VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1932 Radiator overflowing - big mess

I inherited a 1932 Confederate Deluxe 2 door sedan back in May and am absolutely honored to be driving it. It is so much fun, and I really look forward to having it in the family for many years to come. I am still learning about the car’s systems and the car’s personality. The other weekend the car decided to develop a problem and I am hoping someone might have some ideas about possible causes…

Driving down the road at about 40 mph my radiator decided to violently spit up all over my 32. It started with a little bubbling over the top of the radiator and then developed into the spray onto everywhere before I could pull over safely. I have driven it many times without an issue, but this day it developed a real attitude problem.

The car did not seem like it was overheating, in fact, when I pulled over, the eagle radiator cap was a little warm, but not so hot you couldn’t touch it. The eagle cap does not have a cork or rubber gasket, but a fellow 32 owner with the same cap told me that it doesn’t need one. The cap is not broken and seems to hold fine. The radiator was not steaming, and the temperature gauge (if working correctly) seemed to indicate that it was in the normal range. I do understand that the color of the fluid indicates that the radiator badly needs a backflushing (a lovely shade of rust orange). The fluid was not low at the time, but it also was not overfilled (I had checked before leaving my house).

When the car is off, should the water temp gauge needle be all the way to the left? Mine seems to rest around the line between cold and normal.

I have not had the “pleasure” of pulling engine parts off, so I am curious if the 32’s were equipped with thermostats, or if that was an option (and what would that look like)? If mine is equipped with one, could a worn out thermostat possibly cause this? A blockage of some sort either in the hoses or the radiator?

I ended up waiting 4 hours for a tow truck to come pick the car up and bring it home. The car was still drivable, but I didn’t need to take a risk of doing any damage to the engine (more than the radiator issue) and adding insult to injury.

If anyone had any ideas on what could have caused this, or if you have experienced this yourself, I would greatly appreciate any help. I figure I will try to start with the simple stuff before getting into the radiator removal level (which I hear can be a real pain).

Thanks,
Brian

PS. I'm fairly new to posting in the forum... is there a way to post a picture here?

sorry to hear, based on the info you provided, i wonder IF the radiator is clogged or backing up ? also when you fill it 50/50 water/green stuff liquid should just cover the core.

if you are driving and the water is pumping up to the top of the radiator and can not FLOW fast enough to the bottom maybe it is building up pressure and blowing out past the cap. You could try and top it off, and run it with the cap off and watch for flow and movement. also if you have a laser thermo watch the temp across the radiator. my radiator runs approx 160 at the top to 140 at the bottom when at operating temp.

Hello Brian, welcome to Vcca Chat, The 1932 model is a very popular model, and a great looking car,

It may take a while to work out the exact cause, but air in the cooling system may be the problem,

A common cause is the original Water pumps had adjustable shaft seals, and if not correctly sealing will suck air into
the coolant.

There is a new replacement water pump available from the www.fillingstation.com which has modern seals to eliminate the air sucking in at the water pump,

You may want to consider a water pump as a first step, as a new replacement radiator is quite expensive.

If you are a VCCA member then you can post phots, need to update profile with VCCA info then someone will grant you rights to do so

MEMBER VS NON MEMBER FEATURES

How to post a Photo

Welcome to the forum! One possibility is that the radiator was filled too full. As the coolant heats up it expands and if there is no room it is pushed out. I just fill up the rad so the core is covered when I look down in the cap opening. If that is not it report back.

Dave

A thermostat was used in 1932 models if the car was fitted with a heater,

Hello disney1928,
Rust orange color is not all that desirable, remove the thermostat and flush both engine and radiator. Inspect water pump belt for tightness. Coolant flows from bottom of radiator thru water pump into engine and stops at thermostat till it opens and then back to the top of the radiator. The heated coolant expands and the greater volume is possible to over fill the radiator, especially if the coolant level is full and without a working radiator pressure cap. Pressure allows a higher temperature of coolant before boiling over. The rubber overflow tube at opening where the pressure cap is, directs over pressure coolant to vent overboard and safely downward toward the ground. Might want to check the thermostats operation. If radiator flush shows a reduced/blocked flow, (water should drain out the bottom hose as fast as the water coming in at the fill neck), then the heated coolant finds an alternative path (overflow). Air bubbles in coolant when engine is running means air is coming from a possible blown head gasket (heated air from a cylinder). Or, as stated, a leak past the water pump shaft seals pulling air into the system.

