moving the radiator forward

[Jeff Norwell]

That is awesome info Jim....Thank you.

[Ecode70D]

    About 10 years ago I had my stock radiator recored, so I don't need one at this time.  I'm  just a little  curious about the aluminum radiators.
    I would assume that the tanks are welded and wouldn't give you any trouble, but what do you do if  you spring a leak in the core of an aluminum one?   Curious minds.   

[rmk57]

Buy a new one. My universal fit Be Cool rad was $199.00 so it probably wouldn't be worth repairing unless it was in the tank or somewhere easy to access to tig weld.

  Randy

[JimNolan]

     
    I would assume that the tanks are welded and wouldn't give you any trouble, but what do you do if  you spring a leak in the core of an aluminum one?   Curious minds.   

You know, I wondered the same thing. I've never welded aluminum before but I'd say it's not rocket science. Someone did it!. The thing that impresses me is the width and uniformity of the welds. To look at them structurally they look better built than a copper core radiator. Don't know if they are. They just look like it.
  The Radiator shop in Plymouth, Indiana told me (he owned 57 T-birds and Fairlanes for years) that the design of the 57 radiator lended itself to top separation very easily. He said putting a bigger engine behind one of those radiators didn't help. Don't know if he was right but figured he knew more about it than me after 40 years of repairing radiators. Jim

[Ecode70D]

Jim
     The guy that did a few radiators for me always had body panel bonding material at his shop.  I  wonder if that's what he used to patch the aluminum cores.  Someone out there knows the answer.  Jay

[gasman826]

JB Weld

Been a while but ran mud trucks with aluminum radiators.  When you run a tree root through the radiator, let it kook down and get the JB Weld out.  I still have a Griffin hanging on the wall with a minor JB Weld repair that lasted three years before I quite mud bogging.  May not be the preferred repair method but sure worked great for temporary repairs.

I remember my grandpa's car having window screen in front of his radiator.  Richard Petty cars had screen in front of his radiators.  Every car I've owned had window screen.  A local, old time hardware store still has brass window screen on a roll in the basement.  My '57 rolls with a piece of that screen in front of the radiator.  Radiators are too expensive to replace or repair due to picking up a small stone.  Radiators are too vulnerable to road trash not to add a little protection.  A little birdie could ruin a road trip.  Brass screen is tough enough to stop or at least slow down a bird or small stone or other road debris.  If nothing else, the screen acts as a pre-screen and is easily removed to clean bugs or cottonwood seeds

[JimNolan]

I bought on of those trim to size screens and it fits perfect in front of my 57 Radiator. Works great. No bugs in Radiator. Jim

[F570RD]

Just came across this thread and can't stop laughing.When I first put my car together some 37 years ago,I installed a 64 full size radiator on the motor side (FE)of the core support believing that's where it went.Never noticed anything different on other cars 'cause I wasn't look'n.

[RICH MUISE]

Just came across this thread and can't stop laughing.When I first put my car together some 37 years ago,I installed a 64 full size radiator on the motor side (FE)of the core support believing that's where it went.Never noticed anything different on other cars 'cause I wasn't look'n.

Isn't the motor side of the core support where it is suppose to be?...that's what some of us are trying to change a bit.

[F570RD]

Rich,I just looked at some pictures of stock 57's.I guess my install was not out of the norm.Some years back I over heard a guy make a comment about my radiator location and how it was inboard to the engine.Not knowing of the stock local,I bolted it in as close to the engine as possible.You would have thought with having the car for as many years and seeing 57's around,(not many here),I'd have seen what a stock location was.Just never did..

[RICH MUISE]

The guy who made the comment years back was probably confusing the 6 cyl radiator location with the 8 cyl. It still mounts in the same place, but the flange on a 6 radiator is in a different location, pushing the radiator core further frontwards than the 8. You can now use the expression "I thought I made a mistake once, but I was wrong...I didn't" LOL

[RICH MUISE]

  LOL...I guess todays my day for beating the old nags. Some pics of the install of the auto city alum radiator. First, I temporarily installed my old 6 cyl radiator for reference, and the first pic is that old radiator. Second pic shows the slot I cut in the core so I could slide the alum. radiator in front of the core support flange. As you can see, I also used Jim's idea of aluminum tubing for the spacer, and I removed the weld lip at the bottom of the core support and rewelded. Third pic is the aluminum radiator positioned with the mounting holes as it came. You can see it's higher than the oem 6 cyl radiator at this point. I have about 3/4 of an inch between the core support and the bottom tank of the radiator...so next thing to do is redrill the new radiator's flange to lower it.

[JimNolan]

Rich,
   Thanks for posting. I KNEW it would work. I just chickened out. My car runs cool though and I haven't had any problems with clearance shifting at 5K. The fan sits dangerously close to the radiator but it hasn't hit it yet at any power application. If I ever pull my engine again I'll rethink the conversion. I still have my new clutch fan. Thanks again for posting the pics.

[RICH MUISE]

It certainly was alot easier than trying to keep spacers on each of the bolts. Thanks again for the idea.