Poor radiator fit

whirnot

whirnot

Well-known member
My Town sedan has a poorly fit radiator The hood fits badly like the front is high, and the radiator is tilted back. If I straighten the radiator the hood probably wont latch at all. The radiator that was in it had shims to raise it up.


When I replaced the radiator I was planning on eliminating the shims, but if I do the Radiator outlet will be resting on the cross member. So I had to put them back. The cross member appears to be the original one, it is riveted in place, and to the eye looks the same as my roadster. Any Ideas?
I am wondering if it has a 30/31 frame......... I realize the frame could be bent as well, but that doesn't explain the shims, which are about 3/16
 
As you alluded, there exists in a general sense a "1928-29" frame and a "1930-31" frame. The primary difference between these two is the height of the bosses where the radiator mounts. The 30-31 frame these bosses are sunk "down" a little compared to earlier 28-29 frame to afford room for the taller 30-31 radiator.

Ford, anticipating a body change between 1929 and 1930 started about October 1929 making the frames with the "sunk down" cross members. To compensate for installation of the 1929 radiator, Ford provided "shims" to go under the feet of the radiator to make the hood lines correct. (Page 387 Service Bulletins) These shims were used on the automobile line until the change-over around January 1930 and continued on the truck line until that body changed around May 1930.

The way to tell which front cross member you have is to look at the mounting pad. If the pad protrudes ABOVE the frame rail, it is the 1928-29 design. If the pad is sunk down below the frame rail, it is the 1930-31 design. You can use a straight edge or level to determine which it is.

Per the Service Bulletin, the later frame for a 1929 radiator application requires two A-8126R shims per side, in addition to the normal A-8125 rubberized shim. So you may find three shims, and IIRC from my own late '29 Frame, there is about 3/16 to 1/4 difference to be made up.

The bolts are longer too.

Joe K
 
Joe, you are right, it is either a 30/31 frame, or cross member, or the late 29. So my next question is, are there other differences in the later frame. If not, I could just change the cross member. But of course this won't fix any of the hood issues, because the net result with the shims is the same height. There may be other gremlins in there, but if there are other frame changes then that might explain some things.
 
The newer cross member is not a problem, you just need to shim the radiator.
See page 387 of the Service Bulletins.


Bob
 
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