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What lives inside an old T’s radiator... wow.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 3:36 am
by Jeff
I decided that adding pepper to the radiator every few trips wasn’t going to be a good answer to the multi-leak problem. Originally I had ordered a new one from one of the vendors but it was 6 weeks out. I then found one of the last radiator repair shops in Northern CA is in Santa Rosa and cancelled my order. I made quick friends with the owner and got a tour of the shop. He and his late dad have been building and repairing radiators for 60+ years. We ordered a new core from his engineering shop after finding the exact specs for it in an obscure antique radiator core catalog. Then we disassembled the old one to reuse the original top, bottom and bracket pieces.
This is what we found inside:
Years of sludge. Likely a leaky head gasket or two and who knows what other problems over the years. Over half the tubes were totally blocked .
These are the only parts that get reused. Core should be here Wed and we assemble Thu or Fri.
Cost is a little less than 2/3 what a new one was going to be and I get to meet a new craftsman with a lifetime of experiences to share.
Jeff
Re: What lives inside an old T’s radiator... wow.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 10:46 am
by Ruxstel24
All that pepper makes me sneeze !!
Re: What lives inside an old T’s radiator... wow.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 10:49 am
by RajoRacer
Clearly one of the reasons it had a "water circulator" on her when you purchased it !
Hi Jeff !
Re: What lives inside an old T’s radiator... wow.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 10:52 am
by signsup
On my 1915 restoration, after draining the radiator, there was a clunking sound so we rattled and shook the radiator until an old wooden clothespin fell out. Maybe to stop sneezing from all the pepper inside these things.
Re: What lives inside an old T’s radiator... wow.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 10:55 am
by Norman Kling
In that picture, it looks like bees. If that had been a honeycomb radiator?
Norm
Re: What lives inside an old T’s radiator... wow.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:07 am
by Jeff
RajoRacer wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 10:49 am
Clearly one of the reasons it had a "water circulator" on her when you purchased it !
Hi Jeff !
Hi Steve! I didn't recognize your new username! Yeah, I'm wondering if that water pump was the main contributor to the problem over the years. The sludge was thick and grease-like, and it covered the entire bottom area. And I know that pump was leaking like crazy. Adding grease to the grease cup over and over and over, year after year - where does it all go? It didn't really ooze out the shaft bearing. I think I found it.
Probably another reason to leave those water pumps OFF of these cars.
Jeff
Re: What lives inside an old T’s radiator... wow.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:32 pm
by Original Smith
Whatever lived in that radiator DIED!
Re: What lives inside an old T’s radiator... wow.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:49 pm
by Kerry
Someone got carried away with a few tins of Bar's leaks.
A good product, made my old man a very wealthy over the years by blocking the radiator, often if left in too long could set hard in the tubes making it beyond repair. The soluble oil in the Bar's leaks makes it look like grease.