1969 Barracuda Fastback
Today the radiator got some attention. It's an original recored Chrysler 22" radiator. I ordered Gates radiator hoses (quality looks good), which fit perfectly on the water pump, thermostat housing, and upper radiator inlet. Only on the lower radiator outlet, I ran into a small problem. The hose had the same diameter as the outlet and a lot of force would have been required to get the hose on. Since brass is very soft and I didn't want to damage the radiator I came up with the following solution:
Installed the radiator hose spring, marked the correct angle of the hose to the water pump, deburred the edge on the outlet so it had no sharp edge anymore, then lubed outlet and hose with vaseline, used a heat gun and applied some heat to the hose, which made it softer - it easily slid on the outlet - problem solved.
I also noticed that the radiator rested with the bottom directly on the radiator support. I didn't like that, so I glued (weatherstrip adhesive) some rubber stripes on the bottom of the radiator. For the mounting points, I cut 4 cork washers. The went between the back of the radiator support and the radiator. Now the radiator does not directly touch any metal of the radiator support and is a bit damped.
Finally, I made a little filter for the upper radiator hose. A very knowledgeable mechanic said once to me, never run a new/rebuild radiator on an engine when you are not absolutely that there are no loose objects in the engine's water system. Even though my block got hot tanked and cleaned, I don't wanna run the risk and mess up that nice radiator. Can not rule out that something still might come off the block walls.
You radiator filters from vendors and spent 50$ and have to cut your radiator hose, or spend a few cents and invest some time:
- cut a stranded wire, bend it to a ring with 36 mm diameter
- solder the ends together
- slide a metal net (found on strainers) over a broomstick - like a condom :)
- slide the ring over the net and broomstick
- cut off the excess net
- with a very thin wire sew the net to the ring
- insert the ring into the radiator inlet - et viola - no ugly cut and filter on the hose
Since copper is a noble metal and attacks other metals it's for sure not the best material but easy to work with. I did the same on my Mustang and periodically checked and cleaned the filter. Once there are no more dirt or rust flakes coming out of the engine, I will remove the filter, so it won't stay there for too long.
A nicely crafted stainless steel or brass filter would probably look better, but it's just temporary and serves its purpose.
Today the radiator got some attention. It's an original recored Chrysler 22" radiator. I ordered Gates radiator hoses (quality looks good), which fit perfectly on the water pump, thermostat housing, and upper radiator inlet. Only on the lower radiator outlet, I ran into a small problem. The hose had the same diameter as the outlet and a lot of force would have been required to get the hose on. Since brass is very soft and I didn't want to damage the radiator I came up with the following solution:
Installed the radiator hose spring, marked the correct angle of the hose to the water pump, deburred the edge on the outlet so it had no sharp edge anymore, then lubed outlet and hose with vaseline, used a heat gun and applied some heat to the hose, which made it softer - it easily slid on the outlet - problem solved.
I also noticed that the radiator rested with the bottom directly on the radiator support. I didn't like that, so I glued (weatherstrip adhesive) some rubber stripes on the bottom of the radiator. For the mounting points, I cut 4 cork washers. The went between the back of the radiator support and the radiator. Now the radiator does not directly touch any metal of the radiator support and is a bit damped.
Finally, I made a little filter for the upper radiator hose. A very knowledgeable mechanic said once to me, never run a new/rebuild radiator on an engine when you are not absolutely that there are no loose objects in the engine's water system. Even though my block got hot tanked and cleaned, I don't wanna run the risk and mess up that nice radiator. Can not rule out that something still might come off the block walls.
You radiator filters from vendors and spent 50$ and have to cut your radiator hose, or spend a few cents and invest some time:
- cut a stranded wire, bend it to a ring with 36 mm diameter
- solder the ends together
- slide a metal net (found on strainers) over a broomstick - like a condom :)
- slide the ring over the net and broomstick
- cut off the excess net
- with a very thin wire sew the net to the ring
- insert the ring into the radiator inlet - et viola - no ugly cut and filter on the hose
Since copper is a noble metal and attacks other metals it's for sure not the best material but easy to work with. I did the same on my Mustang and periodically checked and cleaned the filter. Once there are no more dirt or rust flakes coming out of the engine, I will remove the filter, so it won't stay there for too long.
A nicely crafted stainless steel or brass filter would probably look better, but it's just temporary and serves its purpose.