Radiator?
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Elder User
Joined: Jun 2015
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From: Louisville
Radiator?
Came home, mowed yard, noticed green stuff in driveway. Radiator has sprung leak in mid-core. Bottom tank bowed (old damage), quick web search yields nothing less than $4-$500 for an OE style radiator. As near as I can tell I have an original radiator and with bowed bottom tank I'd just as soon replace the whole thing. Really would like to stay with original type as rest of truck is ~98% OE. Any suggestions? (besides "take it like a man, Beav...")
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2014
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From: Deerbrook, WI
I have a radiator thread that was started 12-24-14. It's entitled Radiator: Repair, Replace, or Recore. You can access it from my profile page. I received a lot of good advice, and there were a few unexpected twists along the way to a resolution. Like you, I have a 215 cid engine, and I was dealing with an original radiator.
Jim
Jim
Senior User
Joined: May 2016
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From: Lewis County, WA
Here's a link to Jim's thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-re-core.html
I'm facing the same issue right now. My top tank sprung a leak and I'd like to keep the original look. Mid-Fifty has a copper/brass replacement but it's over $500, plus shipping.
I'll read through the above thread, but I'm guessing I'm going to bite the bullet and shell out the cash.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-re-core.html
I'm facing the same issue right now. My top tank sprung a leak and I'd like to keep the original look. Mid-Fifty has a copper/brass replacement but it's over $500, plus shipping.
I'll read through the above thread, but I'm guessing I'm going to bite the bullet and shell out the cash.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,093
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From: Brentwood, TN
I have seen at the local auto swap meets vendors who sell aluminum radiators in the same shape as the OEM radiator. A little rattlecan black and you have a new OEM-looking radiator for less than half the price you quoted.
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Elder User
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From: Louisville
Biting the bullet and having mine re-cored. Roppel's (owners of RadProHD) are based here and do all of our fire stuff. No shipping, free pick-up and delivery. I know their work and, should anything happen, they're local. They called today and said the tanks are in great shape and I'll have it back tomorrow. All over but the crying. :-) And I finally got around to replacing the non-existent radiator support mounts I've been putting off because I didn't want to pull the radiator. And replacing the hoses. And the drippy water pump. And the... LOL And, of course, now that the radiator support is mounted correctly I get to re-align the sheet metal. Oh well, at least it didn't blow out in the middle of nowhere. There's always a silver lining, if you look really, really hard.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 989
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From: australia
The good thing about a copper/brass radiator is they can be repaired .
The aluminium ones are basically a throw away item when they leak as rad shops won't touch them .
The aluminium ones are basically a throw away item when they leak as rad shops won't touch them .
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Joined: Oct 2014
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From: Deerbrook, WI
Beav, if you don't mind sharing, how much did the re-core end up costing? I would have liked to have gone that route, but doing so would have been so much more expensive than going with a new copper/brass replacement. I did keep my original radiator just in case one of my kids or grandchildren down the line would like to have it re-cored.
Jim
Jim
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Upper Left Coast
Mine had a 3-row core and I wanted them to put a 4-row "original (looking)core. It wasn't cheap, somewhere north of $600, but they removed both tanks and re-soldered everything.
It's beautiful. A copper radiator will usually out perform an aluminum one and like mentioned above, it can be easily repaired.
Cheers,
Rick
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Elder User
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From: Louisville
Haven't seen it yet, had to leave before it arrived, so can't tell you how many rows. For a 215 I6. Price is $485, about the low end for mail order copper/brass complete radiators in stock configuration. Quality copper rads in OE config run around ~ $900 - $1000, from what I've seen. These guys have always done quality work for us, each tech there over 20 years.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2014
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From: Deerbrook, WI
Beav, your price of $485 sounds like a very good deal. The quote I got from the best shop in my area was $800. I received 2 other bids for around $600, but they were from shops that were less well known for the quality of their work. Congratulations on your re-cored radiator! One less thing to worry about (and pay for).
Jim
Jim
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Elder User
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From: Louisville
Three rows, staggered. 1/2" tubes. Even massaged the dings and dents from the tanks - all good.
Tomorrow is spring pins and bushings followed by brake pedal bushings. The squeaky squeaky of the pedal on the rubber pedal bumper is driving me nuts.
Tomorrow is spring pins and bushings followed by brake pedal bushings. The squeaky squeaky of the pedal on the rubber pedal bumper is driving me nuts.
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