I removed the radiator on my grandpas 1932 ford roadster to get to the front brake lines. Fluid started off nice and green but last little bit was pretty bad. Hoses and lower connection to block were pretty bad. And I can see where electric fan broke off some of the fins the exterior of the radiator is magnetic but the fins were not. It was 9pm last night when I got it off so didn’t have to much more time to mess with it. I plan to flush it and try to see if it’s br*** or aluminum, anything to look for? Also is it worth trying to flush or just get a new radiator? Attached photo shows the upper hoses. I see they sell those on summit and kits that have the lowers on Bob Drake and C&G ford parts. I plan to replace the hoses for sure. Just wondering on radiator and anything else worth replacing while I’m here.
If it doesn't leak or overheat why not reuse the radiator. If it were mine, I would flush with vinegar. Run it around. Then pull the water pumps and get into the block with coat hanger and get all the gunk and old casting sand out. There's a lot of threads on this subject here and the Barn.
I think @solidaxle has the right approach... Vinegar will certainly clean up the system (to a degree) and is not too aggressive. After the vinegar flush, neutralize with a baking soda flush. It might take several attempts, but it's worth a try.
Yeah no overheating issues (knock on wood). Cool yeah I did search around and the vinegar and baking soda solution came up a few times. Yeah I’ll give that a go first. thank you
Green glycol coolant turning rusty brown is a cl***ic symptom of exhaust getting into the cooling system. I'd fill it with water (temporarily) and have it sniffed before doing anything else.
Rad flush (sodium silicate) is a good first option. Did the model A and got a lot of stuff out of it. Do not use anything else. Sodium silicate cleans without any harm to any other internals and has no residue.
Here’s the stock radiator from my sedan (now a roadster), after a shop hot tank and pressure test. Even with some soldered tubes and missing fins on the inside it cools the 59AB just fine. New pumps and hoses probably helped too. Block was very clean inside when I did the pumps, so that would help also. You will know better when you get the pumps off. FWIW, I would try the vinegar flush through the radiator and block first.
I was having leak and over heating problems with my 31 model A radiator. It was an oem unit that some one modified for SBC use. It had the tracks of being worked on and abused over the years. I was looking at replacing it also. Then I found a real craftsman a short drive from me. After talking to him on the phone about it I removed it from the car and took it to him. He offered no guarantees but he would look at it. A couple of days later he called and said the thing was full of holes and more than a little substances some would call radiator repair in a can. Needless to say it was pretty hopeless. The gentleman did offer one solution. Completely dis***emble (unsolder) the entire unit, obtain a custom sized core and solder the new core to the old tanks. His price ? about 50% of a new radiator, still with no guarantee that it would last very long but I had him do it anyway. 18 months and about a 1000 miles later it is still functioning as good as any new one. And it cools just fine. The electric fan never runs, temp gauge on the rear of the p***enger side head never reads over 160. Hand held laser thermometer pointed at every part never reads over 165. I could not be happier. My advice? seek out a craftsman near you, look for someone that works on farm / industrial type cooling systems. If you are in northern Colorado message me privately and I will put you in contact.
Take the radiator to a reputable repair shop. They normally need to be rodded out and or at least back flushed under plenty of pressure. They can make it work like new and much less expensive than a new one.. Be aware that these old flatheads are rust factories and have a habit of shedding little chunks of rust from inside the block. They wash up and plug the radiator tubes if present. I would recommend back flushing the block. This is usually a problem after long term storage. The bottom of the water p***ages behind the pumps can hold a whole bunch of junk and needs to be stirred up and flushed out. A piece of wire rope (cable) with the end flared out and chucked in a drill is a good tool for doing that. Never run straight water in one of these engines. Use a good quality anti-freeze add a can of anti rust every year.
TCTND has a good point, you could have exhaust getting in by a crack or head gasket problem. Before you go through the expense of a new radiator try this. Go to Fordbarn and search "Rust be Gone" Also "Vinegar flush"
Easy to tell is the radiator is copper/br*** or aluminum, the original is one heavy piece, the aluminum is light weight. Take it to a old time radiator shop and let them hot vat it overnight. HRP
The radiator needs to be cleaned and tested before deciding to put it back on or replace it but the whole cooling system needs to be flushed.
Re-coring radiators used to be a common repair before the days of cheap offshore replacements. And finding multiple reputable local repair shops was easy.
Thank you all for the info. I’ll call around and try to find a radiator shop that can clean and test it. Upon further review it does appear br*** so I’d prefer keeping it and having it repaired. After reading other forums I think I’m going to flush with water a few times. Then see how it looks in about a month. The vinegar flush is a little scary for me, seems aggressive
bah humbug…. Water or even aftermarket flushes are junk. That old flathead needs a. Good aggressive cleaning. You’re definitely not going to hurt it. You’re waisting your time and money if you clean your radiator aggressively and not clean your block. I’ve done this 5-6 times over the course of my flathead hoarding life. 100% vinegar in your system. Run and drive the engine for a few days to make the vinegar hot if possible. Flush, do it two more times until it shows clear.
Ok, I’ll give the vinegar flush a go. Lots of ppl online in forums reference it so must be good. Then I just follow up with backing soda and water to neutralize everything
Great to hear. A lot of guys also install a temporary screen on the inlet sides, (both upper hoses) to catch crud before entering the radiator. But be prepared, you’ll be cleaning that screen quite often. Your going to **** when you see how much comes out of that engine. run the engine hot with 100% vinegar. Just like cleaning out your coffee maker.
It wouldn't hurt to pull the pumps and get in the block with a wire and brushes. A lot of **** and left over sand from castings the block are probably still in there.
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