My new 26" tall aluminum radiator is about 2" too tall for the lines of the body to flow properly with a hood mounted. Is it possible to get my radiator cut down or would I be wise to sell it and get a new one made?
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My new 26" tall aluminum radiator is about 2" too tall for the lines of the body to flow properly with a hood mounted. Is it possible to get my radiator cut down or would I be wise to sell it and get a new one made?
I probably can't be much help, but on my 57 chev belair with tilt over
front, I had a custom radiator built, but it was too tall. I welded a plate
for the radiator to sit on about two inches below where it was suppose
to sit, then made and welded two upright brackets to attach radiator
to. Works and looks fine. Just an Idea, but it beats cutting a hole in
your hood. I also went with puller electric fans that are enclosed within
a shroud. Good luck, and I am sure there are others with better Ideas
than mine.
I would just buy another aluminum rad. the right size they aren't that expensive if your worried about cooling add another row. then sell the one you have.
Getting a done radiator re-done may be an expensive proposition. You may be better off getting one made that is an exact fit.
To re-do yours means cutting the tanks or removing finned area and either way, you are losing cooling areas.
Tom,
I saw a writeup on shortening a radiator that gave a step by step - took the guy about 4 hours and then $80 for a radiator shop to solder & pressure test. I can send you a link, but it looks like you have PM's and e-mail blocked?
I think shortening an aluminum radiator is beyond most shop capabilities. With that said, and repeating the above, lowering the frame brackets would be my first option and if not possible without hose/chassis interference, another radiator would be in the "budget".
Do you have photos of what you are doing as we here l-o-v-e pictures so we really know what you are doing?
Dave,Quote:
Originally Posted by IC2
I forgot we were talking an aluminum radiator here. The one shortened in the writeup was copper/brass, a totally different deal. Never mind.....:o:LOL::o
Thanks guys. I bought a new '32 lowboy radiator on EBAY for 199.00 that will work perfect. I can sell mine and get some of my money back. I didn't know I had pms blocked. I will work on that.
Radiator is too tall to let the hood follow the lines of the truck. Now with the lower radiator i am going to have to move the radiator forward for the fan to clear the waterpump pulley, lengthen the hood and rework the headlight bar to clear the radiator shell. Or I could add a remote electric waterpump for $600.00.
Heck, it's only money.Quote:
Originally Posted by TomJ
No clue as to what water pump you have, there are many short ones to consider.
If you are committed to electric fans, why not look at running a couple of smaller, and offset so you can sneak that pulley between them. A couple of Fords have dual fans which, if not mistaken, are offset.
Or ...... you can set the engine back a few more inches like my '31:CRY: Of course you would have to be double jointed to drive a pick up with even less toe box room.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...d/DSCN1748.jpg
I do have a big electric fan, but have room for a mechanical
I'll take a look at a couple of smaller fans. I'm not married to the electric fan route but the engine is too low for a mechanical fan and too close to radiator. I'm using a short water pump but I wish it was shorter. Too bad a dyson fan can't be used. The distributer is close to the firewall now so can't move engine. I just looked at it and I think I will fabricate a bar that bolts on at the headlight bolts and curves out around the grill shell then cut the center part of the old bar out so I don't have to disturb the fenders. Its always a problem putting a v8 in a model A without cutting the firewall. I'm excited about the new radiator. It was $199 with free shipping and the shipped it already. I'm wondering if I can make a couple of filler strips to mount to the radiator shell that the hood can sit on. That way I can use the original hood without legthening it.
This is what it will look like with lower radiator and hood.
Very niceee '31 Dave.
Thanks Tom.Quote:
Originally Posted by TomJ
I do like the '28-'29 but I'm just too tall to fit - I tried - and a p/u - impossible.
Adding a filler strip is going to be dicey - that existing, oem style/length hood has a compound curve and a filler strip or extension to the rad shell just wont fit easily - you've changed(lessened) the angle from the firewall to the radiator shell. Rootleib will make a custom fit hood - but of course, that's more money:(. I've found the hard way that one simple, reasonable change begets several others that just keep adding up. Something like my battery move - that ~$100 battery needs a new box, some more 1/0ga cable and several other wires that need to be moved or replaced. Then I'll have an aging but still good Optima battery and bracket left over, etc, etc, etc
Tom,
I ran into a similar issue on mine, but tied to laying the top back for both hood fit and looks. I was able to simply take off the flat panel shroud and turn it 180degrees, biasing my fan to the bottom vs the top and I picked up the necessary clearance. Might be worth a test fit?
Thanks Roger, I will look at that possibility.
Dave, I'm not sure what you mean by changed the angle from the firewall to the radiator. I want it to be the same. With the new radiator I can pretty much set it at the height I need and then modify (shorten) the shell to fit.
