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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 37 Ford Radiator Cleaning

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Posted By Discussion Topic: 37 Ford Radiator Cleaning     BRL 07-26-2023 @ 10:52 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 102 Joined: Oct 2021 Hi: I am thinking of removing my 37 Phaeton radiator to take to the radiator shop for a cleaning. There does not appear to be anything wrong with it...I am just a new owner of this car and there have been a lot of neglected maintenance items (very rusty fuel tank , crumbling wiring insulation, for example) so since the weather is too hot to drive (Texas) I figured I might as well take it out for a cleaning and inspection. It appears to be the OEM radiator with a aftermarket (or later Ford) 4Lb radiator cap installed. There is no part marking on the outside or tank of the radiator. Is there any special handling or cleaning procedure that must be done with this radiator? For example, I have read on the posts on this website that this radiator cannot be pressurized above 4 Lb....? kubes40 07-26-2023 @ 11:43 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3396 Joined: Oct 2009 I like the way you are going about this... attempting to get everything up to snuff on your recent acquisition. Done correctly, your investment in time and money will most certainly provide you with a more reliable (read: more pleasurable) experience. Be certain the guy at the radiator shop understands clearly that NO MORE than 4# should be used when testing. Also, if he is willing and able, removing the tanks to rod out the core is well worth the extra cost. I would suggest you tell the same guy to NOT paint the radiator. Many of these guys tend to lay the paint on thick. That hinders cooling. You are better off painting the radiator yourself so you can control the amount of paint applied. Mike "Kube" Kubarth ford38v8 07-26-2023 @ 8:48 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 And I like both the previous posts, but with a couple additional caveats. First, the rodding can be destructive if done quickly. (carelessly). Plead for special care in the rodding, even to offering a bonus to clear the tubes without causing pinhole leaks. Second, do your own fin straightening, as any amateur can do a perfect job of fin straightening which the professional hasn’t the time to do. Alan This message was edited by ford38v8 on 7-26-23 @ 8:50 PM Robert/Texas 07-27-2023 @ 6:35 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 108 Joined: Dec 2009 I don't know where you are in Texas but maybe this will help. About 3 years ago I had the radiator in my '37 Ford disassembled and rodded out by Freitag's Radiator Shop in Hempstead, Texas. He did a great job on it and the engine runs much cooler than it did before. I called him this morning to see if he is still in business and he told me that he has been since 1959. His phone number is (979)826-8374. kubes40 07-27-2023 @ 9:28 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3396 Joined: Oct 2009 Alan has offered good advice. I suppose I didn't think to add that as the fellow I deal with is a true professional and well, as such, I'd never had a concern. Just a thought but as long as you have the radiator removed and have a good shop to work with, you might ask how costly it would be to replace the core. A new core? Just doesn't get any better. I pay $500 to have a '40 radiator re-cored with split cores as authentic. While awaiting the new custom cores to arrive, I take the top and bottom tanks home and repair any and all dings, etc. Mike "Kube" Kubarth BRL 07-27-2023 @ 9:40 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 102 Joined: Oct 2021 Hi Guys: Thanks for all the advisements...I will get busy to removing the radiator and let you know how this job turns out. BRL 07-27-2023 @ 9:54 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 102 Joined: Oct 2021 Hi Guys: Actually I do have a few more questions concerning the cooling system after the radiator is out...once the radiator is out, can I flush the block? I am not familiar with the design of the water passages and water pumps but I would like to attach a garden hose and give the block a flush with with house water pressure (about 60psi). Can I do this or would the water pumps (or something else) on the block be damaged? For example, on my old Chevy 350 I made up a set of connections using old hoses and adapters and ball valve from Home Depot and was able to flush the block with no damage. Robert/Texas 07-27-2023 @ 10:16 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 108 Joined: Dec 2009 BRL, I flushed the block out with my garden hose with the radiator out and the water pumps and heater hoses removed. I found my receipt for the rodding and cleaning job that Mr. Freitag did in 2019 for $200.00. This also included some soldering and repainting. He used the correct radiator paint. I assume that it would cost more today though. BRL 07-30-2023 @ 10:06 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 102 Joined: Oct 2021 Hi Guys: I removed my radiator yesterday without any drama and I am surprised to see that it is pretty clean inside and all the fluid is clean. Almost zero sediment and only a few flakes of rust and braze splatter...this radiator may have been repaired or cleaned just before it was sold to me. Anyway, attached are some photos of it...if not the original 1937 radiator, it is probably a correct reproduction for the car. It has numbers on the back of the top tank, center cap location, and wire harness clips on back. It does not have the dual petcocks on the bottom but there is evidence that one petcock mount may have been removed and soldered shut. Off to the radiator shop tomorrow.

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