Pressurized radiator question

[hb32]

I am in the process of installing a 46 V8 in a 32 and am somewhat confused regarding the radiator system.
Were the V8`s in 32 pressurized hence needing a similar cap?

[Lawson Cox]

32 radiator was not pressurized. That came much later, in the 50's was it?

[Randy in ca]

I'm pretty sure 1949 was the first pressurized system.

[Karl Wolf]

Originally Posted by hb32

I am in the process of installing a 46 V8 in a 32 and am somewhat confused regarding the radiator system.
Were the V8`s in 32 pressurized hence needing a similar cap?

I have a 1946 V-8 in my roadster, and an aftermarket radiator...
The people that made the radiator said I could run a 16 lb. pressurized cap. So, I do... The engine doesn't care.

You can't do this with an original radiator.

You don't NEED it, but it's a good thing. The engine won't boil the coolant at a lower(?) temperature.

Karl

[Alaska Jim]

I am not sure, but I think maybe started in 46. stock radiators take a different cap than modern radiators as the depth of the neck is to deep for a modern pressure cap to seal and work correctly. also most of the radiators from that time that use a pressure cap only use about a 4 pound cap. I am sure if I am wrong someone will correct me.-----Jim

[svm99]

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The radiator I have in my '41 pickup has a large diameter neck with a 4# cap, I believe it is a '46 truck radiator. It has the overflow tube out of the neck above the cap seat.

I'm currently having a '32 radiator re-cored and setting it up with a new neck to use a Stant 10208 4# cap which has a 3/4 neck depth.

Paul J.

[G.M.]

39 and 40 Fords the radiator was set up for a pressure cap but were not used for a couple years later. The purpose of the 4 lb cap was NOT to increase the boiling point
but to keep the water from being lost out the over flow tube. Running below 210 degrees there is only about 2 lbs pressure in the system. Skips 3 lb valve proves the point. 100's of early Fords with the over flow tube on the top tanks are running with his valve. Pressure is below 3 lbs, with engines running below 205 and no water lose for over a year as reported by myself and other users on this forum. G.M.

[G.M.]

Originally Posted by svm99

The radiator I have in my '41 pickup has a large diameter neck with a 4# cap, I believe it is a '46 truck radiator. It has the overflow tube out of the neck above the cap seat.

I'm currently having a '32 radiator re-cored and setting it up with a new neck to use a Stant 10208 4# cap which has a 3/4 neck depth.

Paul J.

That's the best solution. Compared to the pressure cap Skips 3 lb valve
is a band aid. G.M.

[gmanrides]

I am running an aftermarket aluminum radiator with 7 lb cap with no overheating or puking coolant.

[4t8v8]

I have always run no pressure and a coolant recovery tank. Works great. Had a hard time sealing little seeps and this cured it.

[Tom Walker]

hb32 what do you have? if you have early non pressure system, the least effort improvement is to put the overflow tube into a bottle, with a piece of plastic pipe extending the overflow pipe to the bottom of the bottle. You can then fill the rad nearly full, and the extra water will go into the bottle when it expands, and be drawn back into block when it cools and shrinks in volume. It will also manage the odd boiling burp.

More effort and better is to make sure the old cap seals well, and put the overflow pipe into a tank fitted with a low pressure (say 4 or 5 lb) cap. This will raise the boiling oint a tad without risking water leaks/head gasket fails. I have done this on my bog standard '32 and it never uses any water.
Cheers, Tom.

[hb32]

Originally Posted by Tom Walker

hb32 what do you have? if you have early non pressure system, the least effort improvement is to put the overflow tube into a bottle, with a piece of plastic pipe extending the overflow pipe to the bottom of the bottle. You can then fill the rad nearly full, and the extra water will go into the bottle when it expands, and be drawn back into block when it cools and shrinks in volume. It will also manage the odd boiling burp.

More effort and better is to make sure the old cap seals well, and put the overflow pipe into a tank fitted with a low pressure (say 4 or 5 lb) cap. This will raise the boiling oint a tad without risking water leaks/head gasket fails. I have done this on my bog standard '32 and it never uses any water.
Cheers, Tom.

As of right now Tom, I have a "B" radiator which will not work with the V8 flathead that I am replacing the banger with.