Just started to work on my damaged radiator for my 1917 Maxwell and noticed that the overflow tube is completely missing. It has a thermo-syphon system like a Model T. My question is does a Model T have an overflow tube? Do I need one on this type cooling system?
Howard Dennis
Howard,
The model T (or mine, at least) does have an overflow tube. Since water expands when it is heated, an overflow tube seems to me like a must-have to prevent excess pressure in the cooling system. Maybe that's why your radiator got damaged?
John, funny story about the damage. My uncle help me retrieve the Maxwell basket case years ago and when we were unloading the dump truck full of parts I told him the mint honeycomb radiator was the most valuable part so be extra careful. Heading for the garage as he had done for the last 30 years he gave the front bucket on the backhoe we were using one last shake to get out the days dirt and proceeded to dump the radiator and run over it with the tractor. Luckily a local bodyman owed him a favor so he completely disassembled it and straightened everything and soldered it all back together. That was years ago and I never thought anything about it until I put it back on the car and noticed the solder marks where the overflow tube had been.
Howard Dennis