What is normal temp for funnel top radiator?

[iverson]

I put on a used funnel top radiator and shroud on our 28 the one I took off is heavier and motormeter barely showed any red. I just took a 20 mile ride about 70 degrees 40 miles an hour tested with a food thermometer it was 180 degrees is that normal? The old rad never overheated don't know what it will do when we get some hot weather

[Joe K]

If you had said 170 I would have said you were good to go. At 180 you're starting to push the envelope IMHO.

Maybe take the old one (funneltop?) and have it rodded or boiled out? Rodding is better but more intrusive.

Joe K

[iverson]

thanks Joe the old radiator worked good but it was not original I never tested it but it ran cool the new one is an original round tube in good cond it tests good to me with a infared thermometer even heet not plugged from what I can tell.tonight I did push it a lot harder then I normally drive and it went to 180 with thermometer in water thru radd cap

[Tom Wesenberg]

I'd say you are fine at 180*. The hotter it gets, the easier the radiator can dissipate the heat, due to the larger temp gap between the air and coolant. Also remember that antifreeze will raise the boiling point of the coolant.

I'll shoot some temps on my 28 with original radiator, fan, and shroud after I get it out for the season, but I'm sure it's running at least 180* because that's the temp of the thermostat I installed.

[Jacksonlll]

If you can drive 40-45 mph for a solid 10 min without losing coolant, you are good. Most old cores can't do this.

[iverson]

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thats good news that I may be alright Tom and Jackson its not easy to find a good funnel top radiator or fan shroud. I got these thanks to fordbarn. it did push out water until it found its own level over the tubes. I have been reading the other posts about cooling problems and we have a new pump shaft with impeller the old shaft had pitting and impeller was wore or rusted down quite a bit

[KGBnut]

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly make this a 'funnel top?" Is it the tapered shape of the inlet where the upper hose connects?

Are they original equipment, or made by someone else? Are they especially rare?

I'm just curious.

Ken

[Joe K]

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly make this a 'funnel top?" Is it the tapered shape of the inlet where the upper hose connects?
Are they original equipment, or made by someone else? Are they especially rare?

The funnel top is the "original" Model A radiator. Earliest include a "shroud" to channel cooling air - later versions minus the shroud as Ford found it hindered airflow at speed. Characterized by an upper inlet tube which flares and joins the upper tank in an "oval" joint. The design allowed high coolant flows to "spread out" over the radiator core evenly.



Some have also identified changes at the bottom tank which are associated with different funnel top date ranges.

Some time early in 1929 Ford changed (or widened) radiator suppliers who provided a simplified radiator which probably 96 percent of radiators now found in Model A Ford are styled after. (including original funnel top cars.) This having no taper (funnel) at the upper connection but instead a straight tube. Think simplified tube construction/soldering.

Coincidentally, the Service Bulletins in this same time period describes a fix for "leaking overflow" by bending the overflow tube "back" in the fill hole to bring it out of the flow stream from the engine - this apparently being the downside of the design change/narrow inlet neck/higher velocity. The problem was not severe enough that it couldn't be remedied by the service shops bending the pipe so Ford never reverted the radiator design.

Generally funnel tops are durable radiators - maybe not as efficient thermally as the later straight inlets but only because they were "thick" and durable and have (IIRC) round tubes and not "light" and thermal with oval tubes.

Funnel tops are rare in that most original radiators of the Model A era have been replaced in service. Sort of like original tires.

Brassworks can provide a funnel top exact copy, or a funnel top with oval tubes. (Best of both worlds?)

Joe K