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OT 71 Cougar 351C Radiator Inflating

A

Aaron Ford

Well-known Member
If possible, I would like to ask the forum's opinion on a radiator problem. The downstream side of my radiator is swelling. This is the end of the radiator that supplies water to the suction side of the water pump. Thermostat is recent (180), cap was older (now replaced). This weekend I will be replacing the radiator as a precaution prior to leaving on the Hot Rod Power Tour. Has anyone ever seen this? Am I on the right track?

Thanks,

Aaron

PS Had to move the Massey 65 yesterday to get the camper out of its winter parking spot. The G176 fired on the first turn of the key even though it hasn't run since last winter.
 
Fill the radiator completely full. Let the engine idle for quite awhile. Are there bubbles present. If the radiator is completely full and bubbles, you have serious problems with combustion gasses in the cooling system, i.e. head gasket failed, cracked head or block, etc.
 
The radiator (OEM) would be copper with top to bottom flow. The only reason the Tank would expand would be freezing (opinion) normal over pressure from a stuck cap gasket or? would not cause the brass to swell. There are some options, I agree to replace it.
JEGS
 
As Mac replied, are you SURE you've got the proper thermostat? A lot of auto part stores will sell you a thermostat for the 351 Cleveland, but it's technically not the right one.
Does the same thing happen without a thermostat? (Just don't take the thermostat out permanently)
I also have a '71 Cougar with the 351 Cleveland and I've never experienced the symptom that you described.
 
I've never seen a brass tank radiator swell...

Seen one driven so hot it blew the top neck out, destroyed the engine, but don't remember seeing any swelling.

Is it overheating? Blowing out the pressure cap?

If it is, the swelling is only a symptom of a worse problem.
 
Confession time, the bypass has been blocked by the soldered ?penny? method. I drilled a hole in the penny to allow air to escape. I also drilled the thermostat (non Cleveland) for the same reason. The car has run this way for two years with no ill effects, until possibly now... I am not sure if this is making a sticking cap situation worse or is the over pressure more than the cap can handle due to the modification? The car ran all ?17 and 18 with no problems short of being slow to warm up. This problem appeared in late April. I can return to the Cleveland style thermo if necessary. I used the $77 to offset the price if the hardened pushrods. I am afraid you and Mac are on the right course...

Aaron
 
With the radiator full, take cap off and rev up eng, if it pushes out water , compression leak to cooling sys, head gasker ,cracked head or split cyl. wall
 
Under most conditions, the pressure should be almost constant throughout the cooling system. In order for the bottom tank to swell from pressure, I'd expect seriously ballooned hoses. Frankly, the hoses would have to be in very good conditions not to blow before the radiator tanks expanded. I agree with JAN that freezing is a possible explanation, although you would expect much more damage if that happened.
 
(quoted from post at 09:20:50 05/31/19) Under most conditions, the pressure should be almost constant throughout the cooling system. In order for the bottom tank to swell from pressure, I'd expect seriously ballooned hoses. Frankly, the hoses would have to be in very good conditions not to blow before the radiator tanks expanded. I agree with JAN that freezing is a possible explanation, although you would expect much more damage if that happened.
Click to expand...
or all the "never seen & shouldn't swell tank' folks, my new radiator with the wrong pressure cap, swell was so much as to open the tank to core solder seam on first run. :cry: :oops: :(
 
Stored indoors. Heated garage. 50/50 coolant. Don?t suspect freezing as it has happened since getting it out this spring but maybe? Til I know, I?m not throwing out any possibilities.

Aaron
 
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