MOXIE62

I want to flush out the water in my 62 radiator. It's out of the car. I would like to know what direction does the water flow in a radiator. From the top down or from the bottom up.

1955 copper

Like all water , it flows down hill (top down)

RestoMike

Believe you find water from the block (which is heated) flows into the lower radiator hose cooling as it traverses upwardly to top of radiator....cooling as it travels. Back into the block through the top hose.

narlee

I don't think so.

claysmoker

Ah, no.

bub

Top down.

The lower hose is water pump suction. The thermostat (upper hose) is hot block/head/intake manifold discharge.

Water flows from pump to block to upper radiator hose to top of radiator and cools as it goes down the rad passages.

Thermostat goes in with sensing element into manifold.

Better double check any thermostats used/installed in your restorations Mike...

wmf62

nope...

Bill

RestoMike

Ok....Ok boys, thinking cap was on backerds@#^^*#! Holy cow......how quickly they turn on you!

1snake

YUP.


NOPE.

gbvette62

Chevy Small Blocks cool top down, unless of course you have a 92 or later LT1. The second generation LT1 used a reverse flow cooling system!

vetrod62

Actually on a 62, it flows from the left to the right, not up to down.

66jack

only in australia does water flow UPhill

AZDoug

On every '60s chev, it flows that way. But, it is always L to R and up to down, the difference is some flow L/R first and up/down second, followed by L/R again, and others are up/down, then L/R then up/down again, depending on if the rad is cross flow or vertical tube.

Doug

Ron Miller

Mid year small blocks use a cross flow radiator. Water comes into the radiator from the upper hose at the left of the car, flows through the radiator from left to right, and is picked up at the lower radiator hose on the right side of the vehicle.

I think your '62 is similar . . . .

hokie04

The answer is in this clue. The bottom hose has a spring in it to keep it from collapsing.

If the pump was pushing water through it you wouldn't need a spring. The pump is pulling water from the bottom of the radiator.

66since71

Interesting question... Makes you think a little, let's see:

Thermostat housing also called water outlet.
Spring in lower hose to presumably to prevent collapse.
The water pump is a centrifugal pump so it pumps from the center outward.
T-stat bimetal spring is up stream to sense temp.

Looks like flow is from lower hose to pump to block to water outlet to upper hose and through the radiator back to the lower hose.

Harry

1955 copper

:crazy2 : You guys are a fun read ,it's simple which way do you think the pump "fan
"direction turns pushing water up or down???????

JohnZ

Correcto.

cookie_monster

Like to add - If your over-heating and the top hose is cool or luke-warm, the thermostat is stuck closed.

FastEddy

usually towards the leak......