Radiator question for a Model T

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Radiator question for a Model T
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Darren Peters on Monday, July 30, 2012 - 07:54 pm:

Hi all, I’m new to the forum and new to the Model T. I have recently purchased a 1926 Model T Chassis and I have decided to build a speedster.
The first question I have is I have just purchased a second hand radiator. It is the later style, not the radiator where the mount runs through the radiator. My radiator has the top and bottom tanks but no tabs on either side to mount the radiator to the frame. Is there supposed to be support brackets that run down on both sides of the radiator? If so where would I be able to purchase some?

I have searched the forums and could not find anything apart from some photos. I hope its ok that I borrowed them, as this seams to have the same problem as me. The first picture shows a radiator with mounting bracket on the side. The second photo shows a radiator just like the one I have. and the third shows possible solution. Thanks in advance






Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Monday, July 30, 2012 - 08:49 pm:

'bout the easiest way if your accessory rad checks out ok at a shop, is for them to add/solder supports to the underside of the lower tank.

That may provide the beef where needed when the rad is full of coolant and help keep it from shaking apart. Believe the distance to centers of the mounting holes is 21 1/2".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Thode Chehalis Washington on Monday, July 30, 2012 - 08:56 pm:

Darren,
Mine does not have a support through the radiator. It is attached to a side plate.
Jim


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Darren Peters on Monday, July 30, 2012 - 10:27 pm:

Wow, thanks for the replies.
Dan, do your supports go all the way underneath, or do they go underneath just enough to support it?

Jim, it looks like my radiator is missing the side plates as I don’t have them like yours does. I don’t know if I can buy replacements, so I may have to go with something similar to what Dan has done.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Monday, July 30, 2012 - 10:38 pm:

Darren

All Ford rad have the support plate thru the core, that was a patent design. Aftermarket ones used any number of ways to support the rad in the Ford frame.



On the aftermarket rad on my T, these brackets are just at the ends.



Suppose you could have the belt go under the lower tank,but sometimes that may hit the front crank support/spring support on the front crossmember. But since you are doing a speedster maybe you won't have that problem with a lowered front crossmember.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Layden Butler on Monday, July 30, 2012 - 10:50 pm:

Hope you know the difference between low and tall radiators and are expending your effort on the one you want! Your first picture shows a tall 1923-27 one with dogbone cap leaning against a low 1917-23 radiator.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Darren Peters on Monday, July 30, 2012 - 11:38 pm:

Ok I have some photos of my radiator.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 - 03:18 pm:

The one in the second photo above and yours are both after-market radiators. Many of them used a side bracket that ran from a couple inches under the bottom of the radiator clear up to the sides of the top tank of the radiator. A lot of them used a simple folded out and doubled back then back towards the top arrangement to mount onto the frame. Easy to make. I have made some before.
Yours appears to be a square shaped honeycomb type radiator. They can be very good or very bad. They are difficult to be cleaned because of the shape inside catches and holds onto crud and scale.
You also must be VERY careful with soldering. This is something most radiator shops these days do not understand. If you solder near the core, and the core gets just a little too hot, the pieces of the core can rapidly begin to separate. If the original material was not properly cleaned and tinned when it was built about 90 years ago, not only can it separate even faster and at lower temperatures, it can be extremely difficult to re-solder. I once chased a leak halfway across a core that way. Many nice honeycomb radiators have been destroyed by people trying to fix them.
I am working on my sixth speedster. Good luck with yours!
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Darren Peters on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 - 09:14 pm:

do you have a diagram of the side bracket you made?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Wednesday, August 01, 2012 - 11:41 am:

The purpose of that bracket, at least on high radiators, is to hold and retain a square 1/4-20 square nut, 1/2" across the flats. There is a slight tab on two sides that the nut slides in between. In the typical fashion of the repro experts, this part is NOT made correctly, and as I recall from the repro on my car, they didn't even bother to install their poorly made bracket on the radiator! I had to do it myself, and I had to scrounge originals from a junk radiator!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By don ellis on Wednesday, August 01, 2012 - 12:43 pm:

Remember there is a reason Ford didn't use a honeycomb radiator.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Wednesday, August 01, 2012 - 11:37 pm:

Sorry, I never had a diagram of what I built. It was simple to figure.
I am not to good with this new-fangled computer stuff. But if you PM me your address, I could draw something up and mail it to you the old fashioned way.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


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