Radiator Mounting

[psimet]

'28 Tudor. I ended up finding an older re-cored radiator locally to replace mine (which I now think was an old re-core but super thin without enough cooling capacity as it was over an inch thinner but I digress).

The radiator that was on the car had 2 thick rubber shims under each side of the radiator (4 total). I bought a mounting kit from Snyders and it has 2 total in the kit and they are thin. I went to try and just use those and there's no way it's enough to mount the new radiator.

I'm going to have to use the old ones but here's my question - is it common to have to shim the radiator up that much so it clears the frame by the bottom hose inlet? I can understand having that issue with a one off radiator but now having it with 2 that look to be original tanks - is there something else wrong?

[rotorwrench]

A lot of these old cars have had a replacement front cross member installed due to cracks or botched previous repairs. If it by chance has had a 1930/31 cross member installed then the radiator will set lower. The late cross member has recessed mount pads where the 1928/29 stand up higher. They are close to even with the top of the frame.

[Wick]

Raising the radiator could effect hood alignment, check your front motor mount. A sagging motor mount would have your bottom hose closer to the frame. A ez way to check is by the fit of the crank handle.

[psimet]

Originally Posted by Wick

Raising the radiator could effect hood alignment, check your front motor mount. A sagging motor mount would have your bottom hose closer to the frame. A ez way to check is by the fit of the crank handle.

Hood has always lined up straight - or as straight as you could tell. Crank handle fits in perfectly and always has.

It's the bottom of the radiator that runs into the crossmember/engine mount before coming flush with the radiator mounts. The shims that were in there were about 3/8"-1/2" in thickness. The rubber pads that come with the mounting kit are like 1/8" in thickness.

[katy]

Originally Posted by psimet

'28 Tudor. here's my question - is it common to have to shim the radiator up that much so it clears the frame by the bottom hose inlet? I can understand having that issue with a one off radiator but now having it with 2 that look to be original tanks - is there something else wrong?

Possible wrong replacement crossmember as rotorwrench stated in post #2, or possibly the frame has been replaced w/a later one.

[rotorwrench]

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With all the water under the bridge since the model A era, there is no telling how many aftermarket radiators were manufactured. Some manufacturers may have made them for universal fit. I don't know what company made the radiator in my 29 but it has a 30/31 cross member in it currently so it was shimmed up with home made rubber shims. I'm prepping to replace it with a late 28/29 cross member but I'm not in too big a hurry to get it in there. That's going to be a job for sure.

[psimet]

It's a single family car. I am the third owner. My great uncle never touched it outside of hammering out a dented fender. My uncle wanted to eventually restore it but was a bit too busy restoring steam tractors, antique tractors and hit and miss engines when he wasn't farming.

All this only to say it's a remarkably original survivor. They lived in Southern Illinois in "God's country".

My Uncle got it running just to run it around in the 70's up through about 85. He seems to have gone through the engine in 82-83 but didn't remove it from the car.

It's the original frame. I know he replaced the radiator and the front crossmember has a thick red paint on it that is nowhere else on the car except on the oil pan. It looks like he painted it with a tractor paint with a brush.

I don't know if that front engine mount had a weld on it OEM but it is welded in a line below the engine bolts.

There were no parts around where they were. He had tires on it he ordered from Sears. He had some condensers and 70's era replacement top plates for the distributor in the car and he had put some modern wiring in the ignition to make it work.

They fixed what they had and didn't replace anything unless they absolutely had to. I have some pictures of the front i will post here in a bit. Y'all can tell me if it's been fixed, replaced or repaired.

[psimet]

Now that I look at it they pulled it at some point for a reason. Guessing cracked near the engine mount.... I had noticed the u-bolt holding the crank guide block was longer on one side suggesting they used what they had(?)

[rotorwrench]

It's a 30/31 cross member with a welded on solid mount like an early 1928 set up. Most model As have a Y shaped yoke motor mount that has springs both above and below the cross member. Two coil springs and one short leaf spring support the motor & yoke above the cross member with one rebound spring underneath.

This is part of the reason for your radiator problem. I can see bolts holding the lower legs on the front of the cross member. Originally there were rivets holding it. This is a common way of replacement back in the day. I've seen afew like this in my time. I was raised on a farm in southwestern Kansas so I've seen a lot of farmer fixes.

[psimet]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

It's a 30/31 cross member with a welded on solid mount like an early 1928 set up. Most model As have a Y shaped yoke motor mount that has springs both above and below the cross member. Two coil springs and one short leaf spring support the motor & yoke above the cross member with one rebound spring underneath.

This is part of the reason for your radiator problem. I can see bolts holding the lower legs on the front of the cross member. Originally there were rivets holding it. This is a common way of replacement back in the day. I've seen afew like this in my time. I was raised on a farm in southwestern Kansas so I've seen a lot of farmer fixes.

Sweet. Thank you.

[Bob C]

The black one is 1930-31 and the red one is 1928-29 with out the solid front mount.

[psimet]

That solves it. I'm just going to shim it up so the hood line is correct an the radiator is up off the cross member.

[Wick]

When I saw your pictures all my questions were answered. Great old repair!