Nope. Believe it or not, I've just about got it cleaned up. My aircraft paint stripper, after it being fatted twice will work. MIT has to sit on the surface a long time but it works. I'll break out the pressure washer tomorrow. Correction. It was Hattisons Rsdiator in Stanton, CA. This is a very nice custom radiator. I may leave the copper top raw and polish it.
That can't be powder or at least very good powder if the stripper is taking it off! Congrats though if it works!
Cadzook, you can apologize on here you don't have to send me a personal message!! I know its hard to say anything with your foot in your mouth!!lololol Jim" General Sarcastic" V
Glad its working out for you...But be careful with that pressure washer! I ruined a radiator from my 66 Impala with a pressure washer! Blew half the fins right out of it from like 5 feet away!
I believe I have made significant progress. I cleaned the radiator. You will see from the pictures what a mess it was. There was a thick coat of that powder coating all over the exterior surfaces. Fortunately, it didn't get on the interior surfaces sufficiently enough that the boiling vat couldn't take it off. (BTW, it was made by Mattson's Radiator, not Hattson's. It must have been done back when they were building copper/brass radiators. http://www.mattsonscustomradiator.com/ It is a very nice unit.) After finishing cleaning and painting the radiator, I installed the Cooling Components fan setup. This also is a very nice setup and is only 2 5/8" thick. It really moves the air, too. Unfortunately, I still had to tilt the top of the radiator out 3/4" to get the fan housing to clear the water pump shaft. I have about 1/8 -3/16" clearance now. The shroud comes with extra flange material, so you just cut it to the size you need and screw it to the radiator. Since I already had threaded nutserts in mine, I just used them. The two speed fan module is the only thing I had trouble with. I cannot get it to adjust. No matter where I set the pot, it comes on immediately and does not cycle off. Also, the high speed relay does not cut in. Despite that, I drove around in 95 degree weather today and it stayed around 185-190 while I was moving. When parked and with the AC on, it got to 200 once. I believe it will cool down further when I get the fan control fixed. So, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I have this one finally fixed. It has been an aggravating and trying experience, for sure. Thanks for all who offered help.
Sorry it was so aggravating for you, it should be fun. I would have never never thought about powder coating but from your excellent description it did sound most definitely sound like a heat transfer problem within the radiator. When that shows up, most every time its a build up inside the tubes. (99%) Heat transfer problem at the radiator due to external coating will now be the 01% lol. Your electronic controls problem, my first thought is to check the wiring - there are two functions that are inoperative. Next would be to suspect the POT since it signaling the relay 100% of the time. Or again with the wiring at the relay. I have had several fan controllers melt from the electrical loads. I make my own now.
You might call Cooling Components about you fan controller problem. They have always been more than willing to help me with questions and they know their stuff.
1. If it does not overheat on the road running at highway speeds....it is NOT a radiator problem....the radiator has the capacity to do its job and is doing it. 2. Your shroud needs to be about an inch or so from the blades end....and the fan needs to be 2/3 in the shroud and 1/3 out. It does not need to be a complete circle. Did not read this whole post so if I am repeating any thing...then I support their answer.
Oh I'm sorry, I didn't notice anywhere that you made a suggestion as to what the problem is. I only saw that you made the acute observation that something had been overlooked! Kind of like saying,"Maybe there is something wrong with it!". I guess that isn't obvious to you. ~Alden
Captian AND General Sarcastic- if you two don't stop I'll bust you both down to potato peeling private so fast it'll make your head spin. ~ President, United Sarcastic of America.
I bought one of those 2 speed electric fans.Trying to cool down my ford flathead. I was running with no termastates,It ran cooler on rode say about 170 to 180. I put my new fan on with shrode and it "Blocked my air flow at high speed" I cut off as much off shrode on bottom as i could and cooled it down some to 190 but still runs hoter on the rode. I have a senser 195degs it comes on in less then minute stopping at light. and gets hot 220 230. I think the only way to run this fan is to have 2 senders and 2 relays. First sender 180 degs and 2nd 195 dges the high speed brown wire. When the 180 comes on and climeing the 2nd cuts in. They are both on and the amps is split thur 2 relays. When getting in traffic could over ride and turn on fan manualy.
Well, I have installed the new module and have it working as it should. The 2 speed fan in the Cooling Components setup is working great. Highly recommended! It was only 90 here today but at idle, it and the newly "de-powder coated" radiator seem to be able to do the job they were designed to do. I will not post back to this thread unless I have problems. Thanks to all who helped.
I am glad that you have apparently fixed your car! You took care of a bunch of little problems and learned much about your car. I can see why electric fans cure some problems, the shroud fits well, and the fan is spaced correctly. All in one package. The deal with the powder coating is a new one to me. The temperature that it needs to be baked at is very close to the melting point of low temperature solder! Just a bad move all the way around. ~Alden
Yes it should. The radiator shops recommend a black paint for heat transfer. But I suspect the paint also provides corrosion protection. ~Alden
That was exactly my thought, too. Apparently, it's baked on at a somewhat lower temp. than the melting point of solder.
If you read the whole post you would have read that i DID make a few suggestions!( Not rigt but more then you did) Way to Man up dude!. JimV
The Jalopy Journal
