MTFCA Forum

This is supposedly a radiator high shell for a '26 but I think it needs a repair on the hood side.

The clip mounts on top of the shell to hold the support rod https://www.modeltford.com/item/4002.aspx
There is also hood lacing for the shell https://www.modeltford.com/item/4060-5.aspx

ty Frank, I didn't even think of checking there by searching for "radiator".
So, the only thing that holds the hood down in the front is gravity and the spring hooks at the hood shelf.

You don't want to raise both sides of a Model T hood at once, since it is not secured at the front of the center hinge. Keep one side or the other latched.

I have the stainless steel rods in all my Model T hoods and work alone so trying to lift the whole hood off the cowling and radiator shroud at the same time without scratching the cowling or headlight buckets is problematic.

I lift one side of a lower panel where it sits on top, tap the rod out a inch or so with a tiny punch, then pull the rod out with pliers and one hand and hold the lower hood piece with the other hand. Then repeat on the other side and finally lift off the two top hood pieces as a unit.

I have done this so many times over the years I can remove the whole hood in less than 30 seconds.

Before I bother to order the missing part...I found something else:
with the shell sitting on he radiator all the way, I noticed a 1" gap on both sides. Is this right?
Figuring that someone will ask for measurements of the shell and radiator...
The radiator core is 19" between the tanks. (The original radiator was stolen for scrap.)
The height of the shell is 21".

A high radiator shell has the sides splayed out towards the rear, so the shell sides follow the line of the hood side panels. The low radiator shell has the sides square on the the front panel. This is an easy way to identify the two types if you do not have a tape measure handy.

The feet on your shell look to be typical of a low shell. I cannot tell from your photos if the sides are angled or not.

No matter what you do, neither shell is easily adapted to use in the alternative application. Adding height to the sides to make a low radiator shell to suit it for a high radiator will still leave it narrow at the back and give you a poor fit for the hood.
Likewise, cutting down a high shell will still leave it too wide at the back due to the splayed sides, again compromising the hood fit.

Allan from down under.

Need to resolve your shell and radiator heights first -
Starting to wonder if you have a 1926 Model T radiator. The water inlet looks Model A, lots of oddities. Need some pictures full size pictures. It may be the cause of your problems . Doesn't look like you can get a hose on it either double click on the picture to zoom in
Is the shell steel or nickle?

THEN
Your need a few more things regardless of shell height or radiator The Radiator and shell are supported/suspended by the mounting assembly Instructions

Yes, I have the hardware to the frame.
I hope these radiator shell photos help.
It looks nickel plated. 16" from the bolt hole to the bottom of the tank cover.

24" from bottom of bottom tank to top of top tank.


18-7/8" looks correct.


Not sure about this measurement but the holes line up when sitting in the frame.

I had posted the wrong picture of a radiator dimensions and removed it from my previous entry. I measured my high radiator, bottom to top and its approximately 24". Also there is a bolt that keeps the shell in position. Can't see if the bracket is on the radiator , towards bottom shelf. The radiator looks like it has several repairs, what does the filler neck area look like? The gap of the shell on top of the radiator should be minimal - anything preventing that.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/33 ... 1370742923

The radiator photos you posted later show that the radiator is an aftermarket item, not an original Ford radiator. While it is most likely dimensionally the same, it has different pressings on the top tank, the water outlet is way different, and it lacks the reinforcement bar in the core between the two side mountings. This latter detail is important, as many measure from this bar to check the height of the radiator.

Allan from down under.

Just to be clear Vernon, the difference between the high and low radiators is the height of the actual core. The tanks do not vary in dimension. The only measurement to vary is that between the top and bottom tanks.
The shell is nickel plated. It is most likely brass. That makes it a high radiator shell for a 26-7 model T. Previous high shells were black painted steel from the factory.

Allan from down under.

I do not see the radiator shell brackets anywhere on the radiator nor do I see them for sale.
The close up photo is excellent but at the same time I cannot tell where on the radiator it is supposed to be.
The good news is that I am a "go" for making them if I know more: size and location.

I already have some stainless 1/4" countersunk screws and can be cut to size to mount the shell.
The nuts can be tapped.

The radiator apron has already been started on. We ran a bead around it not shown.

The radiator shell brackets are towards the top. Appears to be brackets near the bottom of the shell for hood aliment. Again the upper bolt only held in position in the slot allowing movement. My Borg radiator does not have the lower brackets (arrow). Best I could do for dimensions

what does the filler neck area look like? The gap of the shell on top of the radiator should be minimal - anything preventing that.

Answer: It sits down rather nicely.
So, if the radiator seems OK and the shell is OK, should I change the shell and lower the bracket? or is it supposed to have a 1" gap?
BTW, those photos are excellent. Can make 2-4 brackets and place them with that info.

I just noticed this missing part of my shell?

About the 1"gap: The shell height is 1 inch short, should be 22" why? One of the nickle shells I have was from a Hot Rodder who cut the bottom ears off and made new ears by bending the bottom sides. So you may have a similar issue. What I'm planning to do is fabricate a small extension using some stainless steel sheet that I got from a Hobby shop. Given the location no one will notice You can affix the extension (green) behind the needed area (red) with 3M Super Strength Molding Tape. That tape is used to hold car body panels together