used radiator

Hey need some help with info on radiators. Found a 1939 radiator that 19" by 29" and would fit perfectly in my chevy. It would be cooling a inline 6. He want 75 and it somewhat close to me. He said it work fine when he took it out and its been in the rafters ever since.

what are the problems with using old radiators?? im not sure what materials was used in the radiators. anything that could corrode? how can i test it. Fill it up with water and look for leaks?

 

theyre usual copper with br*** tanks, and soldier or brazed with either lead or br*** if im not mistaken. filling it with water isnt a very good way to check it. when its running and hot it becomes pressurized. the copper can corrode. you may be able to cap one of the ports, and make a cap for the other one with a fitting on it for an air hose, and pressurize it in a tub of water. just look for bubbles

 

i understand the test you are tell me but im not to sure the fellow would let me do that

 

39 radiators were not built to be pressurised either. Thats if its an original 39 one. Get a shop to test it, its easy to blow a tak off by overpressure

 

should i look somewhere else for a radiator. this one fits so well and is priced well. do 39 era radiators have common issues?

 

Let me just ask one more question here. If I was to buy a radiator and it had a leak can you be fixed?

 

The only way to make sure its OK is to buy it and have it checked out, may need a flush out or the tubes cleaned. Leak tested and so forth. Run your hand over the fins, are they solid or do they feel a little soft, if they do, P***!

 

if it has a leak after i buy what would a radiator repair shop do to fix it?

 

if the tanks are good they would replace al the tubing

 

The copper deteriorates over time and weakens. Can you come up with a pattern and have one made up fresh? Or find a very close available one and go with that.

 

I just got off the phone with a couple shops. They will to a flow test for $30-40.

one fellow said that the solder tends to crack and recore cost around the price of a walker radiator.
he said he had a willys 1931 radiator that was having $1000 worth of work down to it. nutts!!
Maybe smarter to buy a mustang radiator for 160 or so new.

but the $75 radiator fits so well and i could test it for 40 so..

i don't know.

have you guys bought **** radiators before whats the repairs they needed??

 

I am STILL leaning the lesson that old, used stuff is old, used stuff, and old, used stuff will let you down. Buy a new radiator and don't look back. If you had a 39 ford, it would be a different deal. You will not save money by buying junk or stuff that is one step away from becoming junk.

 

FWIW- I bought a old Ford rad. of unknown vintage, but similar dimensions, off E-bay for $100. Lucked out, and it was in great condition and cools a mild 327 just fine. $75 aint bad, and if it has "issues" you might be able to sell it to a 39 Ford restorer who's willing to spend the $ on it.

 

well i guess i could bite the bullet and buy it , i did get the running engine for free.

but as Belair said old is old and newis new. its this or a mustang new radiator

 

What does it mean to have a radiator recored . What are rows

 

re-cored means the replace they fins and tubing. "rows" are the rows of thin tubing the water travels through to get cooled. new radiator, old tanks

 

I was in the same boat as you with my radiator. To have my rebuilt would cost close to 325 dollars where as I can buy a new alum radiator that will fit in my Buick for 250 bucks.

Get the dimensions and buy a new radiator. Less h***le down the road.

 

True. Just talkd to the fellow who owns the radiator. its a 4 row from a 1939 plymouth truck. He pulled it from a running truck. so no leaks. Seems promising. If its got issues i'll just buy a mustange radiator and loose 75. alright guy well thanks

 

Be prepared: There ain't no free lunch. I bought a '38 Dodge radiator based on it's size and "apparent" condition. It looked beautiful and I just knew I could make it work in a replica track roadster project I'm working on. $350 later I can use it. Most old radiators-even if they look good- are not good, regardless of what the swapmeet seller may tell you. I took it to a very trustworthy radiator shop and had him dunk it in the test tank and it leaked like the figurative seive. The core was NOt repairable. Several years before I had the same experience with a "beautiful" '55 F-100 piece. The only difference was that at that time it was only $250.

 

130 for a mustang radiator. Can't beleive theres a lifetime warranty on it

 

Don't go to the dark side. Pony up and get a good one.

 

like a walker?

 

I ran my 39P7 with a 357 SBC with one, I just made up a br*** adapter on
the lathe with "O" rings to use a 15 LB cap, no problems at all. Then had a custom one made a year later and gave the stock one to a friend with a 39 Plymouth who is a member here .