Aluminum radiator storage

[Rex Turner (8089)]

Waht is the "proper" way to store and original midyear aluminum radiator for an extended period of time (about a year, during restoration)? Thanks in advance for your help. Rex NCRS #8089

[Mike Ernst (211)]

Re: Aluminum radiator storage

Store flat, with 50/50 mix, purge the air, and put caps on the openings. They tend to rot out if stored dry, although I recently got a 62 running that had been stored with the radiator out and dry since 1976, and the radiator holds water and cools well. That one must have been a mistake by Harrison.

[Duke Williams (22045)]

Re: Aluminum radiator storage

I suggest that you thoroughly rise it out, then dry it. Let is sit upside down in the sun for a couple of days to be sure it is dry.

Before you get ready to install it have it pressure tested. An original radiator is probably living on borrowed time. One failure mode is pin hole leaks due to both internal and external corrosion of the tubes.

Duke

[mike mccagh]

Re: Aluminum radiator storage

duke: here in the midatlantic states where antifreeze is a must(50/50 as the good rev suggests), i've had harrisons installed in 61 that were still pinhole free 40 years later. if they've never been used and hence never been exposed to water and or antifreeze, then dry storage is probably the way to go. if they've been used, i'd go with mike's suggestion. regards, mike

[Reba Whittington]

Re: Aluminum radiator storage

I think that you will find that any radiator that has been used, copper or aluminum, will fare better in storage if stored wet. If you let a radiator dry out the pinholes that were sealed by corrosion, rust, etc can start leaking when coolant in reintroduced.

[Tracy Crisler (40411)]

2 quarts of Bars leak will seal any radiator *NM*

[Patrick Hulst (16386)]

Good to see you here, Reba! *NM*