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05-05-2015, 10:23 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Wellington NZ
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newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Hello, Dave from Wellington NZ. My wife has just bought a 36 Pickup to replace her SL500. I'm quite thrilled with it. Paint, woodwork, upholstery is very good. Mechanically, my first impression is tidy but not at the standard I would like. While my wife is a car girl, I am a motorcycle fan and have strip restored a number of Japanese race oriented motorcycles, mainly 80s & 90s but quite hi tech so the Pickup is new ground for me and I would like some guidance.
On a bit of a side note, I am having trouble identifying the motor. It has 24 stud heads with centre cooling outlets. One head clearly shows made in Canada so to me maybe a C69A but the other head appears to have C81T-6050 stamped in it but its a bit hard to tell. - advice appreciated. Anyway my first question is that it has been leaking coolant - actually I think it may have been overflowing coolant rather than an actual leak. I had to put 7Litres (~7 Quarts for my US friends) in it yesterday which was a bit frightening but I don't know how much was in it when we got it before we drove it and it has been out on the highway. I then left the radiator cap off and ran the engine for around 1/2 hr. I could see no leaks and the LH head measured 160F while the RH head measured 180F using my IR thermometer (usually used for setting bike tyre pressures on racetracks). All nicely stable. My first thought after reading many threads is to pressurise the cooling system gently and use the well mentioned Skip's 3lb overflow hose relief valve and see how that goes in terms of coolant from now on. However I can't find the appropriate threads to find Skip or for what needs to be done to the cap and its socket to allow it to be pressurised. So in short: 1. Am I doing the right thing at this stage of ownership? 2. if so, could you point me in the right direction. regards David. |
05-05-2015, 10:38 PM | #2 |
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Location: San Antonio Texas
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Welcome to Fordbarn David.If those temps are correct that's good.What is the radiator cap pressure rating?4lbs is all that's needed.For Skip....
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05-05-2015, 10:53 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Wellington NZ
Posts: 85
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Many thanks. The radiator cap does not appear to be a pressure cap - i.e no spring and internal seal.
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05-06-2015, 03:38 AM | #4 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Whangaparaoa New Zealand
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
It won't be a pressure cap if it's still the original radiator. The water will spew out untill it finds the right level usually about an inch from the top,don't overfill, once you get use to the car you will get to know the level. As to engine I.D there may be a number on the block just above the water pump or on top of the bell housing if you can see there. What fan do you have? generator mounted or one driven of the front crankshaft pully up to a fan mounted onto the inlet manifold where the generator bolts on. early motors a pencil will sit on a lip on the block were the timing cover bolts on just below the big generator mounting stud. Temps are fine. We all love pictures on here and welcome to another kiwi. Cheers Tony.
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05-06-2015, 05:51 AM | #5 |
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Wheaton, IL near Chicago
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
David,
Don't go looking for trouble! Your radiator is fine the way it is operating, no need to start playing with it. Congrats on having such a cool wife and getting a '36 pickup in your life. |
05-06-2015, 10:52 AM | #6 |
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
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05-06-2015, 01:30 PM | #7 | |
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Quote:
I would like to add, take notice of how clean and shiny the radiator tubes are in the 39. This wasn't like this 30 years ago. I didn't have the radiator cleaned but 15 years ago installed Skips high flow turbine impeller pumps and a large bottle of Barr's heavy duty stop leak. This was the type with aluminum flakes in it. The combination of double the water flowing through the radiator tubes and the flakes polished the tubes as far down in them as I can see. I showed my radiator guy and he said he never saw anything like it.
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05-09-2015, 09:17 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Wellington NZ
Posts: 85
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Thanks everyone - The coolant issue seems to have stabilised so I can work quietly on that in the background but no further sign of overheating. Some photos attached (if I can work out how.) Tony - there does appear to be a ledge about 1cm wide below the generator. The fan is generator mounted and appears to be new. I cant find any stamps below the (2?) water pumps but there is an upside down 87 ? on the RHS just in front of where the rh head is. All advice appreciated. Also thank you very much for the warm welcome.
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05-09-2015, 10:22 PM | #9 |
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Covedale,oh
Posts: 226
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
It has a car front end.Is that the way they were made down there ? I like it.
