Has anyone ever had a problem with a raidator hose blowing off on a channeled car. The hose comes up above the cap, so someone told me there may be an air pocket in the hose at the point above the cap. If anyone has had this problem could you let me in on your fix. I am running a flathead if that has anyting to do with it. Thanks for your time Chris
What kind of radiator, stock? modified Mustang? pressure/no pressure how much pressure ? Radiator support rods other than just the hose(s) holding it up? Ya got pics?
its a modified mustang. There are no support rods, but plenty of play in the hoses, and the raidator isnt moving from the supports on the bottom. I dont have any pics. I run a 4 pound cap also.
Ya need those two supprt rods going from the firewall to the top of the radiator or it will just be trying to shake the hoses off ging down the road. Cheap ass Henry Ford wouldnt have spent a penny of his money on them if they weren't absolutely necessary! Also the hoses have to fit without bind bend or stress from the motor to the radiatorwithout forcing them which pretty much rules out them "rippled" fitall fit none hoses. 4 pounds? I can fart 4 pounds...That aint it, and I don't think the hose knows any difference between water pressure and air pressure so get some support on the rad. and fit some hoses properly and report back. Mustang? do the modified/added necks have a "lip" around the end for the hoses to hang on to?
DrJ, 1st of all thank you for your help, you are a good man and I always loved your Converse Hi tops. Cheaterchris & I are working on this little devil together so I thought I should chime in. Support rods..NO, but the radiator is mounted off the vertical running flanges on each side of the radiator, bolted to the frame w/about 3" of space between each bolt (2 bolts per side) VERY stiff, with no movement during the cars travel, but obviously the engine rocks some what. 160 Degree stats w/ 3/16 holes drilled in them. It is the upper drivers side hose that keeps popping. We thought maybe the air pocket thing and if we should try to install some sort of bleeder. I looked at other radically channeled cars the were built by folks that seem to know there stuff (Mr. Jimmy Shines Pick up for example) and it appears he has plugs or caps at the very highest point of his radiator pipes. As for radiator pipes, The upper inlets are currently running those god aweful flex hoses, but w/NO bind or obstruction. We have yet to make the upper pipes, the lower pipes are done and work w/no issues. Maybe that is our issue, I dunno that is why I ask of you Old Hamb Veteran. The upper & lower hoses are all hot during running so I figure the stats are opening. The thing is it does NOT happen every time, occasionally the engine temp will climb well past "normal" and then boom, the hose will go or it pisses out the over flow like a beer pong loser. Your input is very appreciated thank you again. CheaterCarl
No problem, just sittin here watching Tiger Woods choke on another golf tournament.. Some cars, T-birds come to mind, ran a high mounted expansion tank with the radiator pressure/fill cap in it when the radiator was lower than the engine outlets. The Volvo 1800S in the driveway has a similar one too. I've seen fillers on tubes (speed parts catalog available) that go in between two pieces of hose at the high spot. You could run two of them and fill from the hoses. But, That still doesn't explain pressure? blowing a hose off before there's even enough pressure to blow past a 4 pound cap. #1 Is it always the same hose? #2 If so, is that one of the added on necks? #3 If so, is it thick enough brass stock to not be collapsing under the crunch of the hose clamp, #4 big enough diameter for the hose diameter and #5 have that necessary lip around the end to keep the hose/clamp from just sliding off?
Ah,those radiator hoes and their air problems.. Sounds like you need to change the hose with a piece of tubing w\bleeder (exhaust pipe with a small hole and a nut welded on for one of these drain things on engines?). Im not jimmy shine, nor do I know my stuff very well but it might help anyway.
Thanks for the input, I need to try out some of this stuff. Has anyone else run into this or Am I the first to land on the moon with an exploding Hose!!! Thanks guy CHris
I'm not ruling out anything, but a bleed is necessary if the cap isn't the highest point in the system.
I have never had a problem , I don`t have hood rod`s on mine the hoses stiffen the hell out of it ! and they need air in the system for expansion If I fill mine to the top it spits a quart out. don`t go the cheap way out on something as important as a radiator on a channeled car with a flathead ! I built a aluminum radiator for mine and run a 18# cap and only turn the fan on when I'm stuck in traffic . you will spend more money on wrecker bill`s , and burned up motor`s , and burn cream, if it`s over heating turn the motor off and leave the fan on ! the 16" spall work`s great another place not to cheap out ! and don`t go near it till it cool`s. if you get it hot enough something is going to blow ! the advance and timing make a ton of difference, I run a mallory unilite, and a msd box, and a new set of water pump`s from speedway with the new bearing`s and seal`s are the only way to go . Ive been threw hell and back in mine and learned alot of the fixes and the thing`s that don`t work , If I can ever help ya out call the shop 512-825-5547 Casey.
I have a flathead powered roadster with a modified mustang radiator. I can't get it to run hotter than 165'. Stock fan too. Back when we were off road racing a truck with a rear mounted radiator we found it best to have a vent at every high point in the plumbing. Without a vent we got air pockets, over heating and a warped heads. I'm thinking you are getting warm and blowing the hoses due to some of the neck issues suggested by Dr.J PanheadGuy
"blowing off.", "exploding hoses.", "I can fart 4 pounds." You guys are funny, and my wife wants to know what I'm laughing at. I love the HAMB!
the more I think about this your raidator is not flowing ! I had a 54 f100 blow up on me it seemed to be flowing thrue but as I was breaking in the cam in, it kept building up pressure till the top hose blew off and burn`t the hell out of me ! it was my dad`s truck and it was full of stop leak there are stains all over the celling of my shop , and one arm still get`s more sun burn`t then the other,Outch ! buy a good raidator speedway has aluminium ones for around 400 bucks! and before any one beat`s me to it !........ ha.. ha.. he said stains on the celling ! ha...ha.. he said beat`s me! you knucel head`s
rat rods are over rated, so are radiator hoses.....remove it, plug the hole with your finger and have a rockasilly weekend!
it would be good to get all the air out, so maybe make up a tube with a bleeder in it or 2 since it's a flathead. the t-stats are opening if all the hoses are warm (and radiator). check to make sure the radiator is warm all over and not plugged (you said it heats up sometimes), make sure it has the rib on the neck for the hose and try to use a radiator pressure checker to pressurize the system to see if it'll blow.
Thank you fellow HAMBites. Your help and suggestions are all VERY appreciated, I will explore them and get back to you dear friends. Thank you again. If this were a perfect world I would pick all of you up at your homes or work places and take you out for ice cream or treats of some kind. We would even pick up Noteboom even though he did not add in, I think he would enjoy the ice cream & all of our company. Don't ever change you guys. Carl Cheatersheski
I think you need a higher pressure cap, believe it or not... A 4lb cap only gives you 12 degrees of boiling protection above 212 ( or around there). So when that baby hits 224 deg., or possibly much less depending on your coolant type and mixture, all that hot coolant wants to boil immediately (read:expand rapidly!) and without a quick way out (like a cap at the highest point in the system), the pressure builds too fast and Pop! goes yer hose... I think this coupled with bleeders to remove the air from the system initially should keep ya cool and dry.
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