It’s way past time for me to finish up my radiator installation. It’s been about two decades now. This all started when my original radiator sprang a leak. I looked around and couldn’t find anyone who could recore the original here in FL.

I called ZIP and they gave me two choices. They had one that was a perfect fit and one that almost fit. You know I went for the cheaper one that almost fit.

The ZIP replacement wouldn’t allow for the upper half of the shroud to be bolted into place. Screw that. Who needs an upper shroud? Now for the last few decades I’ve been driving around with no upper shroud.

The car never really overheated based on my infrared scan gun readings. It did though dump a lot coolant in my garage after a long drive. That’s a sign of overheating but these are my temperatures after an hour’s drive.

Upper Radiator Hose: 168º

Radiator: 175º - 179º

Lower Radiator Hose: 148º

I’ve finally decided to take care of all this. I’m going to spend a lot more money than I ever thought possible but then again I’m the guy who spent $1,000 to have my seat belts restored.


Costs to Date:

Dewitt Radiator: $659.99 (DeWitts Radiator)

Upper Shroud: $199.00 (Corvette Central)


This is what I've been driving for the last 20 years.


This is my new radiator. It's a work of art.


Here's my new fan shroud.

This is going to get interesting. Feel free to offer suggestions and advice.

Richard Newton

 

Richard,

Yes - I'll agree that the Dewitts radiator is a work of art - that was the very logical choice to replace your 20 year old radiator. Nothing beats a Dewitts . . . in fact, I plan on ordering a new one to replace the 50 year old radiator in my '66 when the yearly sale is announced in a few weeks!

Happy Holidays - and good luck with your project - let us know how everything turns out!

Tom

 

Richard, I'm sure you will not suffer buyers remorse. Drive on sir! Dennis

 

So now you guys tell me about the annual sale? lol

Thanks a lot

Richard Newton

 

That's also a sign of a bad radiator cap. Did you check it?

Tom

 

I did but I'll check it again.

I think the problem may have been I was overfilling the radiator. Maybe.

The irony is that now that I have spent all this money on the new radiator it didn't puke coolant when I parked in the garage yesterday. Go figure.

My question for the day is "What have you guys done regarding a system flush?"

I've put massive amounts of water through this engine in the past year and it's still rusty and ugly. I may be attempting something that's not possible but has anyone been able to get rid of 50 years of rust?

Without taking the engine apart and having the block boiled.

Richard Newton

 

Here's the original radiator tag.

Richard Newton

 

Richard,

I would check into a chemical flush before you take anything apart, follow the direction to the tee and flush it out good. When you drain the system remove the block plugs to get everything out.

 

Sounds like you haven't been using permanent anti-freeze in that engine with rust inhibtors?

Go to an auto parts store and buy a cooling system flush in a bottle. Or it you're a cheap skate, dump a gallon of household white vinegar in the cooling system and leave it for a day or so after getting it circulated.

Then pull the thermostat and flush it out and put in 50-50 antifreeze. Or, forget the antifreeze and just add the appropriate amount of rust inhibitor, also available at auto parts stores.

 

Great! Glad you found the problem. Just one thought on checking the cap. I had a similar problem on my 65 and checked the cap several times. What I found was if I pumped up the cap checker quickly it did not leak. It held pressure fine so iput iy back on thre car. MY oroblem continued so I ended up back at the cap. This time I pumped the checker slowly, the way pressure builds in the system, and it would not pump up at all! New cap fixed my problem.


Tom

 

I talked to the shop today about the install. He suggested that I will never get all the crud out of the block until I rebuild the engine. He's probably correct.

Another suggestion was to paint the top of the radiator black it the aluminum bothers me but do not paint the fins. As he pointed out no one will see the fins once the shroud is in place.

While we were there he thinks that a properly rebuilt WCFB will be much better than the Edelbrock. If I'm going to get it rebuilt I need to do it soon because most of the guys who can do this work on disappearing.

Richard Newton

 

You didn't ask how to get all the crud out of the block. You asked how to get rid of the rusty water and I gave you a couple of options which you have apparently dismissed.

I don't know about his carburetor advice unless there is something wrong with the Edlebrock.

Your radiator man sounds like a man for all seasons but I'd think he would know that black radiators will reject heat faster than bare metal.

I would find another expert to confide in.

 

I haven't dismissed anything.

I've always been hesitant to use the really strong flushing chemicals. When I had my own company I usually avoided them since too often the crud was holding the radiator together. In my case here I'm a little concerned about the freeze plugs. I will probably use the vinegar flush.

I understand about the black paint. We discussed that yesterday. The shop is a little concerned about the paint build-up on fins. I get that. Since I really don't have a big overheating problem I can pass on the all black radiator.

The one interesting thing that everyone has failed to mention is the use of distilled water. A few years back I was working on an article with DeWitt and he mentioned that most warranty problems came from people using municipal water in there radiators. It seems that Flint isn't the only community with water issues.

Joe Gibbs Racing used to carry their own water with them to the races. They had too many problems with local water. They then developed CSP which is basically a water softener. Red Line Water Wetter on the other hand is basically a surfactant

Richard Newton
Cooling Systems 101

 

I'm starting to think that my "original" radiator isn't all that original. When I installed the Zip radiator I saved the "original. That's just what I do.

Now when I went up to the loft to look at it I found the tag still in place.

Date Code is 61H - July of 1961

Part # is 324165

My car came off the line on August 7, 1958

Based on this the radiator was replaced in late 1961.

Richard Newton

 

Check for front end crash damage on the car.

Or possibly theft/stripping of the car.

 

There's no evidence of a crash. There's no evidence of theft.

This is one car that I was able to trace back to the original owner.

I still have records of the Midas exhaust install. Also, the day when his hubcaps got stolen.

It might have been the Philly water ate a hole in the original.

Richard Newton

 

In the olden days service shops would do a "Back Flush". Installing a fitting in a hose and running water backwards against the scales.

 

I've done that more than once.

Richard Newton

 

Nothing is easy.

I was looking at my brand new radiator and just discovered that it has provisions for transmission coolant lines. Oh Oh

My 1958 Powerglide does not use a cooler.



I figured out the mistake.

I'm pretty sure that I ordered Model 1139055M.

They sent me Model 1139055A

I'm just glad it never really came out of the box. I can send back a perfect specimen. Plus correct radiator is cheaper. My wife likes that.

Richard Newton

 

I bet your PowerGlide has provisions for an oil cooler which are just stubbed off..... if you were tempted to employ the cooler in that radiator.