Pressure testing radiator
- Thread starter fottyjs
- Start date
rotorwrench
Well-known member
Most can't take more than 3 to 4 psi. Are you checking for leaks or blockage? Back in the day, a radiator shop would just take the tanks off and rod the thing out rather than try to second guess what was going on inside there.
Just get the temperature up to 205,210 range and shut it off.
The temperature will go up a little more and as it go's up so
will the pressure in the cooling system. At 210 it will be slightly
less than 3 lbs and will most likely go to a little over 4 lbs as the
temperature builds up after shut down. You could also put a
temporary plug at the bottom of the overflow tube, Something
like a golf tee would be good. G.M.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
There are tools that use a vacuum pump to test for leaks at low pressure values but all it will do is tell you it has a leak. It won't help you spot where its coming from.
Most of the time a person can see where a leak is coming from while the part is still in service but it might only be the general area. My own experience is that once they leak, it's usually time for a new core anyway. There is usually a lot more than one thin spot inside a leaky core and the radiator would look like Swiss cheese to try and repair the leaky tubes. If I was to take the trouble to remove the tanks, I would be installing a new core if one the right size is still available.
Most of the time a person can see where a leak is coming from while the part is still in service but it might only be the general area. My own experience is that once they leak, it's usually time for a new core anyway. There is usually a lot more than one thin spot inside a leaky core and the radiator would look like Swiss cheese to try and repair the leaky tubes. If I was to take the trouble to remove the tanks, I would be installing a new core if one the right size is still available.
A good radiator shop will deal with the particular job in hand. Any repairs can be quoted for and the need for a re-core ascertained at the time. Leaks usually occur at soldered joints and many times a clean up, clean out and re-solder will result in a good serviceable radiator.
If you feel that the guy is going to sell you a re-core with out taking the time to check it out properly, then you you might be dealing with the wrong guy?
The old copper cores were built out of comparitively heavy material and during WWII Ford introduced pressurised cooling systems (4 lb cap) in some lines at least. (I can refer to a military reference to where the radiator seam sizes were made bigger to suit the introduction of a pressured system in 1942)
Just wondering if your 36 has ever had a replacement (upgraded) rad?
If you feel that the guy is going to sell you a re-core with out taking the time to check it out properly, then you you might be dealing with the wrong guy?
The old copper cores were built out of comparitively heavy material and during WWII Ford introduced pressurised cooling systems (4 lb cap) in some lines at least. (I can refer to a military reference to where the radiator seam sizes were made bigger to suit the introduction of a pressured system in 1942)
Just wondering if your 36 has ever had a replacement (upgraded) rad?
rotorwrench
Well-known member
There are getting to be fewer and fewer radiator shops around these days. Many of the shops that used to do rodding out and repairs are gone now and replaced by shops that sell you new aftermarket plastic & aluminum radiator for the more modern cars. I delt with a good shop for many years but he shut down about ten years ago due to lack of business. The last shop I took a radiator to repaired it but hacked a good bunch of the fins out doing it. He just applied enough pressure to the radiator to see where the air bubbles were coming from while it was in his water tank. He shut down too a few years back.
Now days you have to either do it all yourself, send it to the nearest genuine radiator shop for repair/recore, or you just buy a new reproduction radiator for $700 and call it good (hopefully).
Now days you have to either do it all yourself, send it to the nearest genuine radiator shop for repair/recore, or you just buy a new reproduction radiator for $700 and call it good (hopefully).