Radiator Rebuild Recommendations LA

[Frank K.]

Can anyone recommend a good shop to have my radiator core rebuilt or fixed. Located in the Los Angeles/Orange county area. '71 LT1 Frank

[Duke W.]

Re: Radiator Rebuild Recommendations LA

"Freddies" in Artesia did a great job rebuilding the radiator in my Cosworth Vega. I got the reference from another CV owner. I was starting to get some minor seepage between the tubes and end plates.

They removed the tanks and end plates, bead blasted them, and rodded out the core, then resoldered the end plates to the core and tanks. As long as your core tubes aren't leaking it can be reused. In the case of the CV, there is no available core that looks like OE so I wanted to reuse the original at all cost.

Total cost for the job - only 75 bucks! The CV core is only 12" x 18", so a Corvette radiator would be higher because it is larger.

It you still have the OE radiator tag remove it for safe keeping, and I had Freddies place their tag (needed for warranty) along the bottom of the core.

You might also have them skip the painting as their paint was a little too glossy. I ended up painting mine with semi=gloss black engine enamel. It originally may have been a little glossier the the semi-gloss black blended in very well with the other engine compartment components. It looks like it's been there since John Hinckley installed it.

Duke

[Clem Z.]

Re: Radiator Rebuild Recommendations LA

the condition of the fins is also very important because if the fins is no longer making good contact with the tubes the cooling will be affected. this may not be a problem in sunny calif but here in pa the salt they use on the roads in the winter causes this problem. i have seen rads that flow the proper GPM on the flow test but still would not cool properly because the fins. when we first started racing we tried used rebuilt rads,cheaper than new ones, and till we started using new ones we had cooling problems. JMHO

[Duke W.]

Re: Radiator Rebuild Recommendations LA

Good point! When I pulled the CV radiator I straightened out a few bent fins. Cooling was fine. I had to have it rodded out back in '85 because the green antifreeze clogged up the tubes. Cooling was okay this time, just the slight evidence of seepage, so I pulled it for the rebuild when I refreshed the head a couple of years ago.

Duke

[Frank K.]

Re: Radiator Rebuild Recommendations LA

Thanks Duke,
I will check them out.
Frank

[Jack H.]

Few rad shops will straighten fins....

This is something you have to ask for, then be prepared for a 'bend over' labor quote because it's a dull, boring job sitting and tweaking cooling fins individually!

But, there are hand tools available (several styles) that aren't that expensive and you can do the job yourself with the radiator out of the car BEFORE you send it to the rad shop for repair.

If memory serves, the Eastwood catalog lists these fin straightening tools (one is kind of shaped like a 'comb') plus, most major HVAC supply distributors either have them or have access to them. If the end game is to put the car into shape for judging or maintain its factory original appearance, expect the judges to eyeball the front and rear cooling fins looking for fresh, regular, geometry. So, this would be a GREAT opportunity to remove road debris generated irregularities and recover the correct air flow characterists of a radiator!

[Duke W.]

Re: Few rad shops will straighten fins....

Unless the radiator is pretty badly beat up, it shouldn't take that long to straighten any bent fins.

I just used a dental pick.

Duke

[Chuck S.]

Re: Few rad shops will straighten fins....

There is also a tool for straightening fins that looks like a pair of "duck-bill" pliers, except that the jaws are thin and flat for inserting into the radiator fins. When squeezed, the jaws flatten the thin copper (or aluminum), and a little wrist action places the fin right where it was originally. This process is slower than the "comb", but the tool works more precisely, yielding better results in my opinion.

I would never trust this aesthetic fin straightening to a radiator shop anyway...I hate being disappointed after paying good money for other people's work.

[Craig S.]

Re: Few rad shops will straighten fins....

Chuck - I have a comb, who sells the duckbill pliers? Thx, Craig

[Chuck S.]

Eastwood...

See Item 43069, Radiator Fin Pliers, $19.99. I also have the rake, Item 43070, but I like the pliers better.




Eastwood Radiator Fin Pliers

[Patrick H.]

Re: Eastwood...

I wish the duckbill pliers actually had the "waves" built into it to get the exact correct fin shape back. I've used both, and find myself playing with the fins to attempt and get the waviness back in. The fins are NOT straight.

Patrick

[Chuck S.]

Yes, Patrick, I Know...

But, I worry about the waviness in the fin material AFTER I remove the big fat roll INTO the radiator. You can get some waviness back if you play with it. It depends on how much time you want to spend. It will be imperfect, but looks a lot better than leaving it bent over. (Better be careful about working that copper too much; it fatigues pretty quickly...then you'll have a worse problem.)

Patrick, are you really telling me that you want to match up the jaws of pliers with those little corrogations already existing to get the fins just right??? I have finally met my match in supreme anal retentiveness!!! These are not Harrison radiator pliers...they are generic radiator fin pliers, and are apparently designed for OTHER radiators that DO have straight fins. (Maybe Brit, I think they're made in England.)

I think you should design some Harrison radiator pliers (watch out for patent infractions)...we'll call them Hulst pliers.

[Clem Z.]

i may be missing something

as i can see how you can use a "comb" on a A/C unit because the fins are indvidual pieces but copper/brass rad fins are like "ribbon candy" forced in between the tubes. am i wrong?

[Chuck S.]

That's Correct...

The "fins" are one continuous ribbon of copper or brass that zig/zags between two adjacent tubes. The radius at the bends, however, is generous. The fins still converge slightly to the bends; they are not quite parallel.

The comb works after a fashion to make a "rough cut" on a group of four or five damaged fins by straighening the fins somewhat and separating them (if you can insert it in position to work). After that, the pliers work better...except for those little corrogations Patrick was talking about.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Yes, Patrick, I Know...

"Patrick, are you really telling me that you want to match up the jaws of pliers with those little corrogations already existing to get the fins just right???"

Yes, Chuckles, that is EXACTLY what I'm telling you.