Thread: Another radiator question.

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I like your bedsides. Did you roll the bead before the brake?

Thanks. Yep we did. I actually "inherited" that bed in it's entirety. My Son built it for his sedan-turned-roadster pickup, but later on changed his mind and bought a model a bed from Brookville. We had to shorten it and narrow it to fit my truck, but the basics were already done. I even got the metal tonneau cover we built and that he sent out to have 224 louvers punched in it. I made out REAL good dumpster diving that day!

Here are pictures of it when it was on his roadster.

Don

Yeah, that stainless would look great, especially if you polish it. If you can't get it you could use copper plumbing pipe. It would look cool polished also, but would require a clearcoat or constant attention to keep it shiny...

Or I could leave the copper to age...........PATINA!!!

Don

Age? Patina..? Yeah, these aren't wrinkles; it's patina!

Just a thought Don, would it be possible or feasible to modify the top tank to accept an elbow for the filler and radiator cap? I would think that would eliminate the need for an in line water fill.

That's a good point. I was thinking of going alumimum radiator because I just like them better personally, but a local shop might have trouble modifying aluminum. So maybe in this case a copper one might be better.

Don

And if that wouldn't work maybe a fill tank from a '60's era Ford.

Yep. I used one of those when I built my 289/ Sprite. Haven't seen many of those around in a while though.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

That's a good point. I was thinking of going alumimum radiator because I just like them better personally, but a local shop might have trouble modifying aluminum. So maybe in this case a copper one might be better.

Don

I'm thinking that a good radiator shop shouldn't have trouble welding in an angled filler tube in the original filler location.

They also make a T stat housing with a cap for filling. If that ends up being the highest point in the system it might work.

I came here looking for some tips on running the radiator in the back of my Fiat Topolino and I'll be darned if my buddy Don hasnt asked all the questions I was gonna ask. Thanks, that was easy.

I could add one thing I have been looking into. Finned aluminum extrusions. They come in all diameters ID and OD. A 3-5' piece going to and coming from the radiator would add to the cooling. The fins run the legnth of the tubing. There is another kind with fins running around the tube like little disks. You may have seen it on the tube that connects the 2 cylinders of a 2 stage compressor. I prefer the extrusion but I dont think I will add this to the system unless I cant get the cooling needed.

Once again, thanks for the help.
Jim

Hey Don, just something that popped into my mind when I read this thread. I remember decades ago when Bill Thomas was raging with Corvairs, there was a write-up about the car overheating. In the end, they found that without a flat sheetmetal pan under the motor, air would stack up under the motor at road speed and hinder the passage of air blown downward by the blower fan on the motor. They fashioned a pan that closed off the front and sides of the motor, leaving the rear open for blower fan air to exit. The high-pressure road air then slid past the motor and out the back of the car with the fan air.

The way you describe it, you have just the reverse arrangement, pulling air in from the bottom and exhausting it out at the top. Just be aware that you could possibly experience the same scenario, with road air stacking up on top of the louvers. I'm no aerodynamicist, I just wanted to pass this along to you.

I know next to nothing about this business, but what I do know is-----------
I love that truck! Better than the T Bucket, even though I enjoyed that build thread. A laugh a minute, what with some of the comments you got from your (friends). haahaaaa. Can't wait to see it on the road. Regards, Perley

Thanks for bringing this one back from the dead, guys. I have sort of stopped temporarily working on the Dodge for a couple of reasons, like I am taking a little breather...... I am enjoying putting money into the bank for a change instead of taking it out..... and finally, I want to help Dan get his car running before I do much more to the Dodge.

However, I did buy an aluminum radiator and held it up against the frame on an angle to see how it would look, and I think it will be fine. I am going to take Richard's suggestion and put some ducting underneath so the air gets directed upward, rather that shooting out the back. That, and a good pusher fan (no room for a puller) should do the trick. I think the fact that I will have about 8 feet of tubing running to and from the radiator should help dissipate some of the heat too. I was also able to fit a pretty big (19 x 29) radiator back there.

Littleman on the HAMB has a similar setup in his model A coupe, and he is running a Hemi with a radiator in the back..........I PM'd him about it, and he said it works fine that way. So, when I get back on it the radiator mounting is one of the first things I have to take care of.

Thanks for helping out everybody.

Don