Since your
radiator has the original date stamp on the upper tank that tells me that the
radiator tanks are original to the car and you should have the
radiator repaired. Early 55
radiators had a tag, this changed later in the 55 model year to a stamping in the top tank. The 56 and 57
radiators were also stamped.
I own an early 55 Thunderbird and I removed the
radiator because I had been noticing a very slight leak. My intention was to replace the
radiator with a heavy duty or high efficiency one until I saw the tag on the upper tank and then I decided to have the
radiator repaired.
The letters/number indicated manufacturer, engineering number and date manufactured.
The
radiator tag shows the engineering number AH-8005-B; the manufacturer (MC) McCord
Radiator Company; L54 is the date code; L is the 12th month of 1954. Since my Thunderbird was manufactured on December 20, 1954, it appears that I have the
original radiator tanks.
As many of you know, when it comes to the 55/56/57 Thunderbirds under certain driving conditions (parades & city driving) and excessive ambient temperature, the Thunderbirds were prone to run toward the hot side of normal. The primary reason for higher than normal operating temperature under these conditions was due to the design of the engine compartment. The small tight engine compartment did not allow for free air flow to carry out the hot air transferred from the
radiator. Also, there is a basic design flaw in the water pump system. The T-Bird engines were the same engines used in thousands of Ford passenger cars and trucks, but the passenger cars and trucks did not have the same tendency to overheat.
The water pump for the Thunderbirds was the same as used on passenger cars and trucks. The timing cover for both the passenger car and Thunderbird were similar in design, both were built to accommodate the same water pump. The cavity for the water pump impeller was approximately 5/8" deep. The water pump impeller was approximately ½" thick. This combination worked fine in the passenger cars and trucks. When the same engine was used in a Thunderbird it was necessary to install a 1 1/8" spacer between the water pump and mounting cavity to accommodate belt alignments. When this spacer was installed the water pump impeller did not fill the extra one inch gap created by the water pump spacer. The results were a lesser volume of coolant being pumped through the engine. This lesser volume of coolant coupled with infrequent
radiator flushes and coolant changes created an accumulation of solid
rust around the rear cylinders of the block.
The above conditions cause overheating especially during city driving or parades. This problem can be overcome by installing a high volume water pump with an extended impeller. The extended impeller was developed by CASCO.
I also recommend that you replace the thermostat with one that has a larger opening. There are at least two different size thermostats currently available for Thunderbirds. The one with a small opening is available in 160 and 180 degree and has an opening of .887 square inches. The other thermostat which is available in 170 degree has an opening 1.724 square inches.
doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue
