Honey comb radiator good/bad

[JvanMaanen]

Hi All, I am at the point of installing radiator in my 19 roadster project and have two low radiators in my stash. One is a honey comp with an undamaged core, can't remember how or when I got this, the other is a stock T that is rougher, but probably serviceable. Any experience with honey comb would be a help.

thanks Van

[Craig Leach]

Hi Jim.
Honey comb radiators are a great period correct replacement and look good. They are efficient in cooling but all the ones I have encountered leaked and I was unable to repair them well enough to use other than on my run stand. I have not found one with a strong mount that would support the frame like a stock T radiator will. But then roads are much better now. If it's clean and doesn't leak go for it.
I purchased one for my firetruck but it was damaged in shipping. I took it to a radiator shop and explained that it was a no pressure radiator, the owner assured me he knew what to do. two weeks later he called and told me it leaked everywhere and would need a new core. And that would be very expensive. I stopped at the shop the next day and discovered they had pressurized the radiator and expanded the honeycomb up so bad that you could not see threw it before all the seems let go! The owner did install a new core at his cost and charged me no labor and apologized. I turned out to still be one of the most expensive radiators I have purchased.
Craig.

[JvanMaanen]

Thanks Craig,

here are a couple of pics of my honey comb. I tested it and it doesn't leak, water inlet had been reinforced with brazing at some point but tank and connections are solid.

Thanks for the input Van

[Chris Bamford]

I've been running a period honeycomb replacement rad in the '24 Speedster for 30 years. Cools just fine, no complaints and this car is not babied. For normal flatland driving I can run the car without the fan belt. I developed a leak in the upper right honeycomb several years ago and plugged it by pumping 'Right Stuff' into the offending cells.

[TXGOAT2]

Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler used them for many years.

[JvanMaanen]

Thanks guys, I will give this a try, certainly has visual appeal and as this is a non starter car that was converted to starter not going to worry about the looks. Just wanted input of how well it works.

thanks again
Van

[Wayne Sheldon]

Give it a try!
However.
Honeycomb radiators are NOT all alike.
A lot of after-market honeycomb radiators were cheap knock-offs, using large honeycombs with small water passageways. While the airflow is great, and the water cools quite cold, the small passageways make the actual total cooling somewhat inefficient. (Not enough really cool water!)
The other big issue with honeycomb radiators is that the nooks and crannies of stamped folded sheets of brass soldered together creates places where rust, dirt and oils can collect reducing the water contact with the brass and therefore reduce the cooling efficiency by a lot. Worse, most cleaning methods simply do not work well in those literally thousands of nooks and crannies! Certain mild chemicals (vinegar is one of the best!) might work well, or not. There is also a complicated heated and pumped 'Evap-o-Rust' (TM) method that seems to work well.

The car you use it on, and the type of driving you do makes a big difference in whether or not the radiator will be adequate. A longtime close friend years ago had a beautiful looking honeycomb radiator he wanted to use on a special extra heavy body model T. (Not hinting at who or what!) He had spent a bunch of money getting the radiator cleaned and serviced, but on that car, it just could not cool it enough. I ended up with the radiator after a couple years, and used it on a flathead speedster. My car weighed about a third of what his car did, and the radiator was BARELY adequate. A standard tube and fin radiator served his car quite well for many years (and probably still is?).

So, give it a try. If it works well? GREAT! If not? Consider trying to clean it. Or just try another radiator.

[Mark Osterman]

I used an old honey comb type radiator on my previous T for around thirty years but never had a sense that it was n the best condition inside. I used a vintage water pump with that.

[TXGOAT2]

A honeycomb radiator might stay cleaner with a water pump. They are difficult to clean if allowed to get loaded with crud. They do not suffer from loose fin syndrome. I'd think the honeycomb core would resist mechanical stress better than a tube and fin design, but lack of a Ford type mounting plate might offset any such advantage in a Model T.

[Steve Jelf]

I'm glad I bought a Berg's while Gery was still making them. No amount of cleaning and flushing ever cured the overheating by the honeycomb radiator on my 1923 touring.

[Duey_C]

Thank you Jim for the renewed interest in honey-comb radiators and the favorable respondents.
I've been hesitant to even try the Hooven Radiator Co short honey-comb from Chicago due to bad reviews.
I went over to the hall-tree/coat rack to look at it again. It's been awhile.
IF the 18's nearly new yet 40 year old rad leaks much more, I really should try the Hooven.
Just to see.