Hi All,

Thank you for your comments so far.

BearsFan351, Thank you. I was thinking that there is a possibility that the radiator may be clogged. I will definitely try running it with the cap off to see what it does. ...and thanks for the photo info, I have reached out to a moderator to get access, as I am a VCCA member, as well as a member of a local VCCA club here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jack39rdstr, Thank you, I really do like the look of the car, and it is definitely a head turner with all of the chrome and style. I will check out the water pump from the Filling Station. I did notice the price of a new radiator, ugh. I think that there is a possibility that the car originally had a heater. My father-in-law had an old heater in his pile of parts (needs restoration to be useable). If I remember correctly, I think he said it was installed when he first started working on the car. I will have to check the car closer to see if the thermostat is there.

Dave39MD, Thanks for the welcome. I did double check that the water level was not too high, as it did overflow one time when I did that (newbie mistake). This time around I did try to make sure it was just to the point I could see it.

Harrys31coach, Thanks for the breakdown, it does help. Agreed, the orange in there is way too orange right now. Fortunately, the fan belt is still in tact, but I will definitely check to see that it is tight and spinning properly. Fortunately we did not smell any burning rubber, so I want to believe that it is not failing (fingers crossed). I need to check and see if my father-in-law kept the overflow hose in place (one of the parts that is an out of sight out of mind thing).

When flushing the radiator, is there a recommended product to use? Am I better off taking it to a radiator shop and having a professional level flush done or is that a big risk? I know another 32 owner that had issues with the seam of the upper neck to his radiator cracking during a repair, so I am not excited about the possibility of having to take it out.

I know this next question might be a bit polarizing but... IF, IF IF I was to have to replace the core, how bad would it be to change to a v core instead of the honeycomb. I don't expect that this car will ever be concourse level and I don't need to win awards. I do want in general to keep the car original as realistically possible (not counting safety upgrades like the tail lights) What I do want/hope for is to drive the car and absolutely enjoy it to its fullest while ensuring it performs properly. I am just curious, that if I am put in a position of having to replace the core due to its condition, is the v core better at cooling, and how noticeable would it really be behind the chrome grill? Don't get me wrong, I am not leaning one way or the other, as I don't have enough information to make that decision yet.

If/when the moderator clears me to post a picture, I will. It was a real bummer to see it looking so bad, At the time, we were on our way to our Chevy club annual picnic and unfortunately never made it.

Give this a look, it seems to be a good product. https://forums.aaca.org/search/?q=evaporust&quick=1

Of course an engine full of rust debris and a poor radiator will have to be fixed. There are many thing that can cause overheating-timing , lower hose collapsing, stat, water pump, air leaks, head gasket, you get the idea. Best to do the easy, inexpensive items first in a process of elimination.

I did not go with a honeycomb due to the cost, I am not sure if one cools better than the other but I am happy. I doubt I would lose many points at a show.

Dave

Great, thanks for the link to the flushing product, I will definitely check it out.

Yes, considering how rusty the water is, I am not looking forward to opening some of those systems up to see how bad it might be, but I know it is important and needs to be done. I am really hoping and crossing my fingers that as I work through the "easy" stuff that I can fix the problem at that level. I am glad to hear that you are having good luck with your radiator. I did notice the price difference on the honeycomb and it is enough to make you stop and do your research before spending the money.

