Father and son '35 hotrod project

[roddguy1]

Not much progress to show. We've hit a wall so work has slowed down and we're going to miss our deadline..... It's called not enough hours in the day. Track season started so play time is limited. We did start plumbing the radiator but it's just sitting too low for water to flow right, so now we're gonna have to backtrack and mount it higher, which doesn't look as good. It's time to sit back and take a nap....maybe it'll make sense tomorrow.

Is your water problem because you are having a vapour lock/air bubble? If so there is a vacuum pump tool you can use to bring down the atmosphere inside the cooling system. It's a very simple tool that plugs into the rad inlet, and runs off of compressed air. It works similar to a suction feed spray gun, and will pull the atmosphere pressure down to around -26/23 atmospheres. Once this is done you drop a hose from the vacuum pump into your antifreeze mix. Making sure you don't let is suck back any air, turn the tap and let it reverse. This will then fill your cooling system and leave no air traped. I've run into this problem many times on some of the newer cars where the engine is lower than the top of the rad. Toyota Celica and many of the Mercedes Benz cars are very prime examples. This is also a great way to test for leaks. It should be able to hold at -26/23 atmospheres.

 

[junkmagnet]

cool ride, keep on keepin on.

 

[cnchotrods]

Is your water problem because you are having a vapour lock/air bubble? If so there is a vacuum pump tool you can use to bring down the atmosphere inside the cooling system. It's a very simple tool that plugs into the rad inlet, and runs off of compressed air. It works similar to a suction feed spray gun, and will pull the atmosphere pressure down to around -26/23 atmospheres. Once this is done you drop a hose from the vacuum pump into your antifreeze mix. Making sure you don't let is suck back any air, turn the tap and let it reverse. This will then fill your cooling system and leave no air traped. I've run into this problem many times on some of the newer cars where the engine is lower than the top of the rad. Toyota Celica and many of the Mercedes Benz cars are very prime examples. This is also a great way to test for leaks. It should be able to hold at -26/23 atmospheres.

Thanks for the info. I've heard of that thing but don't know much about it. The radiatior I'm using is an open system style tho. Would it have to be a closed system for that to work? I still haven't moved anything yet as I'm still wanting to leave it at that height. I was also told to use some simple petcocks at the highest point but I think that would also take a closed system? I'm just not sure.

 

[cnchotrods]

http://www.fireworks.com/safety/chemistry-fireworks.asp
This page talks about the colors in fireworks, made by burning various chemicals.

I'm think'n if you could flatten together layers of high carbon steel with copper, a dragging skid plate would get blue and white sparks with lots of spurs. If you mix that with stainless steel or titanium, you'd get some longer trailing white sparks. I don't know how you'd get lithium or strontium for the red color.

Who knows... probably any of the above will catch the rear gas tank on fire and get you arrested on a saturday nite. ;-)

Thank you. Not only does it look like it will work, I'm thinking a trip to jail is well worth the cool factor of that. I'll keep a fire extingusher handy, just in case. . . . .

 

[roddguy1]

when you say an yours is an open sysetm do you mean that it doesn't seal with a presure cap? Even if this is the case I still think the vacuum system will work to fill your cooling system. Once it's full you should have no problems. Although I would suggest upgrading to a more modern style sealed rad so your not boiling off any water as you drive. Then you can leave the engine at the present hight and not worry about losing water and having air locks.

 

[psychomike]

bleeders

Why not put some bleeders in the top (highest point) of the metal coolant tubes. I've seen some nice brass thumb screw valves - low profile, not like a petcock - used in similar configurations. I like the radiator where it's at and would even fill the system with the front end up on blocks before I'd change it.

 

[racer135]

YERRR!!!

Hey guys (CnC). Just read through this wonderful story on your ride.

Was just wondering, how were you going to access the battery when it was behind the glovebox? Were you going to put a door in the cowl on the outside of the car, or did you have some other awesome way designed in mind?

Also, hubcaps? What are you planning on using (if anything)?

Just noticed you had suicide doors on it watching the first drive video. Very suitable!

blueflhx

Junior Member

spark information
I found some info about sparks and colors for your earlier question.

http://tinyurl.com/ch7mzb

This from a machinist's handbook talks about spark shapes and mentions
that all ferrous metals (magnetic) will spark. But what about non-ferrous metals ? If they won't spark, maybe you could mix layers of ferrous and non-ferrous metals together to ignite the non-ferrous ?


http://www.fireworks.com/safety/chemistry-fireworks.asp
This page talks about the colors in fireworks, made by burning various chemicals.

I'm think'n if you could flatten together layers of high carbon steel with copper, a dragging skid plate would get blue and white sparks with lots of spurs. If you mix that with stainless steel or titanium, you'd get some longer trailing white sparks. I don't know how you'd get lithium or strontium for the red color.

