1952 Special Deluxe Project

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Waytago, Robert. Yes Harrison is the correct radiator. We will hope it can be rodded out and be good to go. Don't want to be a party pooper, but when mine was done, the core was "rotten" and had to be replaced. Of course the internal condition could depend on the way the coolant was maintained years ago.

But at least you will KNOW.

Ben

[smithbrother]

I would say that the radiator is original.

You shouldn't have any issues in replacing these parts, you are on top of such.

I wish you well. We had a 52, COPPER BOTTOM, BEACH WHITE TOP. Oh, I can't tell you about all the people stopped us to say how much they like the colors.

I enjoy your TRUTHFUL, DOWN TO EARTH POSTS.

Dale Smith in Indy

[avgwarhawk]

The radiator looks good. I'm making a bet the radiator will be in good repair and will clean up without issue. Taking the cooling system apart like you did definitely let's you clean up the parts! Looking forward to hearing good cool reports when she is running again.

Edited May 28, 2012 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[buick840]

I know you are trying to keep the spending to a minimum but............. may I suggest, seeing you have the water pump off, that you might consider having the water pump rebuilt with a new bearing and maybe impeller.(that is unless I missed reading it and you already have)

Not a big cost and would save you having to pull it off again should the existing old bearing fail with all that driving you will be doing when back on the road.

Then you'll know the cooling system is all new.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Guest shadetree77]

Thanks for the comments guys. I'm crossing my fingers and toes hoping that the radiator will be good. I seriously doubt I would be able to come up with the $400 or so that I've been told it would cost to re-core it. If the radiator is bad for whatever reason, Lucy won't be going anywhere anytime soon!

Thanks for the confirmation of this being the original radiator Ben. I wasn't sure as I've never heard of the Harrison brand. I was pretty sure it was original though. Reason being, my radiator has a metal overflow line going from the radiator cap on down the side. Wrapped around this line near the top is a piece of thin metal wire. It's been there since I've owned the car and for the longest time I couldn't figure out what it was so I just left it alone. It wasn't until I was at a car show looking at a similar, fully restored Buick that I figured it out. That wire is from the original red tag that went on the radiator from the factory. The one that reads something or another about the antifreeze. My guess is that the original owner just yanked the red tag off and the wire remained there for the last 60 years. It still amazes me how original this car is(with the exception of what the previous owner did to the charging system right before he sold it to me).

Thanks for the suggestion Brian, but I've actually done one better. I couldn't locate a re-build kit for my pump so I ordered a complete pump from Bob's Automobilia. Like you, I couldn't see doing all of this work just to put a suspect pump back on there. There's no telling what it looks like inside after 60 years.

On to some work related news. My Wife and I(yes, you read that right!)cleaned up the parts today. They're nice and clean now but after inspecting them I've come to a decision. I wasn't going to paint them at this time as newly painted parts on my engine wouldn't really match the "patina" I've got going on under the hood. However, some of them have a decent amount of rust set in(especially the fan pulley)and I need to hit them with some paint to slow the progress of the rust until the full re-build commences down the road. I have some Rustoleum rattle can paint that should work well. It's a semi-gloss, high-heat black that's actually designed to re-paint bbq grills. I'm taking the radiator to the shop today. I need to work on cleaning the front of the motor as well but I have my doubts about getting that done due to lack of sleep last night. We'll see......

[Guest shadetree77]

Got a little more work completed today. My Wife even volunteered to help again! She ended up dirtier than I was at the end of the day! I do believe she might be starting to enjoy this old car stuff....one can only hope. Anyway, we finished cleaning up all of the parts and set them out to dry. I'm going to pick up some paint and paint them today. We covered all of the electrical components with plastic bags and used scrapers, degreaser, and a high pressure water hose to clean the front of the engine. We scraped about 5 lbs. of 2 inch thick, gooey crud off of the front of the motor, the frame rails, and the cross member. It's not perfect, but then again I'm not going for perfect right now. I used the same high pressure hose to flush the engine block. The block drain plug came out with absolutely no problems at all. I was expecting that to be a rusted up nightmare but it came out effortlessly. I had to use a stubby wrench to remove it(man, I'm glad I bought those!). The crap that came out of my cooling passages was pretty amazing. The water ran black for awhile, then slowly turned to grayish green, then clear with tiny white pieces in it, and finally came completely clear. I flushed it back and forth for about 30 minutes altogether. Hopefully that will help it. No word from the radiator shop yet but I did get my parts in the mail from Bob's. I'm actually kind of disappointed in the quality of the water pump. I knew when I bought it that it was going to be a re-built unit but there's one part of it that really "stuck in my craw". There's a round plate on the back side of the pump with 6 bolts holding it on. It seals up the inner workings of the pump. These plates are notorious for rusting out over the years and replacements are easily available for a cheap price. Whenever this pump was re-built it must have come in with a big rust hole in the plate. So instead of replacing it, whoever re-built it(not sure if Bob's re-builds their own)cheaped out and patched it with some kind of sealant.:mad::mad: It looks like JB Weld to me. If that crap ever breaks loose I'm gonna' have a serious problem on my hands. Something else to worry about.... So that's where I'm at right now. Hope to get some good news from the radiator shop today.

