Good day everyone
When installing a model T radiator, don’t tighten the two mounting nuts then try to install the support rod by tilting the radiator forward. The support rod (goes from the firewall to radiator) should be threaded in first then tighten the two hold down bolts.
Seems like I always ‘learn by doing’ it wrong.
How to make a T radiator leak
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TXGOAT2
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- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926-7 roadster
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- Board Member Since: 2021
Re: How to make a T radiator leak
I'd add: Don't tighten the radiator mounting bolts any tighter than necessary to get cotter pins in place. Don't use the radiator stay rod to force the radiator forward or backward. Adjust the rod length to accomodate the radiator. Be sure the radiator mounting studs are only screwed into the threaded plates far enough to get the cotter pins in place. Be sure the upper and lower hoses are not putting pressure on the radiator. Don't use old, stiff hoses. If the hood, cowl, and radiator shell don't line up properly, you may need to adjust the body mounts or straighten the frame.
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Allan
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- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: How to make a T radiator leak
I would add, adjust the radiator support rod so that the hood fits as best as it can, before tightening the top radiator hose clamps. That way the radiator sits in an unstressed location.
Allan from down under.
Allan from down under.
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FULLBORE
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Re: How to make a T radiator leak
I was advised to make the radiator mounting holes a little larger. The T frame can flex and crack the radiator near the mounting holes. A slightly larger hole seems like a good idea.
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Allan
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- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: How to make a T radiator leak
Did your advisor mean the holes in the frame for the mounting studs, or the holes in the mounting plate which is near the bottom of the core? Perhaps the 15 million Ts Henry sold had it wrong, somewhere.
Allan from down under.
Allan from down under.
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FULLBORE
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Re: How to make a T radiator leak
The discussion was to make the holes in the radiator larger.
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Scott_Conger
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Re: How to make a T radiator leak
Enlarging the holes is entirely unnecessary.
What might be necessary is to bring the frame back to factory spec width as frames will splay open and cause damage. It only takes 100 years or so to do the damage, so fixing the source should last another 100 years or so.
A correct fix for a radiator which will not fit correctly is to wrap a chain around the frame and jack the frame back to the correct location. It can be done with no damage to an original car and with little paint damage on a finished car.
Personally, I would say that opening the holes on the radiator support bar is fixing a symptom and not particularly good advice (or perhaps it would be kinder to say it's not the best advice...). I for one would not want the thimbles to be loose and working around.
What might be necessary is to bring the frame back to factory spec width as frames will splay open and cause damage. It only takes 100 years or so to do the damage, so fixing the source should last another 100 years or so.
A correct fix for a radiator which will not fit correctly is to wrap a chain around the frame and jack the frame back to the correct location. It can be done with no damage to an original car and with little paint damage on a finished car.
Personally, I would say that opening the holes on the radiator support bar is fixing a symptom and not particularly good advice (or perhaps it would be kinder to say it's not the best advice...). I for one would not want the thimbles to be loose and working around.
Scott Conger
Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny
NH Full Flow Float Valves™
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured
Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny
NH Full Flow Float Valves™
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured
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Scott_Conger
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Re: How to make a T radiator leak
Mario, that's before I had to hide my chrome dome under a cowboy hat...
BTW - "grey" apparently is a hair color...before it went white!
Scott Conger
Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny
NH Full Flow Float Valves™
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured
Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny
NH Full Flow Float Valves™
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured
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Quickm007
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Re: How to make a T radiator leak
We called this experience
Super Mario Bross
1911 Touring
1914 Speedster
1911 Touring
1914 Speedster
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FULLBORE
Topic author - Posts: 35
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Re: How to make a T radiator leak
Good day everyone,
I picked up my 1911 radiator from Mel at Ferndale Auto Radiator Repair yesterday. This is a great place for vintage radiator repair. Mel has been in this business for over 50 years. His business advertisement is “We fixed your grandfather radiator.” It was a five hour drive for me. Once to deliver it up and once to pick it up. It was well worth it. Price was reasonable also. His number is 248-541-9688.
I picked up my 1911 radiator from Mel at Ferndale Auto Radiator Repair yesterday. This is a great place for vintage radiator repair. Mel has been in this business for over 50 years. His business advertisement is “We fixed your grandfather radiator.” It was a five hour drive for me. Once to deliver it up and once to pick it up. It was well worth it. Price was reasonable also. His number is 248-541-9688.
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1914ROADSTERT
- Posts: 18
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- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Roadster
- Location: Maryland
Re: How to make a T radiator leak
On the 1914 Roadster I've been working on I noticed that the radiator mounting hole on the driver's side frame is perfectly centered on the frame "rail", but on the passenger side the hole is shifted outboard and just barely off center. Perhaps between 1/8 and a 1/16.
The original radiator fit was fine, more on that in a moment.
The new Radiator from Brassworks ( a work of art to be certain ) did not fit exactly. I considered frame tweak as has been noted in this thread but chose " hole modification " instead due to what appears to me to be the slightest of manufacturing defects.
It should also be noted that the radiator fastener kit from Langs had little in common with what was holding on the original radiator. The bolts as I found them when the original radiator was removed were of a smaller diameter and were not "original" as shown in the drawings.
I'd be interested in having the original reconditioned and kept as a spare if possible. Any suggestions as to a service provider in the DCA/BWI/PHL area?
Regards All!
The original radiator fit was fine, more on that in a moment.
The new Radiator from Brassworks ( a work of art to be certain ) did not fit exactly. I considered frame tweak as has been noted in this thread but chose " hole modification " instead due to what appears to me to be the slightest of manufacturing defects.
It should also be noted that the radiator fastener kit from Langs had little in common with what was holding on the original radiator. The bolts as I found them when the original radiator was removed were of a smaller diameter and were not "original" as shown in the drawings.
I'd be interested in having the original reconditioned and kept as a spare if possible. Any suggestions as to a service provider in the DCA/BWI/PHL area?
Regards All!
Last edited by 1914ROADSTERT on Wed May 17, 2023 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Scott_Conger
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Re: How to make a T radiator leak
radiator hole spacing is 21 1/2" center to center
any wider and your frame has sprung (they almost all are to some extent)
any wider and your frame has sprung (they almost all are to some extent)
Scott Conger
Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny
NH Full Flow Float Valves™
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured
Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny
NH Full Flow Float Valves™
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured
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TXGOAT2
- Posts: 7391
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Re: How to make a T radiator leak
The irregular hole is most likely due to wear. I'd check the crossmember dimensions very carefully. It's almost always best not to remove metal from the frame.