rodding a radiator

[oldskool]

just curious what type of rod is used to rod out a radiator....

[Charlie ny]

old,
The rods I've seen are somewhat smaller than the inside shape of the tube...
so think of about 1/16" thick approx and maybe 3/8 - 7/16" wide. The rods are sort of
bluntly pointed on the end.
I you find a shop that does this work anywhere in NYS let us know.
Charlie ny

[jimTN]

Most radiators that are old enough to need rodding will fall apart when rodded. They are also likely to have corrosion between the fins and tubes and if that is the case, no amount of rodding or cleaning will improve them. The only answer is a new core.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Charlie ny

old,
The rods I've seen are somewhat smaller than the inside shape of the tube...
so think of about 1/16" thick approx and maybe 3/8 - 7/16" wide. The rods are sort of
bluntly pointed on the end.
I you find a shop that does this work anywhere in NYS let us know.
Charlie ny

charley I had a rad shop boil out my 41 original rad andfix a leaking top tank but still overheated going down the highway I bought a new alum one and runs kool now,so my old one just needs a good rodding , there is an old rad shop in farmingdale Li called cap-a-radiator that might do rodding but I bet its cheaper to buy a new alum one...jmo

[ford38v8]

Oldschool: Aluminum is NOT the way to go. Not cheaper, not better cooling, and short lived. Best to try rodding first, good chance of success there, then if need be, a new core, not a new radiator. Even with all this work, cheaper than the $700+ for a new radiator.

[Royal Ryser]

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I have rodded out two 36 radiators using a home-made rod. It is simply a piece of sheetmetal cut just large enough to fit inside the tubes and long enough to go all the way through. I don't agree that these old radiators are not worth saving. I remove both tanks and rod the tubes out and also straighten any dents in the tanks before resoldering the tanks back in place. If you find the core is "rotted" or otherwise not repairable, then replace it.

[mrtexas]

I had my 36 radiator rodded out by an old time radiator shop. The "rod" wasn't anything precision that is for sure, just something that fit the holes. Engine runs cool but I didn't much run it before I rodded it out so no comparison.

[rotorwrench]

Real radiator shops are very few now but every fair sized town used to have at least one. The shops I used to frequent had all sorts of different shaped rods. They would have different diameter round rods and shapes from oval to diamond. The one with the straight sides and rounded leading & trailing edges seemed to be the most used and there were different sizes of those too. I guess the average was one or two good roddings in the life of the core. After that the core would have pin holes all over it. They would solder them up for you but the cooling fins would sometimes need to be cut back to get to the leaky tubes and the core would look pretty butchered up. The copper tubing used was pretty thin sometimes depending on the manufacturer.

[bwood53]

Pretty sure there is still an old radiator shop in Paterson nj. Madison ave I think

[richard crow]

OLDSSKOOL CAP A RAD IN FRAMEDALE onley knows one thing recore like charle said if you find one let us know

[PeteVS]

There's one in Dover NJ, last I went by. He pretty much only does truck and construction equipment radiators. All of the "car" radiator shops only replace now a days.

[Lawson Cox]

Before removing tanks to rod one out, be sure to make a note of the angle(s) of the top and bottom tank where you can put it back together properly. The earlier radiators are an alignment point for hoods etc. If you want everything to align properly, make good notes. Don't ask me how I know.