Help identifying 1915(?) Buick radiator

[21raceabout]

 

Recently picked up this nice Buick radiator (with the cloisonne emblem) to replace the original one on our car as our shell is perforated with rust.   The "new-to-us" one was sold as a C-24/-25 but has mount brackets on the sides of the shell that don't appear on the original.  The original has threaded studs on the bottom, consistent with 1915 parts book.  There are also differences in the rod junction details at the top and differences in the lower water exit casting.   I would also invite comments on the difference is radiator core itself.  Thinking I might have a radiator shop remove the good shell so we can weld up the holes from side mounts and swap the details on the back side of the radiator unless someone has a better idea...  Thanks!

[Leif Holmberg]

Scanned from 1919-1920s parts book.Not the right ones.

Leif in Sweden.

[Terry Wiegand]

The Buick Motor Company in this time frame was using radiators from three different suppliers.  They were Harrison, Fedders, and Rome-Turney.  This makes it possible to have a 1915 or later vehicle with different core styles that is factory original.  I have a 1920 K-46 Coupe that was in storage for around 61 years.  The radiator cap froze to the filler neck.  Some bozo took a pipe wrench to the cap and destroyed the filler neck getting the cap off.  When we bought the car years ago I discovered the mess and I fixed it so that it would not be spewing coolant out of the filler opening.  I pulled the radiator shell and core off the car and made a new filler neck out of brass.  The guy at our local radiator shop unsoldered the original neck and re-soldered the new one right back in the exact location on the top tank.  He then flushed and back flushed the unit and checked it at one half pound of pressure.  The car runs great with no heating problems whatsoever.  The core in my car is the 'square' opening style.  I believe this radiator is what is referred to as a 'tubular' type core.  The tubes run vertical into the top and bottom tanks.  I hope someone on here will explain the differences between a 'cellular' and tubular' radiator core.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas 

[dibarlaw]

Terry:

  There are many variations of both the tubular and cellular styles. The most common tubular type can be "rodded" out to clean the tube passages. The cellular have the "honeycomb" shape in hex or octagon. and have the cells crimped or closed with water flowing around the inside of the cell cavities. No straight paths to rod out. Can only be cleaned by chemical means. I have also seen a combination of rows of cells and tubular radiators. The 1923 and 24 Buicks ( and some earlier as shown in the photo above) many are seen with a square core pattern. Same principal as the honeycomb design. The idea of course was to get a maximum radiating surface for cooling.

[Bryan Desma]

Hi-

 

You have a 1916 - 1918 D35 or E35 radiator for a 4 cyl Buick.   I have a 1915 radiator that matches your original with a honeycomb core.  I would be willing to trade, as I need the model you have.  Let me know if you are interested.

 

Thanks, 

Bryan

[BuicksBuicks]

I've been looking for a nice clean sharp scan of the Buick emblem. Thanks!  It's going to be used in some Buick graphic artwork when I get around to it.

[21raceabout]

Bryan - Can you send me a PM?  Thanks Rick

[Morgan Wright]

This is the radiator from an E-49.

 

The grill part measures 20" wide X 18" tall

 

Space between bolt holes on sides is 27 3/4 inches

 

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Edited June 24, 2018 by Morgan Wright (see edit history)

[Bryan Desma]

Rick -

 

Did you ever get your radiator going?  Lost track of this post and curious.

 

-B

[21raceabout]

Bryan - Unfortunately, your offer came a little too late for me.  I know folks may hold their nose, but at the time I didn't think I had any other option to get my next-to-the-barn basket case running again.  It turned out that the shell for the C-25 and E-35 are outwardly the same size and style (other than the radiator itself is separable from the shell in later model).  I had LA Radiator works here in Maine swap the outlet manifolds and another friend welded up the rivet holes in the sides of the E-35 shell and attach a couple long fender bolts the bottom of the shell so as to mount it like a C-25.   So my car now has what looks like a C-25 shell (no brackets) with the later removable core.  I got the car running this summer with the help of Mark, Larry and Terry (parts) and I am very pleased with the performance of the radiator (no sign of overheating).  At this point if anyone has a C-25 radiator they are willing to part with, I know a gentleman in Texas who needs one.