Rodding out a radiator

[Ed Wendell]

A couple of additional things to keep in mind.
Solder likes a lower heat, keep your torch turned down. We used natural gas and oxygen for our torches. Clean, clean, clean and tin everything good before you put it back together.
If you can run water thru the radiator while you are rodding. Make an adapter with PVC fittings that with a short section of hose will hook to the bottom casting and a garden hose. You can put a tee on it and inject a few bursts of air to help get the loose crud out.
For taking the tank off, lay the radiator flat and use a good wire brush to remove the solder as you heat the seam. Do this on both ends then prop the radiator up on it's side and do the long seams. Lay the radiator down flat put a stick in the filler neck, keep pressure on the stick as you work the heat back and forth along the end and one long seam. When it comes loose then turn it over and do the same to the other long seam. Learned these tricks a soon as I could safely handle the torch and spent most Saturday mornings and summer breaks working in my dad's radiator shop.
Remember, keep your heat moving and NOT super hot.
Ed