I know the springs go on top, but how much does the spring need to be compressed when tightening the bolts?
I have never used the springs, always solid mounted the radiator so it will not move around. Posting from the shop of the hot rod gods.
Best way I know of to shake a radiator to death. As for how tight you want the radiator bolts I'm not sure of a specific torque,but I have always put enough pressure on the nut to insert the cotter pin..I figure that will let the radiator flex and move the way it was designed to do. HRP
I did the same thing as Hotrodprimer, just tighten the nut so you can get the cotter pin through the hole and your good to go. That is the way I did it in my deuce roadster and 55K miles later and no problems. Never bolt a radiator solid to the frame, you are asking for trouble. Every car I have ever worked on hot rod or production vehicle has vibration protection for the radiator!
I recently had my radiator repaired because the previous owner had it bolted solid. I just put a little tension on the spring, now I watch it move around.
If that works for you and you build a lot of them ,that's great. On the other hand I honestly believe Henry Ford was a frugal man and if he thought he could have saved money by using a pad and forgoing a bolt with a hole in it,a spring and washers and not sacrifice the longevity of the radiator he would have done it that way. HRP
I just checked in with a local Model A Ford restorer who is a bit of an authority on any thing Ford factory would do and below is his response for the record. "There was no original torque/pressure specification for the spring loaded bolts to install the radiator. This setup used a cotter pin. Consequently, the nut was tightened up enough to allow the pin to fit through the nut/bolt. I don't know if the reproduction springs and bolt lengths are correct. But, once installed, the radiator should be held upright without the support rods. The radiator should tilt forward with a medium amount of pressure and should snap back to upright when the pressure is removed." My thoughts are, if you are doing something different and it works for you then continue doing it... At least we know now that there was no set rule for the use/torque of the nuts.
I use very light springs and install them using SS bolts and self locking nuts. They are more pegs than anything else. The car is a highboy roadster so the front of the frame moves in relation to the cowl. (Dreaded roadster cowl shake). I tried firmer mountings and it tore the radiator to bits, The triangulated steady rods make the radiator move with the cowl.
The bolt kit I have does not have cotter pins, so I'll tighten just putting a little tension on the springs. Thanks.
as Andy stated, the rods are very important in keeping the radiator upright...while the springs allow the whole assy to move as needed.
I've run mine for 12k miles with just the rubber pads and factory springs and cotters without a problem. I snug them until I can push it back and still have 1" clearance on the fan. I'd say the entire assembly will rock about half an inch and I've never gotten around to making support rods I like so at this point I think it's fine.. Jerry Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
If you don't have a cotter pin what holds the nut from coming off? Locknut? I think I would send the kit back. Charlie Stephens
FWIW I used stainless fastners and cotter pins. I replaced the original front cross member with one of the aftermarket ones that have a slot for side to side radiator positioning. I then milled two pieces of aluminum leaving a raised portion to fit in the above referenced slot from the bottom. I then located the center, drilled holes for the radiator mounting bolts to prevent side to side movement. When I put the hood on, no adjustment was necessary. Pure Luck. Jack
Doesn't matter if it's an original riveted frame or a rigid aftermarket one the radiator should be mounted the way it was designed. My original '32 Roadster flexes quite a bit and the frame under my '32 3W is very rigid, I still use the springs and cotter pins. Never had a problem!
There was a good reason for the springs - it was so the radiator could move/flex as aligned to the front cross member - so as to prevent cracks/leaks in the soldered joints. Think about frame/body flex and twist - it is amazing how much these old frames could twist from one end to the other - if you mounted the radiator 'solid', then it would also need to twist/flex as well. Then you have to consider vibration - great way to crack the soldered joints. With all this said - today's roads are not like the old 'cow paths' back in the day - I'm sure that in many cases a solid-mounted radiator would have no issues. But Hey - why take a chance!
I agree to a certain extent,the roads today are far superior to what these cars were designed to navigate back in the thirty's but consider the higher speeds we drive and add to the equation the rail road tracks that are anything but smooth,pot holes that off times resemble tank traps and if you live in the northern climates the expansion joints that resemble alpine ski jumps after a harsh winter. I will continue using the springs if nothing more that to insure my expensive radiator doesn't fail because I am trying to save a few bucks. HRP
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