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While the radiator is off...

dozer1

Member
833
13
18
Location
Sargeant, Minnesota
I pulled my radiator as well today on my deuce. The soldering that holds the shroud to the tank was broke loose so
its going in tomorrow for repair and pressure check. My question is this. There is a big rubber molding-seal that runs up
and down on both sides of the radiator that basically directs the air through it instead of around it. Where do i get these
seals from?
 

Garandfan

Member
278
3
18
Location
Northfield, Ohio
Best way to install the lower hose is to do while the radiator is off. You can get your hand up in there to ensure it's on the block all the way. Then put the radiator back in but let the two bottom studs rest on the plate, don't put them in the holes yet. The put on the other end to radiator and tighten down the clamp. Then put the studs back in the holes.
 

JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
Did you get it back together yet?
No, we had family come stay with us over the weekend and, for some reason, they didn't want to spend time working on it. Some people have weird priorities. But being their host I had to go along with their wishes...
 

Heavysteven

New member
2,090
10
0
Location
Hickory Flat Ga
Well, found a radiator in Georgia finially. So once I get it back from the shop I'll be going down the same road. Plan to replace all hoses, belts, and thermostat.

Looking forward to hearing more once complete
 

DieselBob

Active member
2,891
15
38
Location
Arnold Maryland
No, we had family come stay with us over the weekend and, for some reason, they didn't want to spend time working on it. Some people have weird priorities. But being their host I had to go along with their wishes...
There is just no accounting for some people. I actually enjoy working on things when I go somewhere. I guess it is just the mechanic in me.
 

JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
Just as update: I decided to have a radiator shop test the radiator while it's out. They'll hopefully get it back to me tomorrow. Hope to be all put back together this weekend.

Edit: Gimpy, your PM box is full. If you need your compressor wrench back sooner than early next week, LMK!!!
 
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JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
Just heard back from the radiator shop: pressure tested and flow tested fine. I can pick it up tomorrow. Hopefully will put everything back together saturday morning. I'll do my initial test drive with just distilled water and some PEAK coolant system cleaner, then drain again and fill with distilled water / antifreeze if everything goes well.

Fingers crossed...

BTW to get the new seal in the T-stat housing I took a dremel and beveled the edge of the housing a little bit. Didn't widen it at all--just took the sharp lip off the upper edge. Went in with several taps with a ballbat handle.
 

swbradley1

Modertator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
14,258
1,759
113
Location
Dayton, OH
BTW to get the new seal in the T-stat housing I took a dremel and beveled the edge of the housing a little bit. Didn't widen it at all--just took the sharp lip off the upper edge. Went in with several taps with a ballbat handle.

I just used socket and dead blow hammer. No beveling needed, it was a big hammer.

;-)

sw
 

JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
Okay so here's the update: Got all the belts on this morning. When I was putting the compressor belt back on I noticed: the locking bolts go in from alternate sides I would swear that originally they were inserted from the same side. Maybe that's why it was loose.

I got the lower radiator hose on, then set the radiator in place. The new hose is not nearly as nice a fit as the original. It is a little twisted. It's not badly kinked, I think water will flow through it OK. But it's not near as good a fit as before.

Now, the real problem: the radiator is sitting about 3/4" higher than before. When I lean it in to put it in that top bracket, it's sitting way too high.

The springs on the studs below are very compressed. I don't want to say they're ALL the way down, but I think they're as tight as they were before. Initially I saw that I had the washers on the wrong side of the bracket and that was holding it up a little higher, but now I've moved them under the bracket where they go and it's still too high. Any ideas on this? I guess just torque the crap out of those radiator bolts to pull it down but I'm worried that I won't be able to tip it out to install the fan with the springs compressed all the way down. I guess those springs could have stretched a little while they were sitting out? I dunno...
 

dozer1

Member
833
13
18
Location
Sargeant, Minnesota
Did you happen to sandwich those 2 springs between the deuce frame and the radiator? If so, they go on the bottom of the deuce frame. Just a couple of little rubber isolators are sandwiched in there. Just a wild guess, it would account for the approx 3/4" extra hieght, and the kinking new lower hose.
 

JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
Crap, yeah, that's what I did. I really thought those springs went on top of the frame. Duh. Sorry / thanks.

Edit: yeah, of course that fixed it. Man, even a casual glance at the manual from across the room would have answered that one. Sorry, guys.
 
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JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
Protip: that extra 3/4" clearance makes removal / replacement of the fan about 300x easier. :doh:

Everything is back together, just waiting on the batteries to charge.
 

dozer1

Member
833
13
18
Location
Sargeant, Minnesota
Well JCKnife as you can see on page 5 of your thread , I pulled my radiator a few days ago too so it was all fresh in the mind. We all make mistakes and that was not a biggy so glad to hear it took care of the problem. I was just out doing an oil change in my deuce for the first time. Couldnt get the dip stick to screw down much. Just barely catch a thread. I pulled out the dipstick tube to find out the young trainee that installed it put it in upside down. pipe threads up and straight threads in the block. Kind of explained the oil leaking around the bottom of it too. Flipped it around and a little teflon tape on the pipe threads and was good to go. I hope that same young fella didnt put crank bearings in my deuce as well.
 

jeffhuey1n

SMSgt, USAF (Ret.)
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,890
1,480
113
Location
Laramie County, Wyoming
Just found this thread. Might be too late but I found that a bad cap that leaks will cause over heating all by it's self. More than once I had overheating, checked all the easy parts, belt, fan, leaks, etc only to find out the cap was shot.

Completely useless piece of information: the Corvair doesn't have a radiator cap. It uses fiber / rubber seals.:tin hat:
 

JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
Cool, hopefully that'll turn out to be all my problem was, and the new thermostat and belts are just gravy. :-D

Edit: now it seems like the batteries aren't taking a charge. Oy, it's always something!!
 
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JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
Here's today's update: I've been charging using a 12-v charger hooked to one battery at a time but without unhooking the batteries at all. The charger now thinks both batteries are full. Most of the time I've been on 2 amp trickle charge but for a few seconds this morning I tried the 10-amp charge. When I do that, one battery shows charged and the other one takes a nose-dive on the needle.

Batteries are Interstate U6TL's with "Nov 2007" written on top in red marker.

Anyway when I flip on the accessory switch, it's barely enough juice to make the buzzer buzz. And the starter? Forget it.

I'm going to take them down to Autozone for testing.

Good news is when I unhooked them I was able to see that my solargizer DOES work. I hooked my multimeter up and set it at 50-V DC and that needle jumped right up when I touched it to the cables. Even fluctuated when clouds passed over. Cool to see. I assume it's important that I keep these cables from touching each other or common metal.
 
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