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Hot Rods Keeping a flathead cool in a 27T

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Dah Fish, Aug 29, 2022.

  1. Dah Fish
    Joined: Jun 29, 2006
    Posts: 22

    Dah Fish
    Member

    Cooling a fairly mild flathead in a 27T street roadster with a stock 27 grille shell looks like a challenge as summers get warmer. I'm starting a new build after many years of sanity and I'm wondering what the current thinking is on radiators, fans, shrouds, etc. Is the new owner of the Walker line producing radiators for a 27T shell with the necessary 4 openings for the Flathead? Or anyone else? My plans are for a fairly mild engine with a 3-5/16 bore, 4" stroke in a 59A block, 8:1 aluminum heads, little if any cam and a single 4 barrel carb. I want to keep the idle speed low.
    This will not be my first flathead and I have a good source of the necessary parts. BTW, I already have another 27T; but it is not a good "grocery getter". ............. Ed Weldon
     
  2. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    I'm no expert but 1st thing comes to mind is the possibility of pressure increase and more rows in any radiator that you choose.
    Fan and shroud are always going to need to be as effecient as possible.
    I saw an Australian Model A, hot rod years ago with a louvred top hood and a secondary fan mounted on the radiator stays which blew air down over the top of the engine.
    Never heard whether it achieved much!!!
     
  3. Since you are going to be building an engine rather than using an existing one, the first thing I would do is flush the hell out of the block to get as much rust and debris out of it as you can. I would go so far as to rig up a circulating pump system to keep a continuous flow of acid (vinegar or citric acid) going until I was sure it was clean as I could get it. Radiators can't work if there's no flow through the water jackets.
     
    Just Gary likes this.
  4. FrozenMerc
    Joined: Sep 4, 2009
    Posts: 3,093

    FrozenMerc
    Member


  5. Dah Fish
    Joined: Jun 29, 2006
    Posts: 22

    Dah Fish
    Member

    Good ideas, Guys. Keep'em coming. I kinda like the idea of the ciculating pump system for getting the block clean. If the engine is still together and has a generator I'd like to experiment with running the generator as a motor (you can do the opposite with most old DC motors - I'll have to research it).
    It doesn't have to run very fast to circulate the water/vinegar mix. An old battery and a charger or maybe even a solar panel could be enough. A smaller width v-belt would suck up less power as long as it "grabs" the pulley surfaces. And idler pully on an offset generator bracket would give more contact area on the belt if it tends to slip and heat up. Put a temperature gauge and a "simple" (I'll have to research that) thermostat on the motor control if it tends to buid enough heat to start boiling the water off. That electric energy going in has to get out somehow or the whole thing becomes a boiler.
     
  6. Dah Fish
    Joined: Jun 29, 2006
    Posts: 22

    Dah Fish
    Member

    Thanks, Frozen Merc, for the tip on Brassworks. In a world of $200 Chinese radiators I kinda took a breath when I saw Braswork's prices. Then I stopped for a moment and remembered I just paid $3.50 for a dozen eggs (me and my little dog eat a lot of eggs).
    An inadequate cooling system takes all the fun out of driving an open car in hot weather and who wants to drive when the only time you can drive is when it's raining or dark? Besides 40 years of collecting bits and pieces means lots of both "patina" (nice word for rust) and nostalgia. I won't have to buy a lot of non-wearing pieces at today's prices. ($100 for a pair of tail lights, $175 for chrome).
     
  7. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 20,406

    alchemy
    Member

    I’d go farther than just flushing the cooling system, you need to get those inner walls bare. Either sandblasting everything you can aim at, or acid dipping the whole block.

    The flathead in my sedan runs down the interstate in the summer at about 170 degrees because of the spotless water jackets, and the Walker radiator.
     
  8. Frames
    Joined: Apr 24, 2012
    Posts: 5,083

    Frames
    Member

    AN 10 upper hoses. 17" electric fan. Closed up radiator outside of the fan shroud. Pretty small aluminum radiator behind a cut down 33 2021-03-14 11.09.15-3.jpg 2021-03-14 11.09.15-5.jpg GOODSGUYS   PACKARD 016.JPG Pontiac grille shell. .040 bore. Runs cool. Did not acid dip block but I highly reccamend it.
     
  9. T&A Flathead
    Joined: Apr 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,985

    T&A Flathead
    Member

    Can’t go wrong with a brassworks radiator. I have them in a 29 A and a 32. Both with flatheads. I have an aluminum radiator in a 27T with a Flathead. No concerns with over heating.
     

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