It's completely clogged up. I took it into the oldschool radiator shop, and he pointed out the white crusty crap that is blocking the tubes is corrosion. The whole radiator is corroded, he says.

Also, I apparently have a rare short but long radiator. He said most of the diesels came with the 24" square radiator, although mine has an 11x31 or so. According to him, any old used Ford radiator is going to be in similar shape after 25 years of use.

So he quoted me an aftermarket one at $445, and said he could also have cores custom made in Seattle and rebuild my radiator for $775. He said rodding or cleaning it out was out of the question, because the cores are so corroded.

Damn. This truck really isn't worth it...

Does anyone know what I'd have to do to fit a square radiator in?

 

You'd probably need a different core support to fit the other style radiator, but I'm not sure about that.

Bad news on that is AFAIK the diesel core support isn't available anywhere either.

 

Second opinion.

 

I measured my radiator on my '94 f350 IDIT. It measures 31"W by roughly 29" tall and its a 4-core. A 31x11 radiator sounds like it belongs on a V-6 mini-van, not a diesel truck. Is it possible that the previous owner replaced the original radiator with a swap-meet-deal radiator? Perhaps you can fit a standard 31x29" radiator in the core.

 

Plasma cutter and a welder, pick u a champion aluminum radiator and fab it in. Cant be too difficult.

 

I think it's the 80-86 non AC that got the 31" core radiator. Not sure if the core supports are different.

 

^^^ Nailed it with the non-a/c trucks getting the weird radiator.

 

Huh. My truck has A/C, but it does look like the PO added it. I mean, there's standard rubber hose and hose clamps used as one of the refrigerant lines.

Since my goal for this truck is 3 years, I might try to clean it out myself and see how long it lasts. It has a brand new SMF and LuK clutch, return lines, and motorcraft glow plugs, but other than that, this thing is a beater. I should have bought one that was maintained better.

I haven't found an all-aluminum champion brand replacement for this 31". The good news is that a core support for a diesel with the square radiator should be easy to come by in the local junkyards.

Thanks
-Matt

 

Chemical flush should get the corrosion out, key word should, ive never had much luck with em, but in your boat you might give it a shot. Dont be surprised if it springs a leak on you. Then stay the hell away from the blue crap... pepper or copenhagen work well, as does alumaseal.

 

You could pop a tank and rod it yourself.
Not rocket science.
If you can sweat pipes, you can tin a radiator.

 

Advance Auto Parts sells an aftermarket copper rad that should fit direct replacement part #432148. Costs somewhere between 350 and 450 no fabricating required. No plastic tank bs either.

 

Also im pretty sure you wont be able to close the hood if you try to retrofit the square shaped rad in place of your existing one without serious hacking of the rad support.