32 radiator difference

1

1932tub

Senior Member
Can anyone tell me if a 32 commercial radiator is the same as a passenger car radiator?
I have a commercial one but the sidebands are plain, if memory serves me
right the v8 passenger cars have a swage down the band.
 
This is the one that came out of my 32 Woody. As you know, the Woody is considered commercial. Hope this helps.

raddriversidesm.jpg
 
The commercial will have a shorter fill neck. I had to put a taller one on the commercial V8 radiator to use in my coupe
 
Filler neck is shorter? I have one that came out of a pu and when it's beside a stock car radiator you can't tell the difference. My pu rad must have started out in a car.
 
Not 100% sure, but pretty sure passenger and commercial radiators are the same. Would be nice to hear from Dave R., Vince, Richard or Bruce on this.
 
I have not found any different neck heights, but that and the lack of a differnt commercial radiator in the parts book (there is a different one with an extra row in the truck section, not relevant here) don't mean much...'32 parts book has lots of gaps, and radiators I have are strictly whatever I have found. My commercial has a passenger grll on it for further confusion...
And of course there were multiple suppliers and presumably aftermarket radiators, so minor stamping differences are probably meaningless. The correct one is the one that isn't leaking...
Model A necks '30-31 might be the explanation of a single low radiator, as I think those would go right on a B tank.
Further, due to that, I have not yet tracked down a commercial cap.
I do not personally believe there are neck height differences but it remains an open question!
 
Dick Spadero says the commercial cap is very elusive. Had his stolen at a show. He says for a fake cap the 30/31 A gas cap is very close.
 
All I know is that the thing looks like a '30-31 with a slightly longer skirt below the knurled part. My roadster, though, is happily wearing a model 46 radiator cap put there by a previous owner...
Dang. Never thought of heisting Spadaro's cap!
I have done some poking around in the few booths at Hershey with large stocks of original Model A parts, hoping to find that one of their '30-31 caps was taller than the others, but so far no luck. I should start taking along a Model A cap both as a size template and as trading stock in case the B one turns up on an A.
 
1932tub,

All '32 radiators are interchangeable in terms of their outer dimensions and how they are mounted, including the BB radiator with the extra row of tubes, and either the passenger radiator shell or the commercial/truck radiator shell fit all of them. There is no difference in the height of the filler necks in any original '32 radiator.

Despite there having been more than 100,00 of them manufactured, original commercial/truck radiator caps are indeed difficult to find today.

Dave Rehor
 
DavidG said:
1932tub,

All '32 radiators are interchangeable in terms of their outer dimensions and how they are mounted, including the BB radiator with the extra row of tubes, and either the passenger radiator shell or the commercial/truck radiator shell fit all of them. There is no difference in the height of the filler necks in any original '32 radiator.

Despite there having been more than 100,00 of them manufactured, original commercial/truck radiator caps are indeed difficult to find today.

Dave Rehor
Click to expand...

This subject of different filler necks was raised once before and was a new one for me. I have a good original B radiator from a 5wc and a NOS BB radiator with the extra row that I have had for years. The one question in my mind is whether a passenger grille/shell will fit the BB radiator? I have a very vague recollection that I tried it once and the front of the core interfered with the passenger grille, which extends a little further rearward than a commercial grille. I need to drag down the BB radiator and test fit the stuff to see what is what? I recently promised Roy N. that I would do this, as he needs a B radiator for his S/D, which will use a passenger grille. I have not forgotten Roy, just been really busy and the BB is up in the loft, which is REALLY dirty... It will happen "soon" hopefully... BTW, Roy thinks the extra row on the BB is to the rear, not to the front, and he
may be right... it has only been about 30 years!!!
 
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