This would be cool! I was thinking of merely taking the top tank off to peer
inside.

I'm usually sure of nothing until I see it myself....

 

I'm thinking slice the whole thing right down the middle.

I'll see if I can get by Ricky's shop in the next day or two.
I'm sure he's crazy busy right now with the cold snap, but that means he likely has a bunch of failed heater cores on the scrap pile.
I have seen mine so many times I'm sure I can pick one out right away.

 

Well,
I got a chance to stop by Portchester Auto Radiator today.
My friend Ricky almost laughed out loud when I told him why I was there.
There weren't any failed Ford ones in the top of the scrap barrel, so I had to pick a GM one.

Anyway:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24183730@N03/5324471123/" title="IMG_0504 by Jim_Urrata, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5324471123_09ec87d3bb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_0504" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24183730@N03/5325076162/" title="IMG_0505 by Jim_Urrata, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5325076162_e2f0441e68.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0505" /></a>

As you can see, no dip tube or anything.
The upper header is divided by soldering in the middle to the top of the core.
The lower header is open to both sides.
Coolant can only flow vertically.

 

How the hell did you cut that so nicely? I figured a sawzall would tear it up pretty bad!

 

Porta-band w/ a 28 Tpi blade.

 

The Ford's are the same way as the cut up gm core. I did not cut one apart but unsoldered the tanks off a all copper/brass core and fixed it. Now on my 89 F250 I'll be doing the same to it! I like all copper/brass radiators and heater cores, easy fixes if you know what you are doing.