# How to make a radiator?



## camm-1 (Dec 29, 2012)

Hi
I would like to know how do you guys who can make so good looking
radiators do???
Like this for example (mr gbritnell´s ford)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lfTGrYdp_BI

Happy New Year!!
Ove


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## Jasonb (Dec 29, 2012)

MEB had a good article a few issues back

http://www.modelenginebuilder.com/issuetwentythree.htm


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## bob shutt (Dec 29, 2012)

I am halfway thru making one from the article. Our jeep radiator went bad so I told the mechanic I wanted the old one back. I need to make the boxes and fittings


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## Niceonetidy (Dec 29, 2012)

Do you need to subscribe to view the articles?

Thanks

Colin




Jasonb said:


> MEB had a good article a few issues back
> 
> http://www.modelenginebuilder.com/issuetwentythree.htm


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## gbritnell (Dec 29, 2012)

Hi Ove,
I have 3 different types or radiators on my engines. The first one I built is the one shown in the video clip of the 4 cylinder OHV engine. For this I made a die up to form the top and bottom tanks out of brass sheet. I tried several different methods but still ended up with some wrinkles in the brass. For the cooling section I made a top and bottom plate through which I drilled rows of holes for commercially available brass tubing. (hobby tubing) I cut them all to length and tinned them with 50/50 solder. I then made up a fixture board with small brads (nails) laid out in a calculated pattern to form the cooling fins. The fins were cut from brass shim stock, tinned with solder then wound around the nails to form an accordion shape. I adjusted the width of the fins by pushing or pulling them until the fit snugly between the tubes. Once everything was assembled I lightly played a propane torch across the whole affair until I could see the solder start to wet. After this was soldered I put the top and bottom tanks into the recess in the end plates, fluxed them and then soldered them. The inlet, outlet and filler neck with soldered on last. 

The radiator for the 302 engine was a 50/50 process. Being as it's a larger radiator I didn't want all the work that was involved with the 4 cylinder radiator so I first got a heater core and tried to use it but without getting into too much detail it didn't work. I then went to a local radiator shop and took my engine with me. I told the fellow what I wanted to do and he said that radiator core material comes in all different sizes, just tell him what size I needed (width) and he would find something close. The supplier would then cut it to any length and solder the top, bottom and side plates to it. I think at the time it cost me $65.00. I then made up another set of dies to strike the top and bottom tanks but as with the 4 cylinder engine I got a lot of wrinkles. I didn't like the look of the tanks with all the wrinkles so I only used one of them for the bottom. The top tank was machined from a solid piece of brass. Pictures attached. 

The last style of radiator that is on my Holt engine is completely machined from brass stock. The cores are pieces of brass square stock, cut to length, drilled through and then the fins were formed by using a parting tool and cutting them into the stock. I have to give credit for this design to the late Jerry Howell. The top and bottom tanks were both machined from brass bar stock and then the whole thing was soldered together. Pictures attached. 

gbritnell


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## Jasonb (Dec 29, 2012)

Niceonetidy said:


> Do you need to subscribe to view the articles?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Colin


 
Yes, the older mags are still in paper format so you would be buying back issues. From the current issue 28 onwards your subscription lets you view the mag on line in pdf form which can be saved to your own computer.

J


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## stevehuckss396 (Dec 29, 2012)

I made my radiators both the same method. The peewee is vertical and the V8 is horizontal.
I make the core from hobby shop parts from the brass bin. Tubing is .156 thin wall and the fins are .015 X 1/2 inch wide.





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I make a fixture to drill all the fins so they line up perfectly. 





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Then the fins and tubes are again fixtured so they can be soldered. I silver solder my cores so when
the tanks are soft soldered on, I won't unsolder the core.










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I make my tanks with bar stock and solder all the pieces into them.





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Then the tanks and cores are soldered together.





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Then a piece of brass C-channel is put across the top and bottom to dress out the core.





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Demon V8 Horizontal flow after a rub on the buffing wheel and some flat black paint.





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Peewee vertical flow.





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## S3MIH3MI (Dec 29, 2012)

I know part of the fun is making it from scratch, but could you not buy a CPU water cooler. There are so many different sizes and looks. Then just build a nice cover top and bottom to represent the tanks. You can even get them with fans.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=cpu+...mhqwG39oHYBQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAA&biw=1787&bih=916

Just a thought


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## camm-1 (Dec 30, 2012)

Wow!
Thanks for all that info!
Ove


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