On March 8th
at 2:00 pm, Dennis Allsop, a long time member, did an amazing presentation for
us on Re-Coring a 30-31 radiator. The project started in Hershey in 1991 when he
could not find a radiator with a perfect core for his second Model A
restoration. He actually did this project over a two year time frame which
included about 120 hours of work. It
definitely was a labor of “love” by a guy who is a perfectionist and a very
talented and patient machinist/mechanic.
He researched and connected with companies that produced brass tubing
both here and abroad. Then he ordered copper fins from a Connecticut company.
He had to order enough material to produce five radiators to get the companies
to agree to produce materials to his plans.
Finding a machine shop to produce four die plates to form, dimple, and
punch the holes needed proved difficult and took about a year. In order to complete the project, Dennis had
to make a jig to press fit all 132 fins and then solder each one to the
tubing. After a labor intense
re-assembly of the core to restored tanks, the radiator was tested 3 pounds of
air in a tank of water. Each step of the
process was demonstrated on a board for all to see. Dennis actually wrote an article about this
project in the MAR/APR 1994 The Restorer
magazine and distributed a copy to supplement his presentation.
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| Folks at the meeting |
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| Dennis Allsop presents |
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| Getting into the finer points |
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| Answering questions & show and tell |
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| We were very impressed! |