Brian

i have done evaporust on my 1930 !! works best when heat cycled. i put it in vs coolant and ran it for a few months. it really cleans out the insides, but need a filter ( i used gano) as you do NOT want the particles in the radiator !!

also many people have had their radiator recored and went with tradition style. a lot cheaper, readily available. need an old school shop, as these are NOT PRESSURE radiators or systems. had mine flow tested at local radiator shop before install.

disney1928, I recently got a new radiator core for my '27 one ton truck.

The honeycomb cores are only made in the UK now and start at $3000 plus shipping!

I went with a regular copper three row core and, using my original tanks, the total came to $780. B&M Radiator in Fremont CA did the work. I'm very happy with the service and the price.

Cheers, Dean

Hey BearsFan351, where in the system did you install the filter when using the evaporust treatment? Yes, I am leaning towards a non-honeycomb style. From what I am reading, they are better at cooling and they cost a lot less.

Hi Rustoholic, Holy crap, I knew they were more expensive but didn't realize they were that bad... wow! Thank you for the lead on a good shop here in the bay area. Did they supply the core as part of the $780, or did they just do the swap of the tanks? If I have to go the replacement route, I will have to look into how much space I have and if I should do a 3 row or 2 row. I have heard that even the two row new radiators are much better than the originals.

I would go with the most rows that will fit. You will thank yourself when you are in the Memorial Day parade behind the clown float.

Dave

I put it in the return line to the radiator out of the head. see attached pictures. also serves another purpose to see and watch coolant flow. can see if there is air in the coolant as well. how i found out my head was warped ! pumping air bubbles. 1929 Pumping Air Bubbles

i agree with Dave, if you have it recored, have then fill the allotted space, do not go outside the design parameters. and you want a good old school shop experienced in building and making radiators / heat exchangers. we have an old school/new tech shop here that has been doing these since 1947.

I like the ability to see the flow with that filter. Where did you purchase it, and is there a specific size/model number I should look for? I will definitely keep it in mind to appropriately fill the space, and fortunately Rustaholic gave me the name of a shop in my area. I know it will be important to go to one that knows what they are doing.

Here's the link to the see-thru filter https://ganofilters.com/

I installed one in my '32.

That is the place, and actually that is part of Restoration Supply Company.

in there catalog: Rest Supply Co pg15

Part number i got was GAN014
that is the clear option for 1 1/8 to 1 3/8

they come in clear, aluminum or brass
and three sizes

they also make one for heater core lines in 5/8 or 3/4

here is the detail sheet i got with mine when i got it

On my 32 Deluxe Sedan there is a metal tube in the very top of the radiator tank that is connected to the return inlet of the top tank. This tube directs the flow of water past the radiator cap and towards the front of the radiator. If you remove the radiator cap you can look down and see the tube. On my car the top of the tube was corroded away so I had water blowing out the top when the engine was at high RPM. I sent the radiator to a shop in Hayward, Ca and had them solder a new tube in place and replace the core. I have not had any problems since.

Thank you for the link, I will check it out.

Thank you for the links and part info. I think I will order one before I start my radiator exploration/repair efforts.

I was talking to my friends at our local VCCA chapter meeting last night and we are going to schedule a time where a bunch of the club members can come over and figure out the exact cause. It has been great talking to people here on this forum as the information gained will help target our efforts, and I now know about some good products to help with the diagnosis and treatment.

Thank you Everyone!

Hi BeachVette, I think I remember seeing a tube in the radiator also, but I didn't look at it close enough, so I will have to look and see if it is clogged. Thank you for the reminder. It sounds like there are a few good radiator shops in the surrounding area that can help out.

Great to hear there are more 32's in CA... we have three in our Greater South Bay VCCA club (two sedans and one coupe). http://www.gsbvcca.com/main.htm

disney, The tube on the top of my radiator was corroded away on the bottom side and front where you could not see it. The way I found out was I had the car in the garage with the engine running and I was watching the water flow with the radiator cap off and I could see the water coming out the front top part of the tube. As I increased the rpm the coolant would get agitated and start to splash out the top. The purpose of the metal tube is to deflect the coolant down and forward as re enters the top of the radiator tank. We soldered in a new tube having just a slot in the very bottom.