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

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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 ...