Quote:
Originally Posted by Falconstein  I have a 63 hardtop and I learn something everyday. I thought about cutting out the radiator support and making the opening bigger and then talked myself out of it. Now after reading this post I am going to do the cut. I have found the radiator I want and its to big for the factory opening but not any more. There is plenty of room to customize and make everything work. Thanks for the post. |
That's why I post the info, far too much "reinventing the wheel" on bulletin boards
like this, not enough progress through learning what others have already discovered.
Am I supposed to say "Grasshopper" here? Most of this board was too young to remember the TV show that line came from, sigh!
While it did appear that Ford's engineers did call out for the "Z" bends on either side of the rad opening in order to develop some additional stiffness there is also the possibility that the bend was meant to provide a more solid mount for the rad which is flange mounted on the Falcon.
Note: IMHO Most of the radiator core support across the front of the early Falcon develps its strength from the channel formed in the top of the panel and the fact it is spot weld to the angled front inner splash panels.THIS PANEL IS STRESSED and does handle some of the side loading from the front suspension
Ford OZ went to crossflow rads with the XA series (circa 1972), or was it the XW series (1966 US Falcon style body built circa 1970-1971) for better cooling so why shouldn't you?
I do notice that the FOX chassis Mustang/Fiarmonts have the rad clamped in place ("floats"), not bolted in place. Duplicating that mount would further reduce stress on the rad itself.
And don't limit yourself to "Ford" applications when chosing the new rad. The rad core in my Aussie Falc was listed for Chrysler applications. The shop measured the Ford factory end tanks and looked into their catalogs for a core that would fit without modifications.
And slightly out of context for this subject, I have hear far too many times that
"You have to cut the radiator support and move the radiator forward when installing a V-8 in the early Falcon (and Pinto)"
BS! Ford built V-8 Falcons and with the engine removed the average person can't tell the difference from a 6 and V-8 enigne compartment.
And Ford DID experiment with 302's in the Pinto with production requirements (but not "production") in mind. The 74 up Pintos can take typical Ford 302 frame motor mounts if a tube is welded across the spot on the frame where the right mount needs to locae, the left mount bolts in without modifications.
So why do people continue to say you have to modify the rad location in these cars? Simply because they never bother to look for the correct combination of parts. Ford Falcon and Fairlane V-8 applications had short nosed water pumps. The Mustang, large Ford, and trucks had long nosed water pumps (sometimes the were thicker pulleys too).
That's the enigne they want to use and they refuse to interchange the parts on the engine they have for the correct parts. "Costs too much", but I guess it costs nothing to cut metal, form new supports, etc., etc.?
Bottom line, there isn't any Ford engine into a Falcon that Ford hasn't already figured out, you need to slow down and find out what off-the-shelf parts they used.
(Anyone remember when Ford had Stroppe put the big block 352 in the 1960 Falcon? That happened about the same time the Falcon was released in September 1959 and Hot Rod Magazine did I full coverage article on the conversion.)
Note: It's not that I am getting (too) old that I remember these things, I still have the article!
core support question V8 conversion 
I like to re-invent the wheel.....my way 
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