[Buicknutty]

Robert;

I would share your concern about the repair on the rebuilt water pump, perhaps you should give Bob's a call and see what they have to say about it. I have found their service to be quite good.

Also, I think that I might have a water pump that was sold to me for for my '41, but it looks like it is for the smaller engine, and should fit yours. Let me know it you're interested.

Glad your wife is joining in on the car work. It took my wife a bit of getting used to, but she has been a great help with the cars over the years.

Keith

[jackofalltrades70]

Robert,

I second on you calling Bob's to address the issue with the water pump. Great service and they will make it right. Matt

[Guest shadetree77]

Thanks Keith, I'll keep it in mind if this pump doesn't work out.

I cleaned the parts up and painted them today. I think they came out pretty good. That should at least slow the rust down for a good bit. I washed them before I painted them and set them out to dry. However, it was VERY humid and cloudy outside here today and they weren't drying very well. So, I snuck into my Mom's house and put my engine fan into her oven on the warm setting. I went outside and continued working on the other parts. A few minutes later she came outside yelling......busted!!:eek::eek::eek: She calmed down when I told her the fan was perfectly clean though. Guess I should ask next time huh? My Dad helped me remove the threaded pipes from the old water pump. I was worried about them being rusted up but after soaking the threads in ATF for a day or so, they came out with no problems. I cleaned them up with the wire brush on my bench grinder and installed them on my new pump with a little anti-seize. Speaking of the new pump, we inspected the patched part of that plate today and I don't think it will be a problem. My Dad doesn't think the bad place goes all the way through the plate. He said it looks like they were trying to reinforce a thin spot on the plate, not patch a hole. We are toying with the idea of taking the perfectly good plate off my original pump and replacing the patched one. Not sure if I want to break that seal though. I would just do as suggested and call Bob's as I know they would most likely send me another, but I'm impatient and don't really want to wait another week to get it. Replacing the plate is looking like a good option at this point. Still no word from the radiator shop.

[Guest shadetree77]

My Dad and I spent the morning in the rain removing all of the old heater hoses. Holy crap! We measured it in a roundabout way and I need 26 feet of hose!:eek::eek: Some of it appeared to be original. The strange looking original clamps were still on there and the hose was petrified making it really hard to remove. We literally had to chip away at the ends to break them loose. I was going to go on a supply run(new hose, antifreeze, etc.)but I realized that it might be a good idea to wait on that until I hear from the radiator shop. They still haven't called. If my radiator is bad, there's no point in buying all of that other stuff. We also made a decision to replace that patched water pump plate with the good plate from my original pump. I'm REALLY glad we did too for several reasons. One, that patched hole DOES go all the way through. Not only that, but the back side of the plate has even more JB Weld patches on it!! I just don't understand why they would have tried to salvage this ruined plate when replacements are so cheap.:confused: Two, there was a big strip of packing material crammed inside my pump!! It's a strip of paper. I don't know where it came from as the box my pump came in was stuffed with solid newspaper, not paper shreds. I put that POS plate on my original pump and will be sending it back for the core charge.

I also think I have a location picked out for my heater shut-off valve. I may have mentioned this before, but I want to put a manual shut-off in my heater hose system so that the inside of my car doesn't heat up so much. I have been told that a good location for this valve would be at the water pump. However, after studying the picture below, I can't see a place near the pump where a shut-off would work. If put on location A, it would serve no purpose as the coolant flows IN at this point as shown, not OUT. If put at location B, this would keep the transmission oil cooler flow from returning to the pump. I'm going to put mine right past the 3-way tee at location C. This would put it out of sight right under the firewall in the engine compartment but still accessible if need be. This should keep all coolant from entering my passenger compartment. I wonder if I need to somehow cap off location A so coolant doesn't backflow into that hose?

