Well went to fill the engine with coolant today on the 50 F1 and the radiator is leaking. I don't know if I should send it to a radiator shop and see if they can repair it or try to find a new one. I think they should be able to recore it. What does everyone else do? I want to have it running by next weekend. Oh well.

 

If I had a good radiator shop available, I would certainly check with them before buying a replacement radiator. Unfortunately, good radiator shops are very hard to find. The EPA, other regulators, and cheap imports have made radiator shops an endangered business.
Where is it leaking, tank, core or inlet/outlet?

 

it's leaking in the core

 

Radiator shop, hands down is best.

 

Which engine?

 

We pulled the original rad out of the '50 truck, and sent it out for re-coring. It was done in a few days, and it appears to work well. Worth it over sourcing a new one for me.

 

Re-cored mine and she is woking great! The shop tested it to 20lbs and I run it at 4 so I should have no issues cooling my flathead during an Arizona summer.........I hope i didn't just jinx myself.

DjS

 

I see you are from Monticello, MN. Last year I took my radiator to American Radiator on University Ave. in St. Paul, a mile or so West of the Capitol, or East of Little Dearborn, which ever landmark you want to go by. Old school radiator shop that didn't look so great but they fixed the leaks, did it when they said they would and we swapped some stories besides. I'm thinking it cost either $125 or $150. I'm glad I went that route. Good luck.

Grant

 

Same here. Haven't had a radiator shop around for at least 15 years. Regulations and low cost import replacement radiators drove them out of business.

Repair or replace all depends on how important originality is to you. To me, replacing simple bolt on parts is fine as good as long as you save the original.

 

Found a radiator shop in the next town over who said he would try to fix it by this weekend. There must be a big call for radiator repairs because the shop was full of radiators.

 

In my area there are two shops. One of them told me a few years back was at that time he was staying busy repairing tractor and heany equipment radiators. Car and truck radiators not so much because a new car radiator could be installed either that day or the next, and he couldn't turn around a quality repair nearly that fast. And not to mention the cost being about the same for a cheap new radiator depending on the vehicle model.

 

Just recently had mine re-cored and it's doing great.

 

The price quoted to me on re-coring my '50 F2 V8 was $500+. LMC truck had a new aluminum for about $300. Truck Parts and Truck Accessories

If you have budget concerns right now don't be afraid to try Bars Leak. I ran an old Jeep for 20 years with it and never had a problem.

 

I just had one rebuilt in Glendive , Mt for 180 bucks. I would.find a differant shop.

 

Recored with brass?!?