MTFCA Forum

Looking for information on where I could purchase a core for my 15 radiator. No radiator shops anywhere near me willing to record mine. Thinking about giving it a go myself.

I just went to Brassworks site. They list making cores. They may be able to re-core your radiator, or at least supply a core.

Neil, if you want to give it a go, I recommend buying a poor condition radiator to fix, unless you current one is hopelessly bad, ie has a fan sticking through it.

You could try Bob's radiator in Agawam, I know they will touch old radiators, not sure about re-coring or if paying for a professional re-core wouldn't end up being as much or more than a new radiator.

I have one with great condition brass but the core is beyond repair. The one I running now works but needs small repairs and the brass is not in great condition.

Soldering is one of those things that when everything goes right, the metal is clean, dry, fitting well, the heat is just right, the planets are in alignment and everything goes well...is a beautiful and rewarding experience. But when it does not go well it is maddening. One theory for the mass closing of mental institutions is due to the change of radiator construction to aluminum and plastic in the 1990's.

There is an older posting a few years ago where someone with no prior radiator experience made significant radiator repairs successfully. It can be done. I can weld, solder, form Sheetmetal, etc., but I would never take on a radiator repair and certainly not a re-core. I take my radiators to a radiator shop where they have the tools, materials, and experience, they know what they are doing and are well worth the cost.

Here is a link. https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=37564

I take my radiators to a radiator shop where they have the tools, materials, and experience, they know what they are doing and are well worth the cost.

Such a shop will have somebody old enough that he learned radiator work before the Age of Plastic. A few years ago I paid special attention to radiators on Model T Fords at OCF. All were "new" except mine and one other. Mine was a recore and I expect the other one was too. If you have a brass era radiator that looks OK but isn't up to the job anymore, I would urge you to seriously consider a recore. It would be more original (yes, they are made differently) and likely to be less expensive. My recore cost several Benjamins less than a new radiator.

Here is the Master, retired, building a new one lets you know what skills & tools needed
part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Z58zC-l1Q
part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aehHwPlaxhU

"Red The Radiator Man" used to clean his dentures in his hot tank. He lived to be very old. How sane he was after a lifetime of radiator work in his own shop I don't know....