[old-tank]

Robert

If the 'heater temperature control' is present and working that should shut off the coolant flow. If not, that is where you would put the manual shut-off.

Willie

[smithbrother]

I have an old truck, it has a manual heater valve, it's ok, but often on a cool morning before it warms up outside, it is nice to have HEAT. I would suggest that the ORIGINAL control be used if at all possible.

I wish you well,

Dale in Indy

[Guest shadetree77]

The temp. control is still there. From what I understand of the service manual, the manual slider switch mounted under the radio grill that that's labeled "Off', "Low", "Normal", and "High" controls the amount of coolant flowing through the system. It does this via a cable connection to the control valve under the dash. True enough, if it is in the "Off" position, the coolant will not actually flow through the ENTIRE heating system. BUT, if you look at the diagram I posted above, hot coolant travels under the passenger seat and fills up the heater core, then travels back out to the control valve where it is then stopped from flowing any further if your temp. control switch is in the "Off" position. So the way that is designed to work, hot coolant heats up the passenger floor even if you have your control set to "Off". Believe me, it gets mighty warm on that passenger side when the engine is running! Add that heat to the heat coming through my firewall due to what I'm sure is long ago crumbled away insulation, and you have yourself a pretty hot ride so to speak. That's why I want to put a hidden shut-off valve inline BEFORE coolant reaches the heater core under the seat. Hope that makes sense guys. Please let me know if there's a flaw in that logic. I'm just trying to eliminate every little bit of heat possible. It gets danged hot in there on long drives!

On a side note, the Wife and I installed my new mustache extensions this weekend. I told you she was warming up to this old car stuff!! It was a nerve-wracking experience taking that mustache bar off again. Every time I touched a bolt I expected to hear a big "CRACK" from that brittle pot metal followed by the sound of my wallet weeping from within my back pocket. No cracks and no weeping though. Everything went off and on with nary a problem and they look great. Ooooooohhhh.....shiny!:cool: Hmmmmm....now I really need a new bumper though. Always something.... I called the radiator shop today. I got tired of waiting as it has been a week now. They haven't even looked at it yet.:mad: They told me they were behind on a bunch of jobs and that it will be "tomorrow or the next day", which is the same line I heard when I dropped it off. Looks like it's gonna' be another one of those experiences. Hopefully, they won't lose my number like the last shop I dealt with! Until I find out if my radiator is good or not, everything else is pretty much at a standstill. I have cleaned and prepped all of the parts and hardware, I'm just waiting for the OK from the rad. shop so I can go buy all of the other supplies.

Edited June 5, 2012 by shadetree77 (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Robert, ASSUMING the heater control valve is stopping the flow of water, the water in the heater should be cold. No flow, no heat. R:E the hot water flow at the kitchen sink is cold for awhile, depending on where the water heater is located. Having said that, I have shut off valves in both of my lines at the water pump. Helps in the event of a leaky hose. My car is a standard tranny, though.

Ben

[smithbrother]

When you take something in for repair, TELL THEM YOU NEED IT TOMORROW, AS IT IS BLOCKING A NEIGHBORS DRIVE, hehehe..

Maybe you need to create a state of emergency.

Never, Never say your NOT in a hurry.

Dale in Indy

[avgwarhawk]

It makes perfect sense to add an additional shut off valve to keep coolant from reaching the heater core. My only concern is hot water is reaching the core presently. The water /coolant at the core should not get hot with the valve in the off position. The valve would not be letting the hot water to enter the core. I would venture a guess the valve is not operating as designed.

[old-tank]

It makes perfect sense to add an additional shut off valve to keep coolant from reaching the heater core. My only concern is hot water is reaching the core presently. The water /coolant at the core should not get hot with the valve in the off position. The valve would not be letting the hot water to enter the core. I would venture a guess the valve is not operating as designed.

If the valve is not operating as designed, then of course hot water can get by. The Ranco valve if leaking can be repaired with a $10 seal. If the bellows part of the regulation function is collapsed, then the valve cannot be shut off fully and that may be the problem.

