Radiator, recore or replace?

[Big_John]

I paid $450 for a recore last fall. The place is north of Syracuse. One man shop behind his house. He did a really nice job.

I'll even say this... If someone wants to get in the rad shop biz, he'd sell the business as he wants to fully retire.

 

[Boydsdodge]

Yorkdale radiator in Toronto. do great work for me. I just worried when they won't be there for me next time. Only shop I know of that still does old rads and not just aftermarket replacements.
When I get some previous expenses paid off, I plan to take my collection of rads in and have them done before the old guy goes.

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[Gerald Morris]

Just noticed today the radiator is a little wet along the bottom seam. No antifreeze on the floor and the level is fine. Just doing my usual inspection under the car. A/C car. Would like opinions on recore or just replace. I am leaning towards a recore. There are still some good radiator places here.
Fingers in North Brunswick and Hawthorne Industrial in Wayne. All well north of me. Thanks Jim C

It MAY be that the core has simply popped loose from the bottom tank. This happens sometimes, esp w old radiators or improperly soldered ones after a shop gets its mitts on one. I rejoice you still have reputable, COMPETENT shops (I hope) in your part of the planet.

Be this as it may, the labor for a recore might make the job prohibitively expensive. Ask around first. If replacing, consider carefully your cooling requirements. Aluminum radiators CAN be a good, cost effective investment, IFF they're made of GOOD aluminum. That precludes east asian products. Get an american made one, regardless of which metal.

US Radiator would be the source I recommend if you have $$. If on a tight budget, get one from ECP. They make a good radiator for the money. That probably would give the most bang per $ short-term for sure. I LOVE my U.S. Radiator made 4 row copper radiator, but I don't get the $ for stuff like that too often.

FWIW, a bottle of stop-leak with the metal flakes might patch your radiator well enough for another year or 3. Look carefully at that bottom seam.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Yorkdale radiator in Toronto. do great work for me. I just worried when they won't be there for me next time. Only shop I know of that still does old rads and not just aftermarket replacements.
When I get some previous expenses paid off, I plan to take my collection of rads in and have them done before the old guy goes.

http://[URL]https://www.yorkdaleradiator.com/

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I pray for all the 80+ yr old mechanical wizards still in this country, may they live in good health another 30 years! We lost our Transmission Guru to COViD a couple yrs ago, alas, but Young Rick, a sassy septuagenarian has taken up the load alright.

 

[73Coupe]

For closure....

it came out very nice.

the new core has a lot more tubes than the original one, should be more efficient.

 

[Boydsdodge]

I will be dropping a rad off to my guy at Yorkdale rad next Monday for crack repair and testing.

 

[3175375]

For closure....

it came out very nice.

the new core has a lot more tubes than the original one, should be more efficient.

View attachment 678418

View attachment 678419


View attachment 678420

Looks great. Who did the work?

 

[Just Carbs]

I think a lot of us can remove the tanks and clean and rod them out, then repair the leaks and put the tanks back on.
I do my own radiators. Have been since 1984. I don't hot tank them like was done back in the day. But I do soak them in PINE-SOL for a week or more before rodding them out. The worst I've had needed a few tubes replaced.
I find the old original radiators to be among the most agreeable parts of the old cars to work with.
Just get in there and act like you know what you're doing.
Remember, if at first you don't succeed, you can solder it apart and back together as many times as you need to.

 

[Gerald Morris]

For closure....

it came out very nice.

the new core has a lot more tubes than the original one, should be more efficient.

View attachment 678418

View attachment 678419


View attachment 678420

Ah, a High Efficiency core! My '83 Dodge D150 has one. Just 2 rows, but w H.E. spacing. Does OK in town, but when on these DUSTY, BUG INFESTED, OVERGROWN AZ rural back roads, I have to spray the detritus out of the thing after 1 trip. All the same, YOUR beautiful radiator should shed the heat very well!

 

[73Coupe]

Looks great. Who did the work?

Industrial Radiator Service in Santa Maria, CA

 

[Gerald Morris]

I think a lot of us can remove the tanks and clean and rod them out, then repair the leaks and put the tanks back on.
I do my own radiators. Have been since 1984. I don't hot tank them like was done back in the day. But I do soak them in PINE-SOL for a week or more before rodding them out. The worst I've had needed a few tubes replaced.
I find the old original radiators to be among the most agreeable parts of the old cars to work with.
Just get in there and act like you know what you're doing.
Remember, if at first you don't succeed, you can solder it apart and back together as many times as you need to.

You inspire me! That pair of original 2524984s I'm blessed with ARE EXCELLENT radiators, no doubt of it! I reckon I can't **** 'em up worse than the amateurs with business licenses down here can. I might try this. FWIW I can likely rig a decent lye vat to boil 'em out CLEAN, then maybe even another half barrel for copper sulfate and a little current to deposit some lost copper on the tubes and vanes. With care, one might rehabilitate some old copper for another hemicentury.

 

[Just Carbs]

You inspire me! That pair of original 2524984s I'm blessed with ARE EXCELLENT radiators, no doubt of it! I reckon I can't **** 'em up worse than the amateurs with business licenses down here can. I might try this. FWIW I can likely rig a decent lye vat to boil 'em out CLEAN, then maybe even another half barrel for copper sulfate and a little current to deposit some lost copper on the tubes and vanes. With care, one might rehabilitate some old copper for another hemicentury.

I'm no chemist so I use the PIN-SOL.
The propane was working well, so I figured MAPP gas would be better, and it was, but I couldn't control the heat as well. Messed up a few coils. So back to the propane it was for me.
If I could get copper/brass radiators for $300 I would. Some dream.
I went to fixing what I had in 84 after walking through a few junk yards and finding only one good radiator for a 68 New Port. And it needed a hose moved. So, amoving I went.

 

[Gerald Morris]

I'm no chemist so I use the PIN-SOL.
The propane was working well, so I figured MAPP gas would be better, and it was, but I couldn't control the heat as well. Messed up a few coils. So back to the propane it was for me.
If I could get copper/brass radiators for $300 I would. Some dream.
I went to fixing what I had in 84 after walking through a few junk yards and finding only one good radiator for a 68 New Port. And it needed a hose moved. So, amoving I went.

I can solder electrical connections, but never put my hand to plumbing or brazing. I'm fairly apt with LARGE electrical wire though, and also learned to solder stained glass window frames with copper foil. (Great patching material for radiator tubes I reckon. Tape, then solder over it. Copper plating with copper sulphate solution is EZPZ enough, though one should boil off all the **** with lye first, to prepare the metal.

IFF I can vat grow my children a year or 2, I can devote time to pleasant stuff like my Mopars instead......

 

[furynut65]

I just purchased a 22" radiator for my Barracuda from Glen-ray Radiators for $1200 (no core)
The last 26" I had done Glen-ray was about $1200 (with core)

All within the last several years.


Alan

+1 on Glen Ray. I purchased a 65 Sport Fury which didn’t have a radiator. Called Murray Park which had an original for my car. $200.00 for the radiator shipped directly to Glen Ray. $1,000.00 to have it completely restored and they even included the bolts to attach my shroud which is an oddball for that year. Worth every Penney. They do great work!!!!

 

[73Coupe]

BTW, I see that Glen-Ray mentions date coding on their website.

Anyone wise to the location of date codes on a sea-body radiator?

I see the p/n on my top tank and then another number "20446" - unsure if this is a date code or not.....

EDIT: also this on the side rail... 3040 = 304th day of 1970? = Halloween, 1970.