Gerald Morris
Senior Member
As many of you doubtless have seen, I found a second 2524984 radiator this past March, entirely without prior intent while extolling the merits of this particular radiator AND its rarity to my Better Half. So, I snapped it up instantly, then had it rodded and sealed. As the solstice drew nigh, I figured 'twas time to put the tranny cooler back on too. Despite the apparent small size, the B & M stacked plate aluminum cooler did a marvellous job pre-cooling the fluid before sending it to the radiator's transmission cooler, thus reducing the amount of heat that had to be removed by the engine coolant in contact with the hot fluid below it.
So, I started the job Sunday, a nice, unusually cool day near the end of an unusually cool May and June for Tucson. I had no thought of putting the newly acquired radiator on at first, but events would compel it. I opted for 5/16" steel tubing for the cooler this time, as it lasts longer than hose, so I recycled some from Mathilda. I got some cut, bent, flared and routed through the tight space between the lower tank and the radiator yoke, and, as the evening wore down near close, the Disaster occurred:
LONG a faithful servant, this radiator will be "recored" to wit, replaced save for the old tanks. I used this from March 2016-May 2018, then again after rodding and sealing
Oct 2021 until now. I replaced it with that Cold Case in 2018 because it leaked. Note the new leaks near the top, small, but present. Yet it only lost 2-4 oz weekly. Still.
its Time has clearly come. The fellow who sealed it up in 2021 advised me to recore it then, but I lacked time, and needed something that would cool that engine ASAP.
I inadvertently twisted one of my freshly made connecting tubes the wrong way, placing undue stress on the bottom tank, and thus broke the solder bead holding it to the core! Have I not criticized copper radiators for the weakness of soldered joints in my former pro-aluminum radiator editorials? Yes and YES! I KNEW this fact, but, after some hours of measuring, cutting, bending, flaring, tightening, then taking it off to perfect the piece, I had tired and got stupid. My clumsy slip also raked across the front of the core, breaking a pinhole into one of the VERY OLD AND FRAGILE tubes. I epoxied that shut, not yet realizing I had busted the tank nearly clean off.
BUT, I would see the Truth after topping the damn thing up in preparation for a test run. I drained it again, saving the coolant in a clean pan and jug, and called it a night.
Monday again came blessedly cool, so I fetched out the freshly restored second radiator for use. It appears to be in better condition than the old one, though how much better only time and use will tell. So far, so Good. Have a look.
There's the production #: 2524984. Nice to have it clearly legible.
Aside from a little new oxidation after getting it back, it looks nice and clean inside.
FFD pusher back in place. I don't expect to use it so much now, but if needed, its there. Mine serves very well. It pushes air hard enough to rotate the clutch fan @ 180 F.
The B & M transmission cooler. This particular bumper makes a SUPERB mount for one of these! No other brackets were required, and it gets PLENTY fresh air down there.
The line extension from the transmission into the cooler. I used a 5/16" inverted flare union with a pair of the old Mopar female couplers on each end to attach this line. It
leaks a little at the cooler. I had to neck down from 1/2" NPT via a 1/2" to 1/4" NPT MIP to FIP bushing in the cooler, then a 1/4" NPT to 1/8" NPT MIP to FIP bushing, for
the little 1/8" NPT to 5/16" MIP to male inverted flare connector Ma Par used for nigh 30 yrs to connect transmission cooling lines on both ends. I had some on hand, and
bought a couple more for this job. I expect I'll have to redo this fluid line, and am tempted to go back to a hose and barb, but hope to use a little trick with a brass trim washer
to stop the leak at the coupler. I might also change to the sort of elbow I had more success with on the line out from the cooler to the radiator, though I admit to using about
3" of hose passing right under the lower tank. NO MORE attempting ANY forcing a steel tube in proximity fo one of those soldered tanks!!! Even when brand new. that
sheet copper is THIN stuff; the better for cooling and more malleable too. Well, conductance is the Final Determinant in a hot climate like Pima County, AZ.
Anyway, ONE small transmission fluid dribble isn't enough to stop me running Gertrude. The damned old tranny sieves at the pan again also, and the octogenarian who rebuilt it, then freely sealed his work again when I took it to him a couple years later has passed on to the Great Shop in the Upper Spheres. I lose about 1 pint monthly at the current rate, when driving daily. I took Trudi around town Monday for over 20 miles in traffic, and saw no appreciable drop on the dipstick. which is good, as I'm going to need her. Our Newest Bundle of Joy has to see her baby doctor weekly right now, as she came a little early. She sleeps soundly and happily when rolling in Gertrude....
