The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Radiator mistake, Fix or replace?

I took the radiator out of my 1940 1/2 ton during the tear down. Recently I had it restored by a local shop. The guy went on and on about what good shape it was in and that I shouldn't have a worry about cooling the 235 replacement engine. He gave it a 9 out of ten. I was very please to hear all this stuff and it only cost me $105.00 to have it completely gone over and painted up pretty at Farley's Radiator.

I brought it home bolted it back in place. It fit great or so I thought.

I went to trial fit the top grill and arch that goes over the top of the radiator and the radiator neck doesn't line up with the hole in the arch.

After thinking I bought the wrong arch (replacement for the crappy one that came on the truck) I did some measuring and the brackets on the side of the radiator are not in the same place as the radiator on my other 1940. They are back about 3/4 of an inch. That pushes the radiator forward the same amount.

Should I take the radiator back and have them move the brackets? (They weren't moved during the fixup) Or do I find a replacement radiator? Other than the arch over the top the radiator fits great and has good room between the fan and the back surface. I knew that was to good to be true?

I'm not sure I understand. If the radiator came out of the truck, and the neck lined up with the hole before, and the radiator guy didn't move the brackets, then how could it not line up now?

Bill,

I'm in the fog on this one too, but keep in mind that all those connections are usually only soldered into the top tank and can be repositioned by an experienced radiator shop.

Could you have the radiator on the wrong side of some attachment, or missing a spacer or hunk of rubber pad...or something. If nothing was done at Farley's, all should fit as before.

Stuart

Tom,

I don't think it did line up. The arch that was on the truck was all hacked up. Someone in its past life must have cut the sheet metal arch to make it work.

I went back through my pictures and found this one while I was taking it apart.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/schickling/Picture015.jpg

I guess I should have been paying better attention!

I would think if moving the brackets would fix the problem, you should take it back to the radiator shop and have them move the brackets.

^i agree

i recently got a radiator that came out of a 42-48 chevy car from the owner at the radiator shop who had it hidden in storage. i originally took my radiator that was in my truck to him to get recored but he remembered he had the one from the car in storage so we matched them up and all was the same accept the mounting brackets so he cut those off and took the ones from my original radiator and put them on my new one. all for $100 compared to the 300 or so he told me it would cost to repair my original.

just call them up and see how much it would cost to move the brackets.

Well that's an interesting pic... On my 1940 GMC the radiator fill neck comes out the back side (engine side) of the radiator top tank horizontally and then kicks up 90 degrees behind the arch. I know what you're thinking... That's the way GMC did it. Chevy had their own idea.

make some spacers to move it back and use longer bolts

32fire2,

I tried that last night and it will work. I just used some washers to try it. The radiator is in too good of shape to replace, so I will go the spacer route.

Bigbadswingdaddy,

I read somewhere (?) the GMC 228 is longer than the 216, so I imagine the radiator support is probably different too.

Thanks,

Yeah us gmc guys call it long motor envy!

Man, now I have to worry about my CI (cylinder index) and long motor envy.

Thank god I still have all my hair.