Looking for advice please on what radiator hoses I need for my 1946 Ford Tudor with a SBC engine ..... I'm using a Champion CC46CH 3 row radiator. Forgot to mention that it has an AC compressor and alternator, each mounted approximately above the valve covers/exhaust manifolds so the top hose would need to clear them also. Will probably be sourcing them from Rockauto so part numbers or model details would be great. TIA.
Knowing this place, someone is going to reply shortly with part numbers. However, I usually bend up a coat hanger or brake line to replicate the path the hoses need to follow, and then go to the parts store and look on the rack for something with similar bends in the correct diameter. This requires getting permission to go behind the counter… I have had to go to a few different stores to get what I need at times, but I can’t think of a time that I did not get permission to look in the back. Usually the employees find it more amusing than whatever the hell else they are supposed to be doing and come back and help look. Good luck
Thanks for your suggestion ..... been there and done that before. Being in Australia means that we didn't get many cars with SBC engines, Holden had a couple of versions and then there's some imported GM models. Understanding that the top hose is 1-1/2" and the lower one is 1-3/4" so it doesn't necessarily need to be a GM line either. Most regular parts suppliers here only cater for the common Asian import models now and it probably won't be long before they don't exist too with the push for EV's down here. I took this approach first before doing what you suggested, especially with it being a fairly common conversion there in the USA ..... it's also been a regular here in Australia so we may get a response from an Aussie HAMBer. Thanks again.
One more thought on a process that worked for me building on the “bent coathanger” noted above: Gates and O’Reilly’s has hose pictures and dimensions on their websites. The pictures can be rotated so you can get a clear idea of bends etc. it can take a while, but it worked for me. It doesn’t give you make/model info but it does give you their part numbers. There are also the accordion bendy hoses and rubber reducers available that could work as well. Iirc, Gates makes the reducers.
Something I have done on several projects. Get stainless U-bends for exhaust and cut and weld together to form your "hose", then you only need short pieces of hose and some hose clamps. They are there forever.
.....I've always used that flexible, foil "heat riser" stuff. It works better for me than the coat hanger 'cause it's actually almost the same diameter as a hose.
Here are a bunch of similar threads. This should give you a bunch of numbers to check. Note that similar hose will often have similar numbers so it should help get you in the ballpark. As mentioned in these, the thermostat housing will be part of the fitment. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/radiator-hoses.394699/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/molded-radiator-hoses.969941/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/pre-formed-radiator-hoses.213961/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/33-ford-radiator-hoses-help.617696/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/radiator-hoses-1934-ford-sbchevy.867493/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/32-ford-sbc-radiator-hoses.721403/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/40-ford-pick-up-radiator-hoses.539504/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1940-ford-sbc-walker-radiator-what-rad-hoses.974621/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...diator-hoses-in-32-ford-with-sb-chevy.373252/ Once you have found a answer, please come back and post the brand and numbers. Pictures help, too.
Thermostat housings with pics and numbers https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/straight-sbc-thermostat-housing.1204045/ more https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/sbc-327-thermostat-housing-help.1060994/ EDIT: I will also mention that not all intakes have the housing flange in the same position or clocking. I'm running into this right now swapping intakes. The old one had the housing offset to the left side, with a spot for the old style breather tube. The replacement has it in the more common centered location.
if you find two hoses and need to connect parts of both together look at ICT billet hose connectors on amazon big selection and about 10-13 dollars i have one on an off topic drag car they are real nice
Totally100% non-HAMB, but Cool-flex type hoses are easy to fit and will get you on the highway soon Not bad looking, just not traditional. If the choice is traditional in the garage or non-trad on the highway, maybe you can look the other way for a bit.
A lot of guys get a length of cardboard/paper defroster duct hose and use that to get the hose shape they need and take that as a sample to the parts house that has the most hosed to find the closest fit. Another thing that is no cost or very small cost is take some old radiator hoses and cut them to fit together in the shape you need and tape them together and or use some pieces of PCV pipe to connect them and then use that as your sample. Hose wise, and shipping cost wise you might think about using a short length of hose at the radiator and thermostat housing and taking your sample to a muffler shop and having them bend up a pipe to fit in the middle. Paint it black and you have a traditoinal Ford metal hose. If shipping wasn't so expensive I have a box full of brand new hoses that I bought for my 77 F250 with a 300 six that evidently has some odd ball radiator that was never made for that applicaton in it. one might end up on my 48 because it looks to have the right shape.
Thanks for the tube bending tech suggestion. I started using this method back in the 70's for bending all of my race car frames etc. Instead of using sand I used Magnesium Oxide because that is what we used to make electrical heating elements at work. A much finer grain size and when compacted well it gave the bends a near perfect sectional shape/profile. Cheers.
Thanks for the heads up because depending on what hoses were available the thermostat housing was my next consideration. I have a later style 4 BBL manifold, and I purchased a cheap front facing, angled up type housing in anticipation.
Thanks very much for going to all of that effort, much appreciated. I certainly will report back when the situation is resolved, it's still early days on this project.
Big thanks for everyone's suggestions. As mentioned earlier, I'd rather go with conventional rubber hoses at this stage and only take the other methods in desperation. Hopefully someone will eventually chime in with some appropriate details ..... only because I have a bunch of USA based photos of this engine/body combination.
This may seem like a project, but it's not. It only takes a couple of minutes. Take one of those "pool noodles" that you probably already have in your garage and a bit of contact cement or spray adhesive. Cut the angles on the noodle and stick 'em together. If it's not quite right on your first try, cut off what you don't like and build that half again. You're not going for "beauty", just the basic shape. Use a marker to ID the radiator end and the block end, and while you're at it, make any notes along the length regarding how close to hold the shape, etc. Take that masterful piece of noodle art to the parts store and pick out a winner. Note that I cut the straight runs square and then cut small wedge pieces for each dogleg. You can hold a "straight" in each hand and then eyeball the angles of the "wedge". Easy-peasy.
Good suggestion Mark but this project is still in the construction stage and quite segregated at the moment. I made a list of outstanding issues/purchases in readiness, and this is just one of them. As mentioned earlier our shipping and AU$ exchange rates can double+ the landed cost so I try to consolidate purchases when possible ...... I've found that Rockauto's shipping costs to AU is usually acceptable and quick providing all of the parts leave from the same warehouse.
Thanks for your suggestion, another great idea. I used to do something similar when making custom headers. I'd cut equal lengths of flexible pool vacuum hose and tape up one lot of ends and then slip the other ends onto a dummy header flange. Once the desired shapes were established I'd fill the corrugations with Bondo and then have samples for the tube bending process.
went through all the trouble to put fitted hoses on my V8 powered 49 Chevrolet sedan and later saw it for sale on ebay with flex hoses and the K&N air filter replaced with a paper one... I'm sure they replaced the new heater hoses and fan belt as well
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