Temperature never exceeded 190 F Monday either, even though I hadn't yet fixed the shroud back on. Since the cool spell has ended, I NOW have plenty opportunity to torture test my work, and will. IF, for some odd reason, this setup should perform in a less than stellar fashion, I'll update you all about that. Otherwise, look on at how a nearly 60 yr old cooling system keeps a same vintage engine* under 200 F while the ambient temperature in traffic approaches 130F.
*The 383 in this car came out of our '66 Newport, and was built in Nov., 1965. This radiator and shroud comes from a '65 Fury, also running a 383, which I'm sore tempted to buy, but ALAS, DIAPERS and BABY GOODIES COME FIRST....... for now.
So, I started the job Sunday, a nice, unusually cool day near the end of an unusually cool May and June for Tucson. I had no thought of putting the newly acquired radiator on at first, but events would compel it. I opted for 5/16" steel tubing for the cooler this time, as it lasts longer than hose, so I recycled some from Mathilda. I got some cut, bent, flared and routed through the tight space between the lower tank and the radiator yoke, and, as the evening wore down near close, the Disaster occurred:
LONG a faithful servant, this radiator will be "recored" to wit, replaced save for the old tanks. I used this from March 2016-May 2018, then again after rodding and sealing
Oct 2021 until now. I replaced it with that Cold Case in 2018 because it leaked. Note the new leaks near the top, small, but present. Yet it only lost 2-4 oz weekly. Still.
its Time has clearly come. The fellow who sealed it up in 2021 advised me to recore it then, but I lacked time, and needed something that would cool that engine ASAP.
I inadvertently twisted one of my freshly made connecting tubes the wrong way, placing undue stress on the bottom tank, and thus broke the solder bead holding it to the core! Have I not criticized copper radiators for the weakness of soldered joints in my former pro-aluminum radiator editorials? Yes and YES! I KNEW this fact, but, after some hours of measuring, cutting, bending, flaring, tightening, then taking it off to perfect the piece, I had tired and got stupid. My clumsy slip also raked across the front of the core, breaking a pinhole into one of the VERY OLD AND FRAGILE tubes. I epoxied that shut, not yet realizing I had busted the tank nearly clean off.
BUT, I would see the Truth after topping the damn thing up in preparation for a test run. I drained it again, saving the coolant in a clean pan and jug, and called it a night.
Monday again came blessedly cool, so I fetched out the freshly restored second radiator for use. It appears to be in better condition than the old one, though how much better only time and use will tell. So far, so Good. Have a look.
There's the production #: 2524984. Nice to have it clearly legible.
Aside from a little new oxidation after getting it back, it looks nice and clean inside.
FFD pusher back in place. I don't expect to use it so much now, but if needed, its there. Mine serves very well. It pushes air hard enough to rotate the clutch fan @ 180 F.
The B & M transmission cooler. This particular bumper makes a SUPERB mount for one of these! No other brackets were required, and it gets PLENTY fresh air down there.
The line extension from the transmission into the cooler. I used a 5/16" inverted flare union with a pair of the old Mopar female couplers on each end to attach this line. It
leaks a little at the cooler. I had to neck down from 1/2" NPT via a 1/2" to 1/4" NPT MIP to FIP bushing in the cooler, then a 1/4" NPT to 1/8" NPT MIP to FIP bushing, for
the little 1/8" NPT to 5/16" MIP to male inverted flare connector Ma Par used for nigh 30 yrs to connect transmission cooling lines on both ends. I had some on hand, and
bought a couple more for this job. I expect I'll have to redo this fluid line, and am tempted to go back to a hose and barb, but hope to use a little trick with a brass trim washer
to stop the leak at the coupler. I might also change to the sort of elbow I had more success with on the line out from the cooler to the radiator, though I admit to using about
3" of hose passing right under the lower tank. NO MORE attempting ANY forcing a steel tube in proximity fo one of those soldered tanks!!! Even when brand new. that
sheet copper is THIN stuff; the better for cooling and more malleable too. Well, conductance is the Final Determinant in a hot climate like Pima County, AZ.
Temperature never exceeded 190 F Monday either, even though I hadn't yet fixed the shroud back on. Since the cool spell has ended, I NOW have plenty opportunity to torture test my work, and will. IF, for some odd reason, this setup should perform in a less than stellar fashion, I'll update you all about that. Otherwise, look on at how a nearly 60 yr old cooling system keeps a same vintage engine* under 200 F while the ambient temperature in traffic approaches 130F.
*The 383 in this car came out of our '66 Newport, and was built in Nov., 1965. This radiator and shroud comes from a '65 Fury, also running a 383, which I'm sore tempted to buy, but ALAS, DIAPERS and BABY GOODIES COME FIRST....... for now.
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