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1crosscut · 08-09-2012, 09:52 PM

What exactly do you mean by having it cleaned? Was it a professional radiator shop and it was rodded out? Or was it just flushed out with some type of cleaner?

In the restoration of my truck I "cleaned" my radiator with 1 gallon of straight simple green. I capped off both of the inlet / outlets for the radiator hoses, plugged the overflow tube and sloshed it around two or three times a day for about a week and then flushed it out. I was amazed at the amount of crud that came out. Don't know if over heating would have been a problem as it hadn't run in 50 years prior but it runs 170 ish now with no problems.

Are your fins straight and attached well to the tubes. If not it won't transfer the heat well.

Get an infrared thermometer from harbor freight and play it over the radiator to see if you have any unusual differences in temperature. Should be evenly warmer across the top than the bottom.
Dave

08-09-2012, 09:52 PM	#5
1crosscut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Lincoln, Nebraska Posts: 1,913	Re: 29model A overheats when I drive over 50 What exactly do you mean by having it cleaned? Was it a professional radiator shop and it was rodded out? Or was it just flushed out with some type of cleaner? In the restoration of my truck I "cleaned" my radiator with 1 gallon of straight simple green. I capped off both of the inlet / outlets for the radiator hoses, plugged the overflow tube and sloshed it around two or three times a day for about a week and then flushed it out. I was amazed at the amount of crud that came out. Don't know if over heating would have been a problem as it hadn't run in 50 years prior but it runs 170 ish now with no problems. Are your fins straight and attached well to the tubes. If not it won't transfer the heat well. Get an infrared thermometer from harbor freight and play it over the radiator to see if you have any unusual differences in temperature. Should be evenly warmer across the top than the bottom. Dave Last edited by 1crosscut; 08-09-2012 at 09:58 PM.