Your were right in the first place to put a shutoff...:cool:

Willie

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

When you take something in for repair, TELL THEM YOU NEED IT TOMORROW, AS IT IS BLOCKING A NEIGHBORS DRIVE, hehehe..

Maybe you need to create a state of emergency.

Never, Never say your NOT in a hurry.

Dale in Indy

I am 75 and STILL have not learned that!!

Ben

[Guest shadetree77]

Ben, that example does make sense. If there is no flow through there shouldn't be that much heat. I would think that there might be a little bit of heat after running the engine for awhile. Even if the coolant filling up the lines isn't flowing, it would be touching the coolant that is flowing at the 3 way tee and I'm sure a little heat transfers upstream. Mine gets pretty hot though so I'm guessing it's like Willie said about the bellows being deteriorated. I don't have the funds to re-build the valve right now so I'm going to opt for the hidden shut-off until I do. Still no word from the radiator shop. Think it's too late to create that "state of emergency" Dale?

[smithbrother]

First Born, I will be 75 next month, I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER take stuff in for repairs, I'm the repair guy, so GUESS WHO TAKES THE BLAME? It isn't my bride of 52 years, THAT'S FOR SURE.

I have to laugh, my family knows, I WILL FIX IT MYSELF, Oh, there are times when they will say, WHY NOT CALL SOMEONE, I look at them, drop my chin a tad, and SMILE.....

Dale in Indy

[Buicknutty]

Robert;

The shut off valve sure won't hurt anything, and it will make certain that you're not getting unwanted coolant flow into the heater, so go for it.

Depending on what you've said to the shop already, you could try to play that you have to get the car moved out of its' current place soon, as the garage is only "borrowed". Might work, might not. Though you don't want a crap rush job on it either.

Keith

[Guest shadetree77]

I talked to the radiator shop again today. Just as I expected, they haven't even looked at it yet. Same excuses as last time.:mad: I got a little stern this time and told him I had to have it done by the end of this week. I told him I have a car show to attend on Saturday(which is entirely true)and I need my radiator. Today makes two weeks that it's been sitting in their shop untouched. I think I've been pretty patient up to this point. I got tired of not doing anything so my Dad and I went ahead and put some parts back on the front of the motor. We put the water pump, thermostat housing, and alternator back on. I hope everything sealed good. We didn't have any torque specs. to go by. I replaced the crappy mismatched nuts and bolts the previous owner had on the alternator with some new grade 8 bolts. I don't exactly want that thing snapping off there and flopping around my engine bay. Thinking about buying the heater hose today and getting that put back on soon. The jury is still out on whether or not old Lucy will make it to Charlotte. I'm kind of doubting it at this point. My Dad and I won't be attending all four days either way. We've pretty much decided we'll only be able to attend Saturday(can't miss work for that many days). Kind of disappointing, but one day is better than no days. Looking forward to meeting all of you guys, drinking a few beers, and seeing some beautiful Buicks.

[avgwarhawk]

Tell the guy at the radiator shop that you're radiator is already an antique and it will not get any better with age sitting at his shop.

As far as torque on bolts like your water pump, tighten until snug. Then give the bolt 1/4 turn. The torque is not quite as critical as internal parts of the motor. These bolts are accessible if there is a small drip from under-tightening.

[Buicknutty]

Some water pumps bolts will snap quite easily, so its' best not to tighten them too much, that said, I don't know the numbers, but the above info from Chris is likely quite close.

Too bad the shop is being so crummy by assuming that you don't really need your's done any time soon. Are there any other rad shops in the area, or even outside of you area, that you could take it to? Actually, even the threat of you pulling the job from them, might get the ball rolling for you.

Keith

[Guest shadetree77]

Keith, that's exactly what I'm going to do today if they don't call me first thing this morning. I told him I needed it done this week and here it is Friday and they haven't called. I'll give them until noon and then I'm going to go get it and take it down the road to another radiator shop I found. It's been almost 3 weeks now and they haven't even touched it.:mad::mad: My wife and I ran all the new heater hose today(all 25 feet of it!!). I got to buy a new tool too!! I bought a PVC pipe cutter. It works wonders for cutting rubber hose. I didn't like the way they looked cutting them with a knife. They always came out crooked. Now they look all professional.:cool: I installed my shut-off valve up under the firewall. I also decided to put a plug in the water pump on location A. I didn't want any coolant back-flowing into the heater system from that point. I just threaded a brass plug into the hole and I'm going to clamp the heater hose over it so you can't see it. Nobody will ever know it's there......except for anyone reading this...... I also put the oil filter canister back on. Only thing left is the fan and the radiator and then I can start her up and check for leaks. Now, if I can just find a radiator shop that won't jerk me around!

