Thread: Radiator too tall

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Radiator is too tall to let the hood follow the lines of the truck. Now with the lower radiator i am going to have to move the radiator forward for the fan to clear the waterpump pulley, lengthen the hood and rework the headlight bar to clear the radiator shell. Or I could add a remote electric waterpump for $600.00.

Originally Posted by TomJ

Radiator is too tall to let the hood follow the lines of the truck. Now with the lower radiator i am going to have to move the radiator forward for the fan to clear the waterpump pulley, lengthen the hood and rework the headlight bar to clear the radiator shell. Or I could add a remote electric waterpump for $600.00.

Heck, it's only money.

No clue as to what water pump you have, there are many short ones to consider.

If you are committed to electric fans, why not look at running a couple of smaller, and offset so you can sneak that pulley between them. A couple of Fords have dual fans which, if not mistaken, are offset.

Or ...... you can set the engine back a few more inches like my '31 Of course you would have to be double jointed to drive a pick up with even less toe box room.



I do have a big electric fan, but have room for a mechanical

I'll take a look at a couple of smaller fans. I'm not married to the electric fan route but the engine is too low for a mechanical fan and too close to radiator. I'm using a short water pump but I wish it was shorter. Too bad a dyson fan can't be used. The distributer is close to the firewall now so can't move engine. I just looked at it and I think I will fabricate a bar that bolts on at the headlight bolts and curves out around the grill shell then cut the center part of the old bar out so I don't have to disturb the fenders. Its always a problem putting a v8 in a model A without cutting the firewall. I'm excited about the new radiator. It was $199 with free shipping and the shipped it already. I'm wondering if I can make a couple of filler strips to mount to the radiator shell that the hood can sit on. That way I can use the original hood without legthening it.
This is what it will look like with lower radiator and hood.

Very niceee '31 Dave.

Originally Posted by TomJ

Very niceee '31 Dave.

Thanks Tom.
I do like the '28-'29 but I'm just too tall to fit - I tried - and a p/u - impossible.

Adding a filler strip is going to be dicey - that existing, oem style/length hood has a compound curve and a filler strip or extension to the rad shell just wont fit easily - you've changed(lessened) the angle from the firewall to the radiator shell. Rootleib will make a custom fit hood - but of course, that's more money. I've found the hard way that one simple, reasonable change begets several others that just keep adding up. Something like my battery move - that ~$100 battery needs a new box, some more 1/0ga cable and several other wires that need to be moved or replaced. Then I'll have an aging but still good Optima battery and bracket left over, etc, etc, etc