Radiator fill question

Bill G

Bill G

Well-known member
I recently purchased a very nice Brassworks radiator. My old radiator had no baffle in the filler neck, so I could plainly see where I wanted to fill the level with coolant. I would fill it to just a little over the tops of the tubes because if I filled it more than that, it would all blow out anyway. THat old radiator was falling apart and took many fills to keep it in water.



This is a '29 for what its worth.


The new radiator has a baffle that absolutely hides the top tank from being able to see how much is there. I am pretty sure I am OK. The car runs nice and cool, and nothing is getting spewed out. There is under three gallons and over 2-1/2 gallons in it. The key point is that it does run cool and I know that because I am running a temp gauge.


My question is how the devil do I check to see what my water level is, other than just wait for it to overheat if I am on a long trip? Any techniques for magically seeing down beyond the baffle? I am baffled.


-Baffled in Walla Walla
 
3 Gallons of distilled water let it seek its own level should be great with new radiator, I use rust inhibitor with my distilled water. should be just below the baffle. Not to worry.
 

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I took a long punch and pried one side of the baffle down a bit to be able to see the level off to the side.
 
I am not familiar with the Model A engine but here's how I overcame that issue on my 32 Model B. Sight glass enables me to establish that there is coolant above the water pump. I feel sure that the top water outlet casting on your cylinder head could be modified to provide a similar solution.


Let me know if you need further details and I will do my best to help
 

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katy said:
I took a long punch and pried one side of the baffle down a bit to be able to see the level off to the side.
Click to expand...


That might be my only solution. The baffle is really all around and does not allow for any sighting past it. The hole through the baffle for the overflow tube is pretty much the same diameter as the OD of the tube itself, so there is no peeking there either.
 
tiger.1000 said:
I am not familiar with the Model A engine but here's how I overcame that issue on my 32 Model B. Sight glass enables me to establish that there is coolant above the water pump. I feel sure that the top water outlet casting on your cylinder head could be modified to provide a similar solution.


Let me know if you need further details and I will do my best to help
Click to expand...


Thanks for the reply and that is indeed a great looking method. However, I was looking for a more simple approach. :D
 
Somewhere I have seen where a flexible clear tube/hose is added and run up along the side of the radiater. Same principle of a gas float gauge plugged into the bottom of the carb bowl. Sorry, can not remember where it was tapped in - Lower radiater neck, radiator petcock, lower coolant pipe? I believe it was plugged at the top to prevent any coolant loss, and plug removed to read the level.
 
My radiator level is " just enough over the baffle". Just a tini amount. Then I know the level is OK.

I am new to the car, but I did 700 miles so far this year with the level at that point and all is going well with temp.
 
No whiskey just water and antifreeze.....the engine moves in the chassis whereas the radiator does not. The coils are to allow the tube to accept sideways reactions without stressing and breaking....the top of the tube exhausts in to the top radiator tank
 
Closed cab...a flexible transparent tube with have the same effect. Just essential that the top end is open otherwise the level will rise and fall with engine revs
 
Fill it up to just over the baffle and run it for a while. It just might be happy at the level and stay there without pushing any out the overflow tube.
Worth a try.
 
I put a short piece (8 inches) of leftover brake line down into my overflow tube with the shorter of the two nuts still on the flare. put the slightest of bends in the line to give it a little resistance going into the overflow. slide it in with the flare and nut up of course - push it all the way down until the nut and flare are on the top of the tube. raises the height of the overflow tube just enough so that the coolant remains above the baffle.
 
why don't you just fill it to the top and let it find its own level so much rocket surgery here
 
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