[avgwarhawk]

Just how busy is a radiator shop these days? By and large anyone needing a radiator gets a new one installed and the core is shipped off to the smelter. Hope you get it worked out Robert. Its the time of year to be enjoying the car.

[Guest shadetree77]

Just got off the phone with the radiator shop. My worst fears have been confirmed. He says the core is bad and is "leaking inside" whatever that means. He doesn't know how much its going to cost yet. He says the company he buys his stuff from is in the middle of inventory and can't give him any info. right now. I don't understand that either but that's what he said. I really don't think I'm going to be able to afford it right now no matter the cost. I've been told its usually between $400-$500. (Insert string of expletives here):mad::mad:

Edited June 16, 2012 by shadetree77 (see edit history)

[smithbrother]

IMO you need to PICK IT UP, and scout around. There are plenty of folks that can build a new unit for you to the same measurements as your original.

You are learning everyday, TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUFF, you will be a much happier camper for doing such.

Dale in Indy

[avgwarhawk]

Personally I don't believe the shop. Leaking inside? His supplier is on inventory...the hottest/busiest time of the year???

[Smartin]

My 58 radiator was $500 recored.

[Buicknutty]

Robert;

The term "leaking inside" sounds strange to me too, the issue is usually that the core is "leaking outside", ie., to the ground under your car. It is of possible that your old core is not usable, but it is also likely that they want to sting you for a full recore, rather than a repair.

Pick it up and take it for another opinion.

Here in Canada, the recore for my '41 cost about $500. That was for a new style high density tube and fin type, not the original "honeycomb" type, which would of been several times more expensive. It wasn't just the price, as I wanted a very nice "driver" so the practical aspects of better cooling overrode authenticity.

Keith

[avgwarhawk]

I believe he gave you the easy answer. Either you will say yes to a high dollar repair that sounds bogus and that puts him in the bonus or the price will scare you off leaving him to go repair six radiators to your one but making ten times the money. Either way he wins. If it is I and it's not I would put the radiator back in the car hook up the hoses and see how she cools now. From what you describe there was plenty of gunk surrounding the cylinders that you removed. This alone would help your cause quite a bit. Besides, he said it was leaking internally. That beats leaking externally! At this stage the radiator was condemned but quite possibly the coated water jackets could have been the cause of the hot running. Call me crazy but that would be my plan. :-).

[Guest shadetree77]

I agree with you guys....something doesn't seem right. The whole "leaking inside" comment doesn't make much sense. That and he told me that his supplier has been on inventory since Wednesday and wouldn't be done until Monday. So you're telling me that a major parts supplier is doing a 5 day inventory in the middle of Summer and while doing so can't even look up a price on their computer?:confused: I do believe I'm being taken for a ride. When(IF) he calls me back no matter what price he tells me, I'm going to tell him I can't afford it right now. Then, I'll go pick it up and take it down the street to another radiator shop and get a second opinion.

Chris, that may be an option eventually. Quite a bit of junk came out of those passages. Also, the thermostat that was in there was a 180 degree. I replaced it with a 160. The manual says that 180 is for Winter driving. I'm sure that will make it run cooler as well. I don't know though, I would hate to re-contaminate my system if there's a bunch of crap inside that radiator. Could I put a piece of pantyhose on both radiator hoses?? Catch the junk coming in AND out? Something to think about anyway.

My Dad and I finished off everything that can possibly be done at this point today. We put the fan and fan belt back on and tightened down the alternator with new grade 8 bolts. I also put on a new throttle return spring. The old one was too weak to fully return the throttle to the closed position. I need to buy a reproduction spring eventually, but for now I just bought a generic one and modified it to fit like an original. We also noticed a problem while we were under the car checking hose clamps on the heater hoses. There is a leak coming from the drain plug in my transmission pan. We tightened it a little and it's still leaking. The plug has the original copper washer on it. Perhaps it is deformed and/or cracked causing a leak? We'll have to pull the plug soon and check it out. I might be able to make a gasket from some gasket material I have. That's brand new trans. fluid in there so I'm going to try and drain it in a clean container so it can be re-used. I'd hate to waste all of that new fluid. Really frustrated with this whole radiator situation. Like Chris said above, "Its the time of year to be enjoying the car", and yet here she sits with a gaping hole where the radiator should be.

