radiator question

[Art Ebeling]

Are the upper and lower tanks the same on a low and a high radiator? Can a high radiator be recored as a low radiator? Thanks, Art

[KWTownsend]

Short answer is, "No."

The angle of the inlet for the top tank is different for the tall and short radiators.

That being said, I did it 50 years ago on my 1919, not realizing the differences.

I would not do it again.

Keith

[Art Ebeling]

Are the bottom tanks the same?

[Allan]

Short answer is yes. Just different in some minor appearance details in the cast outlet.

On the top tanks the header plate has a different shaped outlet hole to accommodate the two different styles of outlet fitting. This can be remedied by making flat brass adaptor plate. I had to do this on a high radiator one time. The pressed steel outlet, which I had never come across before was a different shape to the pressed brass one I used as a replacement.

Allan from down under.

[John kuehn]

I bought a recored low radiator off of EBay and when I got it I noticed the top tank and head outlets were way out of line. I made a spacer to get the correct alignment. Works and aligns fine. Not real noticable either. It’s made from a piece of flat 3/8” plate.

[Kerry]

Mostly the same, can use the low radiator top spout on the high radiator but will fit better with a slightly longer hose, the low radiator uses the shorter spout 4003, the high radiator spout 4003B is longer and not a good fit to use on a low radiator.

[Allan]

Keith, to me it looks like your problem is due to using a low head brass radiator fitting on the head. That will not line up with any low or high radiator that has a shell.
Allan from down under.

[Art Ebeling]

I am wanting to recore a low radiator for a 1919 and the bottom outlet is rusted to the point there is nothing left for the hose to attach to. The top tank is good, the core is bad. I have a high radiator with a good bottom tank and outlet so I will have the low radiator recored and use the bottom tank off the high radiator. Thanks for the answers, Art

[KWTownsend]

Art,
It sounds like you can cobble together parts to make a radiator work for your car.

Allen,
If I recall correctly (since this was nearly 50 years ago and I was a kid) the brass radiator outlet fit better than the black radiator outlet.

John,
I like your solution to make everything fit. Is your radiator tall or short? Is the hose connection on your radiator cast or sheet metal?

I could probably swap out my water outlet to the black radiator, make a spacer like John did, and trim down the outlet to make a hose fit. Or leave it the way it is.

BWT, to re-core a tall radiator with a short core, the side brackets need to be cut shorter and welded back together, too...

Keith

[Craig Leach]

Sometimes aftermarket honeycomb radiator tanks lend themselves better to a re-core than original Ford radiators do. I have a re-cored low ( was a honeycomb )that is a great fit & a re-cored tall ford in a tall application & the inlet neck is not a good fit even with the tall outlet. The high cost of radiators is driving people to try options that where not necessary a few years ago.
JMHO
Craig.

[J1MGOLDEN]

That brass radiator has the top inlet 3/8th inch off center, but it is hardly noticed until you repair one with the part on wrong side out and then it is 3/4th inch off center.