Radiator rebuild progress. Almost done.

[Jeff]

I took a break from working on the website today and stopped by the radiator repair shop to check on progress. The core arrived yesterday and the owner, Randy, was assembling it and he let me watch the whole process. There really is an art to doing this right, and Randy is an artist. He’s been rebuilding radiators with his dad for 50 years.

The core came from a shop owner in Oakland who worked with Randy’s dad for decades. He has all the jigs to build literally any radiator core. It took one day to turn my core out after he got the exact specs from Randy.

What a great rig for holding this awkward unit!

Hole for the overflow had to be drilled and then soldered in place

The bottom cap was soldered in place

The inlet and outlet fittings were added next

And finally the whole unit tested for leaks. No more than 5-10 PSI. Success!

Tomorrow it gets painted and I put it back in the car just in time for our Polar Bear tour Saturday morning. This is cutting it close!

Jeff

[Kerry]

Boy! what a big radiator for your T Jeff, a big piece of card board to get that puppy to run warm for ya!

[Mark Gregush]

I don't see a baffle? Nice work.

[Jeff]

I don't see a baffle? Nice work.

Aha!

Jeff

[Rich Eagle]

You are fortunate to find folks who can do that. We have lost some of our repairmen lately.
Have fun on your tour.
Rich

[Allan]

An interesting point in fitting the bottom outlet after the tank is fitted. My man always fits the outlet to the tank first, and then fits the unit to the core. He does it this way so there is less chance of the extra heat used on the cast outlet upsetting the work he would otherwise have already done if the tank was fitted first. I guess its all up to the individual craftsman. We have lost two locals, and now I have to drive 30 miles through the city to find anyone with the skills they used.

Nice work on your radiator.

Allan from down under.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I wish I was a bit closer to your part of the state! I may need to go that route for a brass radiator.

[AdminJeff]

I wish I was a bit closer to your part of the state! I may need to go that route for a brass radiator.

He’s trying to sell his bldg and get out of the biz so I jumped on it before I couldn’t.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I can't say as I would blame him. I actually built a radiator myself about forty years ago for one of my antiques. It is pretty tough work.

[Kerry]

It's a trade that is not good for your health long term, although regulated in Australia by Work Safe with blood tests and workshop vents and fume exstractors etc, you are still working with heavy metal, tin and lead poisioning, acid fumes from flux's, cleaners and hot tub caustic soda's.
My old man worked his radiator service with out all the BS in regulations and died at 86, my younger brother doing it by the book is now on his second run of chemo for cancer in 4 years trying to get a few more years out of life, he's just turned 60.
His argument with the powers to be was why pull all the toxins up to fan exstractors so it's air born even longer, let it fall to the floor and stay there. But the powers to be wouldn't see that logic.

[Mindless Automaton]

Kerry, the logical thing to do is put the extractors on the floor.

[Kerry]

True Kep, but we are dealing with the intelligance of over educated nit-wits working in government departments, logic? why I even had one ask once why water in an open drain wont run up hill

[Ruxstel24]

True Kep, but we are dealing with the intelligance of over educated nit-wits working in government departments, logic? why I even had one ask once why water in an open drain wont run up hill

Yeah, I believe they're the ones who put a screen door on a submarine...

[George N Lake Ozark]

What kind of paint does he recommend ??

[AdminJeff]

What kind of paint does he recommend ??

He uses rattle can rustoleum. He has his entire career on all radiators he rebuilds. This isn’t a 500hp racecar... it’s a 100 yr old, 20hp model T. I have to alway keep that in mind when I try and overthink working on this car. Put down the precision instruments I’m so used to using on my 911 racecar and grab the sledgehammer and the welder! unless you’re inside the motor of course.
.

Jeff