Which way does water flow in the radiator
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Which way does water flow in the radiator
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.
#2
Safety Car
#3
Melting Slicks
#4
Melting Slicks
#5
Race Director
#6
Safety Car
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...
Last edited by bub; 09-27-2011 at 08:56 PM.
#8
Melting Slicks
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...
Last edited by RestoMike; 09-27-2011 at 09:14 PM.
#10
Race Director
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!
#12
Team Owner
#13
Race Director
Doug
#14
Le Mans Master
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 . . . .
I think your '62 is similar . . . .
#15
Burning Brakes
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.
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.
#16
Melting Slicks
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
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
#18
Team Owner
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