No radiator baffle

rscardina

rscardina

Senior Member
My radiator is missing the baffle and I am losing water through the overflow. I tried the nail in the overflow and I am still losing water. I believe the flow of water from the pump must be moving the nail enough to allow water to escape through the overflow. Any suggestions?
 
rscardina, What year is your car, it looks like a '30 in your album, the are some photos in my Ford Barn Albums of the two types of baffles as shown in the Ford Service Bulletins. Also, the original upper tanks have the three vertical reinforcing ribs as shown in the second photo. Darryl in a very warm Fairbanks
 

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Clogged flues will also cause you to lose water through the overflow - They will need rodding out to properly clean them which means the top tank will have to come off. Then you can add the baffle.

I second the recommendation for installing a thermostat.
 
Nail trick works, but you can extend the tube upwards by the addition of a short piece of hose... maybe put the nail in that too.

And there is the trick recommended by the Service bulletins to "bend" the upper end of the tube towards the windshield (and put it sort of in a "dead zone" of flow.)

Cone of Silence just came to mind.

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What?

Joe K
 
I found this 'restrictor' in my outlet to slow down circulation... never overheated.
 

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Y-Blockhead said:
I found this 'restrictor' in my outlet to slow down circulation... never overheated.
Click to expand...

That looks factory made, or someone did an excellent job.
That's the first time I've seen that type restrictor, but as you say, it did the job.
Also Dollar Bill has it nailed for a good fix.
 
I read in previous threads about the addition of a thermostat installed in the upper hose. Would this be the correct thermostat? This is the 160 degree thermostat.



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rscardina said:
I read in previous threads about the addition of a thermostat installed in the upper hose. Would this be the correct thermostat? This is the 160 degree thermostat from Mac's. How does it fit in the hose?



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Yes, that's the correct stat and the top in your picture goes toward the radiator. I also use a thermostat and that helped prevent my coolant loss.
 
Just slide it into the hose with the pointy end towards the radiator.

Hose clamp to stop it off or if you have an old bottom hose, slide it in first and then the thermostat.
 
I have a thermostat in the top of my hose 31 coupe, and a 3# pressure valve in the bottom of my overflow pipe. I hardly ever add water, maybe once a year and I drive it hard. Skip Haney in Flordia has the 3 # check valve. 914-637-6698 Walt
 
How much water are you losing? Or in other words, how low does the water have to get before it stops being lost? As long as it completely covers the tubes it should be fine. The water is not pushed down through the radiator from any positive pressure from the water pump, it is sucked down through the radiator from below by the Vacuum created by the water pump.
 
rscardina said:
My radiator is missing the baffle and I am losing water through the overflow. I tried the nail in the overflow and I am still losing water. I believe the flow of water from the pump must be moving the nail enough to allow water to escape through the overflow. Any suggestions?
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As Eagle states, how much water are you losing? Mine likes a level just below the baffle. Once it get to that lever I don't lose anymore.

I would fill the radiator drive the car, measure the water I needed to add. Refill it and drive twice as much as the first time. Measure the water I need to add. If the amounts are the same your car is just finding it's own level and it it does not over heat that's it. If you need to add more water the second time then you need to find the cause and solution.

On my car every couple of months I top it off, and for years it has taken the same almost 2 quarts to fill.

Let's just make sure you truly have a problem before spend time and money to fix it.
 
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