. By removing the top side radiator mounts it will allow the radiator to be free from the flex induced by the side supports when the car twists coming out of a driveway and my hope is that this will prolong the life of my new radiator.