Anyone running an original pre-war radiator with a small-block?

In my '33 PU, I have an original '33 Ford radiator plumbed up to my mild 283 SBC. I'm wondering if it'll work. Will the stock radiator (assuming it's in good shape) hold up to the operating pressure and heat transfer requirements of the engine?

Anyone have first hand experience with this setup, or something similar?

 

Have a '32 radiator in front of a 265 Chevy that works just fine. Runs around 160° all day long.

 

I'm about to find out.
I have a stock '32 4 banger rad going into my '32 pickup w/stock '55 265 SBC.
I have been told by my rad shop..."should be fine."
I've had it pressurized, blocked the filler cap hole, added a new filler spout w/pressure cap.

 

I'ver run stock '32 V8 radiators with 327's with no problem

 

I have the stock radiator in my 34 Plymouth .It has a 11.5 : 1 cr 327 in it. Never had overheating problems. Just make sure everything's clean and in good condition. I had a new radiator core installed after the stock core started leaking.

 

I'm running a stock radiator in my '36 3w Ford in front of a 327 SBC with no problems

 

yup ,34 pick up 327 ..chopped 4.5 inches ....recored using stock tanks ...

 

Thanks, fellas. I had an "oh SHIT!" moment this morning. Glad to hear it should work. Thanks again for the replies.

I hope to button up the cooling system next weekend and bring it up to temperature for the first time since I started this project. Light at the end of the tunnel.

 

The old radiators were not designed for the high pressures used in modern systems. DO NOT use a high pressure cap. About 4 pounds or so is OK.

 

I've run a 34 pickup radiator in my 35 Ford pickup for years with a 350/350, three deuces.
Works good

 

lo pressure cap is the key

 

Is the stock radiator cap a no-no?

 

Any radiator that would cool a flathead will cool almost anything. I have always run stock 32 radiators. A low pressure cap helps.

 

I ran a stock 38 Chevy radiator with a 305 a Chevy engine and it ran 180 all day. It was not a pressurized radiator.

 

Stock cap is fine.

 

I ran a stock radiator in my 39 Chevy. Had it re-cored due to leaks and a transmission cooler was installed in the lower tank at the same. Engine was a 283 with Power Slide. Never had a cooling problem.......... Jeff

 

One thing to consider is, the original cooling system was an unpressurised system. They are not intended to hold any pressure at all.
The SBC has a pressurised cooling system, low as that pressure is it is still pressure the original radiator is not made to contain.

Now there are quite a few people here and in the past that have run the original radiator and suffered no issues, however I have seen many that have failed while I was working in a radiator shop that specialised in Hot Rod cooling systems. (Yeah, ok.......so It was my fathers shop!)
You may get away with it because of the way the older radiators are put together, and man are they put together well!

I guess it comes down to several issues, are you happy to introduce a potential failure into the drive line of your car and can you stomach the different core fin design on newer cores?

You can of course get new build radiators with the old fin style however you will be paying $400+ for one.

Your choice, just some things to think about.

Doc.

PS Paperdog and Andy are right if you do run the original.

 

I have run a few 32s, 34s and a 36 using stock non pressurized caps in front of rather stock SBCs. No electric fans just good old hotrod engineering. There was a big problem with the chrome cast aluminum thermostat housing leaking back then. I never had a problem because all mine were non-pressurized. Just my personal experience.

 

Thanks again, fellers. I'll be giving the stock rad and (new) original style cap a try this weekend. I'll let ya know if it explodes.

 

Finally got around to firing up the sbc using the original radiator. No good, once it came up to temperature and a bit of pressure, it developed a bunch of leaks. Bummed. I ordered up a new aluminum replacement from Griffin.

I will probably give the new rad a light coating of black paint to make it look less street roddy/more in keeping with the traditional flavor.

 

I had a Good radiator shop rebuild my 1927 Dodge Brothers radiator to hook up to my Mopar 360 350HP and it is perfect

 

My '38 Ford pickup with 307 Chevy and stock radiator has never run hot. Using 4 pound cap. If that radiator ever gives trouble, I have a NOS '38-'39 1 1/2 ton truck radiator still in the original box that I'll put in it.

 

I have a stock recored 32 model B cooling my Ford 351. It has worked fine for years with a stock 32 cap.