dumb ass radiator question

Would it work to rotate a radiator from a '63 F-100 90 degrees so what is now vertical, would become horizontal? I'd have to deal with the filler neck location, but since this is a pressurized system, wouldn't it work OK. I'm thinking it may not work, just because I haven't seen it done before.

I'm getting ready to pull the 223 in-line 6 drive line out of my old F-100 and drop in my Model A rod project. I custom built the frame, so length is not an issue. I'd like to reuse the radiator, but it's too wide for my 1940 something Case Tractor grill shell.

Even though I'm building this project on a tight budget, this is a hot rod, NOT a rad rod project.

So whatta ya think guys?

 

bump.

 

a radiator dont care how its mounted... its all about thermal dynamics. heated water/coolant comes in, flows through the cores, air flows over the cores with heated water/coolant and removes some of the heat.

i imagine what you have now is a top/bottom tank and need to mount it so the tanks are on the sides? if so, the answer is yes it can be done. just be sure to either cut the filler neck off and braze the hole closed for a remote mounted filler, or braze the filler to an elbow and braze that back onto the current filler hole in the tank. either way its a bit of work, but like i said, the radiator dont care how it sits

 

Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it.

Anybody have any better (cheaper/easier) ideas than my original thought.

 

I have taken universal aluminum stock car radiators and turned them on end several times,, I can usually build 32 radiators for about half what the big names want for thiers. Works fine, just make sure its not a serpentine flow.

 

yep, if you're gettin an aluminum rad, make sure its a crossflow

 

for what its worth, brazing up a hole, or cutting the filler neck off and making one out of copper tube aint that hard or for that matter spendy. just takes patience and time is all.

 

Just thought we needed another Vagabond avatar on this thread.......

 

they are always in vogue and highly sought after.

 

Thanks guys............

It looks like the Vagabonds are the real experts on radiator flips.

Maybe I'm not such a dumb ass after all.........then again...

 

Curious...why not, crossflow is crossflow and whether serp or convential, both pump the cooloant into the same hole?

 

Gravity!! (there is a divider right in the center of the tank on the big tank, when you relocate the filler neck it makes it a pain to cut and weld.)

Going from brass to aluminum is a very big jump in efficiency, and I've found that if it runs hot w/aluminum radiator, serpentine flow wont help it much. Look for other problems.

 

I still don't get what you're talkinjg about...did you just mean copper setups (which in the older dayd had the tanks on top) or the newer Al's which are crossflow...for the most part?

The type of water pump you have, reverse rotation/serp/V-Belt/electiric, shouldn't (IMHO) make a difference.

Not trying to badger/etc, just wanting to learn.

 

There are cross flows in both copper/brass and aluminum.
What he mentioned above is that some of the aluminum radiators have plates part way down in the end tanks that direct the flow back and forth through the radiator in somewhat of an s pattern. the theory being that when it flows back and forth it has more time to cool. Where in a regular cross flow the coolant flows from one side to the other and then out the lower hose.
On the 48 I stuck in a Grenada cross flow in in a vertical position when the original Chev pickup radiator gave up the ghost when I didn't have the money to buy a new one. it looks like the pits when you open the hood but it cools great with the 250 6 and I already had it.

 

I always learn so much from my fellow HAMBsters. Thanks guys.