Radiator Fluid level question

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2017: Radiator Fluid level question
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Goddard Farmland, NJ on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 02:33 pm:

Other then looking in the Radiator opening. How do I tell where the Fluid should be at. I think I may have over filled it before. Some of the Antifreeze sprayed on my hood.
Thanks in advance


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick in Florida on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 03:31 pm:

The correct level is at a point just below the inlet where the water enters the radiator from the block. You can't really overfill it, as the radiator will seek the proper level once it gets to running temperature. There should be an overflow tube that directs the excess to the ground under the car, but for this to happen, the cap must be on tightly, so the fluid does not get on your hood. If your water is rusty, it will coat the chassis cross member, spring, steering linkage and front axle with a brown rusty stain, once it dries, so wash off any overflow with a water hose to prevent this. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wes Nelson ........Bucyrus, MO on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 03:45 pm:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Rogers - South of the Adirondacks on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 03:49 pm:

Oh boy...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Eckensviller - Thunder Bay, ON on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 05:35 pm:

Wes I want you answering all forum questions from here on out.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James G Fisher III Peachtree City, GA on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 05:51 pm:

I think that one is running hot.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Duey_C on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 07:55 pm:

Nah. I'd bet she's a little bit cold.
Then again, I can't start the old Twin City tractor here and prolly couldn't get her revved up neither. Yeah, I could. :-)
Paul, is your overflow plugged if some of the coolant spayed on the hood?
I fill mine to just below the overflow tube. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 08:40 pm:

Duey C;
Your over flow tube sounds a little on the short side, most of mine come up even or into the filler neck. You need about an inch covering the head plate or just below the Ford script on the shell.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ray Syverson on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 09:03 pm:

On my car its about 1/2 inch lower than where that little red pointy thing on the pointer she is holding is at. This gal is almost spot on!. I usually stick the fuel stick in the radiator and find that the 2.5 gallon point seems to be perfect. Of course this gal may have some effect on the level at which this car boils over.:-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ray Syverson on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 09:05 pm:

On my car its about 1/2 inch lower than where that little red pointy thing on the pointer she is holding. This gal is almost spot on!. I usually stick the fuel stick in the radiator and find that the 2.5 gallon point seems to be perfect. Of course this gal may have some effect on the level at which this car boils over.:-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ray Syverson on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 09:10 pm:

Sorry, my brain boiled over:-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Goddard Farmland, NJ on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 09:28 pm:

HaHaHa, Great pcture and info. I will check the hose overflow to see if its clogged.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith, Lomita, California on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 11:13 am:

Where she is pointing to is just about right, maybe a tad higher, if you have no water pump.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Osterman on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 11:34 am:

I can't see that far into the new Berg radiator on my '23. There is a plate in the way. I've been filling the radiator up to the over flow and driving it until it heats up enough to dump what it doesn't want. Always have people blowing their horn to let me know my car is leaking.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Dimock, Newfields NH, USA on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 12:08 pm:

What red pointy thing?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George n LakeOzark,Missourah on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 01:06 pm:

If the overflow pop a leak, common problem when using Bardal Pelletized stop leak,most of the time one or more little rubber pellets get stuck in there,plugging things up. Derrick Pang's runabout he'd that problem.
I took a real thin coat hanger ,put a slight bend in one end(like an extended burr) and bent the other end into a crank configuration. Slid it in and cranked while forcing it down the tube, cranking all the time. Got that thing RotoRootered out, worked like a charm.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George n LakeOzark,Missourah on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 01:10 pm:

Edit last comment. "If overflow pipe is plugged. " common problem ...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 06:11 pm:

Mark, I'd say you're WAY overfilling. Both mine have Berg's radiators. They both run with the level just below the baffle you see when removing the cap. There is an elongated slot in the baffle maybe 1/2 or 5/8 wide and maybe 1-1/2 long or so. I can see the liquid level through that slot and it is just barely below that. That's where both of mine run.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Duey_C on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 10:24 pm:

No, I'm stuck with "full radiator syndrome" Mark. If it's low, it's TOO low to this brain. :-)
I fill to almost in the neck and if they potty, that's OK. And you are correct about overflow tubes being up in the neck.
Mine are too.
Funny, it bugs the tar out of this brain when filling up a rad for the season when some of the water goes down the overflow. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 10:38 pm:

I would guess then you are not running anti-freeze or something to prevent rust in the block!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Noonan - Norton, MA. on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 11:54 pm:

I fill it up slightly past the the top of the overflow with a 50/50 mix, let her puke out what she doesn't seem to want or need on the first few drives, and I'm set for the season. A simple system, that simply works. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Duey_C on Thursday, September 21, 2017 - 12:39 am:

Mark, you are correct. I use soft water in my T's. I need to change that and add at least a little anti-freeze...
This brain is stuck with plain water tho. I'm too damned period correct and yet I vary wildly from correct.
I get ya. :-)
We shouldn't scale up our T's with rust.
Don't invite rust.
I set up and take down a return flue boiler once a year that has a water leg in the middle of it and up until a few years ago, that water leg was scaled up full and plugged tight. Poor thing has always crapped out bunches of scale.
3000 gallons verses 2 gallons. Same thing. :-)
I'll vow to try to do better. :-)

(Message edited by Duey_C on September 21, 2017)


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