[avgwarhawk]

Between you, me and the lamp post...I don't run with a thermostat at all in my 264. The car does not overheat or even think about it in 90+ degrees. The 264 warms the car enough when it is cold outside. I don't much worry about a thermostat. However, not all cooling systems are built alike. Some do require the water to be slowed or stopped in the radiator so the heat of the water can be drawn off reducing the temp thus opening the thermostat allowing cooler water to enter the block. The cycle to start again. Back in the day racing engines often just needed the water slowed to keep the engines cool. This was achieved by using a like diameter washer in place of the thermostat. The center hole of the washer could be widened if necessary or installing a washer with smaller diameter hole to slow the coolant more and raising the temp for better operation of said engine.

My thoughts.....and if I remember correctly....you ran hot and would peg the needle when the engine is turned off. This would indicate a partial clog in the radiator or in the block. You stated gobs of crap flowed out of the block. This crap was preventing the coolant from coming in contact with the water jackets surrounding the cylinders and heads. Its like sitting in front of a fan to cool off but wearing a blanket. It just does not work. OK, your radiator can take the pressure. Its been proven previous to removal. You drove the car but ran in the hotter part of the gauge. I would reinstall the radiator. Go ahead a use the panty hose or any suitable material to screen. Hell, flexible window screen at the hardware store would work. Run it. Pull the screens and see how she cools now. If she still runs hot then you know with certainty the radiator needs work. Start searching for reasonable shop and saving. If she runs cool. Enjoy the car and save for a recore this winter. Like I said, the radiator is leaking internally. That's great. Its the external leaks that suck. You also stated that gobs of crap was removed from the outside of the block. The now exposed block also contributes to cooling.

This would be my plan if in the same situation because you where uncertain what was the true cause of the hot running. In all reality you are still in the diagnosis stage of the hot run issue. To continue diagnosing the issue install the radiator and run her up.

Edited June 16, 2012 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Maybe I am dense, but where can a radiator leak internally? It essentially is made up of hundreds of small "pipes" running from top tank to bottom tank. Nowhere internally TO leak. If the trans cooler[mine are both standard trans] is integrated, maybe. BUT this should have been noticeable with either fluid in water or water in fluid.

I believe if I were in your shoes, I would do somewhat as Chris has said. Perhaps , if shop has not tanked it, I would turn it every which way while flushing , feeding into the bottom hose connection. May not help, can't hurt.

Good luck

Ben

[60FlatTop]

I would believe the leak to be in the internal passages of the core rather than on the surface. And for thin rolled copper that is 60 years old there is a good bet it is due for a recore. My '60 was only 45 years old when I had to recore the radiator.

Bernie

[avgwarhawk]

If I'm not mistaken the core are thin tubes that run from top tank to bottom tank. Between these pipes run the metal 'fins' that help dissipate the heat. I have see these fins disintegrate and come falling out like an accordion but the pipe itself still holding coolant without issue. I'm not certain how the radiator can leak internally except as already posted by Ben the trans cooling line that is fed into one of the tanks. I would still re-install the radiator and see how the engine is cooled now. If she remains the same we can say the radiator needs repair pronto. If she cools well it will give Robert a piece of mind he has solved the problem and time is now provided to collect the funds to re-core at a later date. The real issue has not been diagnosed yet. :-)

[old-tank]

Leak internally? His business motto must be: "if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh!t".

The only way to tell if the radiator can or cannot be rodded is to take the top tank off. If it has not been removed he is for sure standing by his motto. If the tank has been removed and an attempt made to rod it out and tubes were destroyed, then you need a new core. I would still take it to another place rather than reward this guy for bad behavior.

Willie

[Guest 4 bufords]

all three of my buicks cost me 500 each for a recore,hated to spend that kind of money want to play the game,4 bufords from ct

[smithbrother]

Robert, why don't you post in the FOR SALE/WANTED section your possible need for a good radiator?.

There might be just what you need out there at a fair price.

I wish you well my friend,

Dale in Indy