Anybody else use a coolant filter to keep the nasties out of the radiator core? I've had a lot of trouble with rust flakes from my engine that sat for 37 yrs full of rust flakes. I've chipped, done the wiggle wire reaming, has been sand blasted where it was visible, sat for weeks with evaporust, and pressure washed recently. I knew some would eventually pop loose and find their way to the radiator core because there always seems to be one that shows up. I've recently done some major engine work on a stand turning it over several times and when I took the adapter off the side there it was, a flake the size of a dime waiting to be brushed out. So I decided to try a gano filter in the upper radiator hose to catch them. Problem was the screen was beginning to tear in the middle. I don't know why it was doing that, no large flakes were trapped or passing through. I soldered the brass screen at the middle so it wouldn't tear anymore until I could get my stainless parts made. All of that volume of coolant flow might have been too much, I don't know. So I made my own screen, only I made it using stainless wire mesh. It's in 2 separate pieces in the upper radiator hose. It's less restrictive and much stronger, but there's always room for improvement so I'm going to try a different size mesh. Currently both are #8 mesh, the next size finer mesh will be #10 stainless. I bought both the screen and 2" stainless tube from amazon. I recently had it out to fix a leaking gasket at the inlet connection and there was no sign of failure or abrasion. I think it might last a lifetime.
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With that much restriction, "maybe" you wouldn't even need a THERMOSTAT????? What happens when you poke one on a REALLY nasty rusty system & it shortly PLUGS UP?????
Dad Skeptical -
Bill, the first picture shows the how they take about the same amount of space in the upper radiator hose, second picture shows mine with a larger opening that will let rust flakes through to get trapped before they can go through the final screen, third pic is to show the difference in mesh and you might be able to see that the mesh on mine isn't compressed to nearly close off the flow on the sides, fourth pic shows what I used to shape the screen to a conical shape - there is a 1/2" short extension in the smaller socket backwards, last pic shows more of the screen from a side view to show how it is less restrictive - the screen in the bottom has not had the hole cut in it yet to let flakes through to get trapped. Don't get me wrong, the gano is a good idea it just didn't hold up to the volume of my pump. I don't think restriction is a problem with what I have in there now. No overheat problems now. Where I live not really cold enough the engine won't warm up.Comment
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Here's what I found last night when I took the screens out. Trapped between the screens. The 1/4" nut 7/16" wrench size is for comparison, it wasn't in there. Never ending...Comment
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FWIW:
A. For $9.99 on ebay one can buy (10) stainless steel screen lint traps, e.g., Duratest Lint Traps Stainless Steel Mesh Washing Machine.
B. Next find a radiator hose that will fit snugly inside a Model A upper radiator hose "with" one layer of this SS lint trap wrapped around the outer surface of this smaller radiator hose.
C. Insert this lint trap "inside" this smaller radiator hose, (with the closed bottom end of the lint trap facing forward and upwards, towards the radiator), and with the open end of this lint trap facing towards the engine block and extending as such about 2".
D. Wrap the open end of the lint trap 180 degrees around the outer surface of the smaller hose where one can see about 2" of this lint trap on the out-side of the smaller hose.
E. Insert smaller hose with screen lint trap into the upper radiator end of the Model A upper hose with bottom closed end of lint trap facing the radiator.
F. Mine worked well for the past (10) years trapping metal rust flakes.
G. Also, FWIW, 50/50 Prestone Anti-Freeze for the past 50 years in my Model A engine blocks worked flawlessly to prevent more harmful rust.Comment
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