Im fixin to install my V8 flathead in my 30 Tudor. What radiators are you guys using for this conversion. I want to use my original radiator shell, so I need a top filler neck with two inlets and two outlets. Ive been all over the internet, but all I can find tequires using a 32 shell, which I really dont want to use, besides, cant afford a 32 grill shell and grill nowdays. Can I just have my stock radiator altered?
At the risk of starting topic drift, do you want to run a pressure cap on the radiator? If so, you can't use a center fill thru your A- shell because I don't think anybody makes a screw-on pressure cap. If your radiator fill is a screw-on cap as was my '29, you could do what I did. I cut off the short threaded fill tube, soldered the hole closed, and used a piece of the sawed off tube to stick up thru the shell so a stock cap could be screwed on. I then soldered an "L" to the back of the tank and put on a std twist-on end to take a regular pressure cap. I was running a hood so nobody could see that the stock radiator cap was fake. Running a pressure cap may not be considered old school in these parts but I did the above mods in 1960 and that's sorta old. I hope I remember all of this correctly as it was over 50 years ago.
Thanks Frank...my 30 has a twist on cap...but, ive considered doing exactly what you did...make a fake radiator cap for the original shell and have two outlets installed in the upper tank, but it does not look like there is room for an outlet on the bottom tank p***enger side...Im checking into this further thanks again Ron
You need to find a radiator shop that can alter the bottom tank to accept the second port. That's how it was done in the day. If your original radiator is sound and clean you will have no problem running it. I have 28 29 radiator out in the shop that was modified like this years ago. Going to be out of town the next few days but when I get back I will try to post a pic or two. I am going to use me original 30 31 radiator in my 31 AV8 Roadster only I am going with the deuce shell.
Ron: I took a stock rad to one of our local rad shops and had him duplicate it with a thicker core and new top and bottom tanks for my avatar AV8.. He had me insert a piece to make the rad frame wider to accept the thicker core (you can see it in the second pic). Problem was I got an aftermarket shell which was out in several areas (including the misalignment of the stock filler neck with the rad shell hole in the third pic!) as I planned on running a stock hood with the side panels but am going to have to try and redo the shell mount brackets plus some other areas to accomplish this! Yes, definitely use your original shell! Hope this helps! Regards, Dave.
The radiator you need is on EBay for $188. It's made for the 30/31 shell, is new, is aluminum, has a fill "L" as we discussed, and has the two upper and two lower connections that you need. Sorry but I couldn't figure out how to do a cut and paste into here. Should be easy to find.
They are expensive but Walker can make you anything you want and they have a ten year guarantee,the radiator in my beater is now 21 years old. A high quality copper-br*** radiator will last you many years to come. HRP
I bought one from superior radiator in Mount Clemens Michigan. Decent price and everything is fitting up right.
Referring to the above post about making your radiator into a pressurized one, I got a pressure style neck from some guy on e-bay $10 and soldered that in place of the stock neck. Then went out a bought a 4lb cap that fit that neck $11 from local parts store. I cut the insides out of the stock 1930 cap and spot welded the pressure cap to the stock cap. Fits like a glove and holds 4lbs, that is about all I want to put in my stock A radiator.
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