Replacement Radiator
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 197
Likes: 2
From: Brisbane, Australia.
Hello there, I had my stock radiator recored, the shop I used still had a book with the Ford specifications. The guy in the radiator shop was suprised by the size of the rad given the Flathead is around 90hp, I pointed out there is alot of exhaust port to cool as well, not cheap ..... $1100. Good luck, Steve.
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,643
Likes: 35
From: Orange County, CA
If you have the original rad still, like mentioned, it can be recored. My shop installed a new core in mine for about $300. If you have no radiator you can purchase a new one from places like Walker, figure about $500 if you go that route. And most can fit flatheads, small block Fords, even small and big block Chevys. Some members here have used radiators from other vehicles and adapteded them to fit, so hopefully they will chime in and give you some more options.
And the big truck and 1/2 tons all had the same radiator.
And the big truck and 1/2 tons all had the same radiator.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 803
Likes: 0
From: Gibsonia, PA
Has mine recored and second tubes cut off. Running BBC with belt-driven fan and no temp. problems to report. Cost about $300. They also had a 10 psi cap for the big mouth top. Think it was a Stant (sp)
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Sandpoint, Idaho
Great info. Thanks. Zowie - $1100 is a little steep for me. A $300 re-core sounds like the right thing. In the mean time I was hoping to find that using some other vehicle rad was common. Side flange mounting holes are 24" inch apart and height can vary 24 to 28 inch. Glad to find that the little'uns were the same size as the big'uns.
Thanks again and I'll keep listening.
Larry.
Thanks again and I'll keep listening.
Larry.
If you have the original rad still, like mentioned, it can be recored. My shop installed a new core in mine for about $300. If you have no radiator you can purchase a new one from places like Walker, figure about $500 if you go that route. And most can fit flatheads, small block Fords, even small and big block Chevys. Some members here have used radiators from other vehicles and adapteded them to fit, so hopefully they will chime in and give you some more options.
And the big truck and 1/2 tons all had the same radiator.
And the big truck and 1/2 tons all had the same radiator.
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Sandpoint, Idaho
So a 10 psi is the right thing? Rad shop guy tried to talk me outta rebuilding it saying that the old ones just can't handle the pressure. I was thinking cap control should do.
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Sandpoint, Idaho
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 197
Likes: 2
From: Brisbane, Australia.
Gidday Larry, I have a 4 psi cap on my rad, I read somewhere that 7 psi is the maximum the radiator tanks can take, being so big they flex alot with the heating & cooling cycles and split. I have a reprint of the 1939-48 Ford / Mercury shop manual and the spec for a '46 V8 truck radiator cap is 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 psi. Cheers, Steve.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 803
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From: Gibsonia, PA
They gentleman that recored mine was 70 yrs. old and had been around the block on this stuff. He resealed the top and bottom tanks and tested to 40 psi. He indicated that the top tank would swell ever so slightly, but the metal was designed for that, but not the original solder. By refluxing/resolder the tanks, he took that out of the "failure" equation. In messing with the cooling system, I have overshot the 10 psi cap a couple times with no residual problems. A 4 or 7 psi cap should work fine if you have a small block and/or an electric fan setup.
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Sandpoint, Idaho
7 psi is interesting. I guess that there were a variety of pressure caps. Joblot has as the appropriate cap for the 47 big truck as 4 psi. I'm thinking that in the 40s there wasn't glycol coolant and a truck hauling a heavy load was going to boil so the 4 lb cap would just let the pressure go. In my case someone had put a 350 chev engine in the truck and the spec thermostat was 190 degrees (now changed out for a 160) so the rad took quite a hit right off. It works best just running the cap loose.
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