Possibly I misunderstood you.Quote:
Originally Posted by TomJ
What I was saying is that if you move the radiator/shell forward a couple of inches you will change the angle from the firewall to that radiator
Oh yeah that is true. Problem is it's too high now and the angle is way off so I'm going to lower it to get the angle right but then the fan will hit the waterpump pulley so I have to move it forward. And so I'll have to make it a little lower to get the angle right. We're on the same page.
Really like the look of your pick-up. It's not something you see alot today and I like different. ..........good job!!!
Before hacking up the car take a look at a Zip's water pump riser. It raises the pump to a working level: Zip's Water Pump Riser Housing | Cooling | SoCal Sacramento Not promoting you buy from these guys, just the first link I came to for reference. Do a Google search and you'll find lots of info.
Then for a fan, Flex-a-lite makes a nice one that has a nearly flat front but moves a lot of air, comes in several sizes: FLEX A LITE NYLON COOLING FAN 17'' 6 BLADE | eBay Again, link just for info reference. My late buddy Bubba and I have used a few of these in tight quarters and they really solve a problem.
I think some of the folks not familiar with this particular kind of car don't realize that the rad sits right on top of the front crossmember, so dropping it isn't really feasilble. Well, you might could go 1/2" or so with some surgery, but usually not worth the effort. Moving the rad forward on a model a starts to make it look awkward, beside the interference with the light bar. Sometimes you can go a small bit without too much noticed, but more than an inch really starts to look peculiar.
Bob, I concidered that option but I didn't think I had enough room for the fan behind the radiator. I've read that this system uses a 6 cyl. Chevy water pump. I'll revisit that option. I'd love to be able to use my stock hood.
Bob, do you know what the deminsion is from the face of the head where the riser bolts on to the forward face of the fan?
Thanks Tom
You might want to do a google search for a copy of their install guide. From what I've seen it is about the same as a stock SBC short pump. They show 3 7/8 for the part of the housing with the pump mounted, but not to the mounting flange surface.
This looks like the ticket. I'm going to order one.
Hey Tom, what are the dimensions on your old radiator?? I have an A roadster with a Deuce Grille Shell with IFS--maybe it'll work???
Dave, Sorry I already sold it. I have a friend close by that is building a '28 RPU too and he takes all the parts I decide not to use.
Ok I'm sold on using the Zips riser but I have two questions. 1. It seems the Chev 6 cly pumps come with different length shafts. If I use the shorter one will I be able to get pulleys that line up? 2. My 265 heads don't have water ports in the side for the bypass line. I can either drill 3 -1/16 holes in the T-stat plate or I could route the water hose to the temp sender port in the intake manifold. I wonder which would be best. I'll also have to run my alt on the right as there is the oil filler tube on the left . Prolly need to cut that bracket on the left off for looks.
Attachment 52586Attachment 52587Attachment 52588
Tom, I'm running a Zips riser on my 32 3-window. I had to make some 3/4" spacers to go between the riser and the block to get pulleys to line up, and I used a 1" fan spacer to get the fan closer to the radiator.
I measured approximately 7" from block to front of fan mount but that includes the spacers.
I've included the instructions that came with my riser, along with a shot of my engine so you can possibly see the spacers between block and riser. Hope this helps you in some way.
Mick
I got the Zips riser on with aluminum water pump and flex fan, Fabricated a fan shroud but havn't tried it for fit yet. I bought a period correct (1956) rochester and rebuilt it. moving along slowly.
The carb looks beeauuuutiful!! Great job cleaning it up!!
Slow is the name of the game.
That carb - what did you use to clean it with and did you paint it or is it just super clean. Reason I'm asking is today I picked up a really cheap 600cfm Edelbrock Performer 1405 at a swap meet and it needs some help ( but maybe not as much as that Rochester)
Dave,
Ever boil a carb clean? Take it apart, remove any rubber/plastic pieces, cover it with water in a dutch oven or spaghetti pot and bring it to a boil. Add a cup of Tide (or other strong laundry detergent) and let it roll. As the "sudsy" look goes away add more soap and continue until the rolling boil maintains a little bit of white suds look. Last one I did (20+ years back) cooked for about an hour. Best not done on Mama's cooktop as it tends to smell up the place a bit....
Yes Roger, I have - but you really don't want to know how long ago as CRS ..... nah, not me:LOL: It was a batch of 3 groty 97s for my old flathead powered '53. I had a bucket of carb cleaner since, but that is gone. Thanks for the reminderQuote:
Originally Posted by rspears
I confess.... I had it powder coated.
Now that's interesting. Pot metal (zinc) with the temps for curing, even the low temp PC, plus the number of holes, must have been a challenge. My "new" acquisition will get a good in and out wash, maybe a Dremel tool polish, and a kitQuote:
Originally Posted by TomJ
The only real hole to plug is the gas inlet where the filter is. They tape off the top and bottom of the main body and only spray the top of the top. I didn't have the base done. The powder coater does a lot of these.
