Re: Overheating:To Core or Not to Core, that is the question

Posted by Craig VandenBerg on July 13, 1998 at 10:34:36

In Reply to: Overheating:To Core or Not to Core, that is the question
posted by curt on July 13, 1998 at 07:38:28

: I recently purchased a 29 Roadster Pickup which cannot go more than 5 miles without boiling over.After tightening up fan
: belt, using radiator flush-out/cleaner, and assuring myself there was no water loss, I've been told by locals I should expect the radiator to need to be either cored or replaced.Any thoughts on whether the roughly $200 for coring would be better invested in a new radiator?And if so, will the
: standard 3core, 6fins/inch do the job, or should I spend
: another $150 and get the heavy-duty 8fins/inch.I want to
: use this truck as it was intended to be, i.e. light hauling,
: driving to grocery store, etc. Thanks for any input.
: Curt Mason
: Stafford, VA
Hi Curt
I had my radiator on my `29 pickup re-cored.I had to do something with it because it had too many leaks and many fins missing.Since the 28-29 radiator is a little small plugging the tubes to stop leaks would only add to the overheating problem.I was going to get a new heavy duty radiator to replace it but was told about a local radiator shop that does work on older vehicles.They were able to re-core it using the original tanks, and frame, which kept it original size, and it cost less than a new radiator would.Now, my engine runs cool and I can`t even get the thermometer in the motometer to register even on a hot day, except after shutting the engine down and sitting for a while, the mercury will rise a bit.I would try to find a local radiator shop to see if they can do the work and get the parts.
Before deciding to do that, I would check out the information provided by Bob, Joe and Richard.It may be a simple and much cheaper fix to the problem before spending the money to get the work done.
Hope this helps getting your engine cooled down.
Craig

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