Rodding a rad

Rocketsled

Rocketsled

Senior Member
I think I'll try rodding out my '48's radiator. What is used to clean the insides of the tubes, i.e. what kind of rod?
Tanks
 
they look like banding strap they come in all different sizes you have to get the proper size for your tubes. you also have to remove the top & bottom tank if you rad is roted you will soon find out. a rad 62 years old might not be two helthy.try reverse flushing it .less trama on the core.very few rad shops do roding because of the labor involed.
 
You only need to remove one of the tanks. Once the tubes are rodded out, the crud can be flushed out of the remaining tank. On early radiators, where the front end basically aligns on the radiator, and the fan comes so close to the underside of the top tank, it is certainly best to remove the lower tank, or take careful measurements of the exact position of the upper tank where you can be sure you solder it on at the correct angle, etc. Don't ask me how I know.
 
Remove the top tank to clean out a radiator, you will find most of the blockages are at the top of the tube and you can pick them out with a scriber or such. If you want to rod the whole tube go to your sheetmetal shop and get then to guillotine an appropriate length of stainless steel strip 22g narrower than the width of the tube. Just round the end of the strip that you are pushing through.
 
Thanks, I'll give it a try-got nothing to lose. Lost my job just after I turned 62, so I'm need to save $$$.
When I got it 10 years ago it had been dry since the '60's and was in good condition. I have flushed it and it seem to flow a lot, but several guys at the Gathering of the Faithful suggested a rod-out, or better yet a new aluminum rad. What do you think about those?
 
Forgot to mention when you are rodding it connect the garden hose to the bottom outlet and block off the other one and when the hose is running. You can see which tubes are blocked. The water will also flush out any crud you dislodge. If it looks like it flows alright now why not give it a try in the car before you go ripping the tank off. It may well be ok and if it is you will be saving yourself a heap of trouble and work.
IMO steer away from alloy radiators they look cheap and the sight of one in an original car would devalue the vehicle. Good luck.
 
HAY ROCKET; Just one point,I look at what can I fix, like out there on the side of the road, so to speek, I know I can solder a patch on the radiator, and get it home, or to the shop. ....forget the aluminum, I can't weld that stuff, and tub is right, it just don't look right, or some would say " Not Cool " ...........OLD....BILL
 
i dont care what the radiator suppliers say, aluminum radiators do not cool as good as an old fashion copper core radiator, tryed an aluminum one one my 57 chevy street rod, it heated up all the time, i had on a new water pump 180 degree thermosat , big 5 bladed fan, got hot when idling , got rid of it , went copper, no more problems
 
Rocketsled said:
I think I'll try rodding out my '48's radiator. What is used to clean the insides of the tubes, i.e. what kind of rod?
Tanks
Click to expand...

If the water is running through it at a nice flow rate, why remove it and have it rodded out. Does the car run hot?

Sounds like you may be going after this the wrong way just based on what someone told you at a cruise in.

I would try to clean it out with white vinegar before going to all of the trouble to pull the radiator and try to rod it. Fill it full of the white vinegar and run it for several days, then drain. You will be surprised at what that stuff will clean out.
 
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