Thread: SHE LIVES to tell a thousand tales... (some funny ones too!)

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Faith: Is this radiator picture pre repairs, or post? Either way, I think somewhere down the road you will be investing in a new one. (how do you like that term investing? Must be my years of sales training..........you aren't BUYING, or SPENDING MONEY, or PURCHASING........you are INVESTING )

Living in SoCal, it may start giving you problems down the road. (no pun....)

And, maybe it looks worse in the picture than it really is.

Don

HEY NOW, DON'T YOU TALK SMACK ABOUT MY RADIATOR. I happen to love it. It actually does not look so bad, remember you are looking at a REAL CLOSE shot (macro). Overall, since it is an original 1932, it is working good. It has a new core on it. The rtadiator specialist who is very knowledgeable and builds a lot of radiators for rat rods fixed the seal. It blew because of my mistake. I always turn my fan on when I drive, but last week I had Troy (Hollywood Hot Rods) test drive the car to test the brakes. he didn't know about the flicking of the fan and I forgot to tell him. 20 min of stop and go at 2 mph later, the radiator boiled over.

None of this would have been cause to blow his top LOL, but someone had a 16 Lbs cap on it. I now have learned that these old radiator need only 7Lbs.

So now we start afresh and hopefully I will not mess up and he will not retaliate

PS: I love my old radiator, wouldn't want a new one if you gave one to me. .

Having said that and talking about "investing" (I'll have to use that one hehe) I have "invested" in : a)- A Posie new leaf spring ( Hollywood roll style ) thanks for letting me know of its existence b)- New, shorter lower front shock mounts c)- a pair fo swan mirrors (I have one and wanted the right side one, but they only sell them in pairs GRRR) d)- A panhard bar e)- new king pins f)- new booties for my half-rack

All above parts are in preperation for dropping off Hiboy at Hollywood Hotrods on Saturday 12/02 for some major work.

All in all, the little guy is SPOILED ROTTEN. (Or should I say "Spoiled Rusten?" )

Oh, almost forgot to mention: The Alien anal probe thingie, we did not dorp it in there, we found it when we lifted up the valve covers. A little bonus from a previous (tired, or drunk) owner ... Well, at least it was not a severed finger

The whole engine is made in Mexico... Andale! On the bright side, we examined both the top of it and the crank of it while the pan was open and everything in there looks GOOD.

I also learned how to adjust the timing. I loved the whole light flashing trick thing. I had previsouly marvelled at the weird ruler with numbers on it near my crank shaft and wondered what it was for... Well now I know. And to see the "mystery, hidden line" appear like magic was some fun stuff!

We believe my otherwose stock engine has a mild street performance cam on it. Eric did say he put a bigger cam in it but he did not remember which... (duh!) WE set timing at 4, it was a little above 6 previously. It seems the engine sounds and runs better now. I am not sure if it is my imagination, but the roadster also seems to be faster.

If you look close at the photo, you'll see a neoprene rubber radiator mount.
Cut out of a 1/2" sheet of neoprene rubber.

Retained by a couple of 3/8" stainless bolts with nylock nuts.
(Nylocks are the self locking nuts that aircraft use to a great extent. Also found at places that carry a good selection of bolts and nuts.)
Reason for the nylocks is you can snug them up to the point where the rubber pad is not overly compressed, the radiator isn't tied down too solid.
In other words, vibration doesn't bother it and it stays where it's supposed to.

Sheets of rubber - which are usually neoprene - are found at a lot of places.
Farm Supply houses, Oil field supply houses and if you're close to an Industrial rubber store you've got it made.
Most times you can buy small sheets for not much money.

To make round biscuits for the mounts, drill a pilot hole with 1/4".
Select a hole saw with the ID - Internal Diameter - you want and saw it out on the drill press.

Then - here's the trick - freeze the biscuit overnight in the freezer.
Have the clamps et all ready to go.
Drill the ragged pilot hole to the size you want.

If you don't freeze the neoprene when you drill for the desired bolt size, it will just tear a ragged and overly small hole.

The neoprene you get is almost always the correct durometer - hardness - for motor mounts and the like.
I've used neoprene biscuits for rear motor mounts on a 50 Plymouth flat six and it worked well.

Depending on the bottom shape of your lower radiator tank you may be able to use a thinner neoprene biscuit than what's pictured below.
1/2" is as low as I can get the Walker radiator on my 32 highboy.

I had a US Radiator radiator on my 31 on 32 rails - which was a 32 radiator 1" shorter than standard 32 - and it sat on a 1/4" neoprene biscuit.
Long story, but I found that I need a 2" shorter 32 style radiator for this car to attain a good visual hood line.

Imo, neoprene biscuits and bolts with nylock nuts beats the original Ford setup all the heck and gone....

I would sugeest investing in a NEW water pump ...





They raise the mechanical fan level 5 and 1/2 inches so you can run a mechanical belt driven fan ...



The raised water pump also has a neat alternator bracket cast into it ... with the raised water pump ... you can run a 18 inch 6 blade fan.
With a belt driven fan, you do not have to worry about remembering to turn the electric fan ... and cooking the engine ... if you forget ...

Where's that water pump setup come from? I have an engine driven fan on my car, but its low, and as you mentioned, the diameter is limited by the fact its low in the chassis... I have yet to actually drive the car, but I'm skeptical its gonna keep it cool, especially with no shroud and full (unlouvered) hood sides. I do like the idea of an engine driven fan over an ugly modern electric job... that raised water pump may be something i'm needed come next spring.

It is a ZIPS water pump riser ...
Parr Automotive ( and others ) sells them ...

$229 ... last time I checked ...

Originally Posted by HiboyGal

It blew because of my mistake. I always turn my fan on when I drive, but last week I had Troy (Hollywood Hot Rods) test drive the car to test the brakes. he didn't know about the flicking of the fan and I forgot to tell him. 20 min of stop and go at 2 mph later, the radiator boiled over.

All in all, the little guy is SPOILED ROTTEN. (Or should I say "Spoiled Rusten?" )

If you want to spoil him (and yourself) a little more, you can invest in a temperature switch that just screws into your manifold or head and turns the fan on at 185 and off at 175. They cost about $25 tops. You can keep your toggle switch for those times that ya just have to have the fan on. That way he kinda takes care of his own needs. I know it's hard for a mom to let her little one go on his own sometimes, but it makes life simpler for both of ya

Pat

Originally Posted by Stu Cool

you can invest in a temperature switch that just screws into your manifold or head and turns the fan on at 185 and off at 175. Pat

Yes, the previous owner did install one but he could not get it to work right... My current fan and radiator keep the car right at 160F at all time, even in heavy traffic, even in the hot summer valley so cal weather (highs at around 100F or a hair more). I actually have the coolest running car of my cruising group .

Without fan, while driving the temp goes up to 190, the radiator will still not boil over. But without fan anf without air movement (stop and go only) I now know it will boil over.

Down the road I will replace the termostat or try to trouble shoot the one currently installed to see why it did not trigger the fan when supposed to.

But I have other things more important on my to-do list right now