Has anyone worked on radiators before?I spent all weekend making one for my flathead ford shorter.I removed the bottom tank,cut the core down to size then separated the tank,installing the one half over the tubes soldering it in place then soldering the other half of the tank back on.I thought I did a good job however when I filled it with water I have a ton of leaks around the tubes.Is there a special cleaner or solder for the copper/brass? I cleaned with a dremel tool the best I could used regular flux and 50/50 solder.
So you cut the tank off, with the header panel (where the tubes meet the tank) and re-attached it at the tubes that you cut off the other header? Thats alot of work. What gas did you solder it with? My friend owns a radiator shop and I have seen him fix alot of them. So I sorta know the drill. He heats it up, pours on the flux, and as it boils off, he hits it with a wire brush. Then more flux, and solder. To do that to every tube would take forever, and look pretty ugly. Go to a radiator shop, look at their dimensions books, and find a core that will work for your application. They sell most common ones already shortened.
I didn't rejoin the tubes,I removed all the tubes out of the header panel,and reinstalled them after cutting the core down.
The Jalopy Journal
