Another radaitor for me, what about a radiator filter?

LaGrasta

LaGrasta

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After dealing with an overheat problem for far too long, I reluctantly pulled my aluminum radiator determining it MUST be clogged. Turns out no one will core aluminum. With that said, I just bought another for $166 shipped. It arrived and seems like a quality unit, beautiful welds anyway. My concern now is clogging it again. I want to install a radiator filter, not a common item as I find out. Other than an expensive Gano unit and one other from Australia.
My idea is just to fab one up with parts form the hardware store. Anyone else do this? Ideas or pics?
 
Wow! Sorry to hear that. It sure was an expensive venture :? Can't even begin to think how to put a filter together for that. If it was straight water you could put a paper element type in there until you are safe from debris but I dont know what anti-frozen would do to it.

Ron
 
Do some checking at your friendly Peterbuilt or Kenworth Dealer. Most large trucks use coolant filters with additives to prevent your problems. Might also check Caterpillar Dealer.

Fred
 
I was having the same problem, constant clogging. And what helped me the most was to disconnect the hoses for the heater core and flush the crap out of it. You might also put a strong magnet at the bottom tank near the hose for a while and then flush the radiator. That would pick up any metal debris and hold it there so you can flush it out. :thumbup:
 
Eric....aluminum ;) Unless you are suggesting to tape a magnet to the inlet hose then I'll just crawl back into my corner.... :)

Ron
 
It would have to be one heck of a magnet to work through the rubber hose. As for th Gano, it's seems perfect but far too much money. I think I'll hit Ace hardware to see what I can rig up from the plumbing section.
 
Have you cleaned the whole system? Crap has to come from somewhere. Until you cure the source, everything else is a temp fix. But, just my opinion.
 
I'm brand new to the six cylinder cult so I have a lot to learn, but I've worked on hot rods and such for 40 years. Coolant filters and problems with contamination have never been a big issue to me, but I keep running across it in these forums. I'm wondering if this is a problem peculiar to these engines, or have I just been lucky. I don't really recall reading much discussion about it until I got bit by the six-bug.

I always considered fresh clean coolant with antifreeze with rust inhibitor to be all the protection you normally need. Now I'm having second thoughts about my 200 project and any extra precautions I should take. Any further info would be helpful to a lot of us.

-Stu
 
stu in wichita":1v2usub2 said:
.. I'm wondering if this is a problem peculiar to these engines, or have I just been lucky.....
Click to expand...

Inline sixes are, well, longer than most other engines. There are plenty of places for corrosion to hide, plus the fact that these engines were typically used in the "grocery getter" type vehicles that tended to be driven by your Aunt Tillie and you end up with engines that never got warmed up and didn't get the coolant circulated as energetically as the "other" engines. And since they were generally driven more conservatively no on ever thought that the coolant needed changed. Result: corrosion.

You really need to pop the 'freeze plugs' out and get in there with a scraper to dig the garbage out of as many places as you can reach. THEN take it in to be hot tanked or whatever. Then and only then will you be assured of having a clean cooling system.

If you think these Ford engines are bad try a 1950's vintage International......
Joe
 
LaGrasta":igm9b2q5 said:
Very interesting. I wonder if the filter differs from a normal oil filter?
Click to expand...
Built just like a spin-on oil filter, but I'll bet a different type of media inside.

I don't know the exact differences, but I know that some fuel filter cartridges will pass water and others won't, so it pays to look on the box at the farm-n-ranch store (don't ask how I know, it's too long a story).
 
There used to be what was basically a sock that you could get. You put it in the top inlet on the radiator, folded it back over the spout then fitted the hose. Not sure exactly what material it was but it collected all kinds of crud.
 
You could probably come up with something simple made of a brass mesh sock soldered into a copper tube. Splice or insert that into the top hose.
 
MustangSix":28bl0rhx said:
You could probably come up with something simple made of a brass mesh sock soldered into a copper tube. Splice or insert that into the top hose.
Click to expand...


I'm already ahead of you. I'll post details later, but it seems $4 should get this put together.
 
Just to play devils advocate...why not fix the source of the clog? If you've flushed the block a few times and didn't get anything out, odds are your heater core is junk. Either bypass it or replace it.

Problem with putting a screen in the line is that you run the potential of it clogging flow completely...leading to a quick overheat of the engine.

But then again, that's just me...I hate hiding one problem with another.

Also, when you installed your nice Aluminum radiator on yournice steel car frame...do they come with any kind of isolation mounts? Otherwise, you may end up with bimetallic corrosion in the radiator (steel and Aluminum don't play nicely together).
 
redxm":194sz30y said:
There used to be what was basically a sock that you could get. You put it in the top inlet on the radiator, folded it back over the spout then fitted the hose. Not sure exactly what material it was but it collected all kinds of crud.
Click to expand...
Pantyhose. :nod:
 
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