Rodding out my Radiator

Jacksonlll

Jacksonlll

Well-known member
Since most old A radiators are plugged to some degree, I have been looking for a way to rod them out. Shops won't do it because the whole thing comes apart when they put the heat on it, and it is a ton of work for them. They all want to say that they can back flush them and "Boil" them out and fix them that way. Not so.
I got two old radiators from our members to play with. I cut two windows in the top tank, and using a brazing rod, I clear out the tubes. Still playing with the first core. Here is a video of my last session with it. Next, I will set up my rig and flow test it to see how close to 38 GPM I get.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tF6_b5ejr8
 
afordman, Like everyone said, you did a great job. That top tank scares me. I may give it a try on the next one. jack
 
Find a new radiator shop. I know one that takes Model A radiators apart all the time to rod out, no big deal.
 
I like your test set-up. It looks like you are on the right track.

A few weeks ago, I took the top tank off a radiator from a Model A I recently purchased.

The radiator was an older replacement that did not look to be the very good quality so I felt if I ruined it, it would be no great loss.

I found it had hunks of rust and junk stuck in the top of about two thirds of the tubes. I used a hook made out if thin wire and picked the junk out of each tube and then ran a welding rod down each tube. I flushed everything out and soldered the top back on. I only had two small leaks in the top that I was able to fix while the radiator was in the car.
It now works great and saved me the cost of a radiator shop or a new radiator.

I do not think I would have attempted this on a good radiator but I felt I had nothing to loose. I did make a strainer for the upper radiator hose to collect any more rust that may still be in the engine.

That is what I did.

Chris W.
 
On radiators with oval tubes I found an old dipstick from a more modern car to be a great tool for rodding out the tubes. A long one from a van would be ideal. They are stiff, yet flexible, seems kind of like a spring steel and the chamfered end helps break loose the tough crud.
 
modeleh said:
On radiators with oval tubes I found an old dipstick from a more modern car to be a great tool for rodding out the tubes. A long one from a van would be ideal. They are stiff, yet flexible, seems kind of like a spring steel and the chamfered end helps break loose the tough crud.
Click to expand...

We used one from the automatic transmission and it worked great. Wayne
 
Yesterday I took the top off of a old 31 radiator and it was plugged up. Took maybe 20 min. It was not leaking. I took the dipstick out of my car and ran it tru the tubes then blew them out with the air hose. Flushed out alot of junk. Now to put it back together.
If it was not for this post I would not have tried it.
Thanks Wick.
 
modeleh said:
On radiators with oval tubes I found an old dipstick from a more modern car to be a great tool for rodding out the tubes. A long one from a van would be ideal. They are stiff, yet flexible, seems kind of like a spring steel and the chamfered end helps break loose the tough crud.
Click to expand...

I worked at a radiator shop back in the 70's and that's how it was done, I don't recall where we got the flat rods from( probably a radiator supply company ) but they were shaped just like that, and worked great.
 
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