Thread: Radiator too tall

Tweet

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?

Originally Posted by IC2

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,
I forgot we were talking an aluminum radiator here. The one shortened in the writeup was copper/brass, a totally different deal. Never mind.....

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.

Originally Posted by TomJ

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.

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 Of course you would have to be double jointed to drive a pick up with even less toe box room.



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.

Originally Posted by TomJ

Very niceee '31 Dave.

Thanks Tom.
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.