One thing leads to another


Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 479

Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 4:44 pm

Post Wed Sep 19, 2018 2:46 pm

Re: One thing leads to another

So, the radiator got took out on the Monday, took it to the radiator people, they tested that evening and it is partially blocked, however they did advise that they did not think it would stand up to being stripped down and rebuilt. They advised the best thing would be to re-core it, which is what I'm going to have done. The cost is going to be £321, which looking at some the prices is not to bad. Should be able to pick it up by the weekend. Luke

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Wed Sep 19, 2018 3:13 pm

Re: One thing leads to another

Re-coring and recycling the old core is environmentally responsible. I have had dozens of old radiators renewed this way. The radiator from my R120 was re-cored with a four row high efficiency system. The lower tank was changed and the inlet and outlet were moved. This radiator cooled a 6.9 IHC V8 Diesel for nearly a quarter of a million miles and 20 years. This custom radiator cost me $987.00 in 1990. I still have this radiator and it will go back into service in front of a Cummins 5.9 Diesel, 24 valve and behind the grill of another IHC.
Allowing for inflation, I think you are getting a good deal.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 525

Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2012 10:50 am

Location: Fletcher, OK

Post Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:22 am

Re: One thing leads to another

Recoring is the way to go. I had the heater core in my L series recored twenty years ago and it still works great.
46 K3
52 L110
68 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5171

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:52 am

Re: One thing leads to another

I often find that messing around with a degraded radiator cost way more then the long run than biting the bullet and getting it re-cored from the get go.
Had the radiator re-cored in my K-7 and the shop said the core was still a good number and they could get it from their sources. I have had many cores custom built also. IIRC it was close to $600 10 years ago but no cooling problems since.
I have one that I am going to try and save for 2 reason, 1 is its a "staggered tube" core and those are neat, and 2 it is huge, being on a stationary generator with a 525 CID Buda.
So far my most expensive re-core was on my low flow Cummins in my Semi, it cost $2150 for the re-core. The low flow take a special core that cost almost $900 more than a conventional core of the same size. Ouch!
I also learned the benefit of a cooling system filter. On my latest engine I bough from a junk-yard, looked clean enough from what could be seen from the outside, but the coolant filter I put on told a different story, it plugged in less than 10,000 miles. I will keep changing until it will go a complete service cycle without plugging
I don't know how soon it plugged but only noticed it was "cool" after the engine was hot when I was in there doing something else. Since then I have noticed the engine running cooler, and the pyro temp is down along with the oil temp.
Coolant filter are the bypass type so it may take some time to completely clean the system of rust an muck

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 479

Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 4:44 pm

Post Sat Oct 20, 2018 2:35 pm

Re: One thing leads to another

Well the re-cored radiator went in a couple of weekends ago and today the truck went to the local garage. This was the earliest that could look at it. The timing is now all done. They did not charge me anything for doing it. However i my entire family take theirs cars to them for servicing etc. I cannot believe the difference it has made. I put my foot on the gas and it goes, no popping, no sluggishness. So i went for a bit of drive today. Not as long as i had hoped for, I had a leaking shower waiting for me at home. Tomorrow I'm out shopping with the wife, maybe some trucking when we're done. Im also making a side step as it they are missing, maybe i will finish that off too.Luke

Yard Art
Yard Art

Posts: 55

Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2014 9:52 pm

Location: Denton, Texas

Post Sat Dec 15, 2018 9:11 am

Re: One thing leads to another

Luke, your stick-to-it-iveness is encouraging and inspiring. I have a '60 B-series pickup as well, but haven't had near as many troubleshooting challenges as you. Thanks for your posts. They keep me going on my own truck project. -Mike
    1960 B112 V8 stepside
    1966 Triumph TR4A IRS
    1993 Miata LE -- daily driver

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 479

Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 4:44 pm

Post Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:42 pm

Re: One thing leads to another

Michael Binderminder wrote:Luke, your stick-to-it-iveness is encouraging and inspiring. I have a '60 B-series pickup as well, but haven't had near as many troubleshooting challenges as you. Thanks for your posts. They keep me going on my own truck project. -Mike


Thanks for the kind words Michael. I do sometimes find it very demoralising....one thing seems to lead to another. I have not posted any updates for a while now. I now seem to have coolant leaking but just can not see where its coming from. Its like nothing what so ever and then a week later a very small pool has appeared on the floor. Im not going to have much time on it over the christmas period due to work commitments either, which is a pain. I just hope to drive it a lot more next year. In other news though, fitted a new speedo cable this weekend, only cost just over £40, custom made. Luke

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5171

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sun Dec 16, 2018 6:01 pm

Re: One thing leads to another

IIRC these engines have a core plug on the back of the block (or is it head?) that can leak and be hard to trace, so if the leak seams to be toward the rear, that is something to look at.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Sun Dec 16, 2018 6:52 pm

Re: One thing leads to another

I appreciate your calling these plugs what they are. I do not know if it was bey accident or by design these core plugs were able to save a few freezing blocks from destruction. I suppose the name is less important if it is understood why these plugs are there. It needs to be understood that these plugs should be replaced every few decades. I cannot bring myself to trust a 70 year old steel plug that may have suffered corrosion from a lack of coolant maintenance. I remember my father dipping a bucket into a water filed ditch and then pouring the mosquito larvae and other contaminants with the water into his vehicles.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5171

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sun Dec 16, 2018 7:42 pm

Re: One thing leads to another

I will not call them anything but core plugs, they are there to get the casting sand out of the coolant passages, which is why you don't see them on the wet liner blocks, where the sand can come out where the liners go.
I have become a true believer in coolant filters. Even on non lined engines, keeping the coolant free from debris and SCA's are beneficial even on parent bore blocks.
Pull an engine apart that has a coolant filter that has been maintained, and the inside looks brand new.
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