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| | | | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 | I need some help with identifying the radiator that came with my 1951 Chevy suburban.It's not original to the suburban,previous owner cut up the old core support to make it fit with the 1956 235 engine.I need to figure out what it is,so I can get rid of it.The radiator has no visible markings on it.Here are some measurements of it. Top tank 4 1/4" deep x 20" wide lower tank is 2 3/8" deep core is 20" wide x 20 3/4" tall tank to tank height is 25 3/4" Here is some pics of it. pic#1 pic#2 pic#3 pic#4 pic#5 Thanks,Tim
1951 3100 Chevrolet1951 Chevrolet Suburban CarryallImage"A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams." "Look deep before you leap !!!" / "Everything is Everything" "If I say a mouse can pull a house, hitch him up"
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,186 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,186 | To me it appears to ba an Advance Design heavy duty radiator. I have several of them and I'm putting one in my current restoration. It will fit in any AD truck with no modification. Depending on the inlet/outlet sizes, it could be for either a 235 or 261. Do you have the radiator shroud that should be with it?
Bruce | | | | | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 | Bruce,would this radiator have been installed in the big bolt trucks ? I will have to measure the necks after while and post the size of them.
I know they cut the radiator support so they could move the radiator forward to clear the 1956 water pump and fan.I converted it to a short shaft water pump and used the adapter plate.
When I pulled it out of the suburban,it didn't leak.I wonder if I should hold onto it now ?
Tim
1951 3100 Chevrolet1951 Chevrolet Suburban CarryallImage"A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams." "Look deep before you leap !!!" / "Everything is Everything" "If I say a mouse can pull a house, hitch him up"
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,186 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,186 | It was mostly a big truck thing but I've seen in some literature it could be ordered in any truck from the factory as an RPO. It would have come with a shroud originally. If you keep it, I have extra shrouds which are actually kinda hard to find because when a mechanic back then would work on the truck, they would often leave the shroud off. I'm putting one in my 3800 stake truck for the added cooling power. If you have a use for it save it, if not I'm sure somebody on this site would love to have it.
Bruce | | | | | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 | Bruce,it didn't have a fan shroud when I purchased my Suburban.I haven't measured the inlet/outlet yet,but getting ready to.
Tim
1951 3100 Chevrolet1951 Chevrolet Suburban CarryallImage"A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams." "Look deep before you leap !!!" / "Everything is Everything" "If I say a mouse can pull a house, hitch him up"
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 |
The shrouded radiator RPO was not available on any Advance-Design 3100 trucks, at least as far as it being listed in Truck Data Books and in Specifications Manuals.
The RPO-256 Heavy-Duty Radiator was available from 1947-1952 on 3600, 3800, and 4000 series trucks. I was 17.5 qts or 17 qts depending on the year (compared to regular 15 qts) and included a shroud for the fan.
Larger trucks (5000 and 6000 series) had a standard higher capacity radiator with shroud.
In 1953, there were two sizes of these H-D radiators with shrouds, the larger size was for 5000 & 6000 series trucks. This larger size H-D radiator became the standard radiator on 1954/55 5000 & 6000 series trucks.
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 | The upper hose measurement is 1 1/2" and the lower is 1 5/8" .
Tim,thanks for the information.
Tim
1951 3100 Chevrolet1951 Chevrolet Suburban CarryallImage"A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams." "Look deep before you leap !!!" / "Everything is Everything" "If I say a mouse can pull a house, hitch him up"
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