Who knows... probably any of the above will catch the rear gas tank on fire and get you arrested on a saturday nite. ;-)

Lithium from lithium batteries? The negative (anode) metal is the stuff you're after.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_batteries

 

[cnchotrods]

Hey guys (CnC). Just read through this wonderful story on your ride.

Was just wondering, how were you going to access the battery when it was behind the glovebox? Were you going to put a door in the cowl on the outside of the car, or did you have some other awesome way designed in mind?

Also, hubcaps? What are you planning on using (if anything)?

Just noticed you had suicide doors on it watching the first drive video. Very suitable!



Lithium from lithium batteries? The negative (anode) metal is the stuff you're after.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_batteries

Thanks, We set up the tray to remove out the bottom to gain access in the interior, but after the seats were in, we found room there and it worked out much better to mount the battery behind the seat.
I'm trying to find old original V8 hubcabs. No luck so far. They do re-pop them, but I prefer the original beat up ones. And I'm way behind on the spark info. It's good info but I'm not sure how to apply it yet.

 

[cnchotrods]

when you say an yours is an open sysetm do you mean that it doesn't seal with a presure cap? Even if this is the case I still think the vacuum system will work to fill your cooling system. Once it's full you should have no problems. Although I would suggest upgrading to a more modern style sealed rad so your not boiling off any water as you drive. Then you can leave the engine at the present hight and not worry about losing water and having air locks.

Why not put some bleeders in the top (highest point) of the metal coolant tubes. I've seen some nice brass thumb screw valves - low profile, not like a petcock - used in similar configurations. I like the radiator where it's at and would even fill the system with the front end up on blocks before I'd change it.

The bleeders was the idea when I started plumbing but then I was told that in an "open" system, the radiator cap doesn't seal and continually weeps fluid. If that's the case, then the cap has to be the highest point, period? And I agree, there has to be a better way without spending alot of money that can get this old style radiator to work at this installed height.....

 

[Sam_Fear]

The bleeders was the idea when I started plumbing but then I was told that in an "open" system, the radiator cap doesn't seal and continually weeps fluid. If that's the case, then the cap has to be the highest point, period? And I agree, there has to be a better way without spending alot of money that can get this old style radiator to work at this installed height.....

Just reading all this and from a laws of gravity point of view, in an open system any opening will have to be above the water line while at rest or while being pumped. If your pumping water above the cap height it will leak out.

How much height difference is there? Can you do something to lower the pipes at the motor? You can probably run a sharp 90 degree bend at the motor without flow problems - might not look as pretty as that nice smooth bend, but would drop the pipe several inches.

 

[cnchotrods]

Just reading all this and from a laws of gravity point of view, in an open system any opening will have to be above the water line while at rest or while being pumped. If your pumping water above the cap height it will leak out.

How much height difference is there? Can you do something to lower the pipes at the motor? You can probably run a sharp 90 degree bend at the motor without flow problems - might not look as pretty as that nice smooth bend, but would drop the pipe several inches.

Yeah, I agree, even with a helper pump it's gonna leak out. I'm thinking that if I just tweek everything just a little bit. Raise the radiator and 1" - 1 1/2" lower the tube on the head another 1 1/2" etc, maybe? I'm almost 4" low and I know the radiator can't go up that much. I just need a good weekend to tweek it.

 

[Sam_Fear]

2 more ideas...

Raise the cap on the radiator.

or

Seal the radiator cap and install a cap on the high point of one of the tubes. I would assume the rad to motor would be your best bet. Also with an open system, this may still leak since the water is being forced through the pipe.

How high is that tube above the head?

 

[cnchotrods]

That's what I was looking for!!!! Great Idea. It's about 4 1/2 inches too high. So, tweek the tubes a little, leave the radiator height alone, then raise the cap just a couple inches with some kind of extension. Maybe some bleed off ports to boot on the tubes, just in case. Perfect. Thankya thankya Sam_Fear

 

[Sam_Fear]

Don't thank me until it works!

 

[ratterman]

Just wondering if there had been any progress on this very cool build?

 

[grouchy]

Man, you guys do great work! Any updates? Thankx...

 

[pushrod249]

rad problems

why not exstend the exsisting filler neck to make the exsisting cap the highest point in the system? you could braze it in.

 

[51ChevyPU]

Your build is awesome! I can't wait to see it finished.

 

[cnchotrods]

why not exstend the exsisting filler neck to make the exsisting cap the highest point in the system? you could braze it in.

Thanks for the advice. That's our plan now.

 

[cnchotrods]

Just wondering if there had been any progress on this very cool build?

finally got something done on it. It's header time......