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05-09-2015, 11:52 PM | #10 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lawrence, Kansas
Posts: 58
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
That's a beaut! It looks very different than my '36 for sure! Are the doors homemade?
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05-10-2015, 12:39 AM | #11 |
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Nice Pick up .This appears to be a colonial cab pick up ,factory built on a Roadster cowl and dash, with the car front it was a std product . Pressure Radiator cap ,I saw one recently that fitted on a 37 neck with no seat needed ,not sure who makes them ,4 1lb .Ted
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05-10-2015, 01:47 AM | #12 |
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Covedale,oh
Posts: 226
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
The engine is a 24 stud,not original.What's the distribter look like(dizzy)?
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05-10-2015, 03:44 AM | #13 |
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Wellington NZ
Posts: 85
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Distributor is flat (crab?) but cant see any wiring loom off it.
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05-10-2015, 09:21 AM | #14 |
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Location: Ventura, CA
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
looking at the pix you attached, I note that the generator/fan appears to be typical of a gen/fan combo that was used trough '39. If the generator is a two brush unit with a regulator, then it is a '39. Generators prior to '39 are three brush with a "shunt/cut-out", generally sitting on top of the generator.
I also noted that the exhaust manifold is not the '35-36 "log" type. In time you are probably going to find the the engine originally was either a commercial engine, i.e. truck or a stationary unit of some kind. The loss of coolant is very common in the pre-pressurized systems. One way to stop the loss of coolant is to leave the coolant level down about 1" below the filler neck. If you can find a pressure cap of about 4lb's that will fit the radiator neck, then you can add an overflow tank "coolant recovery", attached to the overflow tube, which will capture the expanded coolant and return same to the radiator when the system cools down. The coolant recovery tank will also eliminate air entrainment in the cooling system and thereby make the system more efficient. Neat looking truck.. The application of car front ends on '36 Ford pickups has become quite common here in the states with the Street Rod types. The cab on your truck is very unusual.. Does the truck have hydraulic brakes?
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05-10-2015, 02:55 PM | #15 |
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
welcome to the "Barn....great looking truck...definitely different from '36 pickup here....got more pics??....lol...great buy by your wife....Mike
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05-11-2015, 08:51 AM | #16 |
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Location: Ventura, CA
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
David S.. Carefully reviewing the pix of the engine compartment I noted what appears to be a "COPPER" fuel line from the pump to the carb. Copper fuel and/or brake lines are not a good idea, the copper will break from fatigue, where-as steel will not.
It would appear that the rear fenders on the truck could possibly be '36 Ford passenger car, modified to fit the slab sided bed.
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05-11-2015, 11:46 PM | #17 |
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Wellington NZ
Posts: 85
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Thank you Bill - I will replace it. its ugly as well. What do most people use? flexible fuel line (which I have plenty of) or a formed steel line which I could get made? Also do you know if there are any problems running the line down the carb stalk and along the top of the engine to the (electric) fuel pump and regulator. e.g. vapour lock problems.
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05-12-2015, 02:10 AM | #18 |
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 2,687
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Its usually hard line everywhere just the jump from the firewall to the fuel pump [or where it should be]. Try to keep it as high as practical to close to the motor and you will have problems. Oz and NZ don't seem to have the vapour lock problems. SO where is your electric pump mounted?
Also if your cooling system is ok [ looks like you may have a modern core in there] you will not need to pressurise anything, in a tank your size it will just sit about 3/4" from the top. Your in the land of the long white cloud not the Gibson desert you should be ok..
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05-12-2015, 10:16 AM | #19 |
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
Sharp truck David!! Long live the '36 Ford pickup!! Love it!!
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05-13-2015, 03:28 AM | #20 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lower Hutt , New Zealand
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Re: newbee - 36 Pickup radiator mod question
David I have copper fuel line on my car and it is fine, there has been a lot of debate over the years on the rights and wrongs of this stuff on this and the old Fordbarn. I would not change it for the sake of it but make sure you have a flexible hose between the fuel pump and where it passes the clamp on the firewall. Nice truck by the way . Perhaps I'll see it around as I'm in Lower Hutt
I had a problem with my radiator frothing away. I tipped some of that radiator cleaner in the system, ran it for a while then flushed it. You should of seen all the crap that came out. GB
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