40'Radiator

As ford38v8 said: "You gotta admire the tenacity of a guy that despite all the badmouthing, he's hanging in there for the hobby."

Very true. If and when DRAKE closes shop our hobby will be severely impacted.
For example: 1940 Ford DeLuxe grilles.
 
Additional info.
The measurement for the inlet at the water pumps is on 13" centers. Is this the dimension that they use to determine the location of the lower OUTL on the Radiator.? Don't know.? It looks like "Walker/Johnson" Radiator also uses this dimension.? It might be a good idea, since it gives the lower hoses a straight shot at the lower tank of the Radiator, but they forgot to provide room for the 16-3/4" Diameter crank mounted Fan that occupies an important space in this area.

I would think that if you are going to design a "Direct Replacement drop-in bolt up" Radiator why not have your Enginering/Fabrication Dept. refer to the original drawings from Ford for the correct placement and demission's of this Radiator.?
 
FLTHDCPE said:
drolston: Appreciate your suggestion but refer to my original post and see that I don't have the luxury of rising my Engine. This probably would work if I could.!
Steve.
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PLEASE post photos showing the top of your engine and your current firewall
clearance. Curious to know why you say," I don't have the luxury of rising my Engine." What is the impediment?
 
19Fordy said:
PLEASE post photos showing the top of your engine and your current firewall
clearance. Curious to know why you say," I don't have the luxury of rising my Engine." What is the impediment?
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I think the impediment is fan belt clearance to top hose, due to offset generator bracket. I was was wondering if the generator is high on the bracket if a shorter fan belt might gain some clearance there. Picture would help!
 
drolston:
You are correct, as I had referred to in my earlier post. The generator is mounted in its lowest position possible with the shortest belt that I can run. No more room for adjustment. No pic's for now, because I presently have all of these components removed.
Good pics would tell the whole story.! I'll have some later in this project.
 
ford38v8 said:
One must remember that the same frustrations that we have with parts that don't fit are experienced by the supplier himself, who doesn't have the option to return for refund. He's got an inventory of parts he can't sell, maybe some expensive tooling that can't be modified, and all the while getting seriously badmouthed by the same guys that are very happy with his other products. It's a cruel world where one mistake can bring down the whole company. You gotta admire the tenacity of a guy that despite all the badmouthing, he's hanging in there for the hobby. If we're talking about the same guy, he's been supplying parts for the hobby since the stone age and has sponsored dozens of EFV8 National Meets, alternating with another legend of the hobby, and yet we (including myself) treat him badly.
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Alan, That same guy used to make stuff right here in the USA. That was MANY years ago. That same guy has the last word on whether or not he will accept inferior parts from his suppliers in China. Yes, China.
That same guy is not in this for the hobby. He's a salesman. Period.
I have no issue with the products he sells. My issue stems from the fact he is often deceitful. Um, how many of us have heard "gee, you're the first guy that has ever had that issue" when a simple check on the good ol' web shows very much the opposite.
Yes Alan, many years ago, nearly everything this guy brought to market was of high quality. Lord knows I'd sent him tens of thousands of dollars throughout the past and have been happy to get the parts.
He made the choice to move the operation and he made the choice to supply inferior parts.
The blame does not go the supplier in China. It goes on the company that buys the crap and then resells it.
How about simply telling the truth? You know, like "this part is darn close but may require some modification". That I could respect.
 
Kube, I'll play "Devil's Advocate" here (even though I deplore the way things are going). I believe that suppliers are forced to go to cheaper sources just to stay in business. Let's face it, most guys (I know you are not one of them) buy mainly on price. That means that a supplier with high-price quality items will end up with most of them still on the shelf at the end f the year. Call it "changing times", "globalization", or what ever you want, we are living in a different world. If the market demands cheaper items, that's what you have to do to stay in business. Overall, it does have it's benefits. 15 years ago, when I was looking to buy a big screen TV, a 50" plasma was $5000. I passed, but I did buy a 55" LCD last year for $279. And it's a better TV, too.

In the end, most people are better off overall because of the way the world works today, and that is what drives the market.
 
Yeah, the biggest issue is that we are not a hobby with enough volume to keep many of these guys in business - especially trying to produce onshore. With many folks only focused on price - it is all the more difficult. Lots of small and even larger vendors have closed up shop, sold-out or just stopped making a lot of the parts we were used to buying.

That part that is particularly annoying is when folks act surprised that something doesn't fit, that an issue exists, etc.. I'm with Kube - being truthful would sure seem like a better way to do business, though it is easy for me to say that on my side of the fence.

It is a ***** to see and be a part of, but I can see no real way that this changes. Think how many of the "better brands" have gone under in recent times - and I don't see it getting any better. ;)
 
tubman said:
Kube, I'll play "Devil's Advocate" here (even though I deplore the way things are going). I believe that suppliers are forced to go to cheaper sources just to stay in business. Let's face it, most guys (I know you are not one of them) buy mainly on price. That means that a supplier with high-price quality items will end up with most of them still on the shelf at the end f the year. Call it "changing times", "globalization", or what ever you want, we are living in a different world. If the market demands cheaper items, that's what you have to do to stay in business. Overall, it does have it's benefits. 15 years ago, when I was looking to buy a big screen TV, a 50" plasma was $5000. I passed, but I did buy a 55" LCD last year for $279. And it's a better TV, too.

In the end, most people are better off overall because of the way the world works today, and that is what drives the market.
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I agree with you for the most part. Still, is it that difficult to tell the truth? That's a rhetorical question obviously.
If the part is "close" state that. Don't tell us it's an exact copy when ya know darn well it isn't.
 
Bored&Stroked said:
Yeah, the biggest issue is that we are not a hobby with enough volume to keep many of these guys in business - especially trying to produce onshore. With many folks only focused on price - it is all the more difficult. Lots of small and even larger vendors have closed up shop, sold-out or just stopped making a lot of the parts we were used to buying.

That part that is particularly annoying is when folks act surprised that something doesn't fit, that an issue exists, etc.. I'm with Kube - being truthful would sure seem like a better way to do business, though it is easy for me to say that on my side of the fence.

It is a ***** to see and be a part of, but I can see no real way that this changes. Think how many of the "better brands" have gone under in recent times - and I don't see it getting any better. ;)
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You too are correct.
These days, it seems most folks buy on appearance as their number one priority. Little thought or consideration is seemingly given as to how long a particular item will last or well it will perform.
 
Kube said:
I agree with you for the most part. Still, is it that difficult to tell the truth? That's a rhetorical question obviously.
If the part is "close" state that. Don't tell us it's an exact copy when ya know darn well it isn't.
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Mike, yes, for some, lying is a way of life. I break all ties to liars as soon as the fact is proven. I haven’t dealt with that guy since his ill fated super duper catalogue fiasco that nobody got refunds on. )There I go again badmouthing the guy.)
 
For sure it's a problem, but for the suppliers as well. How long would an enterprise survive with the motto : "We Sell Second-Rate Parts"?:(
 
tubman said:
For sure it's a problem, but for the suppliers as well. How long would an enterprise survive with the motto : "We Sell Second-Rate Parts"?:(
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No need to list the parts as "second rate". However, stating they may need a little tweak to make them fit (as an example) would go a long way to ones credibility.

If you are correct, that's a sad place we are collectively in. The place where dishonesty and lack of ethics wins.

I will name one suppler by name, Mike Driskell. He's doing quite well and, in my opinion, it's primarily because he is so very honest and ethical.

Bottom line for me? My grandpa taught me I have to sleep with myself each night. As a boy, I didn't understand fully what he was implying. As a man, I do my best to get a good night's sleep. I understand...
 
"U.S.Radiator" update.!
I need to clear the air about "U.S.Radiator" I did hear back from them, both in the form of an E-mail and a phone call from Phil, (the production manager) I sent them an E-mail with pic's and a description of my problem and asked for their assistance. He was confused, because he pulled up my order and it said right on there that I had requested the controversial 13" centers on the OUTL's.?
He went on to explain that each and every order for their products are made up specifically to the customer's request, by the build sheet taken at the time of the order. Nothing is made up ahead of time and put in stock as one size fits all.
He did apologize for the problem and offered to fix it if I wanted to pay the shipping both ways.
I said that I would give you an update and this is where we are at now. I will have to decide where we go from here.
In light of the above posts that this has generated about our ongoing problem with the quality or lack of it with our aftermarket suppliers I want to clear up that I am very pleased with the quality of "U.S.Radiator"s product and their response to my inquiry. Somebody sure screwed up on the order from, and maybe it was me for not verifying the specifics for my Applicaiton.?
I also would like to thank everyone that joined in and offered their ideas or help. That's what makes these "Forms" helpful for us Ford people that still enjoy Driving and working on one of "Henery's" Finest.!!
 
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