Expansion cuts on mid-year aluminum radiators

[Thomas D.]

Re: Expansion cuts on mid-year aluminum radiators

Now you got me all excited, I meant top right only!

[Jack Layton #896]

Re: Expansion cuts on mid-year aluminum radiators

Original 1965 june car with functioning radiator #31553316 dated 65C. Out of car for engine rebuild.
Top cut on right side at 3 1/2 inch from right edge. Right side defined as passenger side with overflow pipe. Bottom cut is dead center between rubber bushings. Car is a 327/300. Still had original radiator clamps on hoses. I still have them.

[David D.]

Re: Expansion cuts on mid-year aluminum radiators

Tom, I guess I should have been clearer, I meant on the top right ONLY, near the expansion tube. Dave

[Wayne C.]

Re: 63 top cut, 72L radiator

Forgot to mention in my prior post that the top cut on the 63 radiator is 3 inches inboard from the centerline of the overflow tube.

My 72L radiator 3155316 also has the bottom cut in the center; the top cut is 3 and 1/4 inches inboard from the centerline of the overfolw tube.

[Duke W.]

Re: Ditto 63B addendum

Bottom cut is in the center. Top cut is 2 5/8" to the left of the centerline of the vapor vent tube.

Duke

[Loren L.]

Re: Documentaton on the subject

You are correct - the 1961 blueprint does show "Saw cuts added" on 4-21-61 BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY WERE NOT BEING USED. IT MIGHT MEAN SIMPLY THAT THE DRAWING WAS BEING MODIFIED TO REFLECT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. If you return to my earlier post, I told you that I have a 60B top tank radiator with a sawcut 1 1/2
inches to the driver's side of center.
It's a repeat of my argument with Dale about whether the radiators were painted - the notation that something was added to the drawings about paint DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT HARRISON WAS NOT PAINTING THE RADIATORS - IT MAY BE A CORRECTION TO THE BLUEPRINT. EVERY picture of my car at Sebring and Le Mans with the hood open shows an UNPAINTED TOP TANK AND A PAINTED RADIATOR.

[Robert W.]

Re: Expansion cuts on mid-year aluminum radiators

Tom - Hate I got you excited and you are correct. On your reproduction the lower is about 3" from left edge and top is 3" from right edge. 68 is still in the middle on the bottom and 3" from right on top. Idea of expansion being with it fixed in two places with the cut it in the middle it could expand between fixed points and out on ends. Maybe I need to review my thermal expansion theory again.

[Thomas D.]

Expansion

Bob, I'm too old to get excited, I just wanted to make sure everyone here new that there was no question regarding the top plate. I think we're all in agreement it's there on every one of them and it's top right side.
As far as the expansion thing goes, I may have not explained my theory good enough. If you want the saw cut to open up (expand) when the radiator heats up the lower plate needs to be free to move. If you lock the two pin mounts together with the core support you are actually tying both plates together again. It's almost like putting the saw cut in and welding a piece over the cut. When the saw cut is lower left, by the drain, it's outside the two pins and there is freedom for expansion.

[Thomas D.]

Bottom Line

Loren, I think anything was possible. I have a 59K, 3147516, No cuts at all, flat top, with the site hole and plastic plug. According to the drawing, this is impossible! The ribs came first. Well obivously they didn't always. The BOTTOM LINE IS: Unless specific rules are written in the judging manuals on painted or not painted, saw cut (and where) or not saw cut, I feel strongly that judges should not add their "opinion" into the rules. One case does not mean all cases came that way. I'm seeing a strong pattern here that the mid-year radiators where cut in the middle on the bottom and we will probably shift to that method unless new judging manuals have something on the subject. I think the judging manuals are thick enough already and if it's not in the manual judges shouldn't start re-writing them on the show fields. For an example, I have photo's of an original 61' 3150916 with no saw cuts. Now I judge your car with the top tank and tell you your 60B is wrong because they didn't start the saw cut until later. That's how it's being done now and it's wrong.

[Gary B.]

One more data point; 3155316 dated 68F

Tom,

On the 68F dated 3155316 that was installed by a GM dealer in my '66 coupe when the original radiator failed after 2+ years of use has the bottow saw cut at dead center